Belarus, a landlocked Eastern European country, borders Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. Formerly known as Belorussia or White Russia, Belarus gained independence in 1991 from the Soviet Union, where it was the smallest of the three Slavic republics. The history of Belarus is closely intertwined with that of its neighboring countries, as the territory underwent partition and changed hands multiple times throughout the centuries. Despite sharing a distinct ethnic identity and language, Belarus did not experience long periods of unity and sovereignty until the 20th century. Today, Belarus is officially a republic, but in practical terms, it functions as a dictatorship. The country is led by President Alexander Lukashenko, with Roman Golovchenko serving as the Prime Minister. Belarus boasts a population of approximately 9.1 million people, and its capital is Minsk, a modern and rebuilt city. The government system in Belarus is characterized by a substantial central control over the economy, often described as market socialism. Belarus maintains close ties with Russia and is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union.