Commonwealth of Independent States

The CIS was established in December 1991 as an association of 11 republics
of the former Soviet Union. The members include: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus
(formerly Byelorussia), Moldova (formerly Moldavia), Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kirgizstan (formerly
Kirghiziya). The Baltic states did not join. Georgia maintained observer
status, before joining the CIS in November 1993. Until that time, the NIS
(Newly Independent States) differed from the CIS in that the NIS is a
collective reference to 12 Soviet republics, including Georgia.