State system of Russia

Russia

Russia is one of the largest countries in the world. The vast territory of Russia lies in the eastern part of Europe and the northern part of Asia.

Russia is washed by twelve seas and three oceans. The oceans are: the Arctic, the Atlantic, the Pacific. The seas are: the White Sea, the Barents Sea, the Okhotsk Sea, the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea and others.

Russia borders on many countries, such as Mongolia and China in the south-east, Finland and Norway in the north-west, and so on.

The land of Russia varies very much from forests to desert, from high mountains to deep valleys. The main mountain chains are the Urals, the Caucasus and the Altai. There are a lot of great rivers and deep lakes on its territory. The longest rivers are the Volga in Europe and the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena in Asia. The largest lakes are Ladoga and Baikal. Baikal is the deepest lake in the world and its water is the purest on earth.

The Russian Federation is rich in natural and mineral resources. It has deposits of oil, gas, coal, iron, gold and many others.

The current population of Russia is more than 150 million people. The European part of the country is densely peopled, and most population live in cities and towns and their outskirts.

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

Russia is a presidential republic. It is one of the leading powers in the world.

Topical Vocabulary

vast territory - обширная, огромная террито­рия

to lie - лежать, находиться

to be washed by - омываться (чем-либо)

to border on - граничить с (чем-либо)

to vary from smth. to smth. - варьировать, изменяться от чего-либо до чего-либо

a desert – пустыня

a valley – долина

a mountain chain - горная цепь

pure – чистый

to be rich in smth. - быть богатым чем-либо

natural and mineral resources - природные ресурсы и полезные ископаемые

a deposit of smth. - месторождение чего-либо

oil – нефть

gas – газ

coal – уголь

iron – железо

gold – золото

the current population - население в настоящий момент

to be densely peopled - быть густонаселенным

outskirts – пригороды

the capital – столица

a presidential republic - президентская республика

a power – держава

Answer the questions:

1. Where does the vast territory of Russia lie?

2. What oceans and seas is Russia washed by?

3. What countries does Russia border on?

4. What are the main mountain chains, rivers and lakes in Russia?

5. What mineralresources are there in Russia?

6. What is the population of Russia?

7. What is the form of government in Russia?

Translate into English:

1. Россия расположена в восточной части Европы и северной части Азии.

2. Обширная территория России омывается Северным Ледовитым, Атлантическим и Тихим океанами.

3. Россия граничит с Монголией, Китаем, Финляндией и другими странами.

4. Россия располагает большим количеством месторождений полез­ных ископаемых.

5. Полезные ископаемые России включают (include) нефть, газ, уголь, железо, золото и др.

6. Форма правления (form of government) в России, одной из ведущих мировых держав, - президентская республика.

State system of Russia

Russia is a parliamentary republic. Head of State in the country is the President. The government consists of three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. The President controls each of them.

The legislative power is exercised by the Federal Assembly. It consists of two chambers: the Council of Federation and the State Duma. Each chamber is headed by the Speaker. A bill may be introduced in any chamber. A bill becomes a law if it is approved by both chambers and signed by the President. The President may veto the bill. He can make international treaties. The President may also appoint ministers; the Federal Assembly approves them. The members of the Federal Assembly are elected by the people for four years. The executive power belongs to the Government, or the Cabinet of Ministers. The government is headed by the Prime Minister.

The judicial power belongs to the system of courts. It consists of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and other courts.

The national symbol of Russia is a white-blue-and-red banner.

Topical Vocabulary

a parliamentary republic – парламентская республика

Head of State – глава государства

the President - президент

to consist of smth. – состоять из чего-либо

a branch – власть (как часть правительства)

legislative - законодательный

executive - исполнительный

judicial - судебный

to control smth. – контролировать что-либо

to be exercised by – осуществляться (кем-либо, чем-либо)

the Federal Assembly – Федеральное собрание

a chamber - палата

the Council of Federation – Совет Федерации

the State Duma – Государственная Дума

to be headed by smb. – возглавляться кем-либо

the Speaker - спикер

to introduce a bill – внести законопроект

to become a law – стать законом

to be approved by smb., smth. – быть одобренным кем-либо

to be signed by smb. – быть подписанным кем-либо

to veto a bill – наложить вето на законопроект

to make an international treaty – заключить международный договор

to appoint a minister – назначить министра

to be elected by the people – избираться народом

to belong to smb. – принадлежать кому-либо

the Cabinet of Ministers - кабинет министров

the Prime Minister – премьер-министр

a system of courts – система судов

the Constitutional Court – Конституционный суд

the Supreme Court – Верховный суд

a banner - знамя

Answer the questions:

1. What branches does the Government consist of?

2. What is the legislative power exercised by?

3. How is a law made?

4. What body does the executive power belong to?

5. What does the system of courts consist of?

6. What are the national symbols of Russia?

Translate into English:

1. Глава парламентской республики России - президент.

