Transcaucasian boundaries" provides the first insights into the geopolitical dynamics in this ethnically diverse and turbulent region of the former Soviet Union. The interplay between the former controlling powers of Iran, Turkey and Russia is examined, and the conflicts in Nagorno-Karabagh, Ossetia and Abkhazia are subject to expert analysis. The roles of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia are considered in detail, their relative weakness having held back the transition towards democratic free-market entities of pluralist composition. Questions of minority rights, territorial settlement and the inviolability of state borders are central to an understanding of this part of the world; these issues are manifest all too violently when combined with the nationalist forces prevalent throughout Transcaucasia. All students of geopolitics and ethnic issues will find this volume a worthwhile contribution to understanding the complex geopolitical problems of a richly diverse and fascinating region.
