Раздел V

Устные темы

Russia

Russia is one of the largest countries in the world. The vast territory of the Russian Federation stretches from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east, from the Arctik Ocean in the north to the Sea of Asov in the south. It occupies the northen part of Asia and the eastern part of Europe.

Russia borders on many countries. Due to the large territory, the climate and nature are of various types in our country.

Russia is a country of thick forests and wide valleys, of high mountains and bare deserts. The largest rivers are the Volga, the Ob, the Yenisey, the Lena. The largest lakes are Ladoga and Baikal. Baikal is the deepest lake in the world.

The Russian Federation is rich in natural and mineral resources. There are deposits of oil, gas, coal, gold, iron and many others.

The main industrial centers of Russia are: Vladivostok, Voronezh, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Novgorod,Saratov, Khabarovsk, St. Petersburg and others.

The capital of the Russian Federation is Moscow, with the population of about 10 million people. Moscow is a political, economical and cultural center of the country. Our capital is rich in monuments, museums, art galleries, stadiums, cinemas, concert halls, theatres. The Kremlin Museum, the Battle of Borodino Panorama Museum, the Tretyakov Art Gallery and others are well-known sights.

Russia is a Presidential Republic. The head of the state is President elected for four years. The legislative power in the country is in the Federal Assembly. It consists of two chambers: the Upper Chamber is the Counsil of Federation and the Lower Chamber is the State Duma. The President forms the Government and appoints the Prime Minister.

The State symbol of Russia is a three - coloured flag. It has three horisontal stripes: white, blue and red. White colour represents “peace”, blue colour represents “loyalty” and red colour stands for “valour”.

The state emblem of Russia is a double-headed eagle, the most ancient symbol going back to the dynasty of the Riuricovichies.

The population of Russia is now about 150 million people.