Russia is one of the largest countries in the world. It occupies about one-seventh part of dry land. It is situated in Europe and Asia. Its total arca is over 17 million square kilometers. The population of Russia is about 150 million people. 83 per cent of the population are Russians. 70 per cent of the population live in cities. The country is washed by seas and oceans, by the Arctic Ocean in the north and the Pacific Ocean in the east. There are many rivers in Russia. The largest rivers are the Volga in Europe and the Yenisei and OB in Asia. All rivers flow in the seas. The deepest lakes are the Baikal and Ladoga. 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. There are different types of climate on the territory of the country. 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, summers are hot and warm. In the South the temperature is usually above zero all year round, even in winter. Summer is really hot. The climate of Siberia is continental: summers are hot and dry, winters are very cold. Some parts of our country are covered with mountains and hills. Here are three main mountains chains in Russia. The Caucasus is a range of mountains, which extend from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea. The highest mountain is the Caucasus. The highest mountain in Caucasus is Mount Elbrus. The Urals extend from the Arctic Ocean to the steppes. This mountain chain divides the European and Asian parts of Russia. The Urals are famous for their valuable minerals. There are 150 volcanoes in Kamchatka, 30 of which are active. The Russian Federation is very rich in mineral resources, such as oil, natural gas, coal, iron, gold and others. Today Russia is one of the world's largest grain products and exporters. It produced 78 % of all its natural gas, 60% of steel, 80% of timber and 91% of oil. So, today Russia becomes greatest industrial country. Russia borders on fourteen countries including the former republics of the USSR, which are now independent states. Russia borders with Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Poland, China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan, Kazakhstan and so on. Russia is a parliamentary republic. The Head of State is the President. The legislative powers are exercised by the Duma. Today the state symbol of Russia is a three coloured banner. It has three horizontal stripes: white, blue and red. The white stripe symbolizes the earth, the blue one stands for the sky, and the red one symbolizes liberty. A new national emblem is a two-headed eagle. Moscow is the capital of our country. It was founded in 1147. It is a wonderful city. There are many sights in Moscow. You can see many museums, art galleries, theatres, churches and monuments in our capital. People of our country are proud of the Moscow Kremlin. There are also many big beautiful cities in Russia. A lot of holidays are celebrated in Russia. The New Year holiday is very popular, especially with children. There is a firtree in every house. The presents are supposed to be sent by Father Frost and the Snow Maiden. The Russian Christmas is celebrated on the 7th of January. The holiday is connected with the wonderful birth of Jesus Christ as it is described in the Holy Bible. Easter is a very popular holiday in Russia in commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus. Easter has no fixed date. People nowadays greet each other on the Easter day by the words "Christ is risen!" And the expected answer is "He is risen indeed!" People also paint eggs and give them to one another as a symbol of eternal life. On February, 23, which is Day of the Defenders of the Motherland Russia, people honour those who are serving in the Armed Forces and those who have served in the past. International Women's Day is celebrated every March, 8. On this day, women in Russia are presented with gifts and thanked for their work, love and devotion. Every May, 9, Russia celebrates the Victory Day commemorating victory over Nazi Germany, while remembering those who fell in order to achieve it. There are different sporting societies and clubs in Russia. Many of them take part in different international tournaments and are known all over the world. A great number of world records have been set by Russian sportsmen: weightlifters, tennis players, swimmers, figure skaters, high jumpers. Our sportsmen also participate in the Olympic Games and always win a lot of gold, silver and bronze medals. Answer the questions. 1. Where is Russia situated? 2. How many per cent of the population is Russians? 3. What are the deepest lakes in Russia? 4. What is the climate of Siberia? 5. How many mountain chains are there in Russia? Name them. 6. What mineral resources is Russia rich in? 7. What countries does Russia border? 8. Who is the Head of State in Russia? 9. When was Moscow founded? 10. When is the Russian Christmas celebrated?