Full Description
In 1991, the centrifugal forces of ethnic nationalism destroyed the Soviet Union. Religious and ethnic issues will be the defining principles of political life in East Europe, Transcaucasia, and Central Asia for the next decade. Yet when most Americans and Europeans read, for instance, of the Ossetians and Ingush, they have no idea who these peoples are or why they are fighting. This volume will provide a ready reference for students, researchers, and librarians who are trying to sort out the political and social struggles in that part of the world. Focusing on ethnolinguistic groups rather than peoples with purely religious orientations, Olson provides entries on over 450 ethnic groups, with appropriate cross-references. Each entry concludes with references, and the volume includes a selected bibliography of English-language titles. The volume also includes a chronology, several appendixes providing statistical information, and an appendix essay on Islam in Russia and the Soviet Union.
Contents
The Dictionary Ethnic Composition of the Soviet Union by Republic, 1990 Ethnic Populations of the Soviet Union, 1926-1989 Islam in Russia and the Soviet Union A Chronology of the Russian and Soviet Empires Major Political Subdivisions of the Soviet Union in 1990 Nationality, Language Loyalty, and Religion in the Soviet Union, 1989 Soviet Residence Patterns by Major Nationality Group, 1989 Ethnic Composition of the Autonomous Units of the Soviet Union in 1991 Selected Bibliography of Titles in English Index
