The countries of the near abroad of Russia were formed after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1992. There are a total of 14. These include those that were former Soviet socialist republics. Subsequently, they became independent states. Each of them differs in spiritual, cultural, political directions. In economic terms, they are independent of Russia, but they are trading partners, along with European countries. It is worth noting that until the collapse of the USSR, such a term as "neighboring countries" did not exist.
Near Abroad: Features of the Concept
It is noteworthy that some countries of the near abroad do not have any borders with the Russian Federation. These include 6 post-Soviet republics (Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and others). Moreover, in the world there are countries that territorially border with Russia, but are not part of the "near abroad", for example, Poland, China, Norway, Finland, etc. Based on the foregoing, it becomes clear that the matter is not in the geographical position of states . Here the main factor is the political situation, because for about 70 years they were one whole country of the near abroad.
List of countries
Baltic countries:
- Lithuania is the largest Baltic state in terms of area (65.3 thousand km 2 ). The capital is the city of Vilnius. By type of government - a parliamentary republic. The population is about 3 million people.
- Latvia is located in the northern part of Europe. Has common borders with Lithuania. The area of the state is about 64.6 thousand km 2 . The population is a little less than 2 million people. The capital is the city of Riga.
- Estonia is the smallest state among the Baltic countries (area - more than 45 thousand km 2 ). The capital is the city of Tallinn. It has borders with Russia, Latvia and Finland. The population is about 1.3 million people.
The continuation of the list will consist of the following states, the description of which can be read below in the article.
- Azerbaijan.
- Ukraine.
- Belarus.
- Kazakhstan.
- Georgia.
- Moldova is located in the eastern part of Europe. Has common borders with Romania and Ukraine. The area of the state is almost 34 thousand km 2 . About 3.5 million people live in this territory.
- Armenia is a country of Transcaucasia. The capital is Yerevan. Area - about 30 thousand km 2 . For a long time was in a military conflict with Azerbaijan. The population is about 3 million people.
Neighboring countries (list of former republics of Central and Central Asia):
- Uzbekistan borders on five states: Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. It occupies an area whose area is slightly less than 450 thousand km 2 . The number of inhabitants is almost 32 million people.
- Turkmenistan is a country that has access to the Caspian Sea. The capital is the city of Ashgabat. The area of the state is about 490 thousand km 2 , the population is more than 5 million people.
- Tajikistan is located in Central Asia. It occupies an area of 142 thousand km 2 . More than 8.5 million people live here permanently. The capital is Dushanbe.
- Kyrgyzstan is a country located in Central Asia. It has borders with China, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, Kazakhstan. The capital is the city of Bishkek. The population is about 6 million people, the area is slightly less than 200 thousand km 2 .
Azerbaijan
Among the countries of the near abroad, the Republic of Azerbaijan can be noted . The state is located in Eastern Transcaucasia and is washed by the waters of the Caspian Sea. Its territory is 86.6 thousand km 2 , and the population is more than 9 million people. According to these two parameters, Azerbaijan is the largest Transcaucasian state. The capital is the city of Baku.
In recent years, this republic has significantly increased its economic level. This is especially noticeable when comparing other countries of the near abroad. The oil and gas industries are most developed here. Azerbaijan has not only a land border with the Russian Federation, but also a sea border. In 1996, in accordance with the agreement between the two countries, the Baku-Novorossiysk route for oil transportation was carried out. And in 2006, the Trade Representation of Russia was opened in the Azerbaijani capital.
Belarus
The list of "Countries of the Near Abroad of Russia" replenishes the Republic of Belarus. This state is located in Eastern Europe. The capital is Minsk. The territory is more than 200 thousand km 2 , and the population is about 9.5 million inhabitants. It borders with the Russian Federation on the eastern side. Most of all, by economic indicators, Belarus is well-known in mechanical engineering and agriculture. And the most important foreign trade partner is Russia. In addition, the two countries have strong military, political and economic relations. The Embassy of Belarus is not only in Moscow, but also in other Russian cities.
Georgia
The Russian Federation also has diplomatic relations with such a neighboring country as Georgia. This state is located in Western Transcaucasia and is washed by the waters of the Black Sea. From the eastern and northern parts it borders with Russia. The territory is about 70 thousand km 2 , and the population is more than 3.7 million people. The capital is the city of Tbilisi. Here the food, light and metallurgical industries are most developed. After the collapse of the Union in 1992, Russia and Georgia signed the Sochi Treaty.
Kazakhstan
The Republic of Kazakhstan is also in the list of "Countries of the nearest foreign countries". Consists in close relations with the Russian Federation. Its population is more than 17.7 million inhabitants, and the territory is 2.7 million km 2 . The capital is Astana. In second place after Russia in economic indicators among all post-Soviet countries. It has a land and sea border with the Federation along the Caspian Sea. Similar to the countries listed above, in 1992 an agreement was signed on diplomatic relations between the countries.
Ukraine
Of all the countries of the near abroad, Ukraine is closest to Russia. These two states have common borders. The capital of Ukraine is Kiev. The territory is more than 600 thousand km 2 , and the population is 42.5 thousand inhabitants. This country is industrial-agrarian. Heavy industry, metalworking and mechanical engineering are widely developed. Since 2014, military operations have been taking place in the eastern part of the state, which led not only to a decrease in the population, but also to the level of the economy.
That's all the countries of the near abroad. A complete list of countries with a brief description is given above.