The Republics

1
The Republics
Ellbumgaastan

• Baltic States
• BUM
• Transcaucasia
• Central Asia

2
The Republics Similarities
Russian architecture in Latvia

• Baltic States, Transcaucasia, Central Asia
• All were part of the Soviet Union
• Independence in 1991
• Lingering influence
• architecture
• Russian language
• high unemployment
• pollution, etc.

Statue of Lenin being removed in Latvia on Aug.
27, 1991.
3
The Baltic States

• Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

4
Baltic States
Hill of crosses in Lithuania

• Culturally tied to Eastern Europe
• Humid Continental climate
• Along with Europe, they are challenged by a
  decreasing population.
• Much of the cultural landscape looks medieval
  tourism is a major industry.
• All are dominated by Orthodox Christianity.

Gothic church
5
Baltic States

• In 2004 all were admitted into both NATO E.U.
• Today they are all
• democracies
• parliamentary republics
• market economies successful transition
• NIC level

Town Hall in Tallinn, Estonia
6
BUM Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova
Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014
7
BUM Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova

• Eastern Europe
• Have struggled with transition to democracy and
  capitalism similar to Russia
• Humid Continental
• Mainly Orthodox Christianity

Kievs Main Square
8
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9
Ukraine

• During his campaign, Yushchenko was poisoned with
  dioxin, probably by his opponent.
• A peaceful rebellion Yushchenko took office in
  2005 after losing a rigged election to
  pro-Russian Yanukovych.
• Rare example of democratic reform in former USSR.
• Site of worlds worst nuclear disaster -
  Chernobyl

PM Yushchenko
10
Ukraine

• Pro-Russian Yanukovych is elected again in 2010
  and jails main rival Yulia Tymoshenko
• He again faces mass protests from pro-Europe
  forces in 2013 and is again forced from office
  after protests turn violent
• His supporters in Crimea and eastern Ukraine then
  rebelled
• Russia decides to use force to support the
  Russians in Ukraine
• Crimea votes for independence, Russia annexes
  them
• Russia still has troops in eastern Ukraine the
  West responds with sanctions

11
Belarus

• Europes last dictator Lukashenko
• Former KGB, founded group Communists for
  Democracy, but still runs country like Soviet
  dictatorship
• Protests after recent elections ended in police
  beatings and arrests for opposition candidates
• Life very restricted little political or
  economic freedom

Lukashenko
12
Moldova

• Europes poorest country
• In April 2009, pro-democracy protestors stormed
  the parliament building and set fires to protest
  the re-election of a communist led govt.
• Opposition leaders felt the election was rigged.
• 10,000 people marched on the capital chanting,
  Freedom!
• Police suppressed the uprising.

13
Transcaucasia
Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Russian
region of Chechnya???
14
Transcaucasia
Caucasus Mts.

• Gateway between Europe Asia
• Mountainous terrain the Caucasus - but some
  arable land
• Climates are highland, humid subtropical, and
  Mediterranean
• NIC level

15
Transcaucasia
Ancient illustrated Bible

• All are democratic republics.
• Multicultural more than 50 ethnic groups in the
  region
• Each has great economic potential (oil natural
  gas)
• Armenia, Georgia Orthodox Christian
• Azerbaijan Muslim

16
Challenges
Oil in the Caspian Sea

• All have seen ethnic conflicts since 1991.
• political instability
• terrorism
• earthquakes
• Armenia, Azerbaijan landlocked
• Caspian Sea-inland sea or lake? Battle for oil
• Sea each country has legal rights to minerals
  on their shore
• Lake mineral wealth is shared equally

Election protest in Armenia
17
Chechnya

• Russian republic demanding independence.
• Predominantly Muslim
• Have fought Russian control in wars and with
  terrorism tens of thousands have died.
• Russia has been criticized for using excessive
  force.

18
Chechnya

• Some feel that the great oil supplies in Chechnya
  explain Russias determination to keep the
  territory.
• Famous terrorist attack in Russian theatre
  police used gas that killed all terrorists and
  120 of the hostages (photo bottom left).
• In 2009, Russia declared victory in the conflict
  because the opposition has been destroyed.

19
Central Asia
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan
20
Central Asia
Mountains between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan

• Similar to Southwest Asia rugged deserts,
  mountains, grasslands
• Islam
• Oil and natural gas
• Multicultural borders divided by Soviets to
  cause ethnic conflict

Mosque in Turkmenistan
21
Central Asia

• Nomadic herding very common because of
  grasslands, but Soviets forced people onto
  collective farms
• Nomads live in portable tents, or yurts.
• Mostly LDC

22
Challenges

• Political instability
• Dictatorships, but signs of improvement in
  Turkmenistan
• Kyrgystan and Uzbekistan have seen protests over
  lack of democracy and poverty
• Aral Sea shrinking due to over-irrigation
• Kazakhstan is the worlds largest landlocked
  country, but is has a navy. Why?
• Caspian Sea oil.

Ships stranded in the retreating Aral Sea
Shrinking Aral Sea
23
More Challenges

• Slow transition to market economy high
  unemployment
• Pollution (water, industry, nuclear waste)/misuse
  of resources (farming in the desert)
• ex Soviet nuclear testing, industrial pollution

Transferring nuclear waste