2. Законопроект становится законом, если президент не наложит на него вето.

3. Законопроект должен быть одобрен обеими палатами и подписан президентом.

4. Исполнительную власть представляет кабинет министров, возглав­ляемый премьер-министром.

5. Судебная власть осуществляется Конституционным судом, Вер­ховным судом и другими судами.

Bashkortostan

The Republic of Bashkortostan - a sovereign republic within the Russian Federation - is located along the South Urals and the adjacent plains. Its territory is 143,600 square kilometers and the population is over 4 million people. In terms of population, Bashkortostan ranks seventh among Russian's republics, territories and regions. About a hundred nationalities inhabit the Republic. The indigenous population is Bashkirs.

From the point of natural conditions Bashkortostan can be divided into three parts -western, mountains and Bashkir Trans-Urals, The western part is located upon the Russian Plains. It is most favorable for life and business activities. It is here that the majority of the population lives. Highland Bashkortostan encompasses the South Urals Mountains least auspicious to farming and manufacturing and thus least developed. Bashkir Trans-Urals form a narrow strip to the east of the Urals Mountains along the Republic's eastern border merging with the West Siberian Plains.

Bashkortostan’s climate is continental with moderately warm, sometimes hot summers and cold winters.

More than 600 rivers and 800 lakes trim the beauty of the Republic's nature. Many of the rivers, including the Urals and the Aghidel belong to the Caspian Sea basin.

Bashkortostan is rich in forests, the predominant species being birch-tree conifers, lime - tree, oak and maple. About 6 million cubic meters of timber are annually procured and more than half of these are subsequently processed. The Republic accounts for nearly of all lime - tree forests of Russia. It is the lime - tree that makes Bashkir honey world-famous.

The mineral riches of Bashkortostan include iron ore, copper, gold, zinc, aluminum, chromium, brown coal, natural gas, salt, manganese, gypsum, lime-stone and many other deposits numbering well over three thousand.

Oil is the main mineral resource of the land. Oil-related industries - power generation, oil refining, chemical, gas and petrochemical - have become most prominent.

Diverse natural riches and a convenient geographical location promote the development of manufacturing and agri­business. Bashkortostan ranks second in the Urals region as regards its manufacturing potential, and outstrips Russia's republics and many of the CIS countries in terms of national income.

The Republic of Bashkortostan offers extensive facilities for exports and import of raw materials, fuel and manufactured items, maintaining trade and business ties with both the West and the East.

The BAL (Bashkir Airlines) carrier connect Ufa with the largest cities in Russia, the post - Soviet republics and abroad.

The length of railways is 2.900 km. and that of navigable river routes is 960 km.

Topical Vocabulary

adjacent – примыкающий, близлежащий

in terms of population - по численности населения

to rank – занимать

to inhabit – населять

to divide – делить

favorable – благоприятный

to encompass – окружать

auspicious – благоприятный

strip – полоса

to merge – сливать(ся), соединять(ся)

continental – континентальный

moderately – умеренно

to trim – украшать

predominant – преобладающий, господствующий

birch-tree – береза

lime-tree – липа

oak – дуб

timber – строевой лес

to procure – доставать, добывать

prominent – известный, видный

diverse – разнообразный

to promote – способствовать, содействовать

to outstrip – обгонять, превосходить

income - доход

Answer the questions:

1. Where is the Republic of Bashkortostan situated?

2. What is its population?

3. What parts is Bashkortostan divided into?

4. What mineral riches does Bashkortostan include?

5. What makes Bashkortostan world-famous?

Translate into English:

1. Республика Башкортостан является суверенной республикой в составе Российской Федерации.

2. Западная часть страны является благоприятной для жизни и предпринимательской деятельности.

3. Республика насчитывает почти все липовые леса России.

4. Нефть является главным богатством страны.

5. Башкортостан занимает второе место в Уральском регионе по промышленному потенциалу.