Belarus is an Eastern European country surrounded by Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine. As the old Soviet Union developed Belarus as an area of heavy industry, the economy of the country today is support by heavy industry and energy industry, even after the breakdown of the Soviet Union. Through the pipelines of Belarus, massive amounts of Russian petroleum and gas are exported to European countries. Belarusians not only enjoy but also have great talent in sports and dance. They are especially good at gymnastics. One good example is the gymnast Svetlana Boginskaya, known as the ‘Swan of Belarus,’ who entered the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2005. The Belarusian National Ballet Company, known as one of the three major ballets of the old Soviet Union along with Kirov Ballet and Bolshoi Ballet, is still maintaining its high reputation. Belarus has abundant woods. The great forest of Belovezhskaya Pushcha, located on the country’s bordering area near Poland, was appointed as UNESCO’s World Heritage in 1979. Filled with various animals and plants such as the European bison, lynx, otter, etc, the forest has been there since the prehistoric age.