Text b. The Economy of the Republic of Belarus

Read and translate the text.

The Republic of Belarus is a developing industrial country. Its economy has been developing rather successfully. Now Belarus is one of the most economically advanced regions among CIS countries³⁹. Belarus was the first republic of the former Soviet Union which not only reached but doubled the level of economic development of 1991.

Belarus has a favourable geographical position, developed network of transport communications connecting Europe and Asia, highly skilled workforce. Thanks to all these factors Belarusian economy can produce competitive products and sell them on foreign markets, increase and diversify its export, especially to CIS countries. Tractors and trucks, buses and trolleybuses, chemical and petrochemical goods are in demand on the world market. Nowadays Belarus produces 31% of the world trucks, 14% of potassium (potash) fertilizers⁴⁰ and 7% of tractors in the world.

The industrial complex of the Republic of Belarus accounts for more than 30% of the GDP. Over 27% of Belarusian population is employed in it. The industrial complex is represented by mechanical engineering and metal-processing, chemical and petrochemical industries, electric power and fuel industries, wood and wood-processing industries⁴¹, construction materials, light and food-processing industries⁴².

The largest share of the mechanical engineering complex belongs to automobile industry. Its products are highly competitive, which is proved by growing export.

Minsk Tractor Works (MTZ) produces a large range of tractors, special-purpose machines: utility, loading, timber and mine machines⁴³.

Minsk Motorcycle and Bicycle works manufactures bicycles for children, juniors, ladies and men.

Atlant refrigerators-making company produces about 25 different models of refrigerators which meet the requirements of the consumers in different countries. The company has started to produce washing mashines, electric tea pots, vacuum cleaners and other electric home devices. These new lines of goods will help to decrease import of such goods from foreign countries.

Minsk Automobile Plant produces buses which meet the highest world standards.

Automobile Plant in Zhodino manufactures trucks which are in great demand in the countries of Far and Middle East.

About 20% of the population of our Republic are employed in the agricultural-industrial complex. Here in Belarus we grow rye, wheat, barley, oats, sugar beets, flax, potatoes, fruits and vegetables.

The food –processing industry includes over 20 sub-industries. There are productions of meat, dairy, sugar, confectionary, vegetable oil, spirit, beer, soft drinks and tobacco in our Republic.

Belarus is not very rich in natural resources. We have to import gas, oil, electricity from Russia and some other countries. But still the deposits of 30 different minerals have been found in Belarus. The country is reach in non-metallic materials: peat⁴⁴, granites, dolomites⁴⁵, marble and chalk and clay⁴⁶. Our Republic possesses unique reserves of mineral waters both for drinking and balneological purposes⁴⁷.

On the whole our economy has been dynamically developing (for the past years) recently. But, of course, there are a lot of problems to be solved. We must develop foreign trade not only with CIS countries but with different countries all over the world. Of course, we need investments, so the investment climate should be improved. A lot of steps have been made in this direction, but, of course, a lot must still be done.

So we can see that the Republic of Belarus has all the necessary economic conditions to become a country with developed economy, with happy well-being population, to be competitive in the world, to be an equal member of the European Union.

Exercise I. Match English and Russian equivalents.

1. favourable geographical position 2. skilled workforce 3. competitive products 4. network of transport communications 5. are in demand on the world market 6. mechanical engineering 7. food-processing industry 8. to decrease import 9. to diversify export 10. investment climate

a) сокращать импорт b) конкурентоспособные товары c) пользуются спросом на мировом рынке d) машиностроение e) инвестиционный климат f) разнообразить экспорт g) квалифицированная рабочая сила h) пищевая промышленность i) благоприятное географическое положение j) сеть транспортных коммуникаций

Exercise II. Complete the sentences using the right word or word combination.

Economically advanced, competitive products, meet the requirements, to decrease import, the highest world standards, in great demand, unique reserves, investment climate, industrial country, industrial complex.

1. Belarusian economy can produce … … and sell them on foreign markets.

2. … … of the Republic of Belarus accounts for more than 30% of GDP.

3. Belarus is one of the … … regions among CIS countries.

4. Belarus needs investments so … … should be improved.

5. The Republic of Belarus is a developing … … .

6. Atlant refrigerator – making company produces refrigerators which … ... of the consumers in different countries.

7. Automobile Plant in Zhodino manufactures trucks which are … … in the countries of Far and Middle East.

8. Our Republic possesses … … of mineral and drinking waters.

9. Belarusian manufacturers have started to produce new lines of goods which will help … … of such goods from foreign markets.

Exercise III. Answer the following questions on the text.

1. How has Belarusian economy been developing lately?

2. Is Belarus one of the most economically advanced regions among CIS countries?

3. What are the advantages of the geographical position of our republic?

4. What Belarusian goods are competitive on the world market?

5. How many people are employed in agricultural-industrial complex?

6. What problems are to be solved by Belarusian economy?

Exercise IV. Think and answer.

What are the main differences and similarities of British and Belarusian economies?

UNIT 5