1. “I am a citizen of Russia” School 3 Belyaeva O.N.

2. The Russian Federation is set up by the Constitution of 1993. Russia is a presidential republic. The federal government consists of three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. Each of them is checked and balanced by the President.

3. A new national emblem is a two-headed eagle. It is the most ancient symbol of Russia. It originates from the heraldic emblem of the Ruricovitches.

4. Today the flag of Russia is a three-colored banner. It has three horizontal stripes: white, blue and red. The white stripes symbolizes the earth, the blue one stands for the sky, and the red one symbolizes liberty.

5. Dmitry Medvedev is the president of the Russian Federation.

6. The executive power belongs to the Government, or the Cabinet of Ministers. The government is headed by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister of our country is Vladimir Putin.

7. Moscow is the capital of Russia, its political, economic, commercial and cultural center. Moscow was first mentioned in the chronicles in 1147. Moscow is the seat of the Government of the Russian Federation.

8. St. Petersburg is the second largest city in Russia and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great as the “Window to the West”.

9. The most memorable date is Victory Day which is observed on the 9-th of May. On this day we celebrate the anniversary of the victory over fascism in the World War II.

10. The land of Russia varies from thick forests to barren deserts, from high peaked mountains to deep valleys. The land of Russia varies from thick forests to barren deserts, from high peaked mountains to deep valleys. On the vast territory of the country there are various types of climate, from arctic in the north to subtropical in the south. In the middle of the country the climate is temperate and continental

11. There is hardly a country in the world where such a variety of scenery and vegetation can be found. We have steppes in the south, plains and forests in the midland, tundra and taiga in the north, highlands and deserts in the east. Russia has one-sixth of the world’s forests. They are concentrated in the European north of the country, in Siberia and in the Far East.

12. The total area of Russia is about 17 million square kilometers. The country is washed by 12 seas and 3 oceans: the Pacific ocean, the Arctic ocean and the Atlantic ocean.  In the south Russia borders on Norway, Finland, the Baltic States, Belorussia, the Ukraine. It also has a sea border with the USA.

13. There are two great plains in Russia There are two great plains in Russia the Great Russian Plain and the West Siberian Lowland.

14. There are several mountain chains on the territory of the country: the Urals, the Caucasus, the Altai and others.  The largest mountain chain, the Urals, Separates Europe from Asia.

15. There are over two million rivers in Russia. Europe’s biggest river, the Volga, flows into the Caspian Sea.  The main Siberian rivers-the Ob, the Yenisei and the Lena-frown from the south to the north. The Amur in the Far East frowns into the Pacific Ocean.

16. Russian is rich in beautiful lakes.  The world’s deepest lake (1,600 meters) is Lake Baikal. It is much smaller than the Baltic Sea, but there is much more water in it that in the Baltic Sea. The water in the lake is so clear that if you look down you can count the stones on the bottom.

17. The current population of Russia is about 50 million people; 82 % of the population is Russians.

18. Russia is a highly-industrialized-agrarian republic. Its vast mineral resources include oil, gas, coal, iron, gold, diamonds, copper, nickel. Quarters of the republic’s mineral wealth is concentrated in Siberia and the Far East.

19. The contribution of Russian people into the world of culture can hardly be overestimated. The mysterious Slavonic soul and curious mind found their expression in masterpieces of literature and art, music and philosophy, in numerous scientific discoveries.

20. Matreshka is the most popular symbol or souvenir in Russia.

21. My native town is Ershov in Saratov district. I’m proud to be its citizen.