This book is the result of a two-year SIPRI research project. The authors come from 12 countries, including all the Caspian littoral states, and have a unique knowledge of regional affairs. They present authoritative basic data on the true energy resources in the Caspian Sea region, on existing and proposed energy pipelines, on the spread of radical Islam, and on arms acquisitions and military spending by regional governments. They then look at the national political and security interests in the region of the littoral and the main extra-regional countries and of the role of energy resources in the security situation in the Caspian region. Finally, they examine the changing conflict dynamics in the region and the prospects for international interaction there in the 21st century.