As a matter of fact, the UK consists of four countries. They are England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. The capital of the UK is London.
England is the southern and central part of Great Britain. Scotland is in the north of the island and Wales is in the west. Northern Ireland is situated in the northeastern part of Ireland.
If we look at the map of Great Britain, we can see that the west coast is washed by the Atlantic Ocean and the Irish Sea, .and the east coast is washed by the North Sea, and the south coast is washed by the English Channel. The English Channel lies between Great Britain and the continent.
The surface of the British Isles varies very much. The north of Scotland is mountainous and is called the Highlands. The south, which has beautiful valleys and plains, is called the Lowlands. The north and west of England are mountainous, but all the rest - east, centre and south-east, is a vast plain. Mountains are an important part of the geography of the country. They are not very high. Ben Nevis in Scotland is the highest mountain. It is one thousand three hundred and 43 metres high. In England the Penine Chain runs down from the north through the centre. In Wales there are the Cumbrian Mountains.
The British Isles have many rivers, but they are not very long. The Severn, which flows into the Irish Sea, is the longest river. The Thames is the deepest and the most important one. Scotland s most important river is the Clyde, on which stands Glasgow.
Besides, England, Ireland and Scotland have many beautiful lakes.
Actually, there are no great forests in the British Isles today. Historically, the most famous forest is Sherwood Forest, in the east of England. As you know, it was the home of Robin Hood,
The mountains, the Atlantic Ocean and the warm waters of Gulf Stream influence the climate of the British Isles. It is generally mild the whole year round, not very cold in winter and never very hot in summer.
The UK is one of the world's smaller countries. Its population is over 57 million. About 80% of the population is urban. There are at least people of four nationalities in the UK. They are the English, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish. Each of them has their own language.
It is notorious that the UK is a highly developed industrial country. It is known as one of the world's largest producers and explorers of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding. It is centred in London, Glasgow, Newcastle and in Belfast.
Speaking about agriculture in Great Britain, I should like to mention that sheep farming, cattle farming, and dairy farming are important branches of the British economy. Wheat is grown in the east of England, but oats and rye are the main drown crops. Vegetables are grown in all parts of England, especially in the south. The south of England is often called the "Garden of England". This is because there are many gardens and orchards there.
Speaking about political system in Great Britain, I should like to say that the UK is a constitutional monarchy. In law, the Head of State is the Queen. In practice, the Queen reigns, but does not rule. Power in the country belongs to Parliament with the Prime Minister at the head, The British Parliament consists of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The House of Commons is elected by the people. The members of the House of Lords are not elected.
There arc three political parties in Great Britain. They are the Conservative, the Liberal and the Labour parties. The Conservative party is the ruling party nowadays. The Prime Minister is David Cameron.
To my mind, the UK is a very rich, with high standard of living country with its own political and economical system, system of education and of course its peculiar traditions, customs, history and way of thinking.
Traditionally London is divided into several parts. They are the City, Westminster, the West End and the East End. They are very different from each other.
The heart of London is the City. It is the oldest part of London, its financial and business centre. Many banks, offices and firms are situated there. Few people live there, but over a million people come to the City to work.
Westminster is the historic, governmental part of London. The Houses of Parliament and the government and administrative buildings are in Westminster; The West End is the part where rich people live. It is the most beautiful part of London. The best hotels, shops, restaurants, clubs and theatres are situated there. There are splendid houses and lovely gardens belonging to wealthy people.
As for the East End, it is an industrial district of London. There are many factories there. It is one of those areas of London where working people live.
Speaking about the sights of London, I should like to say that there are a lot of places of interest in London. It's notorious that London stands on the river Thames. Crossing the river by the Tower Bridge, we can see to Tower of London. It is one of the oldest buildings of the city. Many centuries ago it was a fortress, a royal palace and then a prison. Now it is a museum of arms and Crown Jewels.
On the bank of the Thames not far from the Tower of London we can see Westminster Palace, or the Houses of Parliament. It is the seat of the British government and it is one of the most beautiful buildings in London. In one of its towers there is the famous Big Ben. It is the largest clock of England. All people in Britain take the time from it.
Near the Houses of Parliament is Westminster Abbey. It is a very beautiful church built over 900 years ago. Nearly all English kings and queens have been crowned there. Many outstanding statesmen, scientists, writers, poets and painters are buried there.
As you know, Buckingham Palace is the residence of the Queen of England. This is a beautiful building, standing in large gardens. Tourists always go to see the ceremony of changing of the Guard there.
London has many fine squares. Some of them are quiet, others are busy, like Trafalgar Square. It is the central square of the city. In the middle of Trafalgar Square stands a monument to Admiral Nelson. The Nelson Column is guarded by four great bronze lions. It is a tradition to feed pigeons in Trafalgar Square and many people keep to that tradition. On the other side of the square are the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery. It has fine collection of European paintings.
