Russia, the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), Ukraine, Belarus, Moldovia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia, and the Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan). The collapse of communism in the former Soviet Union has seen a strong assertion of national identity, together with an affirmation of national boundaries.

Since the disbanding of the Soviet Union, most of these states still have a colonial relationship with Russia, and all have felt the benefits of globalization and the adoption of a market economy. They have also suffered the drawbacks: life expectancy has fallen by about eight years, and income inequalities have risen dramatically.

A Dictionary of Geography. Copyright © Susan Mayhew 1992, 1997, 2004. All rights reserved.