This course examines the political, economic, and cultural geography of Russia and its adjacent neighbors; the Baltic states, east central European region, transcaucasus, and central Asia. Topics covered include: the commonwealth of independent states; ecocide in the former Soviet Union; disposition of the former soviet military; and ethnic rivalries. The objective of the course is to provide the student with an understanding of the recent past of the traditional soviet system in order to understand, as well as geographically evaluate, Russia's and the other former republics' situation today.
