ABSTRACT
The region surrounding the Caspian Sea has experienced in the post-Soviet era what many call the recurrence of the so-called ‘Great Game’ of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, played out among the Tsarist, Ottoman and the Persian empires. This time around, observers suggest, there are a number of differences from the earlier Great Game: the United States is also involved as a major player, and the smaller regional actors try to play larger roles than before. In an effort to solidify their niche as viable independent states, the latter try to involve apparently more benevolent actors, such as the US, the multinational oil companies, and other extra-regional actors in regional politics.
