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Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially Kyrgyz Republic, republic (2005 est. pop. 5 mln people), central
Asia.
It borders on China in the southeast, on Kazakhstan in the north, on Uzbekistan in the west,
and on Tajikistan in the southwest. Bishkek, the capital, and Osh are the chief cities.
Land and People
Kyrgyzstan is a mountainous country in the Tian Shan and Pamir systems, rising to 24,409
ft (7,440 m) at Pobeda Peak on the Chinese border. Ninety-four percent of the country is over
3,300 ft (1,000 m) above sea level, with an average elevation of 9,020 ft (2,750 m). Lake IssykKul lies in the northeast.
The climate is continental with great regional variations; there are glaciers in the north, and
the subtropical Fergana Valley highlands lie in the southwest. The Talas Alatau and the Fergana
ranges roughly separate SW Kyrgyzstan from the larger northeast. The Kyrgyz, a Sunni Muslim,
Turkic-speaking pastoral people, constitute about two thirds of the population; the rest are
Uzbeks (about 14%), Russians (about 12%), and other minorities. The Uzbeks reside largely in
the southwest. Some 20% of the people are Russian Orthodox Christians.
About two thirds of the population is rural. Kyrgyz and Russian are both official
languages, and Uzbek is also spoken.
Economy
Over half of Kyrgyzstan's population is engaged in agriculture and herding. There is rich
pasturage for sheep, goats, cattle, and horses. Most of the cultivated area is irrigated. Cotton,
tobacco, potatoes, sugar beets, vegetables, grapes, fruits, and berries are grown; sericulture is
carried on, and grain crops are cultivated in the nonirrigated areas.
Kyrgyzstan has deposits of gold, rare earth metals, coal, oil, natural gas, nepheline,
mercury, bismuth, lead, zinc, and uranium. Industries include food processing, nonferrous
metallurgy, forestry, and the manufacture of agricultural machinery, textiles, appliances,
furniture, and electric motors. In addition, the Kyrgyz are also noted for such traditional
handicrafts as wood carving, carpet weaving, and jewelry making. Many citizens work abroad,
especially in Kazakhstan and Russia, and their remittances are important to Kyrgyzstan's
economy.
The nation's leading exports are cotton, wool, meat, tobacco, metals (particularly gold,
mercury, and uranium), natural gas, hydropower, and machinery; the chief imports are oil and
gas, machinery and equipment, chemicals, and foodstuffs. The main trading partners are China,
Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kazakhstan.
Nature of Kyrgyzia
Kyrgyzstan differs from other countries by its unique, virgin, diverse, beautiful nature,
geographical position which defines a strict change of seasons, diverse relief (primarily,
mountain), favorable policy towards tourism and liberal legislation.
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94% of the territory of Kyrgyzstan is occupied
with mountains. It has fantastic gorges covered with
bright green grass, high fir-trees, and is filled with the
crystal pure air. Murmur of the water in the
tumultuous rivers and waterfalls are the only things
which break the silence. Every gorge is unique and
beautiful in its own way. The plexus of mountains
located on the border with China is a location of the
highest picks of the Tien-Shan mountain system Pobeda Peak (7439 m) and Khan-Tengri (6995 m).
From this point the gorges go to the west and southwest creating parallel ranges stretching for 300–400 km. The Republic southern border with
Tajikistan is edged with the highest Chon-Alai (Zaalai) Range with the second highest peak in
Kyrgyzstan – Lenin Peak (7134 m). Alpinists from all over the world strive for conquering these
peaks. Kyrgyzstan is one of the largest regions that has the modern glaciers system. They occupy
4.2% of the territory of Kyrgyzstan with a total area of 8100 sq. km.
There are more than 2000 lakes and artificial
storages in the country. The lakes occupy 3.4% of the
territory. About 90% of them are high-altitude dams
and enclosed lakes. Sary-Chelek Lake is a biosphere
reserve located at the south-western slope of the
Chatkal Range at a height of 1873.9 m above sea
level. It impresses every tourist by its beauty.
The high-altitude Issyk-Kul Lake, the second largest
after Lake Titicaca, is sheltered between Tien-Shan
mountains at the bottom of the huge tectonic basin at a
height of 1606.7 m above sea level. The Lake differs
from others by its geographical, climatic, and hydrological conditions. All these make it unique
medical and recovering resource for holidaymakers. Annually hundreds of tourists spend their
holidays on the beaches of the Issyk-Kul Lake.
