Download Russia

Russian Federation
Geographical Position
Russia is the world’s largest country, stretching over Eastern Europe
and northern Asia.
It covers almost twice the territory of either the United States or
China. Russia is bounded in the west by Finland, Estonia, Lithuania,
Belarus, and Ukraine and is bounded in the south by Georgia, Azerbaijan,
Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, and North Korea.
It faces the Baltic and the Black Seas in the west, the Arctic Ocean
and conjoined seas in the north, and the Pacific Ocean and conjoined seas
in the east.
Russia displays a variety of land-forms and environments. It chief
regions are the Russian (East European) Plain, the Ural Mountains, the
West Siberian Plain, the Central Siberian Plateau, and the Far East. The
Russian Plain contains the country’s most economically important rivers,
chief among them the Don and Volga. In the south, the Russian Plain is
bordered by the Caucasus Mountains between the Black and Caspian
Seas.
The Ural Mountains, the traditional boundary between Europe and
Asia, run for over 2,000 kilometers from north to south. The highest
peak, Mount Narodnaya, reaches 1,895 meters.
East to the Urals lies one of the most extensive lowlands in the world,
the West Siberian Plain, which is drained by the Ob and Yenisey Rivers.
The easternmost portion of Russia is bounded by the Pacific Ocean;
this Far East area also includes the Kamchatka and Chukchi peninsulas
and the Kuril and Sakhalin islands.
Russia is a land of long rivers and deep lakes. The broad Volga River
system is of great historic, economic and cultural importance to Russia. It
is the longest river in Europe extending 3,700 kilometers from Valdai
Hills to the Caspian Sea. Numerous canals join all the rivers in the
European part of Russia, making it the largest inland water transportation
route in Europe.
In Siberia are the Lena, the country’s longest; the Ob and the Yenisei.
Most Siberian rivers flow south to north.
Russia has also several sizable lakes. The Caspian Sea, partially
within the territory of the country, is the world’s largest inland body of
water. Lake Baikal, in Eastern Siberia, is the deepest lake in the world.
Climate and Zones
Russia’s climate is markedly continental, with cold winters and mild
or warm summers, depending on latitude. There are various types of
climate in the territory of Russia. The country’s vegetation reflects its
different latitudinal climatic regimes.
Treeless tundra extends along the entire Arctic coast within the Arctic
Circle. The tundra’s ground is solidly frozen most of the year.
This zone is bordered in the south by taiga, which covers more than
half of the country. The northern part of taiga contains mainly soft—
wood trees and rests largely on permafrost.
The taiga gives way southward to a zone of deciduous forests. In the
centre is an area of mixed forests that covers much of European Russia.
And Southern Russia is covered with mixed forest-steppe that gives
way to true steppe, which is grass-covered and almost treeless.
Resources
Russia is among the world’s richest countries in mineral resources. It
is the biggest producer of coal, petroleum, and natural gas, as well as
iron, ore, copper, zinc, lead, nickel, aluminum, and tin. Russia’s chemical
industry is well developed, and the country’s enormous forests are
capable of supplying all its wood and paper products. Energy is generated
mostly by thermal plants using the country’s vast fossil-fuel re serves.
About three-fifths of Russian farmland is used to grow crops; the
remainder is given to pasture and meadow. The main product has always
been grain — chiefly wheat, rye, barley, and oats — along with such
industrial crops as sunflower seeds, sugar beets, and flax.
People
Russians, constituting four-fifths of the total population of Russia,
have played the leading role in the political, economic, and cultural life of
the country for centuries. They speak a language belonging to the eastern
branch of the Slavic language group. Members of more than 60 other
ethnic groups also live in Russia, and about 25 of these minorities have
their own autonomous republics within the Russian Federation.
Population in our country is quite unequally distributed, with the
highest density in the European part. About three-quarters of its
population is classified as urban. There are a lot of cities, towns and
villages in our country.
Russia’s population is almost entirely literate. Education is free at all
levels and compulsory between ages of 7 and 17. The educational system
includes three or four-year primary schools, and general, technical, or
vocational secondary schools.
Russia has always played an important role in the world. It is one of
its leading Powers.
The Altai
The Altai Mountains are a vast range in southern Siberia. The name
derives from a Mongolian word that means ‘golden’. The great variety in
landscape, from steppe to taiga, from glaciers to semi-desert makes it one
of the most beautiful mountain ranges of Russia. The region boasts caves,
waterfalls, rivers with fast moving rapids and more than 7,000 lakes.
Landscapes change from flat steppes to sharp, 3,000 meter-tall
mountains. The villages with their multicolored houses and sunflowers
set against dark forested hills are few and far between.
The most attractive and exciting white-water destinations in the world
are here.
According to the internationally accepted six-grade system Katun’s
rapids are graded 4 and 5. Fed by the runoff from glaciers of Mount
Belukha, the Katun runs through many canyons that squeeze it into a
narrow torrent. The view of the Katun valley and the green and lilaccolored mountains is magnificent. These mountains still host rare snow
leopards and you may even come across their traces, but don’t count on
seeing one. Maral deer live there.
The nice peculiarity of these places is the absence of mosquitoes. No
one knows why they don’t live here. Maybe it is because there are no
swamps around or the altitude is too high for the flying vampires.
So trekking, rafting, rock climbing, mountain biking and horse back
riding opportunities here are endless. The rafting season on the Katun
opens in late April and goes through October, although the weather is
unpredictable and it can rain any time. So if you are ready to have an
adventure trip, there is no better place than the Altai Mountains, hundreds
of kilometers from any large city.
Answer the following questions:
1. Where does the territory of Russia lie?
2. What is the surface of Russia?
3. What is the role of the Volga River in the history of Russia?
4. What natural resources are deposited there in Russia?
5. What countries does Russia border on?
6. What rivers and lakes are there in Russia? What are they famous for?
7. What climate is in Russia? What does it depend on?
8. What are vegetation zones in Russia?
9. How is Russian farmland used?
10. What is the ethnic constitution of the Russian population?
11. How is the population distributed?
Translate the following into English:
1. Россия — самая большая страна в мире. Она простирается от
Балтийского и Черного морей на западе до Тихого океана на востоке
и до Северного Ледовитого океана на севере.
2. Россия — это страна просторных равнин, высоких гор, густых
лесов и красивых озер. Рельеф России очень разнообразен.
3. Климата России главным образом резко континентальный с до
вольно суровой зимой и мягким. теплым летом. Колебания
температур достигают от —50 °С зимой до +35 °С летом.
4. Россия очень богата минеральными ресурсами. Среди полезных
ископаемых можно назвать уголь. нефть. природный газ, цинк. медь,
никель, алюминий, железо. свинец.
5. Огромным природным богатством России являются её леса
Большая часть этих лесов находится далеко от автомобильных и
железных дорог, поэтому их невозможно использовать.
6. Население России распределено по территории страны очень
неравномерно. Самые густонаселенные районы — Европейская
часть страны, самые редконаселенные — районы Севера.