RUSSIA

1. Russia is one of the largest countries in the world.
2. The official name of our homeland is the Republic of the Russian Federation.
3. There are 21 republics and more than 60 other regions.
4. The population of Russia is about 143 million people.
5. Russia is a land of about 200 nationalities.
6. It occupies about one seventh part of dry land.
7. The vast territory of Russia lies in the eastern part of Europe and the northern part of Asia.
8. Its area is over 17 million square kilometres.
9. There are various types of climate on the territory of Russia.
10. Russia is located on two plains: the Great Russian Plain and the West Siberian Plain.
11. Russia is washed by twelve seas and three oceans.
12. Russia is washed by the Arctic Ocean in the north, the Bering Sea, the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan in the east, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in the south, the Baltic Sea in the west.
13. The main mountain chains are the Urals, the Caucasus, the mountains of East Siberia and the Altai.
14. Russia is a land of long rivers and deep lakes.
15. The Volga river is the longest river in Europe.
16. It runs into the Caspian Sea.
17. The main rivers in Russia are the Lena, the Ob, the Oka, the Kama, the Amur, the Yenisey.
18. Lake Baikal is the deepest lake in the world.
19. It has the greatest supply of fresh water in the world.
20. Russia is rich in natural resources such as coal, oil, natural gas, iron, gold and others.
21. Russia borders on fourteen countries, including the former Republics of the USSR, which are now independent states.
22. The National Government of Russia consists of the President, the Council of Ministers and the Federal Assembly.
23. The Upper House of the Federal Assembly is the Federal Council and the lower House is the State Duma.
24. The Head of the Republic of the Russian Federation is the President.
25. Moscow is the capital of Russia. The other major cities of Russia are Saint-Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Rostov-on-Don, Volgograd and others.
26. The official symbol of Russia is the Russian flag.
27. It has three wide stripes - white, blue and red.
28. Red symbolizes love and bravery, blue - honesty white - sincerity.
29. The other symbol is a two-headed eagle.  It is the most ancient symbol of Russia.
30. Russia has always played an important role in the world.