Written by a highly respected expert in the field, this book addresses some of this little known region's most vital issues: territorial conflicts, oil and natural gas resources, geopolitical complexities and pipeline politics, as well as the successes and failures of democratic processes in the post-Soviet countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. The future of these newly independent states; where Iran and Turkey, as well as Russia, the U.S. and the E.U. are vying for political and economic influence; is still being determined, and it is clearer every day that events in the Caucasus and Caspian Sea region have the potential to impact European security. The author looks at the challenges faced by these young South Caucasian countries and examines the prospects for future peace and prosperity in the region. The South Caucasus at the Crossroads is essential reading for students and researchers of post-Soviet history and Caucasus studies, sociology, Caspian Sea politics, political science, and international relations. Elkhan Nuriyev is the director of the Center for International Studies (CIS) and associate professor of political science and international affairs at the University of the Caucasus in Baku (Republic of Azerbaijan).