The Russian Federation

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 of 3 oceans: the Pacific, the Arctic and the Atlantic. In the south Russia borders on China, Mongolia, Korea, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan. In the west it borders on Norway, Finland, the Baltic States, Byelorussia, the Ukraine. It also has a sea-border with the USA.

There's hardly a country in the world where such a variety of scenery and vegetation can be found. We have steppes in the south, plains and forests in the midland, tundra and taiga in the north, highlands and deserts in the east.

There are two great plains in Russia: the Great Russian Plain and the West Siberian Lowland. 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.

There are over two million rivers in Russia. Europe's biggest river, the Volga, flows into the Caspian Sea. The main Siberian rivers — the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena — flow from the south to the north. The Amur in the Far East flows into the Pacific Ocean.

Russia is rich in beautiful lakes. The world's deepest lake (1,600 meters) is Lake Baikal. It's much smaller than the Baltic Sea, but there's much more water in it than in the Baltic Sea. The water in the lake is so clear that if you look down you can count the stones on the bottom.

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, from arctic in the north to subtropical in the south. In the middle of the country the climate is 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. The Head of State is the President. The legislative powers are exercised by the Duma.

The capital of Russia is Moscow. It's its largest political, scientific, cultural and industrial centre. It's one of the oldest Russian cities.

At present, the political and economic situation in the country is rather complicated. The industrial production is decreasing. The prices are constantly rising; the rate of inflation is rather high. People are losing their jobs because many factories and plants are going bankrupt.

But in spite of the problems Russia is facing at present, there are a lot of opportunities for this country to become one of the leading countries in the world. I'm sure that we, the younger generation, can do very much to make Russia, as strong and powerful as it used to be.

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In area, the Russian Federation is the largest country in the world. Its total area is about 17 million square kilometres. It occupies most of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Russia stretches from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the East and from the Arctic Ocean in the North to the Black Sea and the Caucasus, the Altai, and the Sayan mountains, arid the Amur and the Ussuri rivers in the South. It is bordered by Norway and Finland in the north-west, Estonia, Latvia, Belarus and the Ukraine in the West, Georgia and Azerbaijan in the south-west, and Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China along the southern border. The Russian Federation comprises 86 federal subjects, namely: 48 oblasts (provinces), 21 republics (states) which enjoy a high degree of autonomy on most issues and which correspond to some of Russia's numerous ethnic minorities, seven krais (territories),seven okrugs (autonomous districts),two federal cities (Moscow and St. Petersburg).

The land of Russia varies from thick forests to barren deserts, from high peaked mountains to deep valleys. Russian Federation is locate J on two plains, Great Russian Plain and West Siberian Lowland. The longest mountain chains are the Urals, separating Europe from Asia, the Caucasus, the Altai. Russia's most important rivers are the Volga, Europe's biggest river, flowing into the Caspian Sea, the main Siberian rivers (the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena), and the Amur in the Far East, flowing into the Pacific Ocean. The total number of rivers in Russia is over two million. The world biggest lake - the Caspian sea The world's deepest lake - Lake Baikal, with the depth of 1600 metres, is situated in Russia, too.The climate in Russia varies from arctic in the north to continental in the central part of the country and subtropical in the south.

The current population of Russia is about 150 million people; 82 % of the population are Russians.

Russia is a highly-industrialized-agrarian republic. Its vast mineral resources include oil and natural gas, coal, iron, zinc, lead, nickel, aluminium, gold and other non-ferrous metals. Russia has the world's largest oil and natural gas resources. Three-quarters of the republic's mineral wealth is concentrated in Siberia and the Far East.

More than a decade after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia is now trying to further develop a market economy and achieve much more consistent economic growth. Russia remains heavily dependent on exports of commodities, particularly oil, natural gas, metals, and timber, which account for about 80% of exports, leaving the country vulnerable to swings in world prices. Other problems include disproportional economic development of Russia's own regions. While the huge capital region of Moscow is a bustling, affluent metropolis living on the cutting edge of technology with a per capita income rapidly approaching that of the leading Eurozone economies, much of the country, especially its indigenous and rural communities in Asia, lags significantly behind.

Approximately 10 million people are engaged in agriculture and they produce half of the region's grain, meat, milk and other dairy products. The largest granaries are located in the North Caucasus and the Volga and the Amur regions.

Russia is a constitutional republic, with President as Head of State. He is elected for 4 years and his powers are limited by the Duma. The political system 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 andsigned 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.

Russia is a keen sporting country, successful at a number of sports and continuously finishing in the top rankings at the Olympic games.

Among the traditional sports are football (soccer) and ice hockey. The USSR team won the first European Football Championship in 1960 and two Olympic gold medals, and the Russian Premier League attracts many foreign investors and players. The ice hockey team has even more traditions and titles. Russia has also produced a number of famous tennis players.

Moscow

Moscow is the capital of Russia, its political, economic, commercial and cultural centre. Prince Yuri Dolgoruky founded it centuries ago. It was first mentioned in the records dated back the year 1147. At that time it was a small fortress. Gradually the city became more and more powerful.

In the 13th century Moscow was the centre of the struggle of Russian lands for the liberation from the Tartar yoke. The Kremlin and all the buildings within were reduced to ashes.

In the 16th century under Ivan the Terrible Moscow became the capital of the new united state. Though Peter the Great moved the capital to StPeterburg in 1712, Moscow remained the heart of Russia. That is why it became the main target of Napoleon's attack. Three-quarters of the city were destroyed by the fire during Napoleon's occupation; but by the mid-19th century Moscow had been completely restored. After the October revolution Moscow became the capital again.

Now Moscow is one of the largest cities in Europe. Its total area is about nine hundred square kilometres (ancient Moscow occupied the territory of the present-day Kremlin). The population of the city is over 8 million.

Moscow is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It attracts tourists from all over the world.

The Kremlin is a masterpiece of ancient Russian architecture. It is the oldest part of Moscow. The main Kremlin tower, the Spasskaya Tower, has become the symbol of Russia and Moscow. It has a famous clock; one can hear its chimes on the radio. On the territory of the Kremlin you can see old cathedrals, The Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, the Palace of Congresses, the Tsar-Cannon and the Tsar-Bell, the biggest cannon and bell in the world.

Outside the Kremlin Wall there is the famous Red Square. It is the heart of Moscow. It has more historic associations than any other place in Moscow. Tourists can look at the magnificent St.Basil's Cathedral (Vasily Blazheny), the Lenin Mausoleum and the monument to K.Minin and D.Pozharsky. St. Basil's Cathedral was built in the mid-16th century in memory of the victory over Kazan. There is legend that Ivan the Terrible blinded the architects Banna and /Postnic, because he didn't want them to create another masterpiece.

There are a lot of beautiful places, old mansions, cathedrals, churches and monuments in Moscow. Now Moscow is being reconstructed and we all hope that in a few years the city will become even more beautiful.

There are more than 80 museums in Moscow. The largest museums are the Tretyakove Gallery and the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. They contain a unique collection of Russian and foreign painters including Impressionists'. Other unique museums in Moscow include the All-Russian Museum of Folk Arts, the Andrey Rublev Museum. Mikhail Glinka Museum of Musical Culture and many others.

Moscow is famous for its theatres. The best known of them is the Bolshoi Theatre. Drama theatre and studios are also very popular.

Moscow is a city of students. There are over 80 higher educational institutions in it, including several universities.

Moscow is the seat of the Russian Parliament (the Duma) and the centre of political life of the country.

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Moscow, the capital of Russia, is one of the largest cities in the world. It stands on the bank of the Moskva River. About ten million people live in the city.

The city was founded in 1147 by Yuri Dolgoruky. At the beginning it occupied the territory of the present-day Kremlin. Now the total area of the city is about one thousand square kilometers.

A very good geographical position of Moscow in the heart of Russia enabled it to develop trade with other cities and countries, to attract the craftsmen. Political influence of Moscow was constantly growing. The city became the centre of struggle of Russian lands for the liberation from the Tatar yoke, and against many foreign invasions later. After separate Russian lands were united, Moscow became the capital of the Russian state.

The heart of Moscow is the Kremlin, a wonderful architectural ensemble with three magnificent cathedrals, the Bell Tower of Ivan the Great, palaces, fortress walls and 20 towers. The clock that strikes every quarter of an hour is on the Spassky Tower. The Kremlin with golden domes and towers attracts every­body's attention and makes a strong impression on tourists and guests of the capital.

Moscow is a scientific and cultural centre where there are lots of institutes, universities, libraries, museums, technical schools, colleges and secondary schools. The city leads a varied cultural life. It has a lot of cinemas, clubs, concert halls, more than 40 drama and musical theatres, including the Bolshoi Theatre with its famous world ballet and opera, the Art Theatre, The Maly The­atre, the Vakhtangov Theatre and others.

Muscovites are proud of their museums: the Tretyakov Gallery, the Muse­um of Fine Arts named after A. S. Pushkin, the Kuskovo museum and Ostanki-no serfs Art Museum, Kolomenskoye, literary museums and art galleries.

In the city there are many stadiums and sports facilities, among them the ones built for the Twenty Second Olympic Games in 1980, when Moscow was the host of the Games. It also hosted the Goodwill Games in 1986 and many other international sports competitions and tournaments.