The Baltic States; Belarus, Ukraine and Moldavia; The Central Asian States; Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan; Kazakhstan; The Russian Federation

With the break-up of the USSR, names both familiar and unfamiliar came to the forefront as the 15 former republics achieved independence and started to flex dormant political muscles.

The complexities of the ethnic and religious mix in the former Soviet bloc are quite staggering: over 160 different nationalities and 131 languages! In Armenia alone 'due to repeated foreign invasions throughout its history, up to 83 languages are spoken in the region, some by just a single village'. To gain some understanding of the current economic and social problems facing the newly independent states, it is necessary to have some grasp of this diverse cultural background.

Franklin Watts have published six 32-page books in a praiseworthy series to help us try to make sense of the latest events. Inevitably, in such relatively short, profusely illustrated volumes their authors have achieved varying degrees of success. Sometimes, as in Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova, the historical data is overwhelming and so many people and events are chronicled that the reader is left somewhat breathless and bewildered. Sometimes tantalising remarks are unexplained (Why did Kruschev give the Crimea to Ukraine in 1954?), sometimes a brief reference in one volume is expounded at greater length and clarity in another.

Nevertheless there is much to applaud in these attractive titles and they bear careful reading and re-reading. Each has a useful Facts and Figures' section at the end for each individual state and there is also a prediction of what may happen in the future. Some of the prognoses are not very encouraging; there are ecological issues, security problems (four states have nuclear weapons), border disputes, and the overall economic outlook for many is uncertain. Having read about the problems we will have a greater appreciation of the task they face.