1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

• The official or political name of the country is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The geographical name of the country is the British Isles.

• The abbreviation is the UK.

• It occupies the islands which lie off the north-west coast of Europe.

2. The United States of America

• The official or political name of the country is the United States of America. The geographical name of the country is Amcrica.

• The abbreviation is the USA or the US.

• It occupies the North American continent.

3. The Russian Federation

• The official or political name of the country is the Russian Federation.

• The abbreviation is the RF.

• It occupies the Eurasian continent.

Упр. 96, стр. 94

Alaska is also called the Last Frontier, and it means that the state is situated quite far from all the other states of the USA and it borders the Arctic Occan on the north and north-west, the Bering Strait and the Bering Sea on the west, and the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Alaska on the south. The land boundaries on the east cut across some 1,150 miles (1,850 km) of high mountains to separate the state from the Canadian Yukon Territory and British Columbia province.

Arizona is sometimes called the Grand Canyon State, which means that the Great Canyon is situated in this state.

Florida is also called the Sunshine State because it is situated on the extreme south of the United States and borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Gulf of Mexico on the west; this state has a very hot and shiny climate and attracts thousands of tourists as a health-resort state.

Georgia is called the Peach State, because there are big peach crops in that state.

Упр. 102, стр. 95

1. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The emblem of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the combination of the symbols of the four parts of the country. The State Emblem of Britain shows the union of its four parts: England.' Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The emblem was introduced after the union with Scotland in 1603. The shield of the emblem is divided into four parts. There are emblems of England (three lions on a red background), the emblem of Scotland (a red lion on a yellow background) and the emblem of Northern Ireland (a yellow harp (арфа) on a blue background).

The two emblems of English lions symbolize the leading role of England in this union. The shield is supported by two mythic animals: the English lion and the Scottish unicorn. The emblem is headed with a crowned lion, the symbol of power and might. Below the emblem there are floristic symbols of the four parts of the country.

The emblem reflects the spirit of the nation and the relations between its parts. The leading role of the animals belongs to the lion and so to the largest historic part of England. Scotland was never under the English control. That is why the Scottish unicorn occupies one of the leading parts of the emblem. Since 1300, Wales was under English control, so the Welsh dragon is not represented on the shield of the emblem and we can see only the floristic symbols of this part - a leek.