Georgia
Country Guide

Explore Georgia

Georgia with its capital Tbilisi is located in Asia (Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea). It covers some 69,701 square kilometers (slightly smaller than South Carolina) with a population of 4,926,330. Georgian, Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani are some of the languages spoken by the majority in Georgia (consider regional differences). Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia and Turkey are bordering countries.

Georgia is a country in the Caucasus. It lies at the eastern end of the Black Sea, with Turkey and Armenia to the south, Azerbaijan to the east, and Russia to the north, over the Caucasus Mountains. Imagine cities with narrow side streets filled with leaning houses, overstretched balconies, mangled and twisted stairways, majestic old churches, heavenly food and warm and welcoming people. All of this with a backdrop of magnificent snow peaked mountains, and the best beaches of the Black Sea.

Popular Destinations in Georgia

Administrative regions of Georgia

• Abkhazia
• Ajaria
• Guria
• Imereti
• K'alak'i T'bilisi
• Kakheti
• Kvemo Kartli
• Mtskheta-Mtianeti
• Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti
• Samegrelo-Zemo Svanetis Mkhare
• Samtskhe-Javakheti
• Shida Kartli

About the country

The terrain is largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the north and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south with Kolkhet'is Dablobi (Kolkhida Lowland) opening to the Black Sea in the west, Mtkvari River Basin in the east as well as fertile soils in river valley flood plains and foothills of Kolkhida Lowland. The average density of population is about 71 per km². The climate in Georgia can be described as warm and pleasant with Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast. Possible natural disasters include earthquakes.

To reach someone Georgia dial +995 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".ge". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 220 V - 50 Hz (plugs: C, F). The sign for the locally used currency Lari is GEL.

White rectangle with a central red cross extending to all four sides of the flag; each of the four quadrants displays a small red bolnur-katskhuri cross; sometimes referred to as the Five-Cross Flag; although adopted as the official Georgian flag in 2004, the five-cross design appears to date back to the 14th century.

The region of present day Georgia contained the ancient kingdoms of Colchis and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence in the first centuries A.D., and Christianity became the state religion in the 330s. Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks was followed by a Georgian golden age (11th-13th centuries) that was cut short by the Mongol invasion of 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman and Persian empires competed for influence in the region. Georgia was absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Independent for three years (1918-1921) following the Russian revolution, it was forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1921 and regained its independence when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Mounting public discontent over rampant corruption and ineffective government services, followed by an attempt by the incumbent Georgian Government to manipulate parliamentary elections in November 2003, touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, president since 1995. In the aftermath of that popular movement, which became known as the "Rose Revolution," new elections in early 2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI into power along with his United National Movement (UNM) party. Progress on market reforms and democratization has been made in the years since independence, but this progress has been complicated by Russian assistance and support to the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Periodic flare-ups in tension and violence culminated in a five-day conflict in August 2008 between Russia and Georgia, including the invasion of large portions of undisputed Georgian territory. Russian troops pledged to pull back from most occupied Georgian territory, but in late August 2008 Russia unilaterally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and Russian military forces remain in those regions. Billionaire philanthropist Bidzina IVANISHVILI's unexpected entry into politics in October 2011 brought the divided opposition together under his Georgian Dream coalition, which won a majority of seats in the October 2012 parliamentary elections and removed UNM from power. Conceding defeat, SAAKASHVILI named IVANISHVILI as prime minister and allowed Georgian Dream to create a new government. Georgian Dream's Giorgi MARGVELASHVILI was inaugurated as president on 17 November 2013, ending a tense year of power-sharing between SAAKASHVILI and IVANISHVILI. IVANISHVILI voluntarily resigned from office after the presidential succession, and Georgia's legislature on 20 November 2013 confirmed Irakli GARIBASHVILI as his replacement. GARIBASHVILI was replaced by Giorgi KVIRIKASHVILI in December 2015. KVIRIKASHVILI remained Prime Minister following Georgian Dream’s success in the October 2016 parliamentary elections, where the party won a constitutional majority. These changes in leadership represent unique examples of a former Soviet state that emerged to conduct democratic and peaceful government transitions of power. Popular and government support for integration with the West is high in Georgia. Joining the EU and NATO are among the country's top foreign policy goals.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 122)	69,700	sq km
Land (World Rank: 119)	69,700	sq km
Forest (World Rank: 61)	27.90	%
Comparative	slightly smaller than South Carolina; slightly larger than West Virginia
Note	approximately 12,560 sq km, or about 18% of Georgia's area, is Russian occupied
Coastline
310
Landborder
1814
Elevation
Highest point (World Rank: 24)	5,193	m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 117)	35.50	%
Arable (World Rank: 146)	5.80	%
Permanent crops (World Rank: 100)	1.80	%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 61)	27.90	%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 60)	4,330	sq km
Map reference
Asia
Environment
Issues	- air pollution - heavy pollution of Mtkvari River and the Black Sea - inadequate supplies of potable water - particularly in Rust'avi - soil pollution from toxic chemicals
Agreement party	- Air Pollution - Biodiversity - Climate Change - Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol - Desertification - Endangered Species - Hazardous Wastes - Law of the Sea - Ozone Layer Protection - Ship Pollution - Wetlands
Hazzards	earthquakes
Location
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia, with a sliver of land north of the Caucasus extending into Europe; note - Georgia views itself as part of Europe; geopolitically, it can be classified as falling within Europe, the Middle East, or both
Climate
warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast
Terrain
largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the north and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhet'is Dablobi (Kolkhida Lowland) opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari River Basin in the east; fertile soils in river valley flood plains and foothills of Kolkhida Lowland

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People

Population
Total (World Rank: 124)	4,926,330
Deathrate (World Rank: 30)	1.09	%
Birthrate (World Rank: 158)	1.23	%
Growthrate (World Rank: 192)	-0.02	%
Migration rate (World Rank: 116)	-0.16	%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 155)	1.76	%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 70)	35.30
Female (World Rank: 52)	40.90
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 125)	466,426
0 14 female (World Rank: 128)	424,295
15 24 male (World Rank: 127)	310,970
15 24 female (World Rank: 131)	277,434
25 54 male (World Rank: 121)	983,144
25 54 female (World Rank: 118)	1,034,790
55 64 male (World Rank: 92)	286,539
55 64 female (World Rank: 87)	354,247
65 x male (World Rank: 86)	309,353
65 x female (World Rank: 74)	479,128
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 99)	1.52	%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 84)	76	years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 65)	81	years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 113)	72	years
Physicians per 1000 (World Rank: 7)	4.78
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 85)	2.60
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 107)	86.30	%
Obesity adult (World Rank: 85)	21.70	%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 18)	100.00	%

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Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 93)	11,570,000,000	kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 85)	12,440,000,000	kWh
Export (World Rank: 63)	560,000,000	kWh
Import (World Rank: 80)	478,900,000	kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 172)	36.20	%
Source nuclear (World Rank: 25)	63.80	%
Crude oil
Production (World Rank: 93)	400	bbl / day
Exports (World Rank: 73)	1,002	bbl / day
Imports (World Rank: 82)	200	bbl / day
Proved reserves (World Rank: 82)	35,000,000	bbl
Refined products
Consumption (World Rank: 133)	23,000	bbl / day
Export (World Rank: 114)	283	bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 109)	23,910	bbl / day
Natural gas
Production (World Rank: 94)	10,000,000	m³
Consumption (World Rank: 84)	2,180,000,000	m³
Import (World Rank: 77)	0	m³
Carbon footprint
7000000

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Nation

Budget
Education (World Rank: 165)	2	% of GDP
Military (World Rank: 44)	2	% of GDP
Health (World Rank: 72)	7	% of GDP
Surplus (World Rank: 128)	-4	% of GDP
National symbol
Saint George
National colours
white
Adjective
Georgian
Noun
Georgian(s)
Background
The region of present day Georgia contained the ancient kingdoms of Colchis and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence in the first centuries A.D., and Christianity became the state religion in the 330s. Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks was followed by a Georgian golden age (11th-13th centuries) that was cut short by the Mongol invasion of 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman and Persian empires competed for influence in the region. Georgia was absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Independent for three years (1918-1921) following the Russian revolution, it was forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1921 and regained its independence when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Mounting public discontent over rampant corruption and ineffective government services, followed by an attempt by the incumbent Georgian Government to manipulate parliamentary elections in November 2003, touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, president since 1995. In the aftermath of that popular movement, which became known as the "Rose Revolution," new elections in early 2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI into power along with his United National Movement (UNM) party. Progress on market reforms and democratization has been made in the years since independence, but this progress has been complicated by Russian assistance and support to the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Periodic flare-ups in tension and violence culminated in a five-day conflict in August 2008 between Russia and Georgia, including the invasion of large portions of undisputed Georgian territory. Russian troops pledged to pull back from most occupied Georgian territory, but in late August 2008 Russia unilaterally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and Russian military forces remain in those regions. Billionaire philanthropist Bidzina IVANISHVILI's unexpected entry into politics in October 2011 brought the divided opposition together under his Georgian Dream coalition, which won a majority of seats in the October 2012 parliamentary elections and removed UNM from power. Conceding defeat, SAAKASHVILI named IVANISHVILI as prime minister and allowed Georgian Dream to create a new government. Georgian Dream's Giorgi MARGVELASHVILI was inaugurated as president on 17 November 2013, ending a tense year of power-sharing between SAAKASHVILI and IVANISHVILI. IVANISHVILI voluntarily resigned from office after the presidential succession, and Georgia's legislature on 20 November 2013 confirmed Irakli GARIBASHVILI as his replