Georgia (country)

Georgia საქართველო Sakartvelo
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: ძალა ერთობაშია  (Georgian) "Strength is in Unity"
Anthem: Tavisupleba Freedom
Capital and largest city	Tbilisi
Official languages	Georgian1
Government	Semi-presidential unitary republic
• President	Mikheil Saakashvili
• Prime Minister	Zurab Noghaideli
Consolidation
• Kingdoms of Colchis and Iberia	c.2000 BCE
• Georgian Kingdom unified	1008 CE
• Democratic Republic of Georgia	May 26 1918
• Independence from the Soviet Union Declared Finalised	April 9 1991 December 25 1991
Population
• 2005 estimate	4,661,4732 (117th)
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
• Total	$17.79 billion (122nd)
• Per capita	$3,800 (119th)
HDI (2004)	0.743  (97th)
Currency	Lari (ლ) (GEL)
Time zone	UTC+3 (MSK)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+4 (MSD)
Calling code	995
ISO 3166 code	GE
Internet TLD	.ge
Also Abkhaz within the The Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia. CIA World Factbook. Population figure excludes those parts of Abkhazia and South Ossetia that are not controlled by the Government of Georgia.

Georgia (Georgian: საქართველო, transliterated as Sakartvelo) is a Eurasian country in the Caucasus at the east coast of the Black Sea. It is bordered on the north by Russia, on the south by Turkey and Armenia, and on the east by Azerbaijan. A transcontinental country located at the juncture of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, Georgia has extensive sociopolitical and cultural connections to Europe.

The territory of modern-day Georgia has been continuously inhabited since the early Stone Age. The classical antiquity saw the rise of the early Georgian states of Colchis and Iberia, which laid foundation to the Georgian culture and statehood. Christianized in the early 3rd century and unified into a single monarchy in 1008, Georgia experienced periods of revival and decline until being fragmentized into several smaller political entities in the 16th century. Imperial Russia acquired Georgian lands in a piecemeal fashion from 1801 to 1866. A short-lived post-Russian revolution nation-state - Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918-1921) - fell to the Bolshevik invasion to be incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1922. Independent again in 1991, after a period of chaos of civil war and severe economic crisis, Georgia stabilized relatively by the late 1990s. The bloodless Rose Revolution of 2003 installed a new, pro-Western reformist government, whose aspirations to join NATO and attempts at bringing the secessionist territories back under Georgia's control has resulted in a deterioration of the relations with Russia.

Georgia's landscapes range from alpine in the Caucasus Mountains to subtropical along the Black Sea coast, making the country an attractive location for tourism. Agriculture -- especially wine-making traditions -- date back to prehistoric times, and still account for an important share of the nation's economy. The recent economic developments brought the country within the scope of major Eurasian energetic projects.

Georgia is a representative democracy, organized as a unitary, semi-presidential republic. Georgia is currently a member of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the World Trade Organization and the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, and seeks integration with the European Union and NATO.

Etymology

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St George slaying the Dragon. 15th century cloisonné enamel on gold. (National Art Museum of Georgia)

Ancient Greeks (Strabo, Herodotus, Plutarch, Homer, etc.) and Romans (Titus Livius, Cornelius Tacitus, etc.) referred to early eastern Georgians as Iberians (Iberoi in some Greek sources) and western Georgians as Colchians. .

Georgians call themselves Kartvelebi (ქართველები), their land Sakartvelo (საქართველო), and their language Kartuli (ქართული). According to legend the ancestor of the Kartvelian people was Kartlos, the great grandson of the Biblical Japheth. Most of the world, with the exception of Armenians, knows the Georgians under the name Georgian. The terms Georgia and Georgians appeared in Western Europe in numerous medieval annals and it is known that the name is derived from the country's patron St. George.Also, it has been supposed that the word "Georgia" is derived from the Ancient Persian word Gurj or Gorg, meaning Gorgeous in Proto-Indo-European languages . Some also believed that Georgia was so named by the Greeks on account of its agricultural resources, since "Georgia" (γεωργία) means "farming" in Greek. However, the true origin of the name Georgia is still disputed and unknown.

History

Main article: History of Georgia (country)

The history of Georgia and the Georgian nation dates back 5,000 years.

Georgia in antiquity

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Ancient Georgian Kingdoms of Colchis and Iberia

Two early Georgian kingdoms of late antiquity, known to ancient Greeks and Romans as Iberia in the east of the country and Colchis in the west, were among the first nations in the region to adopt Christianity (in 337 AD, or in 319 AD as recent research suggests.).

In Greek Mythology, Colchis was the location of the Golden Fleece sought by Jason and the Argonauts in Apollonius Rhodius' epic tale Argonautica. The incorporation of the Golden Fleece into the myth may have derived from the local practice of using fleeces to sift gold dust from rivers. Known to its natives as Egrisi or Lazica, Colchis often saw battles between the rival powers of Persia and the Byzantine Empire, both of which managed to conquer Western Georgia from time to time. As a result, those Kingdoms disintegrated into various feudal regions by the early Middle Ages. This made it easy for Arabs to conquer Georgia in the 7th century. The rebellious regions were liberated and united into a unified Georgian Kingdom at the beginning of the 11th century. Starting in the 12th century AD, the rule of Georgia extended over a significant part of the Southern Caucasus, including the northeastern parts and almost the entire northern coast of what is now Turkey.

