Facts about Belarus: Nature

Fact 1. The largest in Europe old-growth forest area is located in Belarus. The age of some trees in Belovezhskaya Pushcha is about 600 years, they already existed when Columbus discovered America. Since 1992 Belovezhskaya Pushcha has been included in the World Heritage List.

Fact 2. In general, 42% of the area of the country is under forest cover, 42% is covered by agricultural land, 6%- lakes, rivers and swamps. (10% – other lands). Birch and pine are the most frequently occurring tree species in Belarus.

Fact 3. Our country isn't called "a blue-eyed" for nothing. There are about 11,000 lakes and 20,000 rivers, their total length is 90,600 kilometers (2 times more than the length of the Earth's equator).

Fact 4. Minsk Botanical Garden is one of the largest in Europe, second only to the Royal Botanic Gardens in London and to the park in Madrid.

Fact 5. Belarusian swamps are called the lungs of Europe. Polessye bogs are the most ancient (their age is about 11,000 years), Vitebsk swamps are the deepest (their depth is up to 9 meters). A hectare of swamps recycles carbon dioxide 10 times more efficient than the forest, covering the same area.