The Countries Of The Former Soviet Union At The Turn Of The Twenty First Century

Providing a unique level of coverage, this book provides a comprehensive survey of the political and economic development of the countries of the former Soviet Union, from the mid-1990s onwards.

This book focuses on the recent political and economic events in the former Yugoslavia. The author presents a clear, detailed and accessible breakdown of the developments in: Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Slovenia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro). The role of the West in the more unstable countries of the Former Yugoslavia has been reassessed in the light of the terrorist attacks on the United States and the fall of Afghanistan. The involvement of the US, in particular, in countries affected by ethnic strife has been brought under scrutiny, as has the role of international military and civilian involvement in maintaining peace and rebuilding economies and political structures. This book contributes to these debates by providing a unique level of coverage of economic and political developments in former Yugoslav countries. It will provide an invaluable source of reference for all those interested in transitional and developing countries.

Following on from Jeffries' 2001 Economies in Transition: A Guide to China, Cuba, Mongolia, North Korea and Vietnam at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century, this comprehensive survey of economic and political change focuses on the countries of Eastern Europe. Jeffries also discusses the general issues involved in economic transition, including `big

Exploring English Language Teaching in Post-Soviet Era Countries analyses different elements of English language teaching from the Soviet era to a new era of Westernised influence. This work provides an insight into the problems that occur in present-day English language education in post-Soviet era countries, considering English language teaching at all stages of education. The book outlines the challenges that many countries of the former Soviet Union experienced at the turn of the twenty-first century and relates these to education as a crucial social phenomenon. It considers the teaching of English as a lingua franca at all education levels in the countries of the former Soviet Union, with particular emphasis on universities. Using empirical research from case studies in Azerbaijan, the book considers whether post-Soviet era countries have truly moved towards a Westernised model of language education or simply imitated one. This book is the first of its kind to treat the problem by listening to teachers’ and students’ voices as the major actors of the educational process. This book will be of great interest to academics, researchers and post-graduate students in the fields of English language education, education in Eastern Europe and applied linguistics.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of Russia’s difficult economic transition from a command economy since the early 1990s. It covers the financial crisis of August 1998 and the global financial crisis a decade later. Key subjects covered include economic transition, privatization and liberalization; changes in land ownership and agriculture; energy; foreign direct investment; economic stabilization; and economic performance. Russia is well endowed with raw materials, especially oil and natural gas; this book argues that in some ways this has not helped Russia’s attempts to become a more diversified and high-tech economy. Overall, the book demonstrates how much the Russian economy has changed in the period. It continues - and adds to – the overview of developments in the author’s The New Russia (2002), and is the companion volume to Political Developments in Contemporary Russia (2011) - both published by Routledge.

Arising from the intense interest in North Korea today, this book provides full details of economic and political developments in North Korea since 1989 when the communist world began to change irrevocably.

There is currently widespread interest in the Chinese economy, due to its huge and rapid growth, and the consequent impact on world business and the world economy. At the same time, there are concerns about China's political system, China's human rights record and the degree to which reform - the development of 'socialism with Chinese characteristics' - represent real liberalization. Providing an overview of earlier events in order to set the context in which economic and political development have taken place, the book traces economic and political growth in China from the early 1990s to the present. Covering Hong Kong, Macao, Tibet and Taiwan, the book discusses China's relations, including international trade with its neighbours and with the international community more widely. Other key topics covered include the growth of the market, the reform of state owned enterprises, human rights and SARS.

North Korea continues to be a country of great concern internationally, where future developments are uncertain, especially as a result of the succession to the leadership of Kim Jong-un following the death of Kim Jong-il. It is also a country which is relatively unknown and relatively little studied. This book provides a comprehensive, detailed survey of economic and political developments in the last few years. As such it provides many insights into the current trends which are likely to shape the country’s future direction.