U n I t 6 Text a

THE ALTAI REGION

The Altai Region is situated in the South East of Western Siberia at an equal distance from the four oceans. Its territory covers 169,1 thousand sq. km., the population numbers 2,7 mln. people including urban -1,4 mln. and rural - 1,3 mln. people. The region has 12 towns (Aleisk, Barnaul, Belokurikha, Bijsk, Gorniak, Zarinsk, Zmeinogorsk, Kamen-on-the Ob, Novoaltaisk, Rubtsovsk, Slavgorod, Yarovoye), 7 urban and 60 rural districts. The capital of the Altai Region is Barnaul. Its population runs to 700 thousand people. Altai borders on Novosibirsk and Kemerovo regions in the North; Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, and the Republic of Altai in the South.

In the XVIII century the territory of Altai was “the Silver Treasury of Russia”. It had been the personal property of the Cabinet and Russian tzars since 1747 till 1917.

You can’t but admire the nature of the territory we live in. One of the greatest rivers of the world – the Ob – is formed by the junction of the two rivers the Katun and the Beya flows through the Altai Territory.

There are 3 thousand lakes in our Altai. The largest one is Kulundinskoye Lake (728 sq. km.). Two types of landscape prevail in the region: mountainous in the East and steppen in the West. Considerable areas are covered with virgin taiga forests. True hunters and fishermen highly appreciate the wealth of the taiga and the lakes. “The Belokurikha" health resort with its famous radon baths is situated in a picturesque comer of the Altai foothills. Visitors of Yarovoye Lake use its curing mud. Herbs are prepared in Altai in large quantities. A great number of tourist paths lead to mountainous Altai.

During the Soviet period such important industries as agricultural machine building, petrochemestry, textile industry and others have been founded in the Altai and they are constantly developing. Today Altai produces engines, tractors, power-station boilers, tractor ploughs, freight railway cars, tyres, electric pumps, radio-apparatus, cotton, synthetic fibres. The production of consumer goods has been organized here lately: washing machines, TV-sets, chemical goods, furniture, sports goods and tourist equipment.

The largest plants are joint-stock companies “Altai Tractor”, “Barnaultransmash”, “Sibenergomash”, “Altaiselmash-Holding”, “Altaivagon”, “Chemical Fibre plant” ets.

They call Altai “the Breadwinner” and the people are right. Altai is a major agricultural producer in Russia. It produces millions of tons of grain, meat, milk, vegetables and potatoes. Altai has become the foremost producer of sugar beet, oil-giving sunflowers and soy. A number of other crops are grown here: buckwheat, peas, oats and flax. It also produces berries and fruits.

Altai ranks first in Russia in the output of cheese and second - in the output of butter. Breeding animals for furs is highly developed in Altai. Principle brunches of agriculture are crop production, livestock farming, maral breeding and bee keeping. Livestock farming specializes in meat, milk, wool, and eggs. Food processing industry is the second in the industrial structure of the region. There are dairy, meat processing, confectionery, baking, liquor, wine­making, sugar and cheese making enterprises in the Altai Region etc.

Altai has 10 higher educational institutions, 1620 secondary schools, private schools, lyceums, gymnasium. The number of books and magazines in public libraries runs to 18 mln.volumes. Representatives of more than 110 nationalities peacefully co-exist in Altai.

World famous is the Altai stone-cutting art. Their artistic articles decorate many palaces and museums. The unique “Queen of Vases” made by Kolyvan masters is kept in the State Hermitage.

Altai gave birth to many talented people: Valerii Zolotukhin - an actor, Alexander Zalygin - a writer and editor, Ivan Pyryev - a film producer, Michael Evdokimov - an actor, Margarita Terekhova - an actress, Vassily Shukshin - a writer, actor and film producer. The name of the academician Michael Lisavenko who headed scientific research institute of Siberian gardening is well known all over the country too. Altai is the Motherland of Cosmonaut number 2 German Titov.

Nikolai Rerikh viewed Altai as the most important geo-cosmic center of our planet.

Exercise 1.

Memorize the following words and phrases.

you can’t but admire – нельзя не восхищаться

formed by the junction – образованная слиянием

radon baths – радоновые ванны

curing mud – лечебные грязи

tourist equipment – туристическое снаряжение

to call the “Breadwinner” – называть житницей (кормилицей)

to become the foremost producer – стать передовым производителем crop production – производство зерна

maral breeding – мараловодство

bee keeping – пчеловодство

stone-cutting art – камнерезное искусство

artistic articles – художественные изделия

The State Hermitage – Государственный Эрмитаж

Altai gave birth to – Алтай-это родина

to rank first in the output – занимать 1 -oe место по производству.

Exercise 2.

Answer the following questions.

Where is Altai situated?

What is the total area of the Altai Region?

What is its population?

How many towns and districts are there in Altai?

What is the capital of the Altai Region?

What regions does Altai border on?

What is the nature like in Altai? What opportunities does it provide?

What are the largest rivers?

What are the main industries? What does Altai produce?

What crop cultivation is important for our region?

What output does Altai rank first in Russia?

How many nationalities live here?

What famous people did Altai give birth to?

Exercise 3.

Ask your group mates.

где расположен Алтайский край - to be situated in;

какая общая площадь Алтайского края - the total area of;

какова численность населения - the population;

население насчитывает / доходит до - numbers / runs to;

какой город является столицей Алтайского края - the capital of;

с какими регионами граничит Алтай - to border on;

какие реки протекают по территории края- to flow through the territory;

какой ландшафт преобладает в регионе - landscape, to prevail in the region.