Topics for discussion: Tell your new friend from Britain about Belarus.

 

The main points to speak about:

1. Location (The country is located ... . It borders .... . )

2. Landscape (The highest mountain ... . There are ... rivers and .... lakes ... .)

3. Flora (The most common types of trees .... . National parks are .... . )

4. Fauna (The most common species of animals and birds .... . )

5. Statistics (The population .... . The capital ... .)

6. National symbols (Flag, anthem, coat of arms). National animal, bird, flower

7. Places of interest, sights.

BELARUS

Sample 1

           To my mind, Belarus is a small country but it is very beautiful. It lies in the centre of Europe, between Poland and Russiaand from space it looks like a maple leaf. On the map this leaf is always coloured in green, because Belarus is rich in forests. It isn’t a surprise, nowhere in the world you you’ll see such a variety of plants, trees, bushes and plants.

          There are 111 species of trees and about 12000 species of plants and mushrooms in Belarus. There are fir and pine wood trees, oaks and ash-trees in our forests. Some oaks in Belovezhskaya Pushcha are from 300 to 700 years old. Many species of animals live in the wilds of our country: elks, wild boars, deer, wolves, hares and beavers. You'll never forget meeting a herd of European bison. This animal is one of the symbols of Belarus. Unfortunately, people have always killed wild animals uncontrollably, so many of them are in danger now. Belarusian lakes are rich in fish, especially Lake Naroch, where you can find eel, trout and pike. There are practically no dangerous snakes in Belarus. There are beautiful national parks – Belovezhskaya Pushcha, Pripyatsky National Park – where you can find a lot of animals, birds and plants.

          Now some statistics! The population of Belarus is over 9 million people and the area is about 200 thousand sq/km. The capital of the republic is Minsk, which is also the largest city. The population of Minsk is about 2 million people. Summer temperatures are +15-28 C but in winter it can be very cold, -5-25 C below zero. Belarusians speak Russian but with a Belarusian accent.

            Belarus also has its national symbols. We have three stripes on our national flag: red, green and white with a red ornament. The green stripe on our flag is a symbol of our green forests. The white colour is the symbol of peace. The red one means blood, the blood of Belarusians who died during the Great Patriotic War. Red crosses and stripes on the ornament is the symbol of life. Belarus is famous for its white storks. People say, they are a symbol of good luck. And the symbol of Belarusian fields is the cornflower - a small blue flower. People sometimes call Belarus the blue-eyed country, because there are more than ten thousands lakes there.

           In old times people called Belarus the country of castles. Now there are many places in Belarus where we can still see these old castles. Nesvizh lies in Minsk region. It is one of the oldest towns in Belarus. From the 16th century it was the residence of a rich family - the Radziwils. The castle in Mir is older than the castle in Nesvizh. It dates from the 15th century. There is no other castle in the world like this one. The builders used red bricks for the castle. Since 1992 the castle in Mir has been a museum. This place is also famous for its beautiful park.

          The castles are very interesting. They are famous for their ghosts. The Nesvizh ghosts are the Black Dame and the Black Nun. The Black Nun likes to play tricks on people. The ghost can push someone or break a mirror. And the Black Dame still walks in the castle. It's the ghost of Barbara Radziwil.

           I think Belarus is a very interesting to place to visit. I love my country very much and can’t imagine other place where I can live.