About
Former northern Eurasian empire that came into being after 1917 Revolution; largest country in the world when it existed, stretching from Baltic and Black seas to the Pacific Ocean; very diverse with over 100 distinct nationalities; most of population East Slavs; had authoritarian and highly centralized government dominated by Communist Party; political and economic changes began late 1980s and the USSR ceased to exist in 1991; in its final years it consisted of 15 republics, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belorussia (now Belarus), Estonia, Georgia, Kazakstan, Kirgiziya (now Kyrgyzstan), Latvia, Lithuania, Moldavia (now Moldova), Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.;TGN