Conversational topic: Zabaikalsky Krai.

The territory of Zabaikalie is so vast, its landscapes are so diverse, that a curiosity look cannot embrace it, and it is hard to fall in love with this land at once.

Harsh sharply continental climate, very low population density, remote and almost inaccessible natural monuments – these are just a few reasons which can explain why life-long residents of Zabaikalie have very limited knowledge of their homeland.

The famous Russian writer, Anton Chekchov, who passed through Siberia on his way to Sakhalin in the Far East, marveled at its beauty. «Zabaikalie is magnificent. It is a mixture of Switzerland, the river Don and Finland», hr wrote. Well-qualified researchers of Zabaikalie assert that it is one of the most beautiful territories of Russia.

As a new administrative entity, Zabaikalsky Krai was formed following the unification of Chita Oblast and Aginsk Buryat Autonomous Okrug. Before 2008 these territories were more often referred to as «Easten Zabaikalie». While the total area of the territory is 431,5 sq. km., its population is only 1,2 mln. people, concentrated mainly in the southern parts.

The history of mankind in Zabaikalie dates back to the Stone Age. About 200 – 300 thousand years ago people first came to settle down along the river banks starting with the 2^nd century B.C., great nomadic civilizations appeared and succeeded one another in the steppes of Southern Zabaikalie: first there appeared settlers from central Asia with a cultural tradition of making their graves – «Plitochniki» (slab people), later came the Huns, still later ensued the period of the Turkic people – Uigur and Mongolian tribes. The legendary chief of Mongolian warriors the «Sovereign of the Hemisphere» Genghis Khan was born in these places, namely on the banks of the river Onon.

A peculiar geographical position of Zabaikalie in the centre of Eurasia, the location of mountain ranges and valleys, remoteness from the world ocean resulted in a harsh, sharply continental climate while in the northern mountainous regions an ultra-continental climate prevails. All this led to a unique variety of natural landscape complexes, among which mountains, taiga forest-steppe and steppe types dominate. Each is attractive in its own way.

Zabaikalsky Krai abounds in lakes and rivers, there are about 15 thousand lakes and more than 40 thousand brooks and rivers, 54 of the latter are from 100 to 500 km. in length. 14 rivers, including Ingoda, Onon, Argun, Shilka, Kalar, Vitim, Chara, Chikoy exceed 500 km. and are among the biggest waterways of Eurasia.

Zabaikalsky Krai houses two state biospheric reserves – Sohondo reserve is located in the mountain-taiga zone, while Daurian reserve is in the steppe zone.

The climate on the territory of Zabaikalsky Krai is characterized by a long winter which is frosty, cloudless, and windless in the relief negative forms. Summer is warm in the south and cool in the north and in the mountain regions.

One of the most characteristic features of the region is the yearly number of sunny days. Zabaikalsky Krai well surpasses all the territories lying in the same latitude, including the famous Caucasian Spas, in the yearly amount of sunshine.