Final Map Of The Republics of the Soviet Union Published By The CIA In 1991

Map found via the Library of CongressThe 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

Name	Capital	Established	Independence	Area (km2) In 1991	Area %
Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic	Yerevan	02 December 1920	21 September 1991	29,800	0.13
Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic	Baku	28 April 1920	18 October 1991	86,600	0.39
Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic	Minsk	31 July 1920	25 August 1991	207,600	0.93
Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic[a]	Tallinn	21 July 1940	08 May 1990	45,226	0.2
Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic	Tbilisi	25 February 1921	09 April 1991	69,700	0.31
Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic	Alma-Ata	05 December 1936	16 December 1991	2,717,300	12.24
Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic	Frunze	05 December 1936	31 August 1991	198,500	0.89
Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic[a]	Riga	21 July 1940	04 May 1990	64,589	0.29
Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic[a]	Vilnius	21 July 1940	11 March 1990	65,200	0.29
Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic	Kishinev	02 August 1940	27 August 1991	33,843	0.15
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic	Moscow	07 November 1917	12 December 1991	17,075,400	76.62
Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic	Dushanbe	05 December 1929	09 September 1991	143,100	0.64
Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic	Ashkhabad	13 May 1925	27 October 1991	488,100	2.19
Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic	Kiev	10 March 1919	24 August 1991	603,700	2.71
Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic	Tashkent	05 December 1924	01 September 1991	447,400	2.01

Population

Name	Official languages	Population In 1989	Pop. %
Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic	Armenian, Russian	3,287,700	1.15
Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic	Azerbaijani, Russian	7,037,900	2.45
Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic	Byelorussian, Russian	10,151,806	3.54
Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic[a]	Estonian, Russian	1,565,662	0.55
Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic	Georgian, Russian	5,400,841	1.88
Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic	Kazakh, Russian	16,711,900	5.83
Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic	Kirghiz, Russian	4,257,800	1.48
Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic[a]	Latvian, Russian	2,666,567	0.93
Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic[a]	Lithuanian, Russian	3,689,779	1.29
Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic	Moldavian, Russian	4,337,600	1.51
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic	Russian	147,386,000	51.4
Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic	Tajik, Russian	5,112,000	1.78
Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic	Turkmen, Russian	3,522,700	1.23
Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic	Ukrainian, Russian	51,706,746	18.03
Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic	Uzbek, Russian	19,906,000	6.94

Flags Of The Republics of the Soviet Union

Created by Amazing MapsHere 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.

Flag Map Of The Soviet Union

Map by Ibrahimkash

Flag Map of Post-Soviet States

Map created by YugomeisterHe notes that: “This, as of 2013, includes the flag maps of the disputed territories / partially recognized states of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but does not include those of unrecognized breakaway states like Transnistria and the now-former Artsakh.”

Map of Post-Soviet States In Alphabetical Order

List:

1. Armenia
2. Azerbaijan
3. Belarus
4. Estonia
5. Georgia
6. Kazakhstan
7. Kyrgyzstan
8. Latvia
9. Lithuania
10. Moldova
11. Russia
12. Tajikistan
13. Turkmenistan
14. Ukraine
15. Uzbekistan

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