IX. Translate into English:

У подножия Гималаев растут непроходимые вечнозеленые леса; это — джунгли, родина носорогов и тигров, слонов и обезьян. В джунглях много ядовитых змей. В предгорье Гима­лаев условия благоприятны для выращивания чая и других суб­тропических и тропических культур. На склонах гор растут пальмы, папоротники и другие тропические растения, они сме­няются лесами вечнозеленых дубов и магнолий, а на еще боль­шей высоте зарослями бамбука. Затем появляются хвойные ле­са, за ними альпийские долины, сменяющиеся зоной вечных снегов.

Долина Инда и Ганга расположена к югу от Гималаев. Ее питают большие реки: Инд, Ганг и Брамапутра. Ганг и его наи­более крупные притоки используются для судоходства.

Долина Инда и Ганга покрыта плодородными аллювиаль­ными почвами. В этом районе, как и в большинстве районов Индии, необходимо искусственное орошение, хотя здесь прохо­дит летний муссон. Муссонные дожди часто запаздывают или прекращаются слишком рано; в таких случаях посевы очень страдают от засухи. Для того чтобы собрать два урожая в год, необходимо искусственное орошение во время зимней засухи. Здесь почвы и климат особенно благоприятны для выращива­ния риса и сахарного тростника. Природные условия в более за­сушливых северо-западных областях долины подходят для вы­ращивания пшеницы, а на востоке, в дельте Ганга, для выра­щивания джута.

На крайнем западе Индии, вдоль границы с Пакистаном, простирается Тхарская пустыня. Здесь есть районы, где в те­чение многих лет не бывает дождя.

На полуострове Индостан климат засушливый. Почва — в ос­новном краснозем и только на западе — чернозем. На этих поч­вах выращивается хороший урожай хлопка. Прибрежная полоса полуострова Индостан получает большое количество влаги, здесь природные условия благоприятны для выращивания каучука, риса, чая и табака.

В Индии большие залежи различных полезных ископаемых.

General exercises

I. A. Translate into Russian.

В. Tell the text in English.

Iraq

Iraq is bounded on the east by Iran and on the west by Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, on the north by Turkey, on the south it is washed by the Persian Gulf. The central geographic factor is the magnificent river system. From the lofty mountains of Turkey come both the Tigris and the Euphrates, each bringing a river system of its own and sweeping in great long loops to irrigate the land.

From the very ancient times of Babylon and even earlier, ca­nals have been run from these two rivers to water the surroun­ding landscapes.

Iraq is very rich in its agricultural, mineral and human re­sources. It possesses two of the greatest rivers in the world. The fertile land floats on a sea of oil, the "black gold" of modern times.

In the mountainous north-eastern area, a comparatively long winter is usual with temperature falling below freezing point, between December and January. In summer temperatures are mode­rate to warm. The mountains are of great heights, covered with snow in winter. The central and south area of Iraq is characteri­zed by a moderate winter and a long dry summer. The hottest weather occurs from June to September. Rain falls mainly in winter.

Iran

Placed on East-West crossroads, Iran has for long remained a melting pot of two great civilizations. To her west are the lands of the Semitic people – Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Jordan – and to her north and east lie the lands of Indo-Iranian branch of Aryans – Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Thus Iran is a buffer of sorts between two major races of the world.

A large part of Iran's territory is covered by the Plateau of Iran surrounded by high mountain ranges. In the north runs the chain of the Elburz Mountains, with its highest peak covered with perennial snow. In the north-west rises the Armenian Pla­teau composed of volcanic rocks. In the south and south-west there is a number of mountain chains.

The climate of the Plateau is continental and dry, with hot summers and cold windy winters. The most favourable conditions for arable farming are to be found in the foot-hill regions of the north and west. Teheran has the mean temperature of 29° С in July and of 1°С in January. The annual precipitation is 25 cm. There are good pastures for cattle in the mountains where the rainfall is much heavier, the rivers running down the slopes feed the oases in which various crops are grown.

The physical features in the Caspian lowland are quite diffe­rent from those of other parts of Iran. This is a region of humid subtropics with the average temperature of 26° С in July. Forests of broadleaf trees grow here. The Caspian Lowland is the only region where arable farming is possible without artificial irrigation.

Iran possesses oil reserves of world importance; oil-fields are located in the south-west and in the north. Besides oil, there is coal, iron, manganese ore, non-ferrous metal ores. Oil extrac­tion is of paramount importance for the economy of the country.

Turkey

Turkey occupies the western extremity of the sub-continent of Asia — the peninsula of Asia Minor, and the south-eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula in Europe. In Europe Turkey shares the border with Bulgaria and Greece and in Asia – with Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Iraq and Syria.

The territory of Turkey is washed by the Black Sea in the north, by the Mediterranean in the south and by the Aegean Sea in the West.

The main part of Turkey is formed by the peninsula of Asia Minor. The greater part of the peninsula is occupied by a table­land surrounded by mountain chains. There are many highland plains among mountain ranges and many extinct volcanoes with snow-covered peaks.

The seaboards of Turkey have a subtropical climate; the sum­mer is hot and dry and the winter mild and humid. On the tab­leland the summer is hot and dry and the winter severe. The annual precipitation is rather small, rains occur mainly in spring.

The greater part of Turkey is woodless. In ancient times the wooded area was much larger, but the woods were destroyed. In the valleys alluvial soils which are very fertile are to be found.

The mineral deposits of Turkey have hardly been investigated. There are considerable deposits of coal, oil, copper, iron and man­ganese ores.