Stalin-era housing in Belarus. Under Soviet rule countries like this depended on energy imports from the USSR
Countries in eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union (FSU) have been restructuring their energy industries since the fall of communism. This has created a series of social, political and economic problems.
The stereotype of these countries tends to be one of cities with quaint historical centres overrun by tourists and potential economic investors, surrounded by decaying Sovietera factories and large housing estates. Yet, as geographers know, many of them also have vast fossil-fuel reserves, which are now an important energy resource for western Europe.
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