29

building products (20%). Imports were primarily food (26%) and machinebuilding (42%) products.

Since mid-1990s China has become the region’s principal trade partner and is followed by Japan and USA. Trade linkages with the Republic of Korea and West Europe also play an important role. A properly regulated inflow of foreign investments into the RFE economy might form a basis for its development and expansion of exports.

THE ECONOMY OF THE KHABAROVSKY KRAI

Ex. 1. Read and translate the text:

The Khabarovsky Krai is more industrial than agriculturally oriented. Providing farmers with the lands suitable for agriculture and with the necessary equipment is problematic now due to the lack of finances and fertile soils in this area, but few existed agricultural enterprises are rather successful and prospective. The largest vegetable and cattle farms are traditionally situated in the Lazo, Vyazemsky, Bikin, and Khabarovsky Districts.

30

The Khabarovsky Krai has everything to become an important industrial centre. It is a gateway to the Pacific. The city of Khabarovsk is one of the largest railroad terminals; it is the seat of the Administration of the Russian Far Eastern Railroad. The Amur Shipping Company delivers various cargoes from Khabarovsk to the northern territories and coastal inhabited localities. Through Khabarovsk pass numerous air routes connecting it to over 40 cities and towns of Russia, the CIS countries and airports in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Nearly 40 percent of the industrial facilities of the Khabarovsky Krai are situated in Khabarovsk. Major industries are: machine-tool making, dieselengine making, ship-building, ship-repairing, chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical engineering, etc. It is almost the history when we recollect that the Amur shipbuilding yards manufactured the foundations for sea oil platforms to be used during the development of the Sakhalin oil and gas shelf. Today, the vessels, built by the yards can be seen in various ports of the Pacific Rim countries where they deliver not only timber but metal, coal, fuels and oils, and other cargoes, serving the overseas trading purposes.

The Khabarovsk Pharmaceutical Factory is also very important. Its pharmacists make good use of local medicinal herbs, preparing medications which are in demand all over this country and abroad.

The towns Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Amursk, and Solnechny form the second largest industrial centre in the Krai. The three "whales" – aircraft engineering, shuipbuilding, and oil-refining – form the backbone of the economy of Komsomolsk. The Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Industrial Association (KnAAPO) is the largest aircraft manufacturer not only in the Russian Far East but in the whole Asia-Pacific region. Since 1936 KnAAPO has manufactured thousands of machines of various classes, including such world-famous fighters as MIG-15and MIG-17, fighter-bombers SU-7, SU-17 and SU-27, and their modifications. Besides, KnAAPO manufactures civil aircraft, multipurpose amphibian aircraft, motor boats, yachts and other machinery. The Avest FarEastern Radio-electronics Factory is an affiliate of the KnAAPO. "Avest" is the largest manufacturer of TV sets, electronics and electric household appliances in the Russian Far East and Siberia.

The territory is extremely rich in mineral resources; more than 15 different minerals are being extracted in this area – coal, gold, wolfram, non-ferrous metals, chrome, ore, lime-stone, tin and others. Solnechny tin deposit near Komsomolsk-on-Amur is unique; tin there consists of some other very valuable elements: wolfram, copper, silver, zinc, lead, which are extracted from it. The Khabarovsky Krai takes 3 place in Russia's gold-mining. Gold has been extracted here for more than 100 years. At present new gold deposits are being found within the Krai by geologists. Most promising are the basins of the rivers flowing into the Sea of Okhotsk. Many gold fields of the Tuguro-Chumikansky region have the largest reserves of rich gold-bearing rocks in the whole RFE. The most famous gold-mining company in the Krai is "The Amur Gold-Mining

31

Co" based in Khabarovsk. It is extracting and processing not only gold but platinum, manufactures building materials and foodstuffs, and is engaged in construction. Iron deposits within the territory gave rise to the local metallurgical industry. The only ferrous metallurgical (iron and steel) factory in the RFE is situated in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Brucite is one of the most important discoveries. It is used in the electrotehnical industry as well as in the pulp and paper and chemical industries. The Khabarovsk Krai is also wellknown for its building materials like marble and granite.

The territory is rich in coal. Verkhne-Bureinsky coal basin and Urgal coal field meet the requirements of the territorial industries.

Geological prospects for the future look even more promising. That is why the extractive industries are the leading ones. Forestry and fishing are no less important. Nikolaevskiy District can be proud for its fishing and fish-processing industries. The largest ship-repairing company of the Amur fleet is based in Nikolaevsk. The Vanino seaport is the largest in the Krai and the third in the RFE. Annually, the Vanino port handles over 10 million tons of cargoes.

Economic cooperation with the Pacific Rim countries is an important factor for an economic growth. There are over 200 different joint-ventures within the Khabarovsk Krai now; many of them are engaged in timber and fish industries, in the sphere of service and catering.

Along with the development of economic cooperation we try to promote friendly relations with foreign countries. Khabarovsk signed agreements on establishing sister-city relations with the city of Niigata and Portland, Oregon.

We hope that the expanding contacts will promote to further friendship and mutual understanding between our countries.

Ex. 2. Find English equivalents in the text:

cовместное предприятие, соответствовать требованиям, открытие, месторождение, груз, обеспечивать, плодородный, соглашение, добывать (зд. минералы), города-побратимы, создавать, способствовать, расширять.

Ex. 3. Make up word-combinations with the following words:

engineering, to manufacture, to produce, to provide, valuable, to extract, jointventures, cooperation, growth, economic, to establish.

Ex.4. Use the following words and phrases from the text in sentences of your own:

due to the lack of, to be extremely rich in, to meet the requirements, to be used in, to be engaged in, to promote