Final Map Of The Republics of the Soviet Union Published By The CIA In 1991 - Brilliant Maps (2024)

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Final Map Of The Republics of the Soviet Union Published By The CIA In 1991 - Brilliant Maps (1)

Map found via the Library of Congress

The map above was published by the United States. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in 1991.

It shows union (Soviet Socialist) republics with area tints, republic names, and capital cities.

However, the USSR itself would be relegated to the dustbin of history that same year on December 25th (the final map would look like this).

Also interesting to note about this map is following quote from the map:

“The United States Government has not recognized the incorporation of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania into the Soviet Union. Other boundary representation is not necessarily authoritative.”

Here is a little bit more about each Republic by the numbers:

Geography, Size & History

NameCapitalEstablishedIndependenceArea (km2) In 1991Area %
Armenian Soviet Socialist RepublicYerevan02 December 192021 September 199129,8000.13
Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist RepublicBaku28 April 192018 October 199186,6000.39
Byelorussian Soviet Socialist RepublicMinsk31 July 192025 August 1991207,6000.93
Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic[a]Tallinn21 July 194008 May 199045,2260.2
Georgian Soviet Socialist RepublicTbilisi25 February 192109 April 199169,7000.31
Kazakh Soviet Socialist RepublicAlma-Ata05 December 193616 December 19912,717,30012.24
Kirghiz Soviet Socialist RepublicFrunze05 December 193631 August 1991198,5000.89
Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic[a]Riga21 July 194004 May 199064,5890.29
Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic[a]Vilnius21 July 194011 March 199065,2000.29
Moldavian Soviet Socialist RepublicKishinev02 August 194027 August 199133,8430.15
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist RepublicMoscow07 November 191712 December 199117,075,40076.62
Tajik Soviet Socialist RepublicDushanbe05 December 192909 September 1991143,1000.64
Turkmen Soviet Socialist RepublicAshkhabad13 May 192527 October 1991488,1002.19
Ukrainian Soviet Socialist RepublicKiev10 March 191924 August 1991603,7002.71
Uzbek Soviet Socialist RepublicTashkent05 December 192401 September 1991447,4002.01

Population

NameOfficial languagesPopulation In 1989Pop. %
Armenian Soviet Socialist RepublicArmenian, Russian3,287,7001.15
Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist RepublicAzerbaijani, Russian7,037,9002.45
Byelorussian Soviet Socialist RepublicByelorussian, Russian10,151,8063.54
Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic[a]Estonian, Russian1,565,6620.55
Georgian Soviet Socialist RepublicGeorgian, Russian5,400,8411.88
Kazakh Soviet Socialist RepublicKazakh, Russian16,711,9005.83
Kirghiz Soviet Socialist RepublicKirghiz, Russian4,257,8001.48
Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic[a]Latvian, Russian2,666,5670.93
Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic[a]Lithuanian, Russian3,689,7791.29
Moldavian Soviet Socialist RepublicMoldavian, Russian4,337,6001.51
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist RepublicRussian147,386,00051.4
Tajik Soviet Socialist RepublicTajik, Russian5,112,0001.78
Turkmen Soviet Socialist RepublicTurkmen, Russian3,522,7001.23
Ukrainian Soviet Socialist RepublicUkrainian, Russian51,706,74618.03
Uzbek Soviet Socialist RepublicUzbek, Russian19,906,0006.94

Flags Of The Republics of the Soviet Union

Final Map Of The Republics of the Soviet Union Published By The CIA In 1991 - Brilliant Maps (2)

Created by Amazing Maps

Here is a brief overview of each of the 15 republics that made up the Soviet Union, listed by their order of establishment:

1. Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR)

  • Establishment: 1917
  • History: The largest and most influential of the Soviet republics, the RSFSR was the heart of the Soviet Union, with Moscow as its capital. Russia’s Bolshevik revolution led to the creation of the Soviet Union in 1922. After the USSR dissolved in 1991, it became the Russian Federation.

2. Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (Ukrainian SSR)

  • Establishment: 1919
  • History: Ukraine played a significant role in Soviet industrial and agricultural output. It suffered through events like the Holodomor (famine in the 1930s) and was heavily impacted by World War II. It declared independence in 1991.

3. Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (Byelorussian SSR)

  • Establishment: 1919
  • History: Belarus was a crucial battleground during both world wars and suffered heavy losses. It was a founding member of the UN as part of the Soviet delegation and declared independence in 1991, becoming Belarus.

4. Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (Uzbek SSR)

  • Establishment: 1924
  • History: Located in Central Asia, Uzbekistan was known for its cotton production, often tied to controversial forced labor policies. It became independent in 1991 and continues as Uzbekistan today.

5. Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (Kazakh SSR)

  • Establishment: 1936
  • History: Kazakhstan was a key location for Soviet space programs (Baikonur Cosmodrome) and suffered from forced collectivization and famine. It declared independence in 1991 and became Kazakhstan.

6. Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (Georgian SSR)

  • Establishment: 1921
  • History: Georgia, located in the South Caucasus, was annexed by Soviet forces in 1921. The birthplace of Joseph Stalin, it maintained a distinct cultural identity throughout Soviet rule. It gained independence in 1991.

7. Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (Azerbaijan SSR)

  • Establishment: 1920
  • History: Azerbaijan was an important center for oil production during the Soviet period. After years of tensions with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, it declared independence in 1991 and became Azerbaijan.

8. Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic (Lithuanian SSR)

  • Establishment: 1940 (annexed by the USSR after initially being independent)
  • History: Lithuania was annexed by the USSR during World War II and later became one of the first Soviet republics to declare independence in 1990, leading to the collapse of the USSR in 1991.

9. Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (Moldavian SSR)

  • Establishment: 1940
  • History: Moldavia was formed from parts of Romania and Ukraine. It declared independence in 1991, becoming Moldova. The republic has faced ongoing tensions in the Transnistria region since independence.

10. Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (Latvian SSR)

  • Establishment: 1940
  • History: Latvia was annexed by the Soviet Union during World War II and experienced heavy deportations. It became one of the first republics to break away from the USSR in 1991, declaring independence.

11. Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic (Kirghiz SSR)

  • Establishment: 1936
  • History: Kyrgyzstan, in Central Asia, was largely rural and known for its agriculture. It declared independence in 1991 and is now the independent nation of Kyrgyzstan.

12. Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic (Tajik SSR)

  • Establishment: 1929
  • History: Tajikistan, one of the poorest republics, was known for agriculture, especially cotton. After the collapse of the USSR, it gained independence in 1991 and was soon engulfed in a civil war that lasted until 1997.

13. Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (Armenian SSR)

  • Establishment: 1920
  • History: Armenia has a long history and deep cultural heritage. It was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1920. The country declared independence in 1991 amidst ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh.

14. Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (Turkmen SSR)

  • Establishment: 1924
  • History: Turkmenistan, with its large natural gas reserves, was a vital energy provider for the USSR. It became independent in 1991 and is now Turkmenistan, known for its strict authoritarian government.

15. Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic (Estonian SSR)

  • Establishment: 1940
  • History: Estonia was annexed by the Soviet Union during World War II. Like its Baltic neighbors, it maintained a strong national identity and was one of the first republics to declare independence in 1991.

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Final Map Of The Republics of the Soviet Union Published By The CIA In 1991 - Brilliant Maps (2024)
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