The Newly Independent States of Eurasia: Handbook of Former Soviet Republics / Edition 2

by Stephen K. Batalden, Sandra L. Batalden

Overview

This new edition features up-to-date statistical profiles of each of the republics that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union, covering demography, government, education, economics, geography, and communications, based on the most recent and reliable sources available. Each profile is followed by a succinct summary of that country's geography and history, a map, and an analysis of its current political, cultural, and economic issues. The book also contains general maps of various regions, a detailed glossary, extensive bibliographies, and a thoroughly cross-referenced index.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780897749404
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	04/16/1997
Edition description:	Subsequent
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.52(d)
Lexile:	1450L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 Years

About the Author

STEPHEN K. BATALDEN, Ph.D., is associate professor of history and coordinator of the Russian and East European Studies Consortium, Arizona State University, Tempe. He also directs the university's academic exchange wh the University of Kiril and Metodij (Skobje, Macedonia). A specialist on the religious and cultural history of modern Russia, Dr. Batalden has authored and edited several volumes on Russia and Eastern Europe. He has traveled widely in Eurasia supported by research grants from the International Research and Exchanges Board and three Fulbright fellowships. In 1988, he received the Distinguished Teaching Award from the Arizona State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

SANDRA L. BATALDEN, M.A., is a freelance editor and former reference librarian/bibliographer specializing in Slavic studies. While at the University of Minnesota Wilson Library, Minneapolis, and the Arizona State University Hayden Library, Tempe, she published comprehensive guides to their Slavic serial collections. Her studies of Slavic publishing and book arts have been supported by extensive travel in the former Soviet Union.

Table of Contents

List of Mapsvii
Prefaceix
Introductory Remarks by Sergei A. Arutiunovxiii
PART ONE: THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Introduction3
Bibliography4
Statistical Profile7
European Russia11
History and Description11
Contemporary Issues19
Siberia and the Russian Far East29
History and Description29
Contemporary Issues36
PART TWO: BELARUS, MOLDOVA, AND UKRAINE
Introduction45
Bibliography46
Belarus48
Statistical Profile48
History and Description51
Contemporary Issues53
Moldova61
Statistical Profile61
History and Description63
Contemporary Issues65
Ukraine73
Statistical Profile73
History and Description75
Contemporary Issues80
PART THREE: TRANSCAUCASIA
Introduction91
Bibliography92
Armenia94
Statistical Profile94
History and Description97
Contemporary Issues101
Azerbaijan106
Statistical Profile106
History and Description109
Contemporary Issues112
Georgia120
Statistical Profile120
History and Description123
Contemporary Issues126
PART FOUR: CENTRAL ASIA
Introduction135
Bibliography136
Kazakhstan138
Statistical Profile138
History and Description141
Contemporary Issues144
Kyrgyzstan151
Statistical Profile151
History and Description154
Contemporary Issues156
Tajikistan162
Statistical Profile162
History and Description165
Contemporary Issues167
Turkmenistan174
Statistical Profile174
History and Description177
Contemporary Issues179
Uzbekistan184
Statistical Profile184
History and Description187
Contemporary Issues189
Afterword197
Glossary199
Index207
LIST OF MAPS
The Russian Federation6
European Russia12
Siberia and the Russian Far East30
Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine47
Belarus50
Moldova64
Ukraine76
Transcaucasia93
Armenia96
Azerbaijan108
Georgia122
Central Asia137
Kazakhstan140
Kyrgyzstan153
Tajikistan164
Turkmenistan176
Uzbekistan186

Editorial Reviews

The Bataldens have produced a very timely and useful reference work that should find a wide audience as headline-grabbing events unfold in Russia, Armenia, Georgia, and the other former Soviet republics. Chapters are arranged by the name of the former republic, beginning with the Russian Federation and ending with the Transcaucasian state of Uzbekistan. Each country receives a geographic description, historical background, and analysis of links to the Soviet Union. The crucial role of ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities throughout the former Soviet empire get comparatively strong treatment. Of great value is the space devoted to environmental considerations such as the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine and the systematic draining of the Aral Sea on the Uzbekistan border. Current events, taken mostly from the pages of the New York Times and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Report , get ample attention here; transitional personalities, ethnic/religious conflicts, and the challenges facing global political leaders are all covered. While the historical and some of the more recent information may be found in such titles as Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States ( LJ 8/92), this single volume brings together a significant amount of narrative and statistical information to recommend purchase of this book. A very good choice for high school, public, and undergraduate libraries.-- Stephen W. Green, Auraria Lib., Denver

Library Journal

Gr 7 Up--With the exclusion of the Baltic states, which were never formally recognized by the United States as part of the USSR, this resource covers the states that emerged after the breakup of the Soviet Union. The book is organized into four regionally focused sections, each with a general commentary, map, and substantial bibliography. Individual chapters present statistical profiles, detailed maps, an essay on each state's history and culture and another analyzing key issues facing that country. The latter essays are especially useful because they provide a framework that should facilitate understanding of news about the region. The Russian Federation has two sets of essays: one on European Russia; the other on Siberia and the Russian Far East. The black-and-white line maps and statistical profiles more than compensate for a lack of photographs. In this revision of the 1993 edition, highlighted headings and some re-editing make an already well-written text even easier to use, and the bibliographies have been updated and expanded (though less so for the Central Asian states). The only Internet source cited is the CIA World Factbook, which is a pity because there are so many good ones now available. Still, this title is worthwhile for its updated statistics, bibliography, and the significantly rewritten and expanded essays on current issues.--Elizabeth Talbot, University of Illinois, Champaign

School Library Journal

Chapters correspond to 12 of the former 15 Soviet Union republics (the three Baltic republics--Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia--have been excluded because their history and status has been somewhat different from the other republics). The coverage of each republic includes a map; a statistical profile highlighting demographic, ethnographic, economic, and physical data (from the 1989 Soviet census); and analytical discussion giving history and description, and identifying contemporary issues. A clear, useful reference in any context where sorting out the new states is undertaken. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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