Medieval Georgia

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Kingdom of Georgia at peak of its military dominance, 1184-1225

The Georgian Kingdom reached its zenith in the 12th to early 13th centuries. This period has been widely termed as Georgia's Golden Age or Georgian Renaissance. The revival of the Georgian Kingdom was short-lived however, and the Kingdom was eventually subjugated by the Mongols in 1236. Thereafter, different local rulers fought for their independence from central Georgian rule, until the total disintegration of the Kingdom in the 15th century. Neighbouring kingdoms exploited the situation and from the 16th century, the Persian Empire and the Ottoman Empire subjugated the eastern and western regions of Georgia, respectively.

The rulers of regions which remained partly autonomous organised rebellions on various occasions. Subsequent Persian and Turkish invasions further weakened local kingdoms and regions.

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Tondo depicting Saint Mamas from the Gelati Monastery, 14th–15th centuries

As a result of wars against neighbouring countries, the population of Georgia was reduced to 250,000 inhabitants at one point.

Within the Russian Empire

In 1783 Russia and the eastern Georgian kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti signed the Treaty of Georgievsk, according to which Kartli-Kakheti received protection by Russia. This, however, did not prevent Tbilisi from being sacked by the Persians in 1795.

On December 22, 1800, Tsar Paul I of Russia, at the alleged request of the Georgian King George XII, signed the Proclamation on the incorporation of Georgia (Kartli-Kakheti) within the Russian Empire. On January 8, 1801 Tsar Paul I of Russia signed a decree on the incorporation of Georgia (Kartli-Kakheti) within the Russian Empire which was confirmed by Tsar Alexander I on September 12 1801. The Georgian envoy in Saint Petersburg reacted with a note of protest that was presented to the Russian vice-chancellor Prince Kurakin. In May 1801, Russian General Carl Heinrich Knorring dethroned the Georgian heir to the throne David Batonishvili and instituted a government headed by General Ivan Petrovich Lasarev.

The Georgian nobility did not accept the decree until April 1802 when General Knorring compassed the nobility in Tbilisi's Sioni Cathedral and forced them to take an oath on the Imperial Crown of Russia. Those who disagreed were arrested temporarily.

In the summer of 1805, Russian troops on the Askerani River near Zagam defeated the Persian army and saved Tbilisi from conquest.

In 1810, after a brief war, the western Georgian kingdom of Imereti was annexed by Tsar Alexander I of Russia. The last Imeretian king and the last Georgian Bagrationi ruler Solomon II died in exile in 1815. From 1803 to 1878, as a result of numerous Russian wars against Turkey and Iran, several territories were annexed to Georgia. These areas (Batumi, Akhaltsikhe, Poti, and Abkhazia) now represent a large part of the territory of Georgia.

The principality of Guria was abolished in 1828, and that of Samegrelo (Mingrelia) in 1857. The region of Svaneti was gradually annexed in 1857–59.

The Independence period and Soviet occupation

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Georgian inteligentsia of the 1920s: the Amirejibi family

After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Georgia declared independence on May 26, 1918 in the midst of the Russian Civil War. The parliamentary election was won by the Georgian Social-Democratic Party, considered to be a party of Mensheviks, and its leader, Noe Zhordania, became the prime minister. In 1918 a Georgian–Armenian war erupted over parts of Georgian provinces populated mostly by Armenians which ended due to British intervention. In 1918–19 Georgian general Giorgi Mazniashvili led a Georgian attack against the White Army led by Moiseev and Denikin in order to claim the Black Sea coastline from Tuapse to Sochi and Adler for independent Georgia. The country's independence did not last long, however. In February 1921 Georgia was attacked by the Red Army. Georgian troops lost the battle and the Social-Democrat government fled the country. On February 25 1921 the Red Army entered the capital Tbilisi and installed a puppet communist government led by Georgian Bolshevik Filipp Makharadze, but the Soviet rule was firmly established only after the 1924 revolt was brutally suppressed. Georgia was incorporated into the Transcaucasian SFSR uniting Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The TFSSR was disaggregated into its component elements in 1936 and Georgia became the Georgian SSR.

The Georgian-born communist radical Ioseb Jughashvili, better known by his nom de guerre Stalin (from the Russian word for steel: сталь) was prominent among the Russian Bolsheviks, who came to power in the Russian Empire after the October Revolution in 1917. Stalin was to rise to the highest position of the Soviet state.

From 1941 to 1945, during World War II, almost 700,000 Georgians fought as Red Army soldiers against Nazi Germany. (A number also fought with the German army). About 350,000 Georgians died in the battlefields of the Eastern Front. Also during this period the Chechen, Ingush, Karachay and the Balkarian peoples from the Northern Caucasus, were deported to Siberia for alleged collaboration with the Nazis. With their respective autonomous republics abolished, the Georgian SSR was briefly granted some of their territory, until 1957.

The Dissidential movement for restoration of Georgian statehood started started to gain popularity in the 1960s. Among the Georgian dissidents, one of the most prominent activists was Merab Kostava and Zviad Gamsakhurdia. Disidents were heavily persecuted by Soviet government and their activities were harshly suppressed. Almost all members from Georgian dissident circles were imprisoned by the Soviet authorities.

The Georgian Eduard Shevardnadze, the USSR's minister for foreign affairs, was one of the main architects of the Perestroika reforms of the late 1980s. During this period, Georgia developed a vigorous multiparty system which strongly favoured independence. The country staged the first democratic, multiparty parliamentary elections in the Soviet Union on October 28, 1990. From November 1990 to March 1991, one of the leaders of the National Liberation movement, Dr Zviad Gamsakhurdia, was the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia (the Georgian parliament).

