Belarus

So many war memorials in Belarus!

Country Information:

The landlocked country of Belarus, borders five other Eastern European countries. The capital is Minsk. There were roughly 10 million people living here as of 2016, and 9 million as of 2020. Belarusians primarily practice orthodox Christianity and have two official languages: Belarusian and Russian. The time zone is 7 hours ahead of EST. Belarus is primarily flat, and covered in marshland.

Jim’s Perspectives:

When visiting, the ideal time is to enjoy Minsk at night. Minsk is especially known for the “City Gates”, and Privokzalnaya Square. Be sure to visit some of the many WWII war memorials, namely the site of the former village which is now known as the Khatyn Memorial. Also of interest is the Stalin Line Museum which houses parts of the Stalin Line, the largest defense line built pre-WWII.

One interesting thing about Belarus is that it is technically a presidential republic but functions as a dictatorship. The etymology of its name is a combination of the words “bel” (white) and “Rus” (East Slavic ethnicity) meaning, “White Russian”.

 

Another war memorial in Belarus, 2015.
And yet another war memorial!
Skyline of Minsk, Belarus

Tonga

Country Information:  In the Kingdom of Tonga (Tonga), an archipelago of over 170 islands with 36 of them inhabited. It’s capital is Nukuʻalofa and its main languages are Tongan and English. About 104,000 people live here (2011). The main religion is the Free Wesleyan...

Mauritania

Country Information: The capital of Mauritania is Nouakchott and the country’s population is about 5 million. The government declares the entire population is Muslim. The main language is Arabic followed by French.  Away from city life, travelers can brave the Sahara...

Austria

Country Information: The  Republic of Austria, founded in 1804! The capital is Vienna. About 8.5 million people live here and the primary languages are German, Slovenian, Hungarian, and Austrian German. In Austria there is religious freedom, but many Austrians are...