Harvard University

Harvard University is the oldest institution of higher learning in the US. It was founded in 1636. It is one of the nation’s most prestigious universities. The main campus lies along the Charles River a few miles west of Boston.

Harvard’s history began when a college was established at New Town (renamed Cambridge, after the English alma mater of some of the leading colonists). Classes began in the summer of 1638 with one master in a single frame house and a “college yard”. Harvard was named for a Puritan minister, John Harvard, who left the college his books and half of his estate. In the early 19^th century, the schools of divinity, law, and medicine were begun. By the 1960s, Harvard had educated six United States Presidents – John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and John Fitzgerald Kennedy – and a number of justices, cabinet officers, and congressional leaders. Its faculty have produced more than 30 Nobel laureates.

Harvard’s undergraduate schools – Harvard College and Radcliffe College – contain about one-third of the total student body. The core of the university’s teaching staff consists of the faculty of arts and sciences. The university has different professional schools of medicine, law, business, divinity, education, government, dental medicine, design, and public health. The schools of law, medicine and business are particularly prestigious.

Harvard has one of the largest and most important university libraries in the world. There are also museums and research institutions in Harvard.

Ukraine

We live in Ukraine. The name “Ukraine” is of Slavic origin and means “borderland”. It is really a borderland of Europe and the gateway to Asia. Ukraine is situated in the eastern part of Europe. Geographical position of Ukraine is very favourable to development of its relations with the countries of Europe, as well as with the countries through the world. It borders on the Russia in the east, Belarus in the north, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary in the west and Romania and Moldova in the south. Ukraine is washed by the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. The territory of Ukraine is 603,000 sq. km. There are the Crimean Mountains in the south and the Carpathians in the west. There are more than 130 rivers in Ukraine. The biggest of the Ukrainian rivers is the Dnipro (Dnepr) which is famous in Ukrainian history and literature. Other major rivers are the Dniester, the Donets and the Buh. Ukraine has many natural resources such as iron ore, coal, non-ferrous metals, oil and gas. It is well-developed industrial and agricultural country. The climate of Ukraine is moderately continental and due to favourable climatic conditions Ukraine is traditionally agricultural area. It grows wheat, maize and other corns, vegetables, all kinds of fruit, melons and berries.

Ukraine is a sovereign state whose independence was declared on August 24, 1991. Before that Ukraine was one of the fifteen republics of the former Soviet Union. The head of the state is president; the form of governing is presidential republic. The capital of Ukraine is Kiev. There are 24 administrative districts and the Crimea autonomous republic in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Constitution states that the National symbols of the country are the National Flag, the National Emblem and the National Anthem. They were adopted by the Verkhovna Rada in 1992.

The Ukrainian flag consists of two horizontal stripes of equal width. The top is blue and the bottom is yellow. These are the colours of the sky, the mountains, the rivers and the golden fields of our beautiful country. Blue and yellow (or gold) were symbols of Kyivan Rus long before the introduction of Christianity.

The National Emblem of Ukraine is a trident. The secrets of the origin and meaning of the Ukrainian trident have still not been completely solved by scholars. The first image of a trident appeared in the IX century A. D. No doubt this emblem was a mark of authority and a mystic symbol of one or several ethnic groups which inhabited ancient Ukrainian territory. It is thought that the trident represented the division of the world into three spheres: the earthly, the celestial and the spiritual – as well as the union of the three natural elements: air, water and earth.

The National Anthem of Ukraine “Shce ne vmerla Ukraina” (“Ukraine Has Not Perished Yet”) is of quite recent origin. The lyrics to the anthem of Ukraine were written by Pavlo Chubinsky – a scientist and poet – in 1862. The music was composed by M. Verbytsky.

The population of Ukraine is more than 47 million people (68% of the population is urban and 32% is rural). About 32 million people live in towns and cities, and about 15 million live in the country. Ukraine is inhabited by the representatives of 128 nations, nationalities and ethnic minorities. Not only Ukrainian live in our country, there are also the Russians (about 20% of population), Byelorussians, Moldavians, Jews, Greeks, Tartars, Rumanians, Poles, Armenians, Germans, Hungarians, Gypsies and other ethnic minorities. From time immemorial the Ukrainians are known as hardworking, kindhearted, friendly, hospitable and well wishing to all the people. But when come the time of ordeal they become determined, resourceful and ready for self-sacrifice. They have sense of humour.

Scientist of Ukraine made a great contribution to the world science. Ukraine has an ancient history and its own original culture and arts. There are a lot of places of interest in our country, especially in Kiev. Over the last years people of Ukraine display a keen interest in the Ukrainian history and cultural heritage. Nowadays Ukraine is one of the members of the United Nations and participates in the work of many international organizations.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14