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Republic
of
Buryatia
Buryatia…
This short tuneful word is the name of the region situated in the Eastern
Siberia. In the North and in the West its territory is framed by world-famous
sacred Lake Baikal and in the South by the endless steppe of Mongolia.
The location in
the inner Asia, relief and remoteness from seas and oceans greatly determine the
natural conditions of Buryatia.
Buryatia is a
mountainous country. The highest point of in the western mountain chain is the
Munku Sardyk (3491 m). “The Ancient Crown of Asia” is the name of this land.
Buryatia is a
homeland of lakes, big and small, that form the most beautiful spots of nature.
The deepest and the largest of them is the Baikal, the reservoir of the one
fifth of the world’s reserves of fresh water of highest standards. Lake Baikal
is a subject of spiritual worship and special concern. People call it the sacred
sea.
Almost all the
rivers of Buryatia carry their waters into the Baikal. The largest of them are
the Selenga, the Barguzin and the Upper Angara. Only the wilful Vitim flows into
the Lena – the great river of Siberia.
The vegetation and
the fauna of Buryatia is rich. There is a great variety of unique and rare
species that are found in the Red Book. World famous are such species as
Barguzin sable, Baikal seal (nerpa) and omule. The rich flora of the region is
inexhaustible treasure for the traditional oriental medicine.
The multinational
character of the republic determines greatly the variety of modes of life.
Friendliness and peacefulness, traditional respect for the elder and
consideration for children distinguish the population of the republic.
Historically
Buryatia emerged on the boundary of many cultures which got closely interwoven
and mutually enriched. It is this fact that has become the foundation for the
unique and distinctive culture of Buryatia.
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