английский для продолжающих / Belarus

BELARUS

Belarus is a presidential republic. According to the constitution adopted in 15.03.1997 & amended on 28.11.1996 President is the Head of the State & the Executive Authority.

There are 3 brunches of power in Belarus:

• Parliament, which makes laws

• Government, which executes laws

• Law Courts , which interpret laws

Parliament in Belarus is represented by the Nation Assembly, which consists of 2 Chambers.

1. Camber of Representatives (110 seats)

2. Council of the Republic (64 seats)

A Law Draft is considered first by the Chamber of the Representatives, then it’s approved or rejected by the Council of the Republic or President & only after that it becomes a Law.

Government is the main executive organ with a Prime Minister at its Head.

Prime Minister regulates the activity of the Council of Ministers, including ministers of the major Ministers.

This organ is responsible for the effective development of the economical, social & political situation in the RB.

Legal Power is represented by the Council, Supreme & Economic Courts, but the main Appellate Court is the Constitutional Court.

Chair Men of these Courts & 6 Judges of the Constitutional Courts are appointed by the President with the approval of the Council of the Republic.

General data.

Area: 207600 sq km

Area comparative : bigger than Greece, Bulgaria

Border countries : Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, the Ukraine

Climate : Moderately continental( cold winters and cool moist summers )

Terrain(surface) : generally flat , contains much marshland. The lowest point – The Neman river, The highest- Holly mountain (Khara Dzyarzhinskaya)

Natural resources : forests, peat deposits, sand, phosphate, coal, iron, non-iron metals, small quantities of oil and natural gas. Potassium salt deposits are the second largest in Europe.

Environment : soil pollution from pesticide use; Southern part of the country is contaminated with radioactive fallout after Chernobyl accident.

Population :The density of life expectancy of birth for the total population is 68,4( Britain 77). Male 62,48(74,67) & female 74,61 (79,96) предложение построено раком, но, думаю, суть понятна.

Industries : tractors, metal cutting machine tools, trucks with different load capacity, chemical fibres, other consumer goods.

Import : fuel, natural gas, industrial raw materials, textile and sugar.

Export : machinery, transport equipment, food & other consumer goods.

Trade partners : Russia, the Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Iran, china.

Highways : 70000 km ( 388831 km in Britain)

Airports : 118

Port : 1

Railways : 5590 km (17561 km) the principal form of transportation with its principal strategic link Moscow-Brest-Berlin.

Present economic situation in Belarus.

Since August 25 1991 the RB has taken its place in East Europe.

Although the history of Belarusian statehood goes back to the 10^th century, the nation is only now being discovered by the World community.

Till that time it was represented in the World mainly as the member of Soviet monolith.

Belarus measured by its territory ranges 13^th & by the populations 14^th among the states of Europe.

Due to it’s strategic location many business circles in Western Europe, America & Asia are attracted on the one hand by the political & social stability in Belarus, but on the other hand they are cautious because of the uncertainty of further economic development.

Now in Belarusian economy there are elements of liberalism & strict state economic planning.

And further improvement of economy strongly depends on its integration into the World economic system.

The globalization process in the context of the European Union enlargement is becoming increasingly challenging.

Now the country is between 2 giants: EU & Russia.

The influence on Belarus is extensive.

Local enterprises shall be able to compete with foreign produces both of domestic & foreign market.

It’s necessary to improve living standards & creative self realization of people in small towns.

By their rehabilitation & technical reequipment of industrial enterprises.

Thus encouraging employment in small business & self-employment.

Rural tourism is relatively young but promising direction in the development of tourism in Belarus.

Originating some 30-years ago in Western Europe today agro tourism is increasingly gaining strength on the Belorussian market.

It’s aim is to generate alternative income & to establish tourist sites with traditional folk agriculture in the exiting villages.

In 2005 the High Technology Park was established & about 3 hundred enterprises specializing in this sphere of High technologies operate there.