Post-Soviet states
As the successor states of the Soviet Union those independent states are called that emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union. They have mostly retained the old name of the Soviet republics whose nations were independent after the dissolution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1991. Former Soviet republics or post-Soviet states are synonymous terms, if you allow the former republics of names, the Soviet Union formed (USSR).
After the fall of the USSR in 1991 were formed, except the " continuator State " Russia, 14 independent states. Due to the long-standing association, the Russification and the settlement of ethnic Russians, the Russian culture and language still has some influence in these countries. Thus, the Russian language is partly used as a transport, regional or even official language. For example, in Ukraine, where use, according to the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in 2011, 42.8 % of the Ukrainian population at home Ukrainian, Russian 38.6% and 17.1 % both languages in some regions next to the Ukrainian Russian a regional or second official language. Since then, Belarus in Russian since 1995 the Belarusian again equated as an official language, the proportion of White Russian speakers. So gave in 2009 to 23.4% at home Belarusian and 70.2% speak Russian, the difference being in cities with 11.3% to 81.9 % Belarusian Russian even more clearly shows the trends. Latvia, where 58 % of the population Latvian and 37% Russian as their native language stated, are the own residents only Latvian citizenship if a test in Latvian was passed.
States and geographic region
These states can be classified into five geo- cultural regions, with respective common geographical, cultural or political characteristics, in part on the historical relationship with Russia based.
- Baltic States: Estonia - Estonia
- Latvia - Latvia
- Lithuania - Lithuania
- Kazakhstan - Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan - Kyrgyzstan
- Tajikistan - Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan - Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan - Uzbekistan
- Caucasus: Armenia - Armenia
- Azerbaijan - Azerbaijan
- Georgia - Georgia
- Eastern Europe: Belarus - Belarus
- Moldova - Moldova
- Ukraine - Ukraine
- Russia: Russia - Russian Federation (but is regarded by international law as successor state instead of a so-called continuator state of the Soviet Union)
Russia forms both because of its size as because of its dominant position in this region a separate category.
The countries of Eastern Europe had a historically close relationship with Russia, while the territories were conquered in Central Asia and the Caucasus in the 18th and 19th century Russia.
The Baltic States were various European powers subject as the Teutonic Knights, Denmark, Poland and Sweden, most of their history but subject to the Russian neighbors after they have been incorporated in the 18th century by the Russian Empire. They were after the First World War independently, but occupied by the Soviet Union back in 1940 and annexed.
Territorial conflicts
In addition to the above, there are some non-independent states ( de facto regime ), where the international recognition and official status missing and the subject of (also armed ) conflicts are:
- Chechnya and Dagestan, where guerrilla groups seeking independence from Russia;
- Transnistria, a de facto independent from the Republic of Moldova;
- Abkhazia, a de facto independent from Georgia;
- South Ossetia, de facto independent from Georgia;
- Nagorno-Karabakh, a de facto independent from Azerbaijan;
- Talysh Mugan -, seeks more autonomy of Azerbaijan;
- Autonomous Republic of Crimea ( Russian name Republic of Crimea ) and the city of Sevastopol, independence ambitions of Ukraine or connection to Russia.
Organizations (Selection )
- Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS ), which belong to the present day 11 of the 15 countries, all except the three Baltic countries and Georgia;
- GUAM: a merger of the four countries of Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova established to counter Russian influence in its region;
- Organization of the Collective Security Treaty;
- Eurasian Economic Community.