Kyrgyzstan is interesting by not only the nature but also by its culture. The Kyrgyzs are
rooted in nomads and they still have all attributes of the nomadic life. You will see a yurt –
unusual portable dwelling decorated with a hand-made welt carpets and ribbons, will have an
opportunity to taste the national cuisine. If you wish you can stay in yurt for some time and
watch the everyday life: pasturage, koumiss making, and national horse games. You are going to
feel a difference between the South and the North of Kyrgyzstan by visiting both parts of the
country. This is the difference in climate, nature, and culture.
Our site mission is to unveil our small sunny country for the rest of the world. The beauty of the
mountain nature with its crystal pure air, the azure Issyk-Kul Lake with its warm and caressing
sun, traditions peculiarities of the hospitable Kyrgyz people, historical monuments along the
Great Silk Road – we want to make all of these accessible for you!
Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/kyrgyzstan#ixzz2xcKQd9oN
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show to Student B)
1) What do you know about Kyrgyzstan?
2) What are your impressions of Kyrgyzstan?
3) How important is Kyrgyzstan compared with other nations?
4) What is Kyrgyzstan most commonly in the news for?
5) Why is Kyrgyzstan good at?
6) Is Kyrgyzstan a convenient and safe country in which to live?
7) Would you like to go to Kyrgyzstan?
8) What do you know of Kyrgyzstan politics?
9) Who is the most famous Kyrgyzstan person?
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10) How do you think the people would describe their country?
STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show to Student A)
1) What has Kyrgyzstan given the world?
2) What are the first three things that come to mind when you hear the country
Kyrgyzstan?
3) What role does Kyrgyzstan play in Central Asia?
4) What are relations like between your country and Kyrgyzstan?
5) Should Kyrgyzstan have a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council?
6) What social problems does Kyrgyzstan have?
7) What would you like to do in Kyrgyzstan on a three-week holiday?
8) What do you think life is like in Kyrgyzstan?
9) What is your image of the typical Kyrgyzstan person?
43
Tajikistan
Tajikistan, officially Republic of Tajikistan, republic (2005 est. pop. 7 mln people).
It borders on China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, Kyrgyzstan in the north, and Uzbekistan
in the west and northwest. Dushanbe is the capital and largest city. Administratively, the country is
divided into two regions and one autonomous region (Badakhshan, the easternmost section of
Tajikistan). A country of south-central Asia. The region was settled by the Tajik before the 10th
century and conquered by Mongols in the 13th century. By the mid-19th century it was divided among
several weak khanates. The region was acquired by Russia in 1895 and was a constituent republic of
the USSR from 1929 to 1991, when it declared its independence. Dushanbe is the capital and the
largest city.
Land and People
Parts of the Pamir and Trans-Alai mt. systems are in the east, and the highest peaks in the
country are Ismoili Somoni Peak (7,495m) and Lenin Peak, formerly Kaufmann Peak (7,134 m). The
southeast is occupied by an arid plateau c. (3,660–4,570m) high. The only extensive low districts are
the Tajik section of the Fergana Valley in the north and the hot, dry Gissar and Vakhsh valleys in the
southwest. The Amu Darya, Syr Darya, and Zeravshan are the chief rivers and are used for irrigation.
Additional dams and irrigation projects, notably the Great Gissar Canal, have opened almost 1 million
acres (400,000 hectares) of land to cultivation.
Most of Tajikistan's people are concentrated in its narrow, deep intermontane valleys.
About 65% of the population is composed of Tajiks (also spelled Tadjiks or Tadzhiks), a Sunni
Muslim people who speak a language virtually indistinguishable from Persian. The rest of the
people are mainly Uzbeks (25%), Russians (3.5%), Tatars, Kyrgyz, and Ukrainians. In addition
to the capital of Dushanbe, other important cities are Khudjand , Uroteppa, and Qurghonteppa.
Economy
Tajikistan's economy is dependent on agriculture and livestock is raising.
Two thirds of the population is extremely poor, and an every sixth person now works in
Russia or other foreign countries.
