VIII. Ask the same questions (Task YI) to your partner and discuss your University course and your future Engineering career with him.

THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS

Geographical Position. Belarus is situated in the centre of Europe, and has international borders with five countries: Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia.

The location has made Belarus an important trade and transport route between Europe and the CIS. The total land area of Belarus is more than 207,000 square kilometers. The population of the republic is about 10 million people. The country of Belarus is divided into six administrative districts, each centered around a major city.

Belarus has unique natural environment. There are many lakes in the northern part of Belarus, and the Polesye marshland around the Pripyat River in the south which are often called the lungs of Europe. Several areas in Belarus have the status of National Parks (there are five of them) and are protected by the State. They contain unique landscape, rare plants and huge animal and bird populations. Elks, deer, wild boar, beavers, wolves, and also, the rare European bisons, live comfortably there. Belavezhskaya Pushcha (the Brest region) is the most famous of them. UNESCO granted the park World Heritage Site status in 1992, and Biosphere Reserve status in 1993. Belavezhskaya Pushcha is home to many ancient oak trees dating back more than 500 years. Braslavskiye Ozera National Park (the Vitebsk region) was established in 1995 among the beautiful lakes in the north-west of Belarus. The ancient town of Braslav, which was founded in the 11th century, is scenically sited in the middle of the park. The climate of the republic is moderate continental with mild and humid winter, a warm summer, and a wet autumn.

The territory of Belarus includes deposits of peat, fire and refractory clay, molding sand and sand for glass production, different construction materials. There are deposits of oil, coal and lignite, iron ores, nonferrous metal ores, dolomites, potassium and rock salt, phosphorites as well.

The people of Belarus are a kind and friendly nation. The patience and peacefulness of the Belarusian people has been determined by the nation’s history that has been darkened by endless wars. The Belarusians did not start these wars, but fell victim to. Ethnic Belarusians make up more than 80% of the population. Many other nationalities have also settled in the country. Belarusian and Russian are the official languages of Belarus. Other languages such as Polish, and Ukrainian are spoken within local communities.

Minsk, the capital of Belarus, is located in the centre of the country. Today it is a modern international city. The first recorded mention of Minsk goes back to 1067. Over the course of its history, Minsk has been destroyed and rebuilt numerous times, most recently after World War II, when it was almost completely destroyed. More than 1.8 million people live in Minsk today. It has excellent transport links including Minsk airport, several major train stations, the Minsk metro underground network, and a well-developed road system.

Historical Outline. The history of Belarus dates back to the Stone Age.Stone Age settlements existed approximately 26 000 years ago and they were around the basins of the Dnieper, Dvina, and Pripyat rivers. Belarus colonization by the Slavs began in the early centuries AD. Over the next few centuries they had settled over the entire region, replacing the earlier Baltic culture. In the 6th to 9th centuries East Slavs formed the first political associations – the unions of tribes. The first Belarusian national state was the Polotsk Duchy and it remained the dominating force in the region until the 13th century.

From the 13^th till 16^th centuries the territory of present-day Belarus was the core of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Rus and Samogotia which was a powerful state spanning Belarus, Lithuania, Kiev and a few more areas of the Ukraine and western Russia from the Baltics to the Black Sea. The Grand Duchy began to lose its authority after a number of wars in the 16th century. In 1569 the Grand Duchy and the Kingdom of Poland signed theUnion of Lublin. The Duchy and the Crown united in a federative state – Rzecz Pospolita on equal terms. It signified the start of a new chapter in Belarusian history. This was a very turbulent time in Belarusian history. The state was drawn into wars in Europe and with Russia, including the war with Russia (1654-1667) and the North War between Sweden and Russia (1700-1721). Wars weakened the state. In 1772the western provinces of Belarus were annexed to the Russian Empire and in 1795 Rcecz Pospolitsa was divided between Russia, Austria and Prussia. As a result of this division, Belarus land became part of the Russian Empire. The Russian Government started to pursue a policy of russification in the new territories. Since then and up to the First World War Belarus had gone through a number of conflicts, including: Revolt under Tadeusz Kostushko’s leadership (1794), Napoleonic invasion of Russia (1812), Polish Revolt (1830 – 1831), Great Rebellion, headed by Kastus Kalinovski (1863-1864). During World War One Belarusian territory was the scene of bloody battles between German and Russian forces.

On the 1st of January 1919 the Declaration on the formation of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic was adopted. In 1922Belarusian SSR became a part of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

In 1939 the Western territories joined Belarus after the outbreak of World War Two. Belarus suffered greatly during WWII. Belarus lost about a third of its population and more than half of its economic resources. In September 1941Belarus was fully occupied by the German army. Invaders started to establish so-called “new order” based on terror. Partisan movement began in Belarus by the end of 1941 and became the biggest movement in Europe.

After the USSR collapse Belarus proclaimedits independence on July 27, 1990. In 1994 the independent republic had its First Presidential election. Alexander Lukashenko became the first President of the Republic of Belarus.

State System. On March 15, 1994 the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Belarus adopted a new Constitution in which Belarus is proclaimed a unitary democratic state with the rule of law. The new version of the 1994 Constitution with amendments and additions was adopted pursuant to the referendum of November 24, 1996. According to the existing constitution the head of the state is the President. The Constitution establishes the principle of separation of power: state power in the Republic of Belarus is founded on the basis of its separation into legislative, executive and judiciary.

The National Assembly is a bicameral parliament comprising the 110-member House of Representatives (the lower house) and the 64-member Council of the Republic (the upper house). The House of Representatives has the power to appoint the prime minister, make constitutional amendments, call for a vote of confidence on the prime minister, and make suggestions on foreign and domestic policy. The Council of the Republic has the power to select various government officials, accept or reject the bills passed by the House of Representatives. The government includes a Council of Ministers, headed by the prime minister. The judiciary comprises the Supreme Court and specialized courts.

Belarus is a member of the United Nations and a number of other interna­tional organizations.

Economy of Belarus. The Republic of Belarus has a developed industry, agriculture, an advanced culture, science and technology. Industry holds an important position in the republic's economy. The leading industries are machine-building and metal-working, motor industry, agricultural machinery, chemical industry, electronics and electrical engineering, radio-engineering, pharmaceutical industry, production of construction materials, consumer goods and food, etc.

Belarus specializes in the production of different kinds of trucks, in­cluding coaches and special-purpose vehicles. The enterprises of the republic produce agricultural machinery, television equipment, elevators, home electric appliances, household refrigerators and freezers, automatic washing machines, chemical yarn and fiber, potash fertilizers. The range of products includes furniture, electric motors, paper, varnishes and paints. Different new sophisticated products, such as integrated microcircuits, liquid-crystal indicators and displays and special technological equipment are produced as well. The major products of consumer goods industry are textile, knitwear and clothes, as well as footwear.

The main directions of the farming industry of the republic are meat and milk production and potatoes and flax cultivation. Cereals, vegetables, sugar beet and fodder crops are grown as well.

Belarus possesses a developed transport infrastructure, including main railways and motor-ways, oil and gas pipelines. The national airport "Minsk-2" operates regular flights to different cities and towns of Europe and Asia.

Education in Belarus. Scientific and intellectual potential is the main strategic resource of Belarus. The republic guarantees its citizens the right to universal secondary education and creates means for further professional education. It tries to preserve the democratic character of education paying much attention to common human values, developing independent critical thinking instead of simple perception of information.

The current structure of the national educational system includes pre-school education, general secondary education, off-school forms of education, vocational education, secondary special education, higher education, training of scientific staff, retraining, qualification upgrading and self-education of adults.

Most children in Belarus start school at the age of 6. All pupils must follow the basic education curriculum up to the age of 15, and the vast majority of pupils stay at school until they finish their high school education at 17. At the age of 15, they can go to college or professional institutions to complete their high school education and work toward a professional certificate. Completion of a high school or professional certificate allows students to continue their education at the university level.

At present, the general secondary education system includes the following levels: primary (4 years of education), the 2nd level school (5-9 classes) and the 3rd level school (10 - 11 classes. Education in schools of the 2nd and the 3rd levels is finished by final examinations after which graduates of basic schools obtain certificates of basic education and those of secondary schools - certificates of secondary education.

Higher education in Belarus is prestigious due to its high quality and affordability. Belarus has one of the highest student-to-population ratios in Europe. There are four main types of higher education establishments to choose from, which can be either private or state operated: classical university, profile university or academy, institute, higher college. Most courses run for 5 years and students can choose to study full time, at evening classes or by correspondence.

Admission to specialized secondary and higher schools in Belarus is by centralized testing and undergraduates pass state exams or defend a Diploma project. Persons who have successfully completed their studies receive diplomas. The academic year is usually 9 months or 2 terms of four and a half months each. Classes usually begin in September and end in June. Students study different general and special subjects. The work is organized in the form of lectures, tutorials, laboratory work, practical training and individual project work. Grants are available for full-time students and scholarships are awarded to very gifted students. Most non-resident students live in student hostels. More than 6000 foreign students study at higher education institutions and universities in Belarus every year.

MOGILEV

Mogilev is a more than 700-year-old city. According to the Mogilev chronicles, the Mogilev castle was built in 1267. There are several legends explaining the origin of the city's name. One of them is connected with Duke Lev Danilovich Mogiy (the Mighty Lion) over whose grave a burial mound was made later nicknamed Mogilev (or the Lion's tomb). In the course of its history the city was repeatedly attacked and besieged, even burnt to the ground not once. Invaders ruined and robbed it. Mogilev survived a number of conquests - the Swedish during the Northern War in 1700-1721, the Napoleon ones during the Patriotic War of 1812 and the last one - the fascist Ger­many occupation of 1941-1944. The city remembers the heroic defense of 1941 and the courageous struggle of the partisan movement during the Great Patriotic War. In June 1944 the city was liberated from German invaders.

Mogilev became the center of the province after the reunification with Russia in 1772. During the First World War the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Headquarters were based in Mogilev. Soviet power was established here in November 1917. Mogilev has been the center of the region since 1938.

Mogilev is one of the largest industrial centers of Belarus and the region. It produces more than 50 % of the total industrial output of the whole region. There are industrial enterprises producing chemical fibers, passenger elevators, wheeled prime movers, electric engines, fabrics, shoes and other consumer goods. Mogilev is a large transport center. Railway, automobile, river and pipeline transportation are well developed here.

Mogilev is the scientific and cultural center of the region. It has 3 state Universities, the Mogilev branch of Belarusian Academy of Music, the branch of Belarusian Institute of Law, some colleges and vocational training schools. There are also some museums and theatres.