Not far away is the British Museum. It is the biggest museum in London, ft contains a priceless collection of ancient manuscripts, coins, sculptures and so on. It is also famous for its library.
St. Paul's Cathedral is the biggest of English churches, which is situated in the West End of London. St. Paul s Cathedral was designed by the English architect Sir Christopher Wren in the 17th century. It contains memorials to many national heroes.
Besides, London is also famous for its beautiful parks. Hyde Park is Londoners' favourite resting place. Hyde Park is famous for its Speakers' Corner. Many people come to listen to speakers on politics and other subjects.
As for me, I should like to visit London because I am interested not only in the English Language but also in British culture, traditions and history.
If we look at the map of the USA, we can see lowlands and mountains. The highest mountains are the Rocky Mountains, the Cordillera and the Sierra Nevada. The highest peak is Mount McKinley which is located in Alaska.
America's largest rivers are the Mississippi, the Missouri, the Rio Grande and the Columbia, The Great Lakes on the border with Canada are the largest and deepest in the USA. And the largest cities in the USA are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, San-Francisco, Washington and others.
Climate in the USA. As for the climate of the USA, I can say, it greatly differs from one part of the country to another. The coldest climate is in the north. The climate of Alaska is arctic, There is heavy snow and hard frost in winter. The climate of the central part is continental, The south has a subtropical climate. It is warm and sometimes even hot in summer. Hot winds, blowing from the Gulf of Mexico, often bring typhoons. The climate along the Pacific coast is much warmer than that of the Atlantic coast. The heaviest rains in the country are in the Washington region. The climate in the Gulf of Mexico area is also very damp. The region around the Great Lakes is known for its changeable climate.
Finally, I want to say, that the USA is a very rich country with high standard of living, with its own political and economical system, system of education. Now, making changes in Russia, we study the experience of the USA and other countries and we try to cooperate with them. And as we see, it works.
Political System. As for the political system of the USA, I should say that it is a federation of 50 states and the District of Columbia. The President is the head of the government. He forms the government. The President is elected for 4 years. He cannot be younger than 35 years and he must have lived in the USA for at least 14 years. The President is responsible for enforcing laws, choosing the government, commanding the army and recommending laws to Congress.
Congress, as you know, consists of two Houses. They are the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate has 100 senators, two from each state. They are elected for 6 years. The head of the Senate is Vice-President. He is elected for 4 years.
The House of Representatives consists of 435 members. They are elected for 2 years. The head of the House of Representatives is the Speaker.
There are two main political parties in the USA. They are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The thing is that most of government members come from one of these parties. Besides, there are several minor parties, as well.
The USA is a very rich country with high standard of living, with its own political and economical systems, system of education. Now making changes in Russia, we study the experience of the USA and other countries and we also try to cooperate with them. And as we see, it works.
There is hardly a country in the world where such a variety of scenery and vegetation can be found. So we have steppes in the south, plains and forests in the midland, tundra and taiga in the north, highlands and deserts in the east;
There are two great plains in Russia. They are the Great Russian Plain and the West Siberian Plain. There are also several mountain chains on the territory of the country. They are the Urals, the Caucasus, the Altai and others. The largest-mountain chain, the Urals, separates Europe from Asia.
There are over two million rivers in Russia. The Volga is one of the biggest rivers. It flows into the Caspian Sea, you know. Other big rivers in our country arc the Ob, the Yenisei, the Lena and the Amur.
Russia is also rich in beautiful lakes. The world's deepest lake is Lake Baikal. The water in the lake is very clear.
There are many forests in Russia. They are generally in the European north of the country, in Siberia and in the Far East.
On the large territory of the country there are different types of climate, from arctic in the north to subtropical in the south. In the middle of the country the climate is temperate and continental.
Russia is very rich in mineral resources. They are oil, coal, iron ore, natural gas, copper, nickel and others.
The capital of Russia is Moscow. It is its largest political, scientific, cultural and industrial centre. It is one of the oldest Russian cities.
As for the political system, Russia is a parliamentary republic. The Head of State is the President. The legislative powers are exercised by the Duma.
As you know, the political and economic situation in the country is rather complicated at present. There are a lot of problems in the national economy. The industrial production is low. The prices are constantly rising, the rate of inflation is very high. People are losing their jobs because many factories and plants are going bankrupt.
But, I believe, that very soon Russia will overcome all its political and economic problems and become one of the best.
Moscow is a modern city now. The population of the city is about 9 million people. Moscow is a political centre, where the government of our country works.
As you know, Moscow was founded in 1147 by the prince Yuri Dolgoruky. The total area of Moscow is about 9 hundred square kilometres.
We say that Moscow is a port of five seas, as the Moscow-Volga canal links Moscow with the Baltic, White, Caspian and Black seas and the Sea of Azov.
Moscow Is an Industrial centre too. There are many factories and plants there. One of the best-known plants produces many lorries and the other one makes cars.