Mining and raw-materials processing, which were formerly important, have diminished
since the economic collapse in the 1990s, after Soviet rule ended and civil war began. The
lowlands specialize in the cultivation of cotton, wheat, barley, fruit (including wine grapes), and
mulberry trees (for silk). Karakul sheep, dairy cattle, and yaks are raised. The republic's
mountains yield coal, antimony, silver, gold, salt, uranium, mercury, tungsten, lead, and zinc, but
most mining has ceased. Cotton ginning, silk spinning, food processing, winemaking, carpet
weaving, metals processing, and the manufacture of textiles, chemicals, fertilizers, and cement
were the leading industries, but these too have been curtailed. There is some petroleum, and
Tajikistan is well provided with hydroelectric resources.
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The country's economic problems and political turmoil have led Tajikistan to become an
important heroin smuggling transit point. Trade is primarily with other former Soviet republics;
the first road to China was opened only in 2004.
Most people have no specialized skills; most specialists were from the Russian-speaking
sector and left after independence. This resulted in the closing of most factories. The country
depends on international assistance for its basic needs. However, the civil war and geographic
isolation have hampered international trade.
The government encourages foreign investment, but registration procedures are unclear
and the laws are contradictory. In the 1990s, firms from the United States, Israel, Austria, Italy,
and Canada constructed factories and mining projects.
Food and Economy
Food in Daily Life. With over 80 percent of the population living below the poverty line,
food is scarce. A basic breakfast consists of tea and bread. A wealthy family may eat butter and
jam and perhaps eggs or porridge. Soup often is served for dinner; it may contain a soup bone
with meat, carrots, onions, and potatoes. Osh, a rice dish made with carrots, onions and meat, is
served two or three times a week. At other times pasta, meat- and onion-filled pastries, and
tomato and cucumber salads may be served. All meals are accompanied with large rounds of flat
bread.
Restaurants usually offer Western and Russian food, and choihonas (teahouses) serve
traditional foods. Guests often sit on a platform with a low table surrounded by thin mats.
Pork is never eaten. Bread may not be placed upside down; the crumbs are collected and
disposed of ceremoniously. Tea is served to the host first to show that it is safe to drink. Islamic
law forbids the consumption of alcoholic beverages, but this prohibition often is ignored.
Etiquette
Hospitality, humility, and respect are considered essential for successful interaction in the
culture. The elderly are always given the place of honor. A man must never enter a home where
there are only women, and a girl must never be left alone with a boy. At large social gatherings,
men and women often are separated. Everyone stands when another guest enters. When shaking
hands in greeting, it is a demonstration of good manners and respect to place the left hand over
the heart and bow slightly.
Bargaining is accepted in the marketplace. Personal space is not respected in either private
or public places. When cultural rules are violated, gossip or ostracism may result.
Tajikistan claims ancient poets Omar Khayyám and Alisher Navoi as part of its literary
tradition. Firdowsī is appreciated for creating epic poetry as a way to educate the people.
Read more: http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Tajikistan.html#ixzz2xcPBZnLx
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show to Student B)
1) What do you know about Tajikistan?
2) What are your impressions of Tajikistan?
3) How important is Tajikistan compared with other nations?
4) What is Tajikistan most commonly in the news for?
5) What is Tajikistan good at?
6) Is Tajikistan a convenient and safe country in which to live?
7) Would you like to go to Tajikistan?
8) What do you know of Tajikistan politics?
9) Who is the most famous Tajikistan?
10) How do you think the people would describe their country?
STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show to Student A)
1) What has Tajikistan given the world?
2) What are the first three things that come to mind when you hear the country Tajikistan?
3) What role does Tajikistan play in Central Asia?
45
4) What are relations like between your country and Tajikistan?
5) Should Tajikistan have a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council?
6) What social problems does Tajikistan have?
7) What would you like to do in Tajikistan on a three-week holiday?
8) What do you think life is like in Tajikistan?
9) What is your image of the typical Tajikistan person?
46
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan Republic is one of the four Republics of Central Asia. Uzbekistan is situated
between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya,the greatest Asian rivers.
It is the region of flat- lands, mountains and deserts. The territory of the Republic covers
447,4 thousand square kilometers and is larger than Great Britain or Italy. Uzbekistan borders on
Kazakhstan, Kirghizia, Tajikistan and Turkmenia. In the South Uzbekistan borders on
Afghanistan. The Republic consists of 12 regions and the Karakalpak Republic. There are about
80 towns and 86 settlements of urban type here.
The climate is continental. A great number of bright sunny days are good for cotton
growing. Uzbekistan is one of the most important producers of cotton and silk. If you look at the
map of the Uzbek Republic you will see coal, oil and natural gas re sources, deposits of marble,
non-ferrous and other metals including gold.
According to the last data the population of Uzbekistan is 20 million people. About 120
nations and nationalities live on its territory. Uzbeks represent more than 70% (per cent) of the
whole population. Titanic work to develop all sectors of the economy, of industry in particular,
has been done in Uzbekistan. Once there was no industry there; today the Republic has more
than 100 industries. Now planes, tractors, cotton harvesters, technical equipment for the textile
and chemical industries are being manufactured in Uzbekistan .
Uzbekistan Is The Land Of Ancient Culture
Uzbekistan is the land of ancient culture. At the present time more than 200,000 tourists
almost from 80 countries visit Uzbekistan every year. They want to see the remarkable
monuments of the past in Bukhara, Samarkand, Khiva, Tashkent.
Bukhara is one of the ancient towns of Uzbekistan. The period of its existence is more than
2000 years. This period was noted for the development of craft, trade, literature, science and art.
The outstanding poets Firdousi and Rudaki, the famous scholar Abu-Ali Ibn-Sina (Avicenna)
and many others lived and worked there. Numerous mosques, madrasahs and mausoleums
survived in Bukhara to the present time. Its masterpieces of architecture are the mausoleum of
Ismail Samani, the Kalyan minaret, the madrasah of Ulugbek and others. They are famous not on
ly in our country but abroad too. One more ancient town of Uzbekistan-Khiva-lies thirty-two
kilometers from Urgench.
According to the archaeologists Khiva was founded in the 5th or 6th century. By the early
17th century, Khiva had become the capital of the Khanate of Khiva, ruled by a branch of the
Astrakhans, a Genghisid dynasty. There many unique mosques, mausoleums and madrasahs in
Khiva. They make Khiva a museum and attract many tourists.
At present 7056 monuments of art, archeology and nature are under state protection in
Uzbekistan.1503 of them are architectural monuments. The Ichan-Kala complex in Khiva, the
site of the ancient town of Afrasiyab in Samarkand and the center of ancient Bukhara are
declared state reserves. They are relics of oriental architecture. More than 240 relics of the past
were restored in the last years. There is a research design institute and a number of restoration
47
workshops in Uzbekistan. They preserve and restore architectural monuments. Every year a lot
of money is spent on restoration of the monuments of ancient culture of Uzbekistan.
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show to Student B)
1) What do you know about Uzbekistan?
2) What are your impressions of Uzbekistan?
3) How important is Uzbekistan compared with other nations?
4) What is Uzbekistan most commonly in the news for?
5) What is Uzbekistan good at?
6) Is Uzbekistan a convenient and safe country in which to live?
7) Would you like to go to Uzbekistan?
8) What do you know of Uzbekistan politics?
9) Who is the most famous Uzbekistan person?
10) How do you think the people would describe their country?
STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show to Student A)
1) What has Uzbekistan given the world?
2) What are the first three things that come to mind when you hear the country Uzbekistan?
3) What role does Uzbekistan play in Central Asia?
4) What are relations like between your country and Uzbekistan?
5) Should Uzbekistan have a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council?
6) What social problems does Uzbekistan have?
7) What would you like to do in Uzbekistan on a three-week holiday?
8) What do you think life is like in Uzbekistan?
9) What is your image of the typical Uzbekistan person?
48
Moldova
Country, northeastern Balkan Peninsula, southeastern Europe. (Bessarabia)
It is bordered by Ukraine and Romania.
Population: (2011 est.) 3,9 mln people.
Capital — Kishinev. Nearly half the population is Moldovan; there also are large numbers
of Russians and Ukrainians, especially in Pridnestrovie, the self-proclaimed republic located on
the east bank of the Dniester River.
Languages: Moldovan (official), Russian, Ukrainian.
