The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional international organisation in which various successor states of the Soviet Union have joined forces. It was founded in 1991 by Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. The term CIS is often used to refer to the former member states of the Soviet Union (excluding the three Baltic states Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania). See also under USSR.
Map: CC BY-SA 3.0, link - edited by Norbert F. J. Tischelmayer
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Markus J. Eser
Weinakademiker und Herausgeber „Der Weinkalender“