RUSSIA

The Russian Federation (Advanced level)

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 and 3 oceans: the Pacific, the Arctic and the Atlantic. Russia borders on eighteen states. Among them are Georgia, Norway, Ukraine and Finland.  It also has a sea-border with the USA and Japan.

There are steppes in the south, plains and forests in the midland, tundra and taiga in the north, highlands and deserts in the east. There are over two million rivers in Russia. The Volga is the biggest river in Europe but it is smaller than great Siberian rivers, the Yenisei and the Ob. Russia is rich in beautiful lakes. The world's deepest lake (1,600 meters) is Lake Baikal.

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. 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: arctic, subtropical, temperate and continental. Russia is very rich in oil, coal, iron ore, natural gas, copper, nickel and other mineral resources.

Russia is a parliamentary republic. This means that the Head of State is the President. The legislative power is exercised by the State Duma (the Russian Parliament). The capital of Russia is Moscow. It's its largest political, scientific, cultural and industrial centre. It's one of the oldest Russian cities. Moscow was founded in 1147 by Yuri Dolgoruky.

The state symbol of Russia is a three-coloured banner. It has 3 horizontal stripes: white, blue and red. They mean sincerity, honesty and bravery. The other state symbol is the double-headed eagle. The hymn of Russia is “the Patriotic Song”. The music is written by A.Aleksandrov, the lyrics are written by S.Mikhalkov. The Birch Tree is a symbol of Russia too.

Personally, I feel that we all live in a great and rich country. We should be proud ofour long history, rich traditions, unique culture and our Russian spirit.

The Russian Federation (Basic level)

The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world. It covers the eastern part of Europe and the northern part of Asia. The country is washed by 12 seas and 3 oceans: the Pacific, the Arctic and the Atlantic. Russia borders on eighteen states.  It also has a sea-border with the USA and Japan.

There are steppes in the south, plains and forests in the midland, tundra and taiga in the north, highlands and deserts in the east. There are over two million rivers in Russia. The Volga is the biggest river in Europe but it is smaller than great Siberian rivers, the Yenisei and the Ob. Russia is rich in beautiful lakes. The world's deepest lake (1,600 meters) is Lake Baikal.

There are several mountain chains on the territory of the country: the Urals, the Caucasus, the Altai and others. 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: arctic, subtropical, temperate and continental. Russia is very rich in oil, coal, iron ore, natural gas, copper, nickel and other mineral resources.

Russia is a parliamentary republic. This means that the Head of State is the President. The legislative power is exercised by the State Duma (the Russian Parliament). The capital of Russia is Moscow. It's its largest political, scientific, cultural and industrial centre. It's one of the oldest Russian cities. Moscow was founded in 1147 by Yuri Dolgoruky.

The state symbol of Russia is a three-coloured banner. It has 3 horizontal stripes: white, blue and red. They mean sincerity, honesty and bravery. The other state symbol is the double-headed eagle. The hymn of Russia is “the Patriotic Song”. The music is written by A. Aleksandrov, the lyrics are written by S. Mikhalkov. The Birch Tree is a symbol of Russia too.

Personally, I feel that we all live in a great and rich country. We should be proud of our long history, rich traditions, unique culture and our Russian spirit.