Moscow is a cultural centre. There are many cinemas, theatres, museums, universities and librarian In Moscow,
The Bolshoi theatre is one of the famous theatres all over the world. The building of the Bolshoi theatre is a masterpiece of Moscow classicism. F. Chaliapin, L, Sobinov, A. Nezhdanova and many other famous singers appeared on its stage. The Bolshoi Ballet has won a world fame.
Besides, there is another theatre in Moscow. It is the Maly theatre. The theatre continues to play an important role in Russia's cultural life. Popularly known as Ostrovsky's House, it continues to stage plays by the great Russian dramatist. A monument to Ostrovsky stands in front of the theatre building.
If you are fond of painting you can go to the Tretyakov Art Gallery or to the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum. You can see a lot of interesting portraits and landscapes there. The Tretyakov Art Gallery is a treasure-house of the Russian art.
As for the young people, they like to visit the Central Military Museum. There are many tanks, guns and war documents there.
One can see the Kremlin and Red Square in the city. In the 16th and 17th centuries Red Square was the central trading and public square. It was known as "Pozhar", that meant "a place destroyed by fire" and was called "Red". Later the word "Red" meant "fine, beautiful".
On the south side of Red Square is St. Basil's Cathedral. It is a masterpiece of ancient Russian architecture. St. Basil's Cathedral was built in 1555-1560 by Barma and Postnik In memory of the victory over Kazan (1552).
In front of the St. Basil's Cathedral is the monument to Minin and Pozharsky. It tells us of the people's victory over Polish invaders in 1612. The monument is the work of I. Martos (t 752-1835). This is the first sculptural monument in Moscow.
Further to the right of the Cathedral on the territory of the Kremlin we can see a tall tower. It is over 80 metres high. It is the Bell-Tower of Ivan the Great. It was built in the I5th century. There are 22 large bells and more than 30 small ones in it. At the foot of the Bell-Tower there is another ancient monument - the Tsar Bell weighing 200 tons.
Opposite the Cathedral on the north side of Red Square Is the History Museum.
There are many fine buildings, wide streets, green parks, large squares and monuments in Moscow.
It is necessary to mention such a famous monument as the monument to the great Russian writer Alexander Pushkin. It stands in Pushkin Square. The monument is a work of the sculptor A. Opekushin. The monument is very simple. The poet stands bowing his head as if in dreams. The front side of the monument has the words: "To Pushkin".
One of the highest buildings in Moscow is the State Moscow University. It was founded in 1755 by the great scientist Mikhail Lomonosov. It ts situated on the Vorobyev Hills. From there people enjoy a most beautiful view of the whole city.
The central building of the University is 780 feet high. There are 22 000 different rooms only in the central building of the University. The University has 45 000 rooms on the whole.
There are also many stadiums in Moscow. The Central Stadium is in Luzhniki. Many competitions and football matches are held there.
The Olympic Village was built for the 22nd Olympic games in Moscow in 1980, you know, it is a big complex for sport games.
Speaking about Moscow we should also mention a TV-Tower at Ostankino. Ii is 533 metres high. There is a restaurant in the TV-Tower. It is called "The Seventh Heaven". It turns round and gives a beautiful view of the city. I must say that Ostankino TV-Tower is considered to be the tallest in Europe.
A lot of tourists from different parts of our country and abroad visit Moscow all year round. They all enjoy our capital that is getting nicer and nicer every day.
As for me, I am very proud of Moscow and try to visit the capital more often.
When we come to Yaroslavl from Moscow we get a lovely view of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky monastery. It is well-known that in that monastery the manuscript of the famous Russian epic "The Lay of Igor's Host" was found. Now it is a historical museum. There are many works of art, icons, manuscripts and other historical documents there. There are many beautiful churches in Yaroslavl. They are: the Epiphany Church, The Church of the Archangel Michael, the Spas-on-Gorod Church, the Church of Ilya the Prophet and so on.
Yaroslavl is a happy mix of old, new and unexpected. Yaroslavl can be proud by such outstanding people as the great Russian poet N. Nekrasov, the educator K. Ushinsky, the singer L. Sobinov and the first woman-cosmonaut V. Tereshkova and others.
Yaroslavl is also a big culture centre. The first Russian Drama theatre was founded in Yaroslavl by F. Volkov in 1750. There are many cinemas, theatres, libraries, schools and several universities and colleges in our town.
Besides Yaroslavl today is an industrial centre with many plants and factories. They produce tyres, diesel motor, electric motors, textiles and many other industrial products. Yaroslavl is one of the towns of Russia's Golden Ring. Thousands of tourists come to admire the unique architectural ensembles, fine buildings and remarkable painting.
As for me I like to walk along Volzhskaya Embankment in the shade of the lovely old lime trees, along the modern squares and beautiful streets.
So, I can say, that I'm proud of my native town.