Where is the russian federation situated what is the total area of the country

UNIT 5. THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

The Russian federation is the largest country in the world. It occupies about one-seventh of the earth’s surface. It covers the eastern part of the Europe and the northern part of Asia. Its total area is about 17 million square kilometres. The country is washed by 12 seas and 3 oceans: the Pacific, the Arctic and the Atlantic. In the south Russia borders on China, Mongolia, Korea, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan. In the west it borders on Norway, Finland, the Baltic States, Belorussia, the Ukraine. It also has a sea-border with the USA.

There is hardly a country in the world where such a variety of scenery and vegetation can be found. We have steppes in the south, plains and forests in the midlands, tundra and taiga in the north, highlands and deserts in the east.

There are two great plains in Russia: the Great Russian Plain and the West Siberian Lowland. There are several mountain chains on the territory of the country: the Urals, the Caucasus, the Altai and others. The largest mountain chain, the Urals, separates Europe from Asia.

There are over two million rivers in Russia. Europe’s biggest river, the Volga, flows into the Caspian Sea. The main Siberian rivers – the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena – flow from the south to the north. The Amur in the Far East flows into the Pacific Ocean.

Russia is rich in beautiful lakes. The world’s deepest lake (1,600 meters) is lake Baikal. It is much smaller than the Baltic Sea. The water in the lake is so clear that if you look down you can count the stones on the bottom.

Russia has one-sixth of the world’s forests. They are concentrated in the European north of the country, in Siberia and in the Far East.

On the vast territory of the country there are various types of climate, from arctic in the north to subtropical in the south. In the middle of the country the climate is temperate and continental.

Russia is very rich in oil, iron ore, coal, natural gas, copper, nickel and other mineral resources.

Russia is a parliamentary republic. The Head of the State is the President. The legislative powers are exercised by the Duma.

The capital of Russia is Moscow. It is its largest political, scientific, cultural and industrial centre. It is one of the oldest Russian cities.

At present, the political and economic situation in the country is rather complicated. There are a lot of problems in the national economy of the Russian Federation. The prices are constantly rising, the rate of inflation is very high. People are losing their jobs because of the economic crises.

But in spite of the problems Russia is facing at present, there are a lot of opportunities for this country to become one of the leading countries in the world.

References:

1) Asia– Азия;

2) China – Китай;

3) Georgia – Грузия;

4) Norway – Норвегия;

5) Finland – Финляндия;

6) the Baltic States – Прибалтийские государства;

7) the Great Russian Plain – Русская (Восточно-Европейская) равнина;

8) the West Siberian Lowland – Западно-Сибирская низменность;

9) the Urals – Уральские горы;

10) the Caucasus – Кавказ.

Exercises

1. Answer the following questions.

1. Where is the Russian Federation situated?

2. What is the total area of the country?

3. What countries does Russia border on?

4. What mountain chain separates Europe from Asia?

5. How many rivers are there in Russia?

6. Which is the longest river in Europe?

7. What do you know about lake Baikal?

8. Do you know what strait separates Russia from America?

9. What mineral resources is the Russian Federation rich in?

10. What is climate like in Russia?

11. What can you say about the Russian economy?

12. What great Russians do you know?

2. Find in the text the English equivalents to the Russian words and word combinations.

1. In the юге Russia граничит с China, Mongolia, Korea, Kazakhstan, Грузией and Azerbaijan.

2. It also has a морскую границу with the USA.

3. There is hardly a country in the world where such a разнообразие пейзажей and растительности can be found.

4. There are several горных цепей on the territory of the country: the Urals, the Caucasus, the Altai and others.

5. In the middle of the country the climate is умеренный and continental.

6. It is its largest political, научный, cultural and industrial centre.

MOSCOW

Moscow is the capital of Russia, its political, economic, commercial and cultural centre. It was founded 8 centuries ago by Prince Yuri Dolgoruky. Historians have accepted the year of 1147 as the start of Moscow’s history. Gradually the city became more and more powerful. In the 13 th century Moscow was the centre of the struggle of Russian lands for the liberation from the tartar yoke. In the 16 th century under Ivan the Terrible Moscow became the capital of the new united state. Though Peter the Great moved the capital to St Petersburg in 1712, Moscow remained the heart of Russia. That’s why it became the main target of Napoleon’s attack. Three quarters of the city was destroyed by fire during Napoleon’s occupation, but by the mid-19 th century Moscow had been completely restored. After the October revolution Moscow became the capital again.