Independence

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Georgian child holding the flag of Independent Georgia, Tbilisi, April 10, 1989

Template:Georgian statehood On 9 April 1989, a peaceful demonstration in the Georgian capital Tbilisi ended in a massacre in which several people were killed by Soviet troops. This incident launched an anti-Soviet mass movement, soon shattered, however, by the in-fighting of its different political wings. Before the October 1990 elections to the Georgian Parliament (Supreme Council) — the first polls in the USSR held on a formal multi-party basis — the political landscape was reshaped again. While the more radical groups boycotted the elections and convened an alternative forum (National Congress), another part of the anticommunist opposition united into the Round Table—Free Georgia (RT-FG) around the former dissidents like Merab Kostava and Zviad Gamsakhurdia. The latter won the elections by a clear margin, with 155 out of 250 parliamentary seats, whereas the ruling Communist Party (CP) received only 64 seats. All other parties failed to get over the 5%-threshold and were thus allotted only some single-member constituency seats.

On April 9, 1991, shortly before the collapse of the USSR, Georgia declared independence. On May 26, 1991, Zviad Gamsakhurdia was elected as a first President of independent Georgia. However, Gamsakhurdia was soon deposed in a bloody coup d'état, from December 22, 1991 to January 6, 1992. The coup was instigated by part of the National Guards and a paramilitary organization called "Mkhedrioni". The country became embroiled in a bitter civil war which lasted almost until 1995. Eduard Shevardnadze returned to Georgia in 1992 and joined the leaders of the coup — Kitovani and Ioseliani — to head a triumvirate called the "State Council".

In 1995, Shevardnadze was officially elected as a president of Georgia, and reelected in 2000. At the same time, two regions of Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, quickly became embroiled in disputes with local separatists that led to widespread inter-ethnic violence and wars. Supported by Russia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia achieved and maintained de facto independence from Georgia. More than 250,000 Georgians were ethnically cleansed from Abkhazia by Abkhaz separatists and North Caucasians volunteers, (including Chechens) in 1992-1993. More than 25,000 Georgians were expelled from Tskhinvali as well, and many Ossetian families were forced to abandon their homes in the Borjomi region and move to Russia.

In 2003 Shevardnadze was deposed by the Rose Revolution, after Georgian opposition and international monitors asserted that the November 2 parliamentary elections were marred by fraud. The revolution was led by Mikheil Saakashvili, Zurab Zhvania and Nino Burjanadze, former members and leaders of Shavarnadze's ruling party. Mikheil Saakashvili was elected as President of Georgia in 2004.

Following the Rose Revolution, a series of reforms was launched to strengthen the country's military and economic capabilities. The new government's efforts to reassert the Georgian authority in the southwestern autonomous republic of Ajaria led to a major crisis early in 2004. Success in Ajaria encouraged Saakashvili to intensify his efforts, but without success, in the breakaway South Ossetia.

Government and politics

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Medieval flag of Georgia restored after Rose Revolution

Following a crisis involving allegations of ballot fraud in the 2003 parliamentary elections, Eduard Shevardnadze resigned as president on November 23, 2003 in the bloodless Rose Revolution. The interim president was the speaker of the outgoing parliament (whose replacement was annulled), Nino Burjanadze. On January 4, 2004 Mikheil Saakashvili, leader of the National Movement - Democrats (NMD) (former United National Movement) won the country's presidential election and was inaugurated on January 25. Fresh parliamentary elections were held on March 28 where NMD secured the vast majority of the seats (with ca. 75% of the votes) with only one other party reaching the 7% threshold (the Rightist Opposition with ca. 7.5%). The vote is believed to have been one of the freest ever held in independent Georgia although an upsurge of tension between the central government and the Ajarian leader Aslan Abashidze affected the elections in this region. Despite recognizing progress the OSCE noted the tendency to misuse state administration resources in favor of the ruling party.[10]

The tension between the Georgian government and that of Ajaria grew increasingly after the elections until late April. Climaxing on May 1 when Abashidze responded to military maneuvers held by Georgia near the region with having the three bridges connecting Ajaria and the rest of Georgia over the Choloki River blown up. On May 5, Abashidze was forced to flee Georgia as mass demonstrations in Batumi called for his resignation and Russia increased their pressure by deploying Security Council secretary Igor Ivanov.

On February 3 2005, Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania allegedly died of carbon monoxide poisoning in an apparent gas leak at the home of Raul Usupov, deputy governor of Kvemo Kartli region. Later, Zhvania's close friend and a long-time ally, Finance Minister Zurab Nogaideli has been appointed for the post by President Saakashvili.

Since coming to power in 2003, Saakashvili has boosted spending on the country's armed forces and increased its overall size to around 26,000. Of that figure, 5,000 have been trained in advanced techniques by U.S. military instructors. Some of these troops have been stationed in Iraq as part of the international coalition in the region, serving in Baqubah and the Green Zone of Baghdad. In May 2005, the 13th Infantry Battalion ("Shavnabada") became the first full battalion to serve outside of Georgia. This unit was responsible for two checkpoints to the Green Zone, and provided security for the Iraqi Parliament. In October 2005, the unit was replaced by the 21st Infantry Battalion. Soldiers of the 13th battalion wear the "combat patches" of the American unit they served under, the Third Infantry Division. The Georgian government claims to have restored "constitutional order" in the upper Kodori Gorge — the sole Georgia-controlled part of breakaway region Abkhazia.

