People of Belarus

Population	9,685,768 (2008 estimate)
Population density	47 persons per sq km 121 persons per sq mi (2008 estimate)
Urban population distribution	72 percent (2005 estimate)
Rural population distribution	28 percent (2005 estimate)
Largest cities, with population	Minsk, 1,705,000 (2003 estimate) Homel’, 480,000 (2001 estimate) Mahilyow, 360,600 (2001 estimate)
Official languages	Belarusian, Russian
Chief religious affiliations	Eastern Orthodox, 49 percent Roman Catholic, 13 percent Atheist, 9 percent
Life expectancy	70.3 years (2008 estimate)
Infant mortality rate	7 deaths per 1,000 live births (2008 estimate)
Literacy rate	99.7 percent (2005 estimate)