The new English-language master’s program PolitIQ led by Columbia University professor Robert Legvold is devoted to the countries of the post-Soviet space. In this regard, we have made for you an informative overview of the basic information about the countries of the Near Abroad, which every educated student should know, much less a political science student!
Geographical regions
Traditionally, 15 CIS countries are divided into five groups:
- Territory of the Russian Federation;
- Baltic countries, or the Baltics: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania;
- Eastern Europe: Byelorussia, Moldova, Ukraine;
- Transcaucasia: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan;
- Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan;
Area
Did you know that the area of the USSR was 22,400,000км²? ? Now, let’s find out what the area of modern post-Soviet states is!
- Russia: 17.1 million km²
- Estonia: 45.2 thousand km²
- Latvia: 64.5 thousand km²
- Lithuania: 65.3 thousand km²
- Belarus: 207.6 thousand km²
- Ukraine: 603.6 thousand km²
- Moldova: 33.8 thousand km²
- Georgia: 69.7 thousand km²
- Armenia: 29.7 thousand km²
- Azerbaijan: 86.6 thousand km²
- Kazakhstan: 2.7 million km²
- Uzbekistan: 448.9 thousand km²
- Turkmenistan: 491.2 thousand km²
- Tajikistan: 143.1 thousand km²
- Kyrgyzstan: 199.9 thousand km²
Capitals and the largest cities
- Russia: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, Kazan, Rostov-on-Don, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara, Volgograd, Novosibirsk
Moscow
- Estonia: Tallinn, Narva, Tartu, Pärnu
Tallinn
- Latvia: Riga, Liepaja, Daugavpils, Jurmala
Riga
- Lithuania: Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda, Siauliai
Vilnius
- Belarus: Minsk, Brest, Gomel, Mogilev, Vitebsk, Grodno, Polotsk
Minsk
- Ukraine: Kiev, Odessa, Lviv, Kharkov
Kiev
- Moldova: Chisinau, Balti, Orhei, Tiraspol
Chisinau
- Georgia: Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Mtskheta, Borjomi, Gori, Kobuleti
Tbilisi
- Armenia: Yerevan, Gyumri, Vagharshapat, Vanadzor, Jermuk
Yerevan
- Azerbaijan: Baku, Ganja, Sheki, Lankaran
Baku
- Kazakhstan: Astana, Alma-Ata, Shymkent, Karaganda
Astana
- Uzbekistan: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara
Tashkent
- Turkmenistan: Ashgabat, Turkmenbashy, Mary
Ashgabat
- Tajikistan: Dushanbe, Khujand, Bokhtar
Pamir Mountains
Kyrgyzstan: Bishkek, Osh, Karakol
Karakol Mountains
Leaders of the states
- Russia: President Vladimir Putin
- Estonia: President Kersti Kaliulaid
- Latvia: President Raymonds Vejonis
- Lithuania: President Dalia Grybauskaite
- Belarus: President Alexander Lukashenko
- Ukraine: President Petro Poroshenko
- Moldova: President Igor Dodon
- Armenia: President Armen Sargsyan
- Georgia: President Georgi Margvelashvili
- Azerbaijan: President Ilham Aliyev
- Kazakhstan: President Nursultan Nazarbayev
- Uzbekistan: President Shavkat Mirziyev
- Kyrgyzstan: President Sooronbai Jeenbekov
- Tajikistan: President Emomali Rahmon
- Turkmenistan: President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov
Flags
Russia
Estonia
Lithuania
Latvia
Belarus
Ukraine
Moldova
Armenia
Georgia
Azerbaijan
Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan
Kyrgyzstan
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Население
- Russia: 147 million people
- Estonia: 1.3 million people
- Latvia: 1.9 million people
- Lithuania: 2.8 million people
- Belarus: 9.5 million people
- Ukraine: 42 million people
- Moldavia: 3.5 million people
- Armenia: about 2.9 million people
- Georgia: 3.7 million people
- Azerbaijan: 9.7 million people
- Kazakhstan: 18.2 million people
- Kyrgyzstan: 6 million people
- Uzbekistan: 32.7 million people
- Tajikistan: 8 million people
- Turkmenistan: 5.6 million people
Main religions
Russia, Ukraine, Belarus
Christianity / Orthodoxy
Moldavia
Christianity, Judaism
Estonia
Christianity / Orthodoxy, Lutheranism
Lithuania
Christianity / Catholicism
Latvia
Christianity / Lutheranism, Catholicism
Armenia
Christianity
Georgia
Christianity / Orthodoxy
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan
Islam
Great news for students who are fond of politics and history
Would you like to know more about the countries of the former USSR? The study of history, geography, culture and socio-political situation in the countries of the Near Abroad is possible on a new master’s program at Moscow State University. Details can be found here.
Good Luck!
PolitIQ