The Caucasian Republics examines the three republics of the Transcaucasus - Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia - which are situated in the area between Europe and Asia, extending from the Greater Caucasus to the Turkish and Iranian borders, between the Black and Caspian seas. Although small and isolated by mountain chains, the region's location at crossroads between major world cultures has historically enhanced its importance as it served as a buffer zone between competing nations and a center of trade.
Posed on the eastern edge of Russia, the Baltic republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are among the smallest republics of the 15 countries of the former Soviet Union. Collectively, however, they are the greatest success story of these once satellite states. They were the first Soviet states to break away and have achieved a successful transition from communism to democracy.
This text examines the problems confronting the Central Asian Republics - as they adjust to being independant countries. It is divided into five sections, offering an overview of each country and its geography, population, history, and government, as well as an outlook for its future.
Czech & Slovak Republics (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
Situated in the centre of Europe, the Bohemian Basin was for centuries a crossroads of trading routes and a place where different religious and national traditions came into close contact. This cultura diversity has produced a rich historical heritage, which survives in remarkable condition: the Czech Republic escaped serious damage during the two World Wars, though the decimation of the Jewish community and the expulsion of German-speakers after 1945 had a devastating effect on Czech society.
