Kim Falcon, age 12, of Indianapolis, Ind., for her question:

WHAT IS THE SOVIET UNION?

The Soviet Union is Russia,  was the largest country in area in the world. Officially it is called the Union of Soviet Socialists Republics.

The country covered more than half of Europe and nearly two fifths of Asia. It took up more than a seventh of the world's total land area.

For many years Russia was a small region in Europe. It grew to be its present huge size by adding territory on all sides. As the country grew, peoples of many different backgrounds came under the Russian rule. It was made up of 15 union republics, each ruled by a soviet, or council.

The Communist Party of the Soviet Union permits no other political party to oppose it. Only about six percent of the country's total population, however, are members of the party.

The Soviet Union was dissolved in the early 1990’s and no longer exists as a country by the name of the Soviet Union.