The Russian Federation The Russian Federation (Russia) is the world’s largest country in area. It extends from the Arctic Ocean to the Black Sea, and from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean. It is located in Europe and in Asia. Its total area is over 17 million square kilometres. Russia borders many countries, such as Finland, the Ukraine, the Baltic States, China, Mongolia, and others. Russia borders on sixteen countries on the firm land. Our country belongs to maritime states and shares water borders with Japan and USA. The surface of Russia is various. You can see lowlands and highlands, forests and wide grasslands on its territory. The Russian Federation is situated on two plains. The longest mountain chains are the Urals, which separate Europe and Asia, the Caucasus, the Altai. There are many rivers and lakes in our country. Major rivers include the Volga in Europe, the Yenisei, the Ob, and the Lena in Asia. Lake Baikal in Siberia is the world’s deepest lake. There are different climatic zones on the vast area of our country. In the north, it is very cold, even in summer. The central part of the country has a mild climate. In the south, it is warm, even in winter. The climate of Siberia is continental: summers are hot and dry, winters are very cold. The population of Russia is over 150 million people. Most of Russia’s people (over 80 per cent) are ethnic Russians, but more than 100 minority nationalities also live in our country. The European part of the country is densely populated. Most of the people (about 70 per cent) prefer to live in cities, towns, and their outskirts. The official language of the country is Russian. Russia is a federal semi-presidential state. It has a republican form of government and a centralized political system. The power is divided among the legislative, executive and judicial branches. The executive power is concentrated in the President and the Prime Minister, although the President is dominant as the head of the state. The President of Russia is elected by the people for a term of 6 years. The head of the state is the President, who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The President appoints the ministers, but they must be approved by the Federal Assembly. The head of the government is the Prime Minister. The legislature in Russia is represented by the bicameral Federal Assembly. It consists of the State Duma (the lower house) and the Federation Council (the upper house). The Federal Assembly makes federal law, approves treaties and declares war. All bills must be first considered by the State Duma.  The judicial power in Russia is exercised by the courts and administered by the Ministry of Justice. The Supreme Court of Russia is at the highest level. The judges of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court. The Russian flag was adopted in 1991. The national flag of Russia is a tri-colour flag - white color which lies on the top, blue in the middle, and red on the bottom. White stands for nobility and frankness; blue symbolizes loyalty, honesty, chastity and scarlet represents self-sacrifice, generosity and love. While some Russians believe that red means the land, blue stands for the sky, and white symbolizes heaven. Besides the Russian flag, there is another national symbol of Russia — a two-headed eagle. The two-headed eagle first appeared in Russia, during the time of Moscovia, in the 15th century. The two heads of the eagle stand for the two parts of the vast Russian empire - European and Asian, which are believed to be an important part of the country of Russia.  The eagle holds in claws sceptre and orb as an embodiment of State power and united state. On its chest there is a horseman - Russian St. George - who is killing an evil snake with his spear. That is one of the oldest symbols of victory of Russia against all its enemies, symbol of the struggle of good against evil, light against gloom. Russia has abundant natural resources, which, besides large areas of forests, vast fertile soils, and a great water supply, include large deposits of gas, coal, iron ore, and etc. Three quarters of the mineral wealth are concentrated in Siberia and the Far East. Russia is rich in various natural resources and minerals. Our country is one of the most important producers and exporters of grain in the world. Russia is also a very powerful industrial country producing large volume of steel, timber, natural gas and oil. There are many national holidays in Russia. On these days people all over the country don't work because they have special celebrations. The major holidays in Russia are: New Year's Day, Women's Day, May Day, Victory Day and day of Russia. There are different New Year traditions in Russia like listening to the Kremlin chimes beating 12 o'clock, decorating fur-trees and homes with coloured lights, candles and toys. The greatest national holiday in Russia is Victory Day. On the 9th of May, 1945, our army completely defeated the German fascists and the Great Patriotic War ended. We honour our granmothers and grandfathers with having a parade, with a minute of silence and we put flowers on the tombs of soldiers. Day of Russia is a new holiday in our country. It is celebrated on the 12th of June. 1. Where is Russia situated? 2. What do you say about the climate of Russia? 3. How many people live in Russia? 4. Where does population live mostly? 5. What are the national symbols of Russia? 6. What is a political structure in Russia? 7. How many do mineral resources have in Russia? Name them. 8. Does agriculture make an important sector in the economy of the country? 9. What are the most important public holidays? Describe one of them.