The country is bordered by Russia to the north and east, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. B elarus is almost completely flat. The highest hill, Mount Dzyarzhynskaya, is only 346 metres high.
Thick forests cover a third of the land.
Belarus was once completely covered in forest, but over the centuries the woodlands have been cleared for farming. There are more than 10,000 lakes. Lake Naroch and Lake Osveyskoye are two of the largest. The major rivers are the Dniepr, the Neman, the Dvina, and the Pripyat. Most villages and towns are located along the rivers.