Following the breakup of the Soviet Union, what are some of the major problems faced by many of the new countries? Thanks.

1. How to become democratic. People aren't used to voting and being given a choice. They aren't used to political parties. They have lived in a country where people fight and struggle to get to the top, usually at the expense of others. They are skilled in edging out their competitors, but know little about forming coalitions and making friends.

2. Changing economies from a command economy to a free market. The government no longer controls all policy and all business. People have to learn how to run a business profitably.

3. Lack of state services, such as universal health care and a guaranteed job and place to stay. People have to develop their own initiative to earn a living rather than just sit back and let the state take care of them.
4. Countires, such as Iran, no longer look to a central country such as the US or the SU. They themselves want to be a central state that dominates other states. Thus you have countries around the world, such as N Korea, that are subject to no one's influence or control. During the cold war, most countries were either subject to one of two countries. Thus you knew your friend and you knew your enemy.

Angel -- your post was copied and pasted from this website.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080501075254AAD5JI6

You just stole someone else's words without even telling from whom you took it.

http://www.plagiarism.org/

Well, I tired to say where the resource came from but it won't let me!

You could have said that the information came from Yahoo questions.

I put "RESOURCES: yaho o" Then it said I am not allowed to post any links. And it just did it again, so I just now spaced the two o's.

After the breakup of the Soviet Union, many new countries faced a range of major problems. Some of the key challenges included:

1. Economic Transition: The transition from a centrally planned economy to a market-oriented system proved to be extremely challenging for the newly independent countries. They had to grapple with issues such as privatization of state-owned enterprises, establishing market institutions, and dealing with high levels of unemployment.

2. Political Instability: Many newly independent countries struggled with establishing stable and effective political systems. The lack of experience with democratic governance, coupled with ethnic and regional tensions, often led to political instability and conflicts.

3. Ethnic and National Conflicts: The breakup of the Soviet Union resulted in the creation of numerous ethnic-based countries, where different ethnic groups competed for power and resources. This led to increased ethnic tensions and in some cases, violent conflicts.

4. Border Disputes: The newly independent countries had to redefine their borders, which were previously defined by the Soviet Union. This process often led to disputes over territories and resources, further exacerbating regional tensions.

5. Infrastructure and Social Services: The collapse of the Soviet Union also affected infrastructure and social services such as healthcare and education. Many countries faced difficulties in maintaining and upgrading their infrastructure due to lack of funding and expertise.

To find more detailed information about the challenges faced by specific countries after the breakup of the Soviet Union, you can refer to academic studies, research articles, books, and reports by international organizations such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), or United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Additionally, you can explore online resources such as official government websites, think tank publications, and reputable news sources for up-to-date information on the post-Soviet challenges faced by individual countries.