Religions: Christianity (mostly Eastern Orthodox, also other Christians), Islam. Currency:
Moldovan leu.
Most of Moldova is a fertile region lying between the Dniester and Prut rivers; the northern
and central regions of the country are forested.
The economy is based on agriculture; the major farm products are grapes, winter wheat,
corn, and dairy products. Industry is centred on food processing. Moldova is a unitary
parliamentary republic with one legislative body; its head of state is the president, and the head
of government is the prime minister.
The two regions were incorporated as the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1940. In
1991 Moldavia declared independence from the Soviet Union.
Region, eastern Europe. It is bounded by the Prut and Dniester rivers, the Black Sea, and
the Danube River delta. Greek colonies were founded on its Black Sea coast in the 7th century ,
and it was probably part of Dacia in the 2nd century .
It became part of Moldavia in the 15th century; the Turks later annexed the southern
portion into the Ottoman empire. The remainder fell to them in the 16th century when Moldavia
submitted to the Turks; Bessarabia remained under Turkish control until the 19th century. Russia
acquired it and half of Moldavia in 1812 and retained control until World War I. A nationalist
movement developed, and after the Russian Revolution of 1917.
Bessarabia declared its independence and voted to unite with Romania. The Soviet Union
never recognized Romania's right to the province and in 1940 demanded that it cede Bessarabia;
when Romania complied, the U.S.S.R. set up the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (see
Moldova), and incorporated the northern region into the Ukrainian S.S.R. Bessarabia remained
divided after Ukraine and Moldavia declared independence in 1991.
Land and People
Moldova is landlocked. The Prut River separates it from Romania in the west. In the north
and east, the Dniester River forms its approximate boundary with Ukraine, on which it also
borders in the south; in the east there is a narrow strip of Moldovan terrritory between the
Dniester and the Ukraine border (the predominantly Russian and Ukrainian Trans-Dniester
Region). Mostly a hilly plain, Moldova occupies all but the southernmost and northernmost
sections of former Bessarabia. Its proximity to the Black Sea gives it a mild climate.
More than 75% of the population is Moldovan; Ukrainians and Russians make up about
15%, and there are several smaller minorities, including the Turkish-speaking Gagauz,
Bulgarians, and Jews. Most of the people belong to the Orthodox Church, and legislation passed
49
in 2007 recognized the Orthodox Church for its special role in Moldovan history and society.
The Moldovan language, the official tongue, is virtually indistinguishable from Romanian, and
the two groups are ethnically identical.
Economy
Moldova's fertile soil supports wheat, corn, barley, vegetables, sugar beets, sunflowers, and
tobacco, as well as extensive fruit orchards, vineyards, and walnut groves. Horticulture is
important for the production of essences such as rose oil and lavender. Beef and dairy cattle are
raised, and there is beekeeping and silkworm breeding. Industries include food processing,
winemaking, and the manufacture of agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, major
appliances, textiles, and footwear. Remittances from Moldovans working abroad are also
important to the economy.
After achieving independence, Moldova took steps toward converting to a market economy
and launched an ambitious privatization program, but the country remains undeveloped
industrially and ranks as one of the poorest nations of Europe. Exports include foodstuffs,
textiles, and machinery. Moldova imports all of its oil, coal, and natural gas, as well as
machinery, chemicals, and automobiles.
The principal trading partners are Russia, Ukraine, and Romania.
Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/moldova#ixzz2xiAssr2l
STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show to Student B)
1) What do you know about Moldova?
2) What are your impressions of Moldova?
3) How important is Moldova compared with other nations?
4) What is Moldova most commonly in the news for?
5) What is Moldova good at?
6) Is Moldova a convenient and safe country in which to live?
7) Would you like to go to Moldova?
8) What do you know of Moldova politics?
9) Who is the most famous person in Moldova?
10) How do you think the people would describe their country?
STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show to Student A)
1) What has Moldova given the world?
2) What are the first three things that come to mind when you hear the country Moldova?
3) What role does Moldova play in Eastern Europe?
4) What are relations like between your country and Moldova?
5) Should Moldova have a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council?
6) What social problems does Moldova have?
7) What would you like to do in Moldova on a three-week holiday?
8) What do you think life is like in Moldova?
9) What is your image of the typical person of Moldova?
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