The Republic of Buryatia

Words and Phrases for the Topic:

autonomous republic – автономная республика

a favorable geographic position – благоприятное географическое положение

predominantly –преимущественно

a mountainous country – горная местность (территория)

ethnic minority –этническое (национальное) меньшинство

of Mongolian descent –Монгольского происхождения

share many customs – разделять традиции

highways –трассы, дороги

pass through –пересекать, проходить

the Great Tea Road –Великий Чайный путь

light industry –лёгкая промышленность

forest industry – лесная промышленность

woodworking industry –деревоперерабатывающая промышленность

mining industry –горнодобывающая промышленность

little-explored mineral resources –наименее изученные минеральные источники

therapeutic springs –термальные источники

resorts –курорты

fur market –пушной рынок

lynx –рысь

Siberian weasel – сибирский колонок (норка)

ermine – горностай

blue fox – песец

Barguzin sable – Баргузинский соболь

a severe continental climate –резко-континентальный климат

precipitation – осадки

permafrost areas – вечномёрзлые территории

coexist peacefully – мирно сосуществуют

faith –вера, вероисповедание

Orthodoxy –православие

Buddhism – буддизм

Shamanism – шаманизм

Old believers – староверы, старообрядцы

TEXT 1

The Republic of Buryatia – A Multinational Republic in the Eastern Siberia

Read the text and say what new facts you have learnt about the Republic of Buryatia.

The Republic of Buryatia is a federal subject of Russia. It is an autonomous republic which gained this status on May 30 in 1923.

Buryatia is located in the southern part of East Siberia south and east of Lake Baikal. It has a favorable geographic position, with borders on Irkutsk and Chita regions, the Republic of Tuva, and Mongolia. It is a predominantly mountainous country with a small number of flat regions at altitudes of more than 500 m. The capital of Buryatia is Ulan-Ude. The population of the republic is 972, 700 people (according to 2010 Census results).

The Buryats, numbering approximately 450.000, are the largest ethnic minority group in Siberia. They are mainly concentrated in their homeland - the Republic of Buryatia. Buryats are of Mongolian descent and share many customs with their Mongolian cousins. Today, the majority of Buryats live in and around the capital of the Republic, although many live more traditional lives in the countryside.

The republic covers an area of 351 300 km2. Two main railway lines, the Trans-Siberian and Baikal-Amur railways, pass through its territory. They connect the central parts of Russia with the Far East and Southeast Asian countries, including China, North Korea, Mongolia, and Japan. There are also several main highways in Buryatia, for example, the well-traveled Irkutsk-Ulan-Ude highway.

The republic is divided into 21 districts (Barguzinskiy, Kabanskiy, Dzhidinskiy, Kizhinginskiy, Selenginskiy, Khorinskiy and other administrative districts), and it has 6 cities and 29 urban communities. The oldest cities are Ulan-Ude, Kyakhta (located on the Mongolian border; one of the main trading centers of the Great Tea Road), Selenginsk and Novoselenginsk, Zakamensk, Severobaikalsk, and Gusinoozersk.

The most developed sectors in this industrial and agricultural republic include the fuel and energy complex, engineering (aircraft, shipbuilding, and machinery) and metalworking. The light, forest, woodworking, food, and mining industries are also highly developed.

The republic is very rich in little-explored mineral resources, unique wilderness, therapeutic springs (about 360), and forests. Arshan and Goryachinsk are the best known resorts. The Buryat fur market attracts both Russian and foreign manufacturers, since furs like squirrel, lynx, Siberian weasel, ermine, fox, blue fox, and the renowned Barguzin sable are in great demand on the world market.

Buryatia has a severe continental climate. Winters are long, cold, windless, and snowy, while summers are short and warm. Air temperatures range from +40°C in summer to -50°C in winter. Precipitation is about 300 mm per year. There are also permafrost areas.

Buryatia's natural features are varied. They include great Lake Baikal, a favorite place for recreation and tourism and a developing international tourism; mountains up to 3491 m high; taiga that covers 2/3 of the republic's territory; forest steppes; and steppes. Over 80% of the republic's territory is located in the mountainous region, including the Baikal Mountains on the northern shores of Lake Baikal. The highest mountain is Munko Sardyk with 3491 meters located in the Eastern Sayany Mountains. The most important rivers are the Selenga, the Barguzin, the Verkhnyaya Angara, the Uda, and the Vitim. Lake Baikal, located on the republic's western boundary, is the world's deepest freshwater lake.

Diverse religions coexist peacefully in Buryatia. Buddhism and Orthodoxy are the most widespread and traditional faiths. Shamanism is also popular. There is unique culture of old believers (or “semeiskie”) in the republic. Buryatia is the center of Buddhism in Russia and is the site of the country's first Buddhist convent. Buddhist monasteries (datsans) are found in every district. The form of Buddhism practiced here is Lamaism. In the monasteries, you can obtain spiritual or medical advice. The best known datsans are Ivolginsky (the center of Buddhism in Russia), Tamchinsky (one of the oldest), and Atsagatsky.

Exercises.