Best/Worst

Second World Countries 2025

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Country
Formerly Part Of
Region
Albania Flag
AlbaniaSouthern Europe
Armenia Flag
ArmeniaSoviet UnionWestern Asia
Azerbaijan Flag
AzerbaijanSoviet UnionWestern Asia
Belarus Flag
BelarusSoviet UnionEastern Europe
Bosnia and Herzegovina Flag
Bosnia and HerzegovinaYugoslaviaEastern Europe
Bulgaria Flag
BulgariaEastern Europe
Croatia Flag
CroatiaYugoslaviaSoutheast Europe
Czech Republic Flag
Czech RepublicCzechoslovakiaEastern Europe
Estonia Flag
Estoniaannexed by the Soviet UnionNorthern Europe
Georgia Flag
GeorgiaSoviet UnionWestern Asia
Germany Flag
GermanyEast GermanyWestern Europe
Hungary Flag
HungaryEastern Europe
Kazakhstan Flag
KazakhstanSoviet UnionSouth-Central Asia
Kyrgyzstan Flag
KyrgyzstanSoviet UnionSouth-Central Asia
Latvia Flag
Latviaannexed by Soviet UnionNorthern Europe
Lithuania Flag
Lithuaniaannexed by Soviet UnionNorthern Europe
Moldova Flag
MoldovaSoviet UnionEastern Europe
Montenegro Flag
MontenegroYugoslaviaSoutheast Europe
North Macedonia Flag
North MacedoniaYugoslaviaSouthern Europe
Poland Flag
PolandEastern Europe
Romania Flag
RomaniaEastern Europe
Russia Flag
RussiaSoviet UnionNorthern Europe/Asia
Serbia Flag
SerbiaYugoslaviaEastern Europe
Slovakia Flag
SlovakiaCzechoslovakiaEastern Europe
Slovenia Flag
SloveniaYugoslaviaSouthern Europe
Tajikistan Flag
TajikistanSoviet UnionSouth-Central Asia
Ukraine Flag
UkraineSoviet UnionEastern Europe
Uzbekistan Flag
UzbekistanSoviet UnionSouth-Central Asia
  • The term Second World has had two different definitions. The table below focuses upon the original, political definition and displays countries that were aligned with the USSR during the Cold War (as opposed to the NATO-aligned First World).
  • Germany at the time was split between East Germany (Second World) and West Germany (First World).
  • Albania broke Soviet influence in the 1960s and aligned itself with China.
  • The forcible annexation of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania into the Soviet Union in 1940 was considered illegal by the United States and most Western European democracies and the three nations were de jure not considered parts of the Soviet Union.
  • China, North Korea, Laos, Vietnam and Mongolia - This countries are considered sometimes being part of the Second World, the relatively high-income Communist countries or those with centrally planned economies in which the government owns the means of production.
  • The term Second World also has a modern, economic definition and indicates countries with a middle level of development.