The earliest references to the city of Minsk, with the ancient name of Miensk, date to 1067, the year when battle on the river Nemiga occurred. The city served as a southern outpost for the medieval Principality of Polatsk later to become the centre of Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Minsk was named capital of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1919.
The city is located on the banks of the Svislach River, which flows into the Berezina River. Minsk has a total area is 229 square kilometres and a population of about 1.7 million people, with Belarusians accounting for over 70% of the city's residents. Apart from Belarusians, Russians, Poles, Ukrainians, Jews, and other smaller ethnic groups live in the capital.
The city was completely destroyed during World War II and rebuilt during the post-war period. The city is patterned in radial and circular lines. Its main avenue (11 km) is named after Francisk Skorina, an early developer of printing and an outstanding cultural personality in Belarus. The avenue crosses the central squares of Minsk - Independence, October, Victory, Yakub Kolas, and Kalinin. Also located along it are the main social, cultural, and administrative centres: Government House, City Executive, Parliament, Palace of Republic, Belarusian State University, etc.
Minsk has an extensive transport infrastructure, which includes three circular roads. The city's underground metro system has two lines, with a total of 25 stations. Minsk's new railway terminal was opened on May 1, 2001. The city has a central bus station and two airports.
Minsk is the major industrial centre of Belarus. The city's key industries are mechanical engineering, metalworking, instrument making, electronic engineering, light and food industry. Minsk is a production site for tractors, motorcycles, bicycles, refrigerators and other household appliances. The city's biggest industrial manufacturers are the Minsk Tractor Plant, Minsk Automobile Plant, Minsk Instrument Making Plant, Research and Production Association Integral, Minsk Production Association Gorizont, Atlant company and other enterprises.