New·ly Independent States (nōō'lē, nyōō'-) Abbr. NIS The countries that until 1991 were constituent republics of the USSR, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. The term can also include Russia and sometimes Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.
Niš also Nish (nĭsh) A city of southeast Serbia near the Morava River. It was the birthplace of Constantine the Great. Population: 174,000.