Independence from their former colonial masters.
Bacon's rebellion
The former name of Malawi was Nyasaland.
Shtetl
Eastern Europe, particularly the former Soviet satellites.
Although France could not regain its former mandates in Syria and Lebanon, it did seek to reestablish itself in Indochina and in the protectorates of Tunisia and Morocco. Despite its wrecked nation due to WW 2 combat, it still had the second largest colonial empire.
Some African nations have maintained close relationships with their former colonial rulers primarily because economic and cultural ties remain strong.
Neo-colonial dependency theory suggests that former colonial powers maintain economic, political, and cultural control over former colonies through indirect means, such as economic policies and trade relations. It argues that this continued dependency perpetuates underdevelopment in the formerly colonized countries.
iron curtain
Asia Europe and former USSR
Yes it is.
Well the largest nation fully contained in Europe that was a former republic of the of the USSR is the Ukrainian SSR. The largest nation not fully contained in Europa is the former Russian SFSR that is now called Russia.