Chapter 17 Today’s Issues Russia & the Republics Objective: Compare the major challenges that Russia & the Republics face today

Chapter 17 Section 1 Regional Conflict Vocabulary: Caucasus, Chechnya, & Nagorno-Karabakh Objective: Explain the reasons for the conflicts in the Caucasus since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991

A Troubled Caucasus Crime, conflict, & other signs of instability increased after the collapse of the Soviet Union Within the Caucasus there are 50 different ethnic groups, each of which are trying to gain independence Chechnya has experienced the worst violence due to its demand for independence from Russia Georgia also went through a civil war Armenia & Azerbaijan fought over control of the Nagorno- Karabakh mountains

Hope on the Horizon? U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell helped to reach a peace settlement between Armenia & Azerbaijan In Georgia, the government has created a stabilizing force Public support has weakened & economic costs of the war have also become a burden These factors may help to bring an end to the conflict

Chapter 17 Section 2 The Struggle for Economic Reform Vocabulary: Privatization & Distance Decay Objective: Identify obstacles to reforming Russia’s economy

Steps Toward Capitalism In 1992, Russia removed the price controls that had been set by the Soviet government This had a drastic effect on prices Privatization: government- owned businesses are sold to individuals & private companies Failures contributed to an economic crash in Russia in 1998 40% of the Russian population live far below the poverty line

Obstacles to Economic Reform A major obstacle facing economic reformers are the long distances between places that make communication & transportation difficult Russian President Vladimir Putin created seven large federal districts to gain more control over regional leaders The “Russian mafia” has been gaining power since the 90s They control 40% of private companies & 60% of state-owned enterprises Russian officials have tried to combat organized crime but are having some difficulties

Case Study The Soviet Union’s Nuclear Legacy Objective: Understand the consequences of the Soviet Union nuclear legacy

An Unwelcome Legacy When the USSR fell apart in the early 90s, leaders around the world had serious concerns about the fate of the region’s nuclear weapons World leaders wanted to know who controlled those weapons & where they were located & how they were protected

The Consequences of Collapse Political tension between Russia & the United States still exists over the regions nuclear materials Russians decided to import, store, & treat nuclear waste (over 10 years they will make 21 billion) Although this angers environmentalists, it will help to clean up nuclear waste around Russia & the Republics