Georgia in Transition : Experiences and Perspectives

Georgia is a small country located in the Caucasus, which gained independence in April 1991 after several decades of socialistic structures of the Soviet Union. Like all other post Soviet countries, Georgia had to face the challenges of the transition process towards democracy and market economy. Today, more than 15 years after the beginning of the transition process, a lot has changed. This book portrays the development of Georgia in this difficult period. It gives an overview of the experiences Georgia has gone through during transition. The first part of this book deals with the jurisprudential and (security) political aspects of transformation. The section covers the problems concerning statehood and democratization in Georgia as well as electoral procedures. The second part of the anthology deals with the challenges arising from the transition from a planned economy toward market oriented economic structures, which Georgia has to face. Land use change and environmental problems are the main topics of the book's third part. Additionally, the book covers issues regarding climate change.