4.11 Answer the following questions:
1 Where is Russia situated? Russia is situated in Asia and in Europe. In the west it borders on Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine and Poland through the Kaliningrad Region. In the south our country borders on Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China and North Korea.
2 What is Russia washed by? Russia is washed by twelve seas and three oceans. It confronts the Baltic Sea in the west. The Black, Caspian and Azov Seas wash Russia in the south. The Arctic Ocean and the White, Barents, Kara, Laptev, East-Siberian Seas are in the North. The Pacific Ocean and the Bering, Okhotsk and Japanese Seas wash the country in the east.
3 What countries does the Russian Federation border on? In the west it borders on Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine and Poland through the Kaliningrad Region. In the south our country borders on Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China and North Korea.
4 What is lake Baikal noted for? Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world and its water is the purest on the Earth. It contains a fifth of the world’s fresh water supplies. Truly unique on the Earth, Baikal is home to more than 1,700 species of plants and animals, two thirds of which can be found nowhere else in the world.
5 What are the most important rivers in Russia?
. The most important rivers in the European part of Russia are the Don and Volga. The Volga is the most famous, because it is the longest river in Europe. The Volga River, which flows to the Caspian Sea, is one of great historic, economic, and cultural importance to Russia. In Western Siberia the greatest rivers are the Ob and Yenisey. They flow along the most extensive lowland in the world.
6 What is the deepest lake in Russia? The Baikal is the deepest lake in Russia and its water is the purest on the Earth.
7 What types of climate are there on the territory of Russia? There
are different types of climate on the territory of Russia. Great ranges of temperature are typical. It is very cold in the north even in summer. The central part of the country has mild climate: winters are cold, springs and autumns are warm or cool, and summers are hot and warm. In the south the temperature is usually above zero all the year round, even in winter. Summer is really hot. The climate there is very favourable. The climate of Siberia is continental: summers are hot and dry, sometimes humid, winters are very cold. (As for climatic zones a treeless tundra with mosses and grasses extends along the entire Arctic coast. In the south it gives the way to taiga. Southwards taiga is replaced by a zone of mixed forest which in the south transfers into mixed forest-steppe and finally into steppe. The climatic zones are different so the types of climate are also different.)
8 What can you say about the population of Russia? Russia’s population density is 8.4 people per square kilometre (22 per square mile), making it one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. Russia ranks eighth in the world in the size of its population. The great majority of the population of Russia is Russians. Russia is inhabited by sixty other nationalities.
9 How large is the population of Russia? The current population is about 143 million people.
10 Is Russia rich in natural resources? Yes, it is. It is one of the world’s biggest producers of coal, crude oil, and natural gas, as well as of iron ore, copper, zinc, lead, nickel, aluminum, tin, etc. Russia has the richest deposits of mineral resources in the world.
11 Is Russia’s industry well-developed? Yes, it is well developed. . Russia’s heavy industries are well-developed too. They produce much of the nation’s steel and most of its heavy machinery. Russia’s chemical industry is also well-developed.
12 What is the official language of the Russian Federation? The official language of the Russian Federation is the Russian language.
13 What is the capital of Russia? The capital of Russia is Moscow.