C. 4. Read the text the Zabaikalsky region and discuss it

The Zabaikalsky region was established in 1937. It occupies the southern part of Eastern Siberia. The region borders on Mongolia, China, Yakutia, the Amur region and Buryat Republic. The area of the region is 431,500 square kilometres. Its population is 1,300,000 people.

The nature is very picturesque. The flora and fauna are rich and various. One can find volcano zones, lowlands, plains, steppes, sands. Over 60 % of the region is covered with forests. The region is a mountainous country. The highest peaks are Kodar and Udokan, some 3000 metres high. There are many rivers in the region, the longest of them are the Shilka, the Argun, the Vitim, the Ingoda, the Onon and others. There are many lakes in the region, the Ivan-Arakhley, Leprindo, Torey and others.

The region is rich in natural resources: coal, building materials, clay, ores, fluor-spar, ferrous, non-ferrous and precious metals – gold, silver, tin, copper, etc. The region is famous for its mineral springs: Darasun, Molokovka, Kuka, Yamarovka. Some of them are used in medicine. Mining, coal, wool, food industries, mechanical engineering, metal-working are of great economic importance. The main industrial centres are Chita, Petrovsk-Zabaikalsky, Krasnokamensk, Balei, Orlovsk and others.

The climate of the region is continental. The summer is hot and the winter is not very cold. There are many sunny days in the region.