They say that Belarus is at the crossroads of Europe. Explain why.



Belarus is situated in the center of Europe, on the watershed of the Baltic and Black Seas. It is situated nearly in the extreme western part of the East-European Plain within the basins of the Dnieper, the Western Dvina and the Upper Nieman. It borders on Russia in the north and east, on Lithuania and Latvia in the north-west, on Poland in the west, and on the Ukraine in the south. It’s always been in the center of all important European historic events. It was the arena of two disastrous world wars. For example World War II wiped out about one third of the country’s population.  Belarus is situated at the crossroad of trade routes from west to east and from north to south so Belarusian people always have a chance to buy the best European brands. That’s why I should say that its position has advantages and disadvantages.

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Let’s talk about Britain. What do you know about this country?

What do we imagine when we think of Great Britain? It's a beautiful island country which is separated from the European continent by the English Channel. It’s made up by two main islands and about 5000 smaller ones. The two main islands are Great Britain and Ireland. The country is well known for its changeable weather, extremely polite people, their love for animals and sport and, of course the red post and letter boxes and double-decker buses.

The official name of the country is The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It occupies most of the territory of British Isles and consists of 4 countries. They are England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Their capitals are London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. The total area of Great Britain is over 240,000 square kilometres.

The population of the United Kingdom is over 64 mln people. English is the official language. The different parts of Britain have their own emblems. The red rose is the national emblem of England. The thistle is the national emblem of Scotland. The daffodils and the leek are the emblems of Wales. And the shamrock is the national emblem of Ireland. The flag of the United Kingdom is known as the Union jack.

The largest cities of Great Britain are London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast.

The British climate has three main features: it is mild, humid, and changeable. That's why Great Britain is such a green country, with long rich grass for the cattle and sheep, and beautiful lawns in the gardens. There is a saying that Britain doesn‘t have a climate, it only has weather. But English weather is never the same. One day it rains, the next day it may be sunny and then it' may be cold again. There can be cool days in July and some quite warm days in January

The Queen is the Head of State, but in fact she doesn‘t rule the country. The Queen is a symbol of the country history and its traditions. The real power in the country belongs to the British Parliament and to the British Government. The British Parliament has two houses, or chambers: the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

In 1973 Britain joined the European Community. Britain wanted to become part of Europe. It was also useful for economic reasons. They became members of the biggest European market. As an EC member, Britain can buy goods from other EC member countries at a reduced rate. Britain is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and plays in important role in solving international conflicts.

 

Do you find some British holidays and traditions special? Why (not)?

Of course, I do. There are many unusual and unique holidays in Britain: Guy Fawkes Day, pancakes races, the Highland Games, St. Valentine’s Day. I think the most favourite is St. Valentine’s Day. On this day people show their love to each other by giving cards and gifts and perhaps by having a romantic dinner.

Of course, British holidays and traditions are special. They are observed only in Britain. For example, all over England there are pancakes races on or near Shove Tuesday. The participants are usually women. They run with a pancake in a frying pan and throw the pancake in the air. The Highland Games is a Championship which began in the middle of the 19th century in the Scottish Highlands. Games are traditionally held in September. Today they include high­land dancing, contests in playing the bagpipes and one of the most popular sports - "tossing the caber.

Also there is an everyday tradition in the UK, which is called afternoon tea. Whether spending a day at home or out, in town or countryside, most British people enjoy their afternoon 'cuppa'.

Of course, I’d like to take part in a British holiday celebration. It will help me to understand the people better, to see the cultural life of the nation, to get new experience.

 


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