PANEL ON PATTERNS OF DISINTEGRATION IN THE FORMER SOVIET-UNION

A panel of geographers and scholars in related fields assesses the consequences of diverse and far-reaching geographical patterns accompanying the break-up of the USSR. These include patterns of heightened interethnic conflict in support of territorial and cultural claims; accelerated outmigration resulting from ethnic re-stratification in the non-Russian republics; disrupted trade flows and economic protectionism; emerging transborder economic ties; unemployment and changes in employment structure; new administrative arrangements and problems in transportation; new local systems of financing and governance; privatization in agriculture and interruption of food distribution chains; and reorganization and retrenchment of environmental protection activity.