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This book looks at Georgia, which since its independence, has been the most vocally independent-minded country in the former Soviet Union. Russia countered Georgia's independence by strong support for secessionist minorities such as those in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Since President Vladimir Putin's coming to power, Russian pressure on Georgia to reverse its pro-Western course has grown measurably. Following the 2003 Rose Revolution in Georgia, relations with Russia turned sour as the new government proved both democratic and single-mindedly focused on rebuilding the Georgian state, resolving the secessionist conflicts, and seeking NATO membership -- all anathema to Moscow. This book discusses the present situation in Georgia and examines Georgia's efforts to democratise and bolster its free market economy, while surmounting separatism, Russian economic sanctions and other problems.