Georgia has in the past few years significantly reduced corruption. Transparency International places Georgia at joint number 99th in the world in its 2006 Corruption Perceptions Index (with number 1 being considered the least corrupt nation). This is a significant improvement on Georgia's 2005 Corruption Perceptions Index, where Georgia was rated joint 130th.

Foreign relations

Main articles: Georgia and the European Union and Georgian-Russian relations

Georgia maintains good relations with its direct neighbours Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey and participates actively in regional organizations, such as the Black Sea Economic Council and the GUAM. Georgia also maintains close political, economic and military relations with Ukraine.

The growing US and European Union influence in Georgia, notably through the Train and Equip military assistance programme and the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, have frequently strained Tbilisi’s relations with Russia.

Georgia is currently working to become a full member of NATO. In August of 2004, the Individual Partnership Action Plan of Georgia was submitted officially to NATO. On October 29, 2004, the North Atlantic Council of NATO approved the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) of Georgia and Georgia moved on to the so-called second stage of Euro-Atlantic Integration. In 2005, by the decision of the President of Georgia, a state commission was set up to implement the Individual Partnership Action Plan, which presents an interdepartmental group headed by the Prime Minister. The Commission was tasked with coordinating and controlling the implementation of the Individual Partnership Action Plan.

On February 14, 2005, the agreement on the appointment of Partnership for Peace (PfP) liaison officer between Georgia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization came into force, whereby a liaison officer for the South Caucasus was assigned to Georgia. On March 2, 2005, the agreement was signed on the provision of the host nation support to and transit of NATO forces and NATO personnel. On March 6-9, 2006, the IPAP implementation interim assessment team arrived in Tbilisi. On April 13, 2006, the discussion of the assessment report on implementation of the Individual Partnership Action Plan was held at NATO Headquarters, within 26+1 format. In 2006, the Georgian parliament voted unanimously for the bill which calls for integration of Georgian into NATO. Majority of Georgians and politicians in Georgia, support the strive for NATO membership. Currently, it is expected that Georgia will join NATO in 2009.

George W. Bush became the first sitting U.S. president to visit the country. The street leading to Tbilisi International Airport has since been dubbed George W. Bush Avenue.

From the European commission website: President Saakashvili views membership of the EU and NATO as a long term priority. As he does not want Georgia to become an arena of Russia-US confrontation he seeks to maintain close relations with the United States and European Union, at the same time underlining his ambitions to advance co-operation with Russia.

On October 2, 2006, Georgian and the European Union signed a joint statement on the agreed text of the Georgia-European Union Action Plan within the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The Action Plan was formally approved at the EU-Georgia Cooperation Council session on November 14 2006 in Brussels.

On February 2, 2007, Georgia officially became the most recent regional member of the Asian Development Bank. They currently hold 12,081 shares in the bank, 0.341 percent of the total.

Regions, republics, and districts

Main article: Administrative divisions of Georgia (country)

Administrative division

Georgia is divided into 9 regions, 2 autonomous republics (avtonomiuri respublika), and 1 city (k'alak'i). The regions are further subdivided into 69 districts (raioni).

There are two autonomous republics, Abkhazia and Ajaria.

Currently, the status of South Ossetia, a former autonomous administrative district, also known as the Tskhinvali region, is being negotiated with the Russian-supported separatist government. Kodori Gorge is the only part of Abkhazia that remains under effective Georgian control.

Major cities include: Batumi, Chiatura, Gagra, Gori, Kutaisi, Poti, Rustavi, Sokhumi, Tbilisi, Tkibuli, Tskaltubo, Tskhinvali.

The Districts of Georgia are: Abasha, Adigeni, Akhalgori, Akhalkalaki, Akhaltsikhe, Akhmeta, Ambrolauri, Aspindza, Baghdati, Batumi, Bolnisi, Borjomi, Chiatura, Chkhorotsku, Chokhatauri, Dedoplistskaro, Dmanisi, Dusheti, Gagra, Gali, Gardabani, Gori, Gudauta, Gulripshi, Gurjaani, Java, Kareli, Kaspi, Kedi, Kharagauli, Khashuri, Khelvachauri, Khobi, Khoni, Khulo, Kobuleti, Kutaisi, Kvareli, Lagodekhi, Lanchkhuti, Lentekhi, Marneuli, Martvili, Mestia, Mtskheta, Ninotsminda, Oni, Ozurgeti, Poti, Rustavi, Sachkhere, Sagarejo, Samtredia, Senaki, Shuakhevi, Sighnaghi, Sokhumi, Stepantsminda, Telavi, Terjola, Tetritskaro, Tianeti, Tkibuli, Tsageri, Tskhinvali, Tsalenjikha, Tsalka, Tskaltubo, Vani, Zestaponi, and Zugdidi.

Main cities:

• Tbilisi 1,066,100 (metro area 1,270,800)
• Kutaisi 183,300
• Batumi 116,900

Geography and climate

Main article: Geography of Georgia (country)

In the north, Georgia has a 723 km common border with Russia, specifically with the Northern Caucasus federal district. The following Russian republics/subdivisions — from west to east — border Georgia: Krasnodar Krai, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia-Alania, Ingushetia, Chechnya, Dagestan. Georgia also shares borders with Azerbaijan (322 km) to the south-east, Armenia (164 km.) to the south, and Turkey (252 km.) to the south-west.

