8.2 Questions

1. Where is Bashkortostan situated?

2. What mineral resources is the republic rich in?

3. How many people live here and what nationalities are they?

4. What branches of industry are developed in the republic?

5. What cereals are grown in Bashkortostan?

6. Are Bashkir farmers engaged in bee keeping now?

7. What attracts tourists to Bashkortostan?

8. Are there places in the republic where people can improve their health?

9. Is Ufa an old city? How old is it?

10. What historic places and sights in Ufa can you name?

9 The United States of America

The USA is a vast country, its territory is 9.3 million square kilometres. It is situated in North America and is washed by the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. The population of America is 300 million people. It is made up of immigrants and their children from nearly every country of the world.

The economy of the US is free enterprise. It has one of the strongest economies in the world. The USA is the world leader in space technologies, electronics, computer hardware and software. One fifth of the world’s cars are produced in the United States.

As for agriculture it is on a very high level of development too. The country produces more than 52 per cent of the world’s corn, and also much wheat, cotton and tobacco. Grain, vegetables and fruit are grown here too.

The USA is a federal union of 50 states. The supreme law of the country is the US Constitution. The head of the state is the President.

Washington, the capital of the United States, is in the District of Columbia (D.C.). This special district, named after Christopher Columbus, is not in any state because it is the home of the federal government. In and around Washington, D.C., there are many memorials to honour important people in the American history, like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and to soldiers who died in wars. 18 million tourists from all over the world come to visit these places every year.

9.1 Compare Bashkortostan and the usa and finish the sentences:

1. Bashkortostan is located in the Ural Mountains in Russia and the USA … .

2. The USA consists of 50 states and Bashkortostan … .

3. The monuments to Salavat Yulayev and to Peoples’ Friendship are the most popular in Ufa and in Washington … .

4. In the USA the legislative body is the Congress and in Bashkortostan … .

5. The population of America is 300 million people and the population of Bashkortostan … .

6. The native inhabitants of Bashkortostan are Bashkirs and in America … .

7. Farmers of the USA grow corn, cotton and tobacco and farmers of Bashkortostan … .

8. The capital of Bashkortostan Ufa is situated in Ufimski District of the Republic and Washington, D.C. … .

9. In Washington streets are lettered and numbered and in Ufa … .

10) Traditional occupations of Indians were maize growing, hunting and fishing; traditional occupations of Bashkirs

11) Aslikul and Kandrikul are the most famous lakes in Bashkortostan and in America … .

12) The biggest city of Bashkortostan is its capital Ufa and in the USA …