| Belarus bordered by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital and most populous city is Minsk. Until the 20th century, different states at various times controlled the lands of modern-day Belarus, including the Principality of Polotsk, 11th to 14th centuries, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Russian Empire. | | Belarus bordered by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital and most populous city is Minsk. Until the 20th century, different states at various times controlled the lands of modern-day Belarus, including the Principality of Polotsk, 11th to 14th centuries, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the Russian Empire. |