Mountains are the dominant geographic feature of Georgia. The Likhi Range divides the country into eastern and western halves. Historically, the western portion of Georgia was known as Colchis while the eastern plateau was called Iberia. Due to a complex geographic setting, mountains also isolate the northern region of Svaneti from the rest of Georgia.

The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range separates Georgia from the North Caucasian Republics of Russia. The southern portion of the country is bounded by the Lesser Caucasus Mountains. The main Caucasus Range is much higher in elevation than the Lesser Caucasus Mountains, with the highest peaks rising more than 5,000 meters (16,400ft.) above sea level.

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Kazbek in the Khokh Range

The highest mountain in Georgia is Mount Shkhara at 5,201 meters (17,059 feet), and the second highest is Mount Janga (Jangi-Tau) at 5,051 meters (16,572 feet) above sea level. Other prominent peaks include Kazbegi (Kazbek) at 5,047 meters (16,554 feet), Tetnuldi (4,974m./16,319ft.), Shota Rustaveli (4,960m./16,273ft.), Mt. Ushba (4,710m./15,453ft.), and Ailama (4,525m./14,842ft.). Out of the abovementioned peaks, only Kazbegi is of volcanic origin. The region between Kazbegi and Shkhara (a distance of about 200 km. along the Main Caucasus Range) is dominated by numerous glaciers. The Lesser Caucasus Mountains are made up of various, interconnected mountain ranges (largely of volcanic origin) that do not exceed 3,400 meters (approximately 11,000 feet). Prominent features of the area include the Javakheti Volcanic Plateau, numerous lakes, including Tabatskuri and Paravani, as well as mineral water and hot springs.

The Voronya Cave (aka Krubera-Voronia Cave) is the deepest known cave in the world. It is located in the Arabika Massif of the Gagra Range, in Abkhazia, Georgia, Caucasus. The height difference in the cave is 2,140 (± 9) metres. The same cave set the previous record for depth at 1,710 metres in 2001 by a Russian–Ukrainian team. In 2004 the penetrated depth was increased on each of three expeditions. At that point the Ukrainian team crossed the –2000 m mark for the first time in the history of speleology. In October 2005, a new, unexplored part was found by CAVEX team, and the cave became even deeper. This expedition confirmed the depth of the cave which is now – 2,140 (± 9) metres deep.

Two major rivers in Georgia are the Rioni and the Mtkvari.

Landscape

A sublime landscape from Eastern mountainous part of Georgia

The landscape within the nation's boundaries is quite varied. Western Georgia's landscape ranges from low-land marsh-forests, swamps, and temperate rain forests to eternal snows and glaciers, while the eastern part of the country even contains a small segment of semi-arid plains characteristic of Central Asia. Forests cover around 40% of Georgia's territory while the alpine/subalpine zone accounts for roughly around 10% of the land.

Much of the natural habitat in the low-lying areas of Western Georgia has disappeared over the last 100 years due to the agricultural development of the land and urbanization. The large majority of the forests that covered the Colchis plain are now virtually non-existent with the exception of the regions that are included in the national parks and reserves (i.e. Paleostomi Lake area). At present, the forest cover generally remains outside of the low-lying areas and is mainly located along the foothills and the mountains. Western Georgia's forests consist mainly of deciduous trees below 600 meters (1,968 ft.) above sea level and comprise of species such as oak, hornbeam, beech, elm, ash, and chestnut. Evergreen species such as box may also be found in many areas. There are significant concentrations of endemic species of plants within the region. The west-central slopes of the Meskheti Range in Ajaria as well as several locations in Samegrelo and Abkhazia are covered by temperate rain forests. Between 600–1,500 meters (1,968-4,920 ft.) above sea level, the deciduous forest becomes mixed with both broad-leaf and coniferous species making up the plant life. The zone is made up mainly of beech, spruce, and fir forests. From 1,500-1,800 meters (4,920-5,904 ft.), the forest becomes largely coniferous. The tree line generally ends at around 1,800 meters (5,904 ft.) and the alpine zone takes over, which in most areas, extends up to an elevation of 3,000 meters (9,840 ft.) above sea level. The eternal snow and glacier zone lies above the 3,000 meter line.

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Medieval Castles town of Shatili in Khevsureti

Eastern Georgia's landscape (referring to the territory east of the Likhi Range) is considerably different from that of the west. Although, much like the Colchis plain in the west, nearly all of the low-lying areas of eastern Georgia including the Mtkvari and Alazani River plains have been deforested for agricultural purposes. In addition, due to the region's relatively drier climate, some of the low-lying plains (especially in Kartli and south-eastern Kakheti) were never covered by forests in the first place. The general landscape of eastern Georgia comprises numerous valleys and gorges that are separated by mountains. In contrast with western Georgia, nearly 85% of the forests of the region are deciduous. Coniferous forests only dominate in the Borjomi Gorge and in the extreme western areas. Out of the deciduous species of trees, beech, oak, and hornbeam dominate. Other deciduous species include several varieties of maple, aspen, ash, and hazelnut. The upper Alazani River Valley contains yew forests. At higher elevations above 1,000 meters (3,280 ft) above sea level (particularly in the Tusheti, Khevsureti, and Khevi regions), pine and birch forests dominate. In general, the forests in eastern Georgia occur between 500–2,000 metres (1,640–6,560 ft) above sea level, with the alpine zone extending from 2,000/2,200–3,000/3,500 metres (roughly about 6,560–11,480 ft). The only remaining large, low-land forests remain in the Alazani Valley of Kakheti. The eternal snow and glacier zone lies above the 3,500 metre (11,480 ft.) line in most areas of eastern Georgia.

Climate

Climate is excellent for wine-making and there are 500 different kinds of wine in Georgia

The climate of Georgia is extremely diverse, considering the nation's small size. There are two main climatic zones, roughly separating Eastern and Western parts of the country. The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range plays an important role in moderating Georgia's climate and protects the nation from the penetration of colder air masses from the north. The Lesser Caucasus Mountains partially protect the region from the influence of dry and hot air masses from the south as well.

Much of western Georgia lies within the northern periphery of the humid subtropical zone with annual precipitation ranging from 1000–4000mm. (39–157 inches). The precipitation tends to be uniformly distributed throughout the year, although the rainfall can be particularly heavy during the Autumn months. The climate of the region varies significantly with elevation and while much of the lowland areas of western Georgia are relatively warm throughout the year, the foothills and mountainous areas (including both the Greater and Lesser Caucasus Mountains) experience cool, wet summers and snowy winters (snow cover often exceeds 2 meters in many regions). Ajaria is the wettest region of the Caucasus, where the Mt. Mtirala rainforest, east of Kobuleti receives around 4500mm (177 inches) of precipitation per year.

Eastern Georgia has a transitional climate from humid subtropical to continental. The region's weather patterns are influenced both by dry, Central Asian/Caspian air masses from the east and humid, Black Sea air masses from the west. The penetration of humid air masses from the Black Sea is often blocked by several mountain ranges (Likhi and Meskheti) that separate the eastern and western parts of the nation. Annual precipitation is considerably less than that of western Georgia and ranges from 400–1600mm (16–63 inches). The wettest periods generally occur during Spring and Autumn while Winter and the Summer months tend to be the driest. Much of eastern Georgia experiences hot summers (especially in the low-lying areas) and relatively cold winters. As in the western parts of the nation, elevation plays an important role in eastern Georgia as well, and climatic conditions above 1500 metres (4920ft) above sea level are considerably cooler (even colder) than those of the low-lying areas. The regions that lie above 2000 meters (6560ft) above sea level frequently experience frost even during the summer months.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Georgia

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Georgian twenty lari bill portraying Ilia Chavchavadze, founder of National Bank of Georgia

Archaeological research demonstrates that Georgia has been involved in commerce with the majority of the world's historical empires largely due its location on the Black Sea and later on the historical Silk Road. Throughout Georgia's history agriculture and tourism have been principal economic sectors, due to the country's climate and topography. For much of the 20th century, Georgia's economy was governed by the Soviet command model. Since the fall of the USSR in 1991, Georgia has seen major structural reform designed to transition to a free market economy. In 2006 Georgia's real GDP growth rate reached 8.8%, making Georgia one of the fastest growing economies in Eastern Europe. The World Bank dubbed Georgia "the number one economic reformer in the world" because it has in one year improved from rank 112th to 37th in terms of ease of doing business.However, the country has high unemployment rate of 12.6% and has fairly low median income compared to other European countries.

2006 estimates place Georgia's GDP (adjusted for purchasing power parity) at US$17.79 billion. Georgia's economy is becoming more dependent on services (now representing 54.8% of GDP), moving away from agricultural sector (17.7%). After the Kremlin banned imports of Georgian wine to Russia, one of Georgia's biggest trading partners, and severed financial links, the Georgian lari's rate of inflation spiked to 10% in 2006 (See 2006 Russian ban of Moldovan and Georgian wines). However, the high inflation rate was offset in part by a high investment rate (30% of 2006 GDP) and the country maintained a solid credit in international market securities.

Georgia is becoming more integrated into the global trading network: its 2006 imports and exports account for 10% and 18% of GDP respectively. Georgia's main imports are natural gas, oil products, machinery and parts, and transport equipment. However, the country also has sizable internal energy hydropower resources. In 2004, the Georgian Parliament voted to introduce a flat income tax pegged at 12%, which significantly increased tax collection, thereby reducing the government's formerly large budget deficits. Experts estimate that Georgia has in the past few years significantly reduced corruption, because Transparency International places Georgia at joint number 99th in the world in its 2006 Corruption Perceptions Index (with number 1 being considered the least corrupt nation). This is a significant improvement on Georgia's 2005 Corruption Perceptions Index, where Georgia was rated joint 130th.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Georgia

Grapevine Cross of Saint Nino from the 4th century A.D.

Georgia's demographics is characterized by a high degree of ethnic diversity. Ethnic Georgians form a majority, about 83.8%, of Georgia's current population of 4,661,473 (July 2006 est.). Other major ethnic groups include Azeris, who form 6.5% of the population, Armenians - 5.7%, Russians - 1.5%, Abkhazians, and Ossetians. Numerous smaller groups also live in the country, including Assyrians, Chechens, Chinese, Georgian Jews, Greeks, Kabardins, Kurds, Tatars, Turks and Ukrainians. Notably, Georgia's Jewish community is one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world.

Georgia also exhibits significant linguistic diversity. Within the Georgian language family, Georgians speak Georgian (also known as Kartuli), Laz, Mingrelian, and Svan. Additionally, non-Georgian ethnic groups within the country often speak their native languages in addition to Georgian. The official languages of Georgia are Georgian and also Abkhaz within the autonomous region of Abkhazia. 71% of the population speaks Georgian languages (this includes Mingrelian, Svan, and Laz), 9% - Russian, 7% - Armenian, 6% - Azeri and 7% other. Georgia's literacy rate is 100%.

In the early 1990s, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, a violent separatist conflicts broke out in the autonomous regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which resulted in ethnic cleansing of Georgians from Abkhazia, where ethnic Georgians previously had constituted the largest single ethnic group (46% of population in 1989).

Georgia's net migration rate is -4.54, excluding Georgian nationals who live abroad. Georgia has nonetheless been inhabited by immigrants from all over the world throughout its independence. According to 2006 statistics, Georgia gets most of its immigrants from Turkey and China.

Today most of the population practices Orthodox Christianity of the Georgian Orthodox Church (82.0%). The religious minorities are: Muslim (9.9%); Armenian Apostolic (3.9%); Russian Orthodox Church (2.0%); Roman Catholic (0.8%). 0.8% of those recorded in the 2002 census declared themselves to be adherents of other religions and 0.7% declared no religion at all.

Religion

Today most of the population in Georgia practices Orthodox Christianity of the Georgian Orthodox Church (82.0%). However, Georgia has a long history of religious harmony within its borders despite the historical conflicts with the surrounding nations. Different religious minorities have lived in Georgia for thousands of years and religious discriminations are virtually unknown in the country.

Christianity

A page from a rare Georgian bible, dating from 1030 AD, depicting the Raising of Lazarus

Christianity, first preached by the Apostles Simon and Andrew in the first century, became the state religion of Kartli (Iberia) in 327, making Georgia second oldest Christian country after Armenia. The final conversion to Christianity of Georgia in 327 is credited to St. Nino of Cappadocia who was the only daughter of pious and noble parents the Roman general Zabulon, a relative of the great martyr St. George, and Susanna, sister of the patriarch of Jerusalem. Georgian Orthodox Church, originally being part of the Church of Antioch gained its autocephaly in the 5th century during the reign of Vakhtang Gorgasali and the Bible was also translated in Georgian in the 5th century. Notably, the oldest example of Georgian writing is an asomtavruli inscription in a church in Bethlehem from 430 AD.

Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, known as the burial place of Christ's mantle, which was brought in Mtskheta after the crucification by a Georgian Jew from Iberia, Elias, is the first Georgian church. Notably Georgia falls under the patronage of Virgin Mary according to Saint Stefan who says that the destiny of the mother of God fell on the Iberian land after the Apostles cast lots to determine in which country God desired each of them to preach the Gospel.

Jacques de Vitry and Sir John Maundeville stated that Georgians are called Georgian because they especially revere and worship St. George and when they go on pilgrimage to the Lord's Sepulchre, they march into the Holy City with banners displayed, without paying tribute to anyone.

Other religions

The religious minorities are: Muslim (9.9%); Armenian Apostolic (3.9%); Russian Orthodox Church (2.0%); Roman Catholic (0.8%). 0.8% of those recorded in the 2002 census declared themselves to be adherents of other religions and 0.7% declared no religion at all.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Georgia

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Impressionistic painting of Old Town district of Tbilisi by Elene Akhvlediani

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Popular Georgian singer Sopho Khalvashi on Eurovision 2007

Georgian culture evolved over thousands of years with its foundations in Iberian and Colchian civilizations , continuing into the rise of the unified Georgian Kingdom under the single monarchy of the Bagrationi which has reached its golden age and renaissance of classical literature, arts, philosophy, architecture and science in 11th century. The powerful Georgian language with its own unique alphabet, and the Classical Georgian literature of the legendary epic poet Shota Rustaveli was revived in the 19th century after long period of turmoil, laying the foundations of the great literary achievements of romantics and novelists of modern era such as Grigol Orbeliani, Nikoloz Baratashvili, Ilia Chavchavadze, Akaki Tsereteli, Vaza Pshavela, and many others. Georgian culture with its distinctively own unique civilization was also influenced by the Classical Greece, Roman and Byzantine Empire, and later by the Russian Empire which has contributed in the European identity of the Georgian culture.

Georgia is well-known for its rich folklore, unique traditional music, theatre, cinema, arts, etc. Georgians are renowned for their love of music, dance, theatre and cinema which has been demonstrated in the 20th century by greately contributing to the world of arts thanks to the legendary representatives of the Georgian culture such as legendary painters (Niko Pirosmani, Lado Gudiashvili, Elene Akhvlediani, etc), ballet choreographers (George Balanchine, Vakhtang Chabukiani, Nino Ananiashvili) poets (Galaktion Tabidze, Lado Asatiani, Mukhran Machavariani, etc.) and theatre/film directors (Robert Sturua, Tengiz Abuladze, Otar Ioseliani, etc.).

Architecture

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Sioni (Zioni) Cathedral in Tbilisi, an example of Georgian cross-dome style

Georgian architecture is one of the most distinguished and unique architectures in the world. However, it has been enriched and influenced by many civilizations during the long history of the country. There are several different architectural styles for castles, towers fortifications and churches. The Upper Svaneti fortifications and the castle town of Shatili in Khevsureti are one of the finest examples of medieval Georgian castles.

Georgian ecclesiastic art is one of the most fascinating aspects of Georgian Christian architecture, which combines classical dome style with original basilica style forming what is known as Georgian cross-dome style. Cross-dome style of architecture developed in Georgia during the 9th century and before that, most of the Georgian churches were basilicas. Georgian culture places high emphases on individualism and this is expressed thought the allocation of space inside the churches. Other examples of Georgian ecclesiastic architecture can be found oversees in Bulgaria (Bachkovo Monastery built in 1083 by Georgian military commander Grigorii Bakuriani ), in Greece (Iviron monastery built by Georgians in 10th century) and in Jerusalem (Monastery of the Cross built by Georgians in 9th century).

Other architectural aspects of Georgia include Hausmannized Rustaveli avenue of Tbilisi and the Old Town District.

Art

The art of Georgia varies from prehistoric to ancient Greek, Roman, medieval, ecclesiastic, iconic and modern visual arts. One of the mot famous late nineteenth and early twentieth century Georgian artists is Niko Pirosmani, who is one of the most promonent primitivist painters in the world. Pirosmani's works can also been seen as early impressionistic due to the fact that he was an inspiration to Lado Gudiashvili and Elene Akhvlediani who represent more mainstream impressionism of the twentieth century.

Cuisine

Main article: Georgian cuisine

Mtsvadi (Georgian Pork Barbecue) on the grill

Georgian cuisine and wine is highly appreciated worldwide and it has evolved throughout the centuries, adapting traditions from different eras. One of the most unique traditions of dining is Supra, or Georgian table, which is also a way of socialization within friends and extended family members, where Tamada is the head of Supra, who also regulates the highly philosophized toasts, and makes sure that everybody is pleased with the party. Various historical regions of Georgia are known for their dishes: for example, Khinkali (meat dumplings), come from eastern mountainous Georgia and Khachapuri - mainly from Imereti, Mingrelia and Adjara.

In addition to the traditional Georgian dishes the foods of other countrieshave been brought to Georgia by the immigrants from Russia, Greece, and recently China.

See also

• Georgian cuisine
• Georgian cheese
• Human rights in Georgia (country)
• Communications in Georgia
• Georgian Media
• Georgia national football team
• Georgia national rugby league team
• Rugby union in Georgia
• Georgia national rugby union team (nicknamed Lelos)
• Georgian Academy of Sciences
• Georgian Catholic Church
• Georgian National Science Foundation
• Georgian National Section of EUROSCIENCE
• Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church
• Georgian people
• List of Georgian companies
• List of Georgian writers
• List of Georgians
• Military of Georgia
• Music of Georgia
• The National Bank of Georgia
• Public holidays in Georgia
• Religion and religious freedom in Georgia
• Sakartvelos Skauturi Modzraobis Organizatsia
• State decorations of Georgia
• Tbilisi State University
• Transport in Georgia

Education

Universities in Tbilisi include:

• Tbilisi State University
• Tbilisi State Conservatory
• Tbilisi State Medical University
• Georgian Agrarian University
• Georgian Technical University
• Tbilisi State Pedagogical University
• Ilia Chavchavadze State University
• International Black Sea University
• Georgian University of Social Sciences

Gallery of Georgia

• Mountains of Georgia
  Mountains of Georgia
• 
  Mountain landscape
• 
  Gremi Church
• 
  10 century Ananuri Church
• 
  Famous Georgian vineyards in Kakheti
• 
  Tbilisi
• 
  Gagra
• 
  Sukhumi
• 9 century Gelati Monastery
  9 century Gelati Monastery
• Medival fortress of Varzia
  Medival fortress of Varzia
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  Bakuriani
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  Northern Georgia

References

• Anchabadze, George: History of Georgia: A Short Sketch, Tbilisi 2005 ISBN 99928-71-59-8
• Avalov, Zurab: Prisoedinenie Gruzii k Rossii, Montvid, S.-Peterburg 1906
• Gvosdev, Nikolas K.: Imperial policies and perspectives towards Georgia: 1760-1819, Macmillan, Basingstoke 2000, ISBN 0-312-22990-9
• Lang, David M.: The last years of the Georgian Monarchy: 1658-1832, Columbia University Press, New York 1957
• Suny, Ronald Grigor: The Making of the Georgian Nation, (2nd Edition), Bloomington and Indianapolis, 1994, ISBN 0-253-35579-6

Further reading

• Bradt Guide: Georgia Tim Burford
• Claws of the Crab: Georgia and Armenia in Crisis Stephen Brook
• Enough!: The Rose Revolution in the Republic of Georgia 2003 Zurab Karumidze and James V. Wertshtor
• Georgia: A Sovereign Country in the Caucasus Roger Rosen
• Georgia in Antiquity: A History of Colchis and Transcaucasian Iberia 550 BC–AD 562 Braund, David, 1994. Clarendon Press, Oxford. ISBN 0-19-814473-3
• Georgia: In the Mountains of Poetry Peter Nasmyth
• Please Don't Call It Soviet Georgia: A Journey Through a Troubled Paradise Mary Russell
• The Georgian Feast: The Vibrant Culture and Savory Food of the Republic of Georgia Darra Goldstein
• Lonely Planet World Guide: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan\
• Organized Crime and Corruption in Georgia Louise Shelley, Erik Scott, Anthony Latta, eds. Routledge: Oxford.
• Stories I Stole Wendell Steavenson

External links

Government

• Presidency
• Government
• Parliament
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Ministry of Defense
• Ministry of Internal Affairs
• National Security Council
• Ministry of Finance
• Constitutional Court
• National Parliamentary Library

Public institutions

• Department of tourism

Profiles

• CIA Factbook
• Open Directory Project
• Eurasianet
• US Department of State

Other

• Dictionary of Georgian National Biography
• Georgian Diaspora Official site
• Official site of Orthodox Patriarchate of Georgia
• Georgian Historical Monuments Gallery
• Georgian English, English Georgian online dictionary