1. The country I live in (belarus’)
(1) THE OFFICIAL NAME. The official name of the country I live in is the Republic of Belarus, or Belarus for short. As the name for the territory, the word " Belarus " has been used since the 14th century, yet the origin of the name is still unclear.
(2) GEOGRAPHICAL SITUATION. The republic is situated in the central part of Europe. It borders on Russia to the north and east, on Ukraine to the south, on Poland to the west, and on two of the Baltic states, Lithuania and Latvia, to the north-west.
(3) TERRITORY. The republic covers an area of 207,600 square kilometres. In size, it is just one fifth smaller than Great Britain, but it is larger than the Greece, Belgium and Denmark If taken together.
(4) LANDSCAPE. Nearly three quarters of the territory are broad plains and marshy lowlands. They are mostly in the south of the republic and are collectively called Belarussian Polessie. Hills and elevations occupy about one quarter of the territory. They
are mostly in the northern and central parts of the country.
(5) RIVERS AND LAKES. There are more than 20,000 rivers and streams and more than 10,000 lakes in the republic. The largest rivers are the Dnieper, Western Dvina, Pripiat and Neman, while the largest lake is Naroch.
(6) FORESTS. More than a quarter of the republic's area is covered with forests and bush. Some of them are protected as nature reserves. The most famous is Belovezhskaya Pushcha. It is thehome for the aurochs - a rare bison-like animal that has
survived from the Ace Age.
(7) CLIMATE. The climate is temperately continental. The average annual temperatures range from 4 C in the north-east to 7 C in the south-west. The coldest month is January with temperatures dropping sometimes below 30 C, and the warmest month is July with
average temperatures of about 18 C.
(8) POPULATION. The population of Belarus is over 10 million. 80% of them are Belarussians, while the others are mostly Russians, Poles, Ukrainians, and Jews. About 60% of the population live in town.
(9) LANGUAGE. The official language is Belarussian. But in everyday life most of the people, especially city-dwellers, speak Russian or a mixture of Belarussian and Russian or Ukrainian.
(10) TOWNS. CITIES. REGIONS. There are about 100 towns and cities at present in the republic. The most important ones are Minsk, the capital, Brest, Gomel, Grodno, Moguiliov, and Vitebsk. They are administrative, industrial and cultural centres of the six
regions into which the territory of the republic is divided.
(11) MINERAL WEALTH. The country is not very rich in mineral resources. Peat, oil, building materials, underground fresh and mineral waters, and ores, wich can be used for the production of fertilizers, make up practically all its mineral wealth.
(12) ECONOMY. The most developed branches of the economy are agriculture, manufacturing industry and commerce. Agriculture is the chief occupation for the greater part of the population. It provides more than 30% of the national income
and fully satisfies the country's need for basic agricultural products such as milk, meat, potatoes, vegetables, fruit, and eggs.
The most important branches of manufacturing industry are machine - building, radio - electronics, instrument - making, wood - working, oil refining, and a number of chemical, light, construction and food industries.
Since the republic is poor in power resources and industrial raw materials, it has to export a large part of its agricultural and industrial products in exchange for petrol, gas, coal, metal, chemicals, and cotton. Together with grain, sugar, vegetable oil, fish products, citrics, tea, coffee, and vine they are the main items of Belarussian imports.
The main items of Belarussian exports are heavy lorries and tractors, motocycles and bicycles, TV- and radio-sets, data processing equipment and gas-stoves, refrigerators and furniture, carpets and knitted wear, chemical fibres and fertilizers, to say
nothing of agricultural products.
The main economic and trade partners of Belarus are notably Russia, Ukraine and Poland.
(13) TRANSPORT. Belarus has a wide network of local rail-, high-, and waterways, and is traversed by several international railroads, highways and air routes.
Besides, the republic has an indirect access to the Baltic and Black seas by way of the Dnieper – Bug canal system and navigable rivers.
(14) STATE SYSTEM. The new Constitution adopted in March 1994 proclaimed Belarus a presidential republic. The highest executive power is vested in President elected for a five-year term. The highest organ of state legislative power is a two-chamber Nation Assambly, elected for a five-year term, which approves the government formed by the President. The government comprises a Council of Ministers headed by a premier.
(15) HISTORY. The territory which is now known as Belarus has a century-long history full of dramatic events. The territory often changed hands going from one ruler to another. As a result, the Belarussians could not found their own independent state through
centuries.
A movement of national self-determination began to take shape at the end of the 19th century. The 20th century saw three attempts to create an independent Belarussian state, but none of them has been truly successful so far.
(16) BELARUS TODAY. Nowadays Belarus is a member state of the Commonwealth of Independent States. As any independent state Belarus has its own national symbolics: the National Flag, Emblem, and Anthem. It also has its own diplomatic relations with
other countries of the world. Yet economically it remains greatly dependent on its neighbour states, the Russian Federation first of all.
International economic and cultural activity of Belarus is becoming more and more multiple and intensive. It contributes to the world peace, friendship and co-operation among nations and to the benefit of the Belarussian people. (2000-Zhdanov)