Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.), also called the Soviet Union, was the world's first and most powerful Communist country. It existed from 1922 to 1991. In 1991, the Communist Party lost power, and the Soviet Union broke up into a number of independent states.
From the mid-1940's to the late 1980's, the Soviet Union was one of the two world superpowers. The other was the United States. Intense rivalry between these two countries shaped much of the history of this period.
Before its breakup, the Soviet Union was the largest country in the world in area. It covered more than half of Europe and nearly two-fifths of Asia. The Soviet Union had the third largest population in the world, after China and India.
The Soviet Union was officially created in 1922 when Russia joined with three other territories under the name Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. These became the first of the country's 15 union republics. The other republics were created and added between 1922 and 1940. The union republics were Armenia, Azerbaijan, Byelorussia (now Belarus), Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan (also spelled Kazakstan), Kirghiz (now Kyrgyzstan), Latvia, Lithuania, Moldavia (now Moldova), Russia, Tadzhikistan (also spelled Tajikistan), Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
Each republic had its own government, but these governments were strictly under the control of the Communist central government. In 1991, the Communists fell from power after a failed attempt by conservative Communist officials to overthrow Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev. Shortly after the attempted take-over, most of the republics declared their independence. All but Georgia and the three Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania formed a loose confederation called the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Soviet Union ceased to exist.
At its height, the Soviet Union was an industrial giant, ranking second after the United States in total production. For years, it led all other countries in space exploration. Its armed forces were the largest in the world, and its nuclear arsenal was second only to that of the United States. However, many Soviet families lived in crowded conditions because there was not enough housing. There were often shortages of meat, shoes, and many other goods. The Communist leaders controlled the country's government, economy, educational system, and communications media. They restricted religious practices and punished those who opposed their policies.
