Text 1. Belarus

          Belarus is situated in the center of Europe. The territory of Belarus is 207,600 square kilometers, its population is less than 10 million people. Belarus borders on Russia, Poland, the Ukraine, Lithuania and Latvia.

          The landscape is flat but thanks to numerous lakes, rivers and forests it is very beautiful. The major rivers are the Dnieper, Nieman, Prypiat and West Dvina. The climate of Belarus is temperate continental. The country has 10,000 lakes. The major cities of Belarus are its capital Minsk and its region centers Gomel, Mogilev, Vitebsk, Brest and Grodno.

    According to the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus adopted in 1996 it is an indivisible democratic law-governed state. The government of Belarus is of the presidential type. The President acts as head of the state.

    Belarus is both agricultural and industrial country. Agriculture accounts for about 25 per cent of total net material product. Live-stock breeding and dairy farming contribute more than half of all agricultural production, but crop cultivation is also important.

          Industry was almost completely destroyed in World War II, but it recovered rapidly in postwar years. It now accounts for about 50 per cent of total net material product. Belarus produces motor vehicles, chemicals, lumber products, machinery, and consumer goods, such as televisions and bicycles. Also important is the manufacture of linen, woolen, and cotton fabrics.

          Belarus is a republic of ancient culture and traditions. Skaryna, Goosovsky, Kupala, Kolas, Karatkevitch, Bykov, Vaschenko, Shagal and many others are world famous now.

          Belarusian opera and ballet companies have long-standing reputations. The leading drama theatre is the Yanka Kupala Belarusian State Academic theatre founded in 1920.

          The citizens of Belarus are proud of their land. Belarus actively develops its cultural, humanitarian, social and economic relations with other countries. 

    Text 2. Great Britain

          Great Britain is the largest island in Europe, it consists of England, Scotland and Wales and together with Northern Ireland it forms the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland which is the official title of the country. England is the largest part of Great Britain,. Wales is in the west and Scotland is in the north. Northern Ireland is located in the northeast corner of Ireland, the second largest island in the British Isles. Great Britain covers the total area of about 90,000 square miles. The UK is washed by the North Sea, the Irish Sea, the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel.

    Due to the warm waters of the Gulf Stream the climate of Britain is mild throughout the year. The surrounding waters moderate temperatures all year round, making the UK warmer in winter and cooler in summer.

          There are many rivers and lakes in the British Isles. The largest river of Great Britain, the Severn, is 390 km long. Among other important rivers are the Trent, Tyne, Clyde, Thames and others. The largest lakes in Great Britain are Loch Lomond and Loch Ness. The mountains are mainly situated in Scotland and Wales. The highest mountain is Ben Nevis (1343) in Scotland.

          The population of the country is about 60 million.

          The capital of the United Kingdom is London. It is the industrial and political centre of the country. Today Britain is a major producer of industrial goods and provider of services as well as a centre of world trade and finance.  In Britain highly developed are such industries as shipbuilding, coal, iron and steel, aircraft, textile, engineering, food processing, etc. British agriculture is very intensive and highly productive. More than half of the farms are devoted to livestock farming-raising cattle for dairy products or beef, or raising sheep for wool and meat.

           The United Kingdom (UK) is a constitutional monarchy which means that the head of the state is a monarch with limited powers. The present monarch is Queen Elizabeth II. The political structure of the country comprises two Houses of Parliament: the House of Lords and the House of Commons.The main political parties of the UK are the Labour and the Conservative parties. The Liberal Democratic party forms the third major force in Parliament today.