After the Soviet Union: The Post-Soviet States in the World System*

The collapse of the Soviet Union has resulted in the creation of 15 independent states. This paper examines the contribution of world-systems theory to our understanding of the role of the Soviet Union in the global economy and considers the prospects for the post-Soviet states. It concludes that world-systems theory, together with regional geography, can provide useful insights into the development prospects for the post-Soviet states.