Belarus is a small landlocked country situated in eastern Europe. Until 1991 it was part of the USSR. It is bordered by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west and Latvia and Lithuania to the northeast. The capital is Minsk. 40% of the country is still covered by forests. The country has a very poor record for human rights and is regarded by many as “Europe’s last dictatorship”. Since 2020 when the results of the general election were disputed, the president since 1994 Alexander Lukashenko is no longer recognised as the legitimate president of the country. There have been mass protests demanding the end to his presidency. Belarus is the only country in Europe which still uses the death penalty.

From 1917 until 1991, Belarus used the stamps of the USSR. The first stamps of Belarus were issued in 1992.