Now Moscow is one of the greatest cities in Europe. Its total area is about nine hundred square kilometers (ancient Moscow occupied the territory of the present-day Kremlin). The population of the city is over 8 million.

Moscow is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The heart of Moscow is Red Square. It has more historic associations than any other place in Moscow. The Kremlin and St Basil’s Cathedral (Vasily Blazheny) are masterpieces of ancient Russian architecture. The main Kremlin tower, the Spasskaya Tower, has become the symbol of the country. On the territory of the Kremlin you can see old cathedrals, the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, the Palace of Congresses, the Tzar-Cannon and the Tzar-Bell, the biggest cannon and bell in the world. St. Basil’s Cathedral was built in the mid-16 th century in memory of the victory over Kazan. There is a legend that Ivan the Terrible blinded the architects Barma and Postnic, because he didn’t want them to create another masterpiece.

There are a lot of beautiful palaces, old mansions, cathedrals, churches and monuments in Moscow. Now Moscow is being reconstructed and we hope that in a few years the city will become even more beautiful.

There are more than 80 museums in Moscow. The largest museums are the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts and the State Tretyakov Gallery. Other unique museums in Moscow include the All-Russian Museum of Folk Arts, the Andrei Rublev Museum of Early Russian Art, Mikhail Glinka Museum of Musical Culture and many others.

Moscow is famous for its theatres. The best-known of them is the Bolshoi Opera House. Drama theatres and studios are also very popular.

Moscow is a city of students. There are over 80 higher educational institutions in it, including several universities.

Moscow is the seat of the Russian Parliament (the Duma) and the centre of political life of the country.

Vocabulary Bank

Exercises

1. Answer the following questions.

1. When was Moscow founded?

2. Why did Moscow become the main target of Napoleon’s attack?

3. What is the total area of the city?

4. What is the population of the city?

5. Where is the heart of Moscow? Why?

6. What is Moscow famous for?

7. Why can we say that Moscow is a city of students?

8. Have you ever been in Moscow? What places of interest did you visit?

2. Give English equivalents to the following Russian words.

Столица, культурный центр, татарское иго, сердце России, основная цель, общая площадь, население, шедевр, церковь, памятник, известный, высшее учебное заведение, центр политической жизни.

3. Describe your last visit to Moscow.

THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world. It occupies about 1/6 of the Earth surface. The country is situated in Eastern Europe, Northern and Central Asia. Its total area is over 17 million square km.

Our land is washed by 12 seas, most of which are the seas of three oceans: the Arctic, the Atlantic and the Pacific. In the south and in the west the country borders on fourteen countries. It also has a sea-border with the USA.

There is hardly a country in the world where such a great variety of flora and fauna can be found as in our land. Our country has numerous forests, plains and steppes, taiga and tundra, highlands and deserts. The highest mountains in our land are the Altai, the Urals and the Caucasus. There are over two thousand rivers in the Russian Federation. The longest of them are the Volga, the Ob, the Yenisei, the Lena and the Amur. Our land is also rich in various lakes with the deepest lake in the world, the Baikal, included.

On the Russian territory there are 11 time zones. The climate conditions are rather different: from arctic and moderate to continental and subtropical. Our country is one of the richest in natural resources countries in the world: oil, natural gas, coal, different ores, ferrous and non-ferrous metals and other minerals.

The Russian Federation is a multinational state. It comprises many national districts, several autonomous republics and regions. The population of the country is about 140 million people.

Moscow is the capital of our Homeland. It is the largest political, scientific, cultural and industrial center of the country and one of the most beautiful cities on the globe. Russian is the official language of the state. The national symbols of the Russian Federation are a white-blue-red banner and a double-headed eagle.

The Russian Federation is a constitutional republic headed by the President. The country government consists of three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. The President controls only the executive branch – the government, but not the Supreme Court and Federal Assembly.

The legislative power belongs to the Federal Assembly comprising two chambers: the Council of Federation (upper Chamber) and the State Duma (lower Chamber). Each chamber is headed by the Speaker. The executive power belongs to the government (the Cabinet of Ministers) headed by the Prime Minister. The judicial power belongs to the system of Courts comprising the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and federal courts.

The foreign policy of the Russian Federation is that of international cooperation, peace and friendship with all nations irrespective of their political and social systems.

2. Answer the following questions:

1. Is Russia the largest country in the world?

2. What oceans wash the borders of the Russian Federation?

3. How many countries have borders with Russia?

4. Are Russian flora and fauna various?

5. What are the highest mountains in Russia?

6. What is Baikal famous for?

7. What is the climate in Russia like?

8. What is the national symbol of Russia?

9. What does the Federal Assembly consist of?

10. Who is the head of each Chamber of the Federal Assembly?

3. How well do you know your Homeland? What is (are):

• the biggest Russian lake?

• the longest Russian river (in European and Asian parts of the Russian Federation)?

• a city with subtropical climate?

• cities with arctic climate?

• old historical cities?

• places of recreation and tourism?

4. Translate into English:

1. Общая площадь Российской федерации составляет более 17 миллионов километров.

2. В мире вряд ли есть еще одна страна с такой разнообразной флорой и фауной.

3. Озеро Байкал – самое глубокое озеро на земном шаре и служит предметом гордости россиян.

4. На территории Российской федерации существует 11 часовых поясов.

5. Россия является конституционной республикой с президентской формой правления.

6. Законодательная власть принадлежит Федеральному Собранию.

5. Learn the following words by heart:

to occupy – занимать

total area – общая площадь

to border on – граничить с

highlands – горные возвышенности

the Urals – Уральские горы

the Caucasus – Кавказ

climate conditions – климатические условия

ferrous and non-ferrous metals – черные и цветные металлы

to comprise – включать, охватывать

banner – флаг, знамя

Federal Assembly – Федеральное Собрание

the Council of Federation – Совет Федерации

The Russian Federation

Profile
	Official name		Rossiyskaya Federatsiya (Russian Federation)
	Form of government		federal multiparty republic with a bicameral legislative body (Federal Assembly comprising the Federation Council [178] and the State Duma [450])
	Head of state		President
	Head of government		Prime Minister
	Capital		Moscow
	Official language		Russian
	Official religion		none
	Monetary unit		ruble (Rub)
	Population estimate		(2006) 142,394,000
	Total area (sq mi)		6,592,800
	Total area (sq km)		17,075,400

RUSSIA

The Russian Federation, Russia, is the largest country in the world. Russia is situated on two continents: Europe and Asia. The size of Russia is hard to imagine. It occupies about one-seventh of the earth’s surface. A flight from Moscow to Magadan takes eight hours. The total area is 17, 075, 400 square kilometres.

Russia is washed by 12 seas of 3 oceans: in the north by the Arctic Ocean and its seas: the Barents, Chukchee, East Siberian, Kara, Laptev and White Seas; in the south by the Black and Caspian Seas of the Atlantic; in the east by the Bering Sea, the Sea of Japan and Okhotsk Sea of the Pacific; in the west by the Baltic Sea.

Our country borders on fourteen countries. In the south Russia borders on China, Mongolia, North Korea, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan. In the west it borders on Norway, Finland, the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), Belorussia, the Ukraine and Poland. It also has a sea-border with the USA.

There is hardly a country in the world where such a great variety of flora and fauna can be found as in our land. Our country has numerous forests, plains and steppes, taiga and tundra, highlands and deserts. Russia has one-sixth of the world’s forests. They are concentrated in the European north of the country, in Siberia and in the Far East.

The greater part of the territory of Russia is vast plains with low mountain ranges and long rivers. There are over two million rivers in Russia. The Volga is the longest river in the European part of the country. The longest rivers in the Asian part are the Ob, the Lena and the Yenisei which flow into the Arctic Ocean. The Amur in the Far East flows into the Pacific Ocean. Russia is a land of large beautiful lakes. The three largest lakes in Russia are Baikal in South-Eastern Siberia and Ladoga and Onega in Northern Russia. The world’s deepest lake (1,600 metres) is Lake Baikal.

The relief of Russia is mostly flat. It’s located on two plains: the Great Russian Plain and the Western Siberian Plain. There are several mountain chains on the territory of Russia: the Caucasus, the Altai, the Urals and others. The Caucasus stretches from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea. The highest mountain is Mount Elbrus. The Urals extend from the Arctic Ocean to the steppes. They divide the European and Asian parts of Russia.

There are different types of climate in different regions of the country: from arctic in the north and temperate to continental in the middle of the country and subtropical in the south.

Our country is one of the richest in natural resources countries in the world: oil, natural gas, coal, different ores of ferrous and non-ferrous metals and other minerals.

From an agricultural country before the 1917 Revolution Russia has become a highly developed industrial and agricultural state. After the Revolution heavy industry has been created; there have appeared such new branches of industry as aviation, machine-building, chemical, automobile and many others.

The Russian Federation is a multinational state. It comprises many national districts, several autonomous republics and regions. The population of Russia is about 150 million people. The capital of Russia is Moscow. Moscow was founded in 1147 by Yuri Dolgoruki. Moscow is the largest political, scientific, cultural and industrial centre. It is one of the oldest Russian cities.

Russian is the official language of the state. The national symbols of the Russian Federation are a two-headed eagle and a three coloured (white-blue-red) banner. The white stripe symbolizes the earth, the blue one stands for the sky, and the red one symbolizes liberty. The hymn of Russia is «The Patriotic Song» by M. Glinka.

The Russian Federation is a constitutional republic headed by the President. The President is elected directly by the people. The President is commander-in-chief of the armed forces; he makes treaties, enforces laws, and appoints ministers.

The country government consists of three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. The legislative power belongs to the Federal Assembly comprising two chambers: the Council of Federation (upper Chamber) and the State Duma (lower Chamber). Each chamber is headed by the Speaker. Legislature may be initiated in either of the two Chambers. But to become a law a bill must be approved by both Chambers and signed by the President. The members of the Federal Assembly are elected by popular vote for a four-year period.

The executive power belongs to the government (the Cabinet of Ministers) headed by the Prime Minister. The judicial power belongs to the system of Courts comprising the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and federal courts. The Constitutional Court has the right to declare actions of the President, the Federal Assembly and the Federal Government unconstitutional.

The new political system has brought great changes in all spheres of life in Russia. There exist a great many political parties and organizations (political as well as social) in our country today.

Vocabulary:

1) the Russian Federation — Российская Федерация

2) Europe — Европа

3) Asia [‘eı∫ə] — Азия

4) the Pacific Ocean [pə’sıfık ‘əu∫n] — Тихий океан

5) the Arctic Ocean — Северный Ледовитый океан

6) China [ ′t∫ai’nə] — Китай

7) Mongolia [mɔŋ’gəulıə] — Монголия

8) Korea [kəu’rıə] — Корея

9) Georgia — Грузия

10) the Baltic States — Прибалтийские государства

11) Belorussia [,beləu’rʌ∫ə] — Беларусь

12) the Ukraine [ju’kreın] — Украина

13) the Great Russian Plain — Русская (Восточно-Европейская) равнина

14) the West Siberian [saı’bıərıən] Lowland — Западно-Сибирская низменность

15) the Urals [‘juərəlz] — Уральские горы

16) the Caucasus — Кавказ

17) the Far East — Дальний Восток

18) to occupy [‘ɔkjupaı] — занимать

19) surface [‘sә:fıs] — поверхность

20) total area [‘təutl ‘eərıə] — общая площадь

21) to wash — омывать

22) to border on — граничить с …

23) numerous [‘njumərəs] — многочисленный

24) highlands — возвышенности, горная местность

25) to concentrate — сосредотачиваться, концентрироваться

26) to flow into — впадать в …

27) temperate — умеренный

30) non-ferrous metals — цветные металлы

31) ferrous metals — черные металлы

32) natural [‘næʧrəl] gas — природный газ

33) mineral resources— полезные ископаемые

34) scientific [,saıən’tıfık] — научный

35) legislative — законодательный

36) executive [ıg’zekjutıv] — исполнительная

37) judicial — судебная

38) powers — полномочия

39) to comprise — включать, охватывать

40) banner — знамя, флаг

41) Federal Assembly — Федеральное Собрание

42) the Council [‘kaunsl] of Federation — Совет Федерации

43) State Duma — Государственная дума

44) Supreme Court — Верховный суд

1. Answer the following questions:

1) Where is the Russian Federation situated?

2) What part of the earth’s surface does the Russian Federation occupy?

3) What is the total area of the country?

4) What seas and oceans is the country washed by?

5) How many countries have borders with Russia?

6) Are Russian flora and fauna various?

7) What is the climate like in Russia?

8) What great plains are there in Russia?

9) What mountain chains are there in Russia?

10) What is the largest (highest) mountain chain in Russia?

11) What mountain chain separates Russia from Asia?

12) How many rivers are there in Russia? What is the longest river in the country?

13) Is Russia rich in lakes? What is the deepest lake in the world?

14) What mineral resources is the Russian Federation rich in?

15) What is the population of Russia?

16) What is the capital of Russia?

17) When was Moscow founded? Who founded Moscow?

18) Is Russia a parliamentary republic?

19) Who rules the country?

20) What is the political and economic situation in the country now?

21) What are the national symbols of Russia?

22) What does the Federal Assembly consist of?

Unit 1. The Russian Federation

The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world. It occupies about one-seventh of the earth’s surface. It covers the eastern part of Europe and the northern part of Asia. Its total area is about 17 million square kilometers. The country is washed by 12 seas of 3 oceans: the Pacific, the Arctic and the Atlantic. In the south Russia borders on China, Mongolia, Korea, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan. In the west it borders on Norway, Finland, the Baltic States, Byelorussia, the Ukraine. It also has a sea-borders with the USA and Japan.

There is hardly a country in the world where such a variety of scenery and vegetation can be found. We have steppes in the south, plains and forests in the midland, tundra and taiga in the north, highlands and deserts in the east.

There are two great plains in Russia: the Great Russian Plain and the West Siberian Lowland. There are several mountains chains on the territory of the country: the Urals, the Caucasus, the Altai and others. The largest mountain chain, the Urals, separates Europe from Asia.

There are over two million rivers in Russia. Europe’s biggest river, the Volga, flows into the Caspian Sea. The main Siberian rivers- the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena- flow from the south to the north. The Amur in the Far East flows into the Pacific Ocean.

Russia is rich in beautiful lakes. The world’s deepest lake is Lake Baikal. It is much smaller than the Baltic Sea, but there is much more water in it than in the Baltic Sea. The water in the lake is so clear that if you look down you can count the stones on the bottom.

Russia has one-sixth of the world’s forests. They are concentrated in the European north of the country, in Siberia and in the Far East.

On the vast territory of the country there are various types of climate, from arctic in the north to subtropical in the south. In the middle of the country the climate is temperate and continental.

Russia is very rich in oil, iron ore, natural gas, copper, nickel and other mineral resources.

Russia is a parliamentary republic. The Head of State is the President. The legislative powers are exercised by the Duma.

The capital of Russia is Moscow. It is its largest political, scientific, cultural and industrial centre. It’s one of the oldest Russian cities.

At present, the political and economic situation in the country is rather complicated. There are a lot of problems in the national economy of the Russian Federation. The industrial production is decreasing. The prices are constantly rising, the rate of inflation is very high. People are losing their jobs because many factories and plants are going bankrupt.

But in spite of the problems Russia is facing at present, there are a lot of opportunities for this country to become one of the leading countries in the world. I’m sure that we, the younger generation, can do very much to make Russia as strong and powerful as it used to be.

5.1.2 Vocabulary. Pronounce the following words

Тема / Топик по английскому языку:
The Russian Federation

In area, the Russian Federation is the largest country in the world. Its total area is about 17 million square kilometres. It occupies most of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Russia stretches from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the East and from the Arctic Ocean in the North to the Black Sea and the Caucasus, the Altai, and the Sayan mountains, and the Amur and the Ussuri rivers in the South. It is bordered by Norway and Finland in the north-west, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus and the Ukraine in the West, Georgia and Azerbaijan in the south-west, and Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China along the southern border. The federation comprises 21 republics.

The climate in Russia varies from arctic in the north to continental in the central part of the country and subtropical in the south.

The current population of Russia is about 50 million people; 82% of the population are Russians.

Russia is a highly-industrialized-agrarian republic. Its vast mineral resources include oil and natural gas, coal, iron, zinc, lead, nickel, aluminium, gold and other non-ferrous metals. Russia has the world’s largest oil and natural gas resources. Three-quarters of the republic’s mineral wealth is concentrated in Siberia and the Far East.

Approximately 10 million people are engaged in agriculture and they produce half of the region’s grain, meat, milk and other dairy products. The largest granaries are located in the North Caucasus and the Volga and the Amur regions.

The capital of the Russian Federation is Moscow, with the population of about 10 million people.

Russia is a constitutional republic, with President as Head of State. The legislative power is vested in the Federal Assembly, consisting of the Council of Federation and the State Duma.

Topical Vocabulary