1. Let’s talk about Belarus. How can you explain to foreigners what Belarus is?

Belarus is a small, beautiful country with the heroic past and interesting present. It is situated in Eastern Europe. Its area is 207 600 square kilometres. It borders on Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine and Poland. The population of the country is about 10 million people. The territory of Belarus is divided into 6 regions: Brest, Vitebsk, Grodno, Gomel, Minsk and Mogilev. The capital of Belarus is Minsk, with the population of about two million people.

Our native land is very beautiful. There are about 3000 rivers in Belarus. The longest rivers are the Dnieper, the Nieman, the Western Bug and the Western Dvina. There are more than 10800 lakes in Belarus. Most of them are situated in the northern part of the republic. The largest lake is the Naroch (80 sq km) and the deepest one is the Dolgoye(54 metres). That’s why Belarus is often called the blue eyed country. One third of the Republic's territory is covered with forests. The largest of them are called pushchas. The most beautiful is the Byelovezhskaya. The pride of it is the bison. Belarus has more than 70 mammal and 280 bird species.

The climate of Belarus is moderately continental with a mild winter and warm summer. The nature of Belarus has suffered much from the nuclear catastrophe that took place in Chernobyl in 1986. The radiation has spoiled our soil and air, rivers and lakes, it has poisoned our flora and fauna. Besides it has badly affected the health of people.

Today Belarusian industry produces tractors, big lorries, automatic lines, computers, television sets, bicycles, and else. Agriculture specializes in milk and meat production. More than 30 minerals have been discovered nowadays in Belarus.

Belarus is a republic of well-developed science and culture.

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