Geography of Belarus

Belarus is our home. There is hardly anyone who will be able to describe the blue of the sky or the peculiar flavour of the home wind of the specific softness of the native soil of the unusual beauty of the people around us.

Belarus is situated in the center of Europe at the crossroads from east to west, from north to south. It borders on Russia to the north and east, on Ukraine to the South, on Poland to the west and Lithuania and Latvia to the north-west.

The republic covers the area of 207,600 square kilometers. The population is about 10 million people.

To describe our land one needs to be a poet. If you go north, you will see a land of Braslav lakes with crystal-clear blue waters surrounded by pine groves. If you go west, you will find yourself in the Brest province- the land of immense fields and meadows. In the south you will be engulfed by infinite forests and marshes.

Broad plains and marshy lowlands occupy nearly three quarters of the territory. They are called Belarusian Polesye. There are also some hills and elevations. They can be found in the northern and central parts of the country.

There are a lot of rivers and streams and more than 10.000 lakes in the republic. The largest rivers are the Dnieper, Western Dvina, Pripiat and Neman, while the largest lake is Naroch. Forests and bushes cover more than a quarter ofthe area. The most famous is Belavazhskaya Puscha, Rare bisons – aurochses live there.

The climate is temperately continental with a comparatively mild winter and warm summer.

This is our Motherland, young and old, beautiful and full of pride, a country situated in heart of Europe where all roads meet.

People of different nationalities live here in good neighborhood and peace because they have common history and traditions.

13. With an English friend of yours visiting our country you are looking through the latest literary miscellanies. Read the two verses devoted to the native countryside. Try to translate and interpret them to your friend. What do the poets feel about their country? Is it a universal human feeling to love one’s native place?

Край мой. Не залаты зусiм, не срэбны, Быÿ на табе заÿсёды ÿбор Звычайны самы, самы зрэбны: Зялёны луг ды сiнi бор. Каля дарогi жыта ÿ полi, Вярба старая ля ракi, Ды ÿ жоÿтым восеньскiм прыполе Рабiн даспелых аганькi. Ты не сляпiÿ вачэй, быÿ просты Ва ÿсе вякi твой родны ÿзор: Гаёÿ бялюткая бяроста, Густы блакiт лясных азёр. I лён, зусiм як неба, сiнi, I ÿсе ÿ рамонках берагi… Мой беларускi, мой адзiны Край ад калыскi дарагi… Г. Бураÿкiн

Радзiма Мне люба многае на свеце: дзiцячы смех i сэрца рух, прыроды радаснае квецце, cтварэнне чалавечых рук… Але сярод усiх каханняÿ, якiя поÿняць сэнс жыцця i сэрцу так ласкава дараць нягасны промень пачуцця, у маiх штодзённасцях i ÿ марах святлом надзейным маяка на ÿсiх шляхах жыццёвых ззяе Радзiма мiлая мая. …Аднойчы са сваiх блуканняÿ я да яе iзноÿ вярнусь i ÿ час шчаслiвага спаткання стамлёным сэрцам прытулюсь… Iна Санiна.

Use the words and word combinations from the box:

a native pattern, daily cares and dreams, forest lakes, one’s meaning of life, a green grassland, a birch grove, a land of…, a strong love of…

14. Work in pairs. Reproduce the answers to your partners.

A	I wish I knew more about your country. What is the area of Belarus?
B	… 207.600 sq km
A	It’s quite large, isn’t it?
B	Yes … that of Great Britain.
A	What’s its population?
B	… about 10 mln people.
A	Do only Belarusians live here?
B	No … in good neighborhood.
A	What countries does your country border on?
B	… Russia to the north and east, Ukraine … and Latvia and Lithuania …
A	Are there any long rivers and big lakes?
B	Certainly. … are the Dnieper, Western Dvina, Neman while … is Naroch.
A	I’ve heard something about Belavezhskay Puscha. What is it?
B	It’s … Rare … live there. And it’s famous for its unique collection of wild life.
A	Thank you. That was interesting and useful.

15. Read tables A and B, make your guesses about the countries names and capitals. Exchange your points of view with your partner and describe the countries to each other. Then discuss the following questions with him/her.

· Are these countries situated far from each other or close to each other?

· Are they equal in areas?

· Are both of the countries multicultural?

· What cultures intermingle with each other in these countries?

Table A

Name of the country
Capital
Location	Eastern Europe and Northern Asia, a country bordering the Arctic Ocean, the Bering Sea, the Sea of Okhotsk, some Northern and Eastern European countries, some Asian countries.
Map references	Europe and Asia
Area	17,075 200 sq km
Population	145,470,197 (July 2001)
Ethnic groups	Russian 81.5%, Tatar 3.8%, Ukrainian 3%, Chuvash 1.2%, Bashkir 0.9%, Belarussians 0.8%, Moldavian 0.7%, other 8.1%
Religions	Russian Orthodox, Muslim, other
Government type	Federation state.

Table B

Name of the country
Capital
Location	Eastern Europe, a country bordering Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Ukraine
Map references	Europe
Area	207,600 sq km
Population	10,293,011
Ethnic groups	Belarussians 81.2%, Russians 11.4%, Poles 3.9%, Ukrainians 2.4%, other 1.1%
Religions	Orthodox, catholic
Government type	President Republic

16. Work in groups. Find out from your partners:

Ø About the influence of the geographical position of Belarus on its history

Ø Why Belarus is sometimes called “a blue-eyed country”?

Ø What they know about the origin of the name “Belaya Rus”?

Ø What they know about the ancestors of the Belarussians?

Ø What influences the climate of the country?

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14