Extends the traditional focus on Western Europe and the European Union eastward by including the blend of European and Asian cultures that has shaped the development of Russia and Central Eurasia, including Turkey, Russia, and other post-Soviet countries that form the eastern borderlands of Europe. Focuses on the persistence of historical tensions between authoritarian and democratic political cultures; the diversity of ethnic and other identities in the region; and the interconnectedness of Europe and Eurasia in policy areas such as energy, security, and immigration.