# Western Belorussia

> historical region of Belarus

**Wikidata**: [Q2337514](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2337514)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Belorussia)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/western-belorussia

## Summary
Western Belorussia is a historical region of Belarus that is classified as both a historical region and a dependent territory. It is located within the modern-day Grodno Region of Belarus and overlaps with several other administrative territories including the Brest, Minsk, and Vitebsk Regions, as well as Poland's Podlaskie Voivodeship.

## Key Facts
- **Instance of:** Historical region, dependent territory.
- **Part of:** Belarus.
- **Location:** Located in the Grodno Region; overlaps with Podlaskie Voivodeship, Brest Region, Minsk Region, and Vitebsk Region.
- **Sovereignty History:** Territory of the Second Polish Republic (1921–1939); later part of the Soviet Union and Belarus.
- **Native Label:** Заходняя Беларусь.
- **Aliases:** West Belarus, Western Belarus, West Belorussia, 西部白ロシア, 西白俄罗斯, Западная Беларусь, 서부 벨라루스, 벨라루스 서부.
- **Wikidata Description:** Historical region of Belarus.
- **Wikipedia Title:** Western Belorussia.
- **Commons Category:** Western Belarus.
- **Sitelink Count:** 28.
- **Freebase ID:** /m/098hgv.
- **Czech National Authority ID:** ge169958 (label: Bělorusko západní).
- **Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija ID:** vakaru-baltarusija.

## FAQs
**What countries have claimed Western Belorussia?**
Historically, Western Belorussia was a territory of the Second Polish Republic starting in 1921 and ending in 1939. It subsequently became part of the Soviet Union and is currently part of Belarus.

**Where is Western Belorussia located?**
The region is situated within the Grodno Region of Belarus. It geographically overlaps the modern administrative areas of the Brest, Minsk, and Vitebsk Regions in Belarus, as well as the Podlaskie Voivodeship in Poland.

**What are the different names for Western Belorussia?**
The entity is known by several names including West Belarus, Western Belarus, West Belorussia, and its native name Заходняя Беларусь. It also has international variants such as 西白俄罗斯, 西部白ロシア, and 서부 벨라루스.

## Why It Matters
Western Belorussia serves as a significant geopolitical and historical concept, illustrating the shifting borders and sovereignty in Eastern Europe during the 20th century. Its status as a "dependent territory" and its transition from the Second Polish Republic (1921–1939) to the Soviet Union highlights the complex political history involving the reorganization of national boundaries in the region. The region's overlap with modern administrative territories in both Belarus and Poland underscores its continuing relevance in understanding the historical geography of Eastern Europe.

## Notable For
- Being defined as a historical region that does not possess full political independence as a sovereign state (dependent territory).
- Its specific historical timeline as a territory of the Second Polish Republic between 1921 and 1939.
- Overlapping multiple modern administrative regions, including the Grodno, Brest, Minsk, and Vitebsk Regions of Belarus, and the Podlaskie Voivodeship of Poland.
- Having a diverse international presence across 26 Wikipedia language editions.

## Body

### Classification and Definition
Western Belorussia is formally classified as an instance of a "historical region" and a "dependent territory." A dependent territory is defined as a territory that does not possess full political independence as a sovereign state. The primary subject category associated with this entity is "Category:Western Belorussia (1918–1939)."

### Geographical and Administrative Context
Geographically, Western Belorussia is part of the larger nation of Belarus. It is specifically located within the Grodno Region. The territory is notable for its extensive overlap with surrounding administrative divisions. It overlaps with the Podlaskie Voivodeship in Poland, as well as the Grodno, Brest, Minsk, and Vitebsk Regions in Belarus. Presently, the territory is located within the administrative entities of Belarus and Poland.

### Historical Sovereignty
The region's political history includes distinct periods of sovereignty. It was a territory of the Second Polish Republic, a status that began in 1921 and concluded in 1939. Following this period, the region became part of the Soviet Union. The preferred value for the country attribute is identified as Belarus.

### Identifiers and Nomenclature
The entity is identified by various unique identifiers across knowledge bases. Its Freebase ID is `/m/098hgv`, and it has a sitelink count of 28. In the Czech National Authority database, it holds the ID `ge169958` with the label "Bělorusko západní". The Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija identifies it as "vakaru-baltarusija".

The region is known by multiple aliases and labels in various languages:
- **English:** West Belarus, Western Belarus, West Belorussia.
- **Native:** Заходняя Беларусь.
- **Chinese:** 西白俄罗斯, 西部白罗西.
- **Japanese:** 西部白ロシア.
- **Korean:** 서부 벨라루스, 벨라루스 서부.
- **Russian:** Западная Беларусь.

### Media and Documentation
Visual documentation of the region is available through specific map files. The location map is cited as "Administrative division of Belarus (1939-1944).jpg" and "East and West Belarus.png". The main category for media is "Western Belarus". The Wikipedia entry for the entity is titled "Western Belorussia" and is available in 26 languages, including Arabic, Belarusian, English, French, German, Hebrew, Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian, among others.

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
2. Czech National Authority Database