O’zbekiston respublikasi oliy va o’rta maxsus ta’lim vazirligi mirzo ulug’bek nomidagi o’zbekiston milliy universiteti

Answer the following questions after reading the texts given below.

1. 
   Where is Uzbekistan situated?
   
2. 
   What do you know about the climate of Uzbekistan?
   
3. 
   Can you say that the climate of Uzbekistan is sharp continental?
   
4. 
   What rivers of Uzbekistan do you know?
   
5. 
   Is Uzbekistan rich in mineral resources?
   
6. 
   What unfavourable natural factors do you know which influence the appearance and aggravation of ecologic problems in Uzbekistan?
   
7. 
   What types of raw minerals in Uzbekistan do you know?
   

THE REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN
The Republic of Uzbekistan is one of the cradles of civilization. Located in the heart of the ancient Silk Route, it is a unique bridge connecting the great civilizations of the East and West.

Geographical position. Uzbekistan is situated in the heart of hearts of the Eurasian Continent Between the Amu-Darya and the Syr-Darya.

The total area of the Republic is 447,8 thousand square km. It can be compared with the area of such European countries as Great Britain, Belgium, Denmark, Austria taken together. The Republic stretches from West to East to 1,425 km, from North to South — 930 km.

The total length of the state borderline is 6,221 km.

The territory of Uzbekistan is a certain combination of valley and mountain surface.

The highest point of Uzbekistan is 4,643 m above sea level.

As for natural-geographic conditions Uzbekistan is a pretty favorable country.

The total area of national parks is 1 mln hectare. Forest takes up the area of 1,6 mln hectare.

Caves in the South and North of the Republic are of great interest.

Flora of Uzbekistan includes 3,700 kinds of wild plants belonging to 120 families (out of them 9% can be seen only in Uzbekistan).

Fauna of Uzbekistan is presented by 97 types of mammals, more than 400 kinds of birds, 69 types offish, 2 types of amphibians and 58 types of reptiles (several types of them can be seen only in this region).

Climate. Uzbekistan is a sunny republic. And it is not just a metaphor. The average number of hours of sunshine varies from 2,700 to 1980 in the North and up to 2,800-3,130 in the South. The climate of Uzbekistan is sharp continental. It is manifested in large amplitudes of day and night, summer and winter temperatures.

The annual precipitation on the most part of the territory of the Republic does not exceed 200-300 mm.

In mountain regions the quantity of precipitation goes up sharply reaching 900-950 mm.

The main part of precipitation — from 30% to 50% falls on winter period. The length of the summer day is about 15 hours, in winter — not less than 9 hours.

The coldest month is January when temperature in the North goes down to — 8°C.

The hottest month in summer is July. The average temperature at the time isQ31° — Q32°C.

Ecology. One can single out the following unfavourable natural factors influencing the appearance and aggravation of ecologic problems in Uzbekistan:

— high meteorological potential of the environment pollution;

— limited water resources and comparatively high level of their background pollution;

— liability of lands to salinization and erosion;

— poorness of wood resources.

The Aral sea is considered to be the zone of ecological catastrophe.

Today the strategic part of the solution of the Aral problem is aimed at returning to the natural course of events — restoration of natural or close to natural conditions in the Aral zone.

For this purpose it is necessary top improve water supply of the Aral area and to use wide — scale production of desalinating equipment.

The laws constituting legal, economic and organizational bases of preserving natural conditions of environment, rational use of natural resources are already acting in the Republic.