Figure 5.18: FIGURE 5.18 PHOTO ESSAY: Urbanization in Russia and the Post-Soviet StatesAn uneven pattern of urbanization is developing in this region. In several countries, the largest cities are growing rapidly, as they are centers of new development and globalization. Elsewhere, however, many cities are struggling economically and even shrinking in terms of population because they are less able to attract new investment.

[Sources consulted: 2011 World Population Data Sheet, Population Reference Bureau, at http://www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2011/world-population-data-sheet.aspx; World Gazetteer, at http://world-gazetteer.com/wg.php?x=&men=gcis&lng=en&des=wg&srt=npan&col=abcdefghinoq&msz=1500&pt=a&va=&srt=pnan