Traveling

Modern life is impossible without traveling. Those who wish to travel either for pleasure or on business have at their disposal various means of transport. You can travel by car, by train, plain, by ship, by bicycle or on foot.

Traveling by air is the quickest method of traveling. It is more comfortable and more convenient than any other methods. Planes carry passengers to various parts of the world in hours not in days as other means do. The seats in planes are comfortable. You can sit there and read, look out of the window or sleep until you arrive at your airport.

Those who want to combine speed comfort and pleasure during their trip prefer to travel by train.

Traveling by train has its own advantages too. Modern trains have comfortable berths in all the carriages and there are sleeping cars and dining-cars which make your journey enjoyable. From the window of your compartment you can admire the beauty of the countryside.

Let’s imagine a picture of a busy railway station. A train is standing at one of the platforms ready to leave. Some of the passengers are looking out of the windows. On another platform a train has just come in: some passengers are getting out, others are getting in. At the bookstalls people are choosing books, magazines and newspapers for the journey. At the clock-room others are depositing or withdrawing their luggage. There are also refreshment rooms, crowded with people.

A big port is also an exciting place. There are large ocean going steamers and sailing ships there. A sea cruse or a river trip is a nice way of spending your holiday. Boat trips along the Volga and other rivers are very popular. Some people can afford black Sea cruses or even cruses around the world.

As for me, I like to travel by ….

Russia

I live in Russia. Russia is my native country. Russia became an in­dependent state in 1991, now it is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, former Soviet republics. The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world. It occupies one seventh of the Earth's surface. It is situated both in Europe and Asia. The total area is about 17 million square kilometers. The country is washed by 12 seas and 3 oceans: the Pacific, the Arctic and the Atlantic oceans. The population of Russia is 149 million people. Russia is a multinational state, over 100 nationalities live in it, each with its own language, culture and traditions. Our country borders on many countries such as: China, Mongolia, Korea, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Azerbaijan in the south. In the west we have borders with Norway, Finland, Belarus and the Ukraine.

The capital of Russia is Moscow. It is the largest political, cul­tural and industrial centre. It is one of the oldest Russian cities.

Russia is rich in raw materials and energy resources, which en­abled the country to develop different industries. Russia has all kinds of surface - mountains, hills, lowlands, plains and deserts. There are vast areas of forests in Siberia and the European North. The Urals are the natural boundary separating the European and the Asian parts of the country. Other mountainous areas are the North Caucasus and Ka­relia in the northwest. The most important rivers are the Volga with its tributaries, the Ob, the Yenissy, the Irtish and others. The deepest lake in the world is Baikal. The water in the lake is so clear, that you can see the stones on the bottom. The Black Sea, the Caspian, the Azov and the Baltic Seas are not only water resources, their coasts are favorable for holiday-making.

Because of the vast territory there are various types of climate in the country. The climate varies greatly in different regions. In the cen­tral European part it is continental, with frosts and snow in winter and hot summers. To the west of the centre and in the northwest the cli­mate is humid and mild. In the southern areas there is hardly any snow in winter and summer may be very hot. The coldest areas are in the extreme North and in the northern part of Siberia.

Our country is very rich in natural resources such as oil, coal, iron ore, natural gas, copper, nickel, wood, fast rivers, on which hy­dro-electric stations have been built and others.

Russia is a parliamentary republic with the strong power of the President who is the head of the state. The State Duma and the Coun­cil of Federation are the legislative branches of the government.

The national banner of Russia is a tricolor with white, blue and red stripes.

Russia is a unique country, it has a lot to be proud of, first of all its people, famous scientists, musicians, artists, ballet school, its folk songs and dances. That's why thousands of tourists from different parts of the world visit our country every year.