The end of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), in 1991, provided the independence of several member nations. However, the bond established between these countries generated a great dependence between them in political, military and economic relations.
In this sense, on December 8, 1991, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was created. whose main objective was to establish an economic and defense system among the extinct nations USSR The first members of the bloc were: Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Subsequently, the following countries joined the bloc: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, in addition to Turkmenistan, which is currently an associate member of CEI Georgia left the group in 2009, and the three Baltic countries (Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia) are the only countries that made up the Soviet Union that were never part of the CIS.
The population of the CIS is approximately 274 million inhabitants, with Russia being the most populous country – 140.8 million inhabitants. In 2009, the bloc's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 587.8 billion dollars.
The autonomy of each nation is respected, and there is, therefore, no interference from other countries in internal political matters. Any country may leave the Commonwealth of Independent States after having announced this intention, provided that this is done one year in advance.
Minsk, capital of Belarus, is the city where the seat of the Commonwealth of Independent States is located. The bloc's administrative structure is made up of two councils, one formed by heads of state and the other by heads of government, whose meetings take place every three months.
The Russian Federation is the most prominent nation in the bloc, as it has great importance in the global economic and geopolitical scenario. Nations, in general, are establishing economic relations with countries outside the bloc, reducing ties with CIS member countries.
By Wagner de Cerqueira and Francisco
Graduated in Geography
Brazil School Team
Economic blocks - geography - Brazil School
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/geografia/ceicomunidade-dos-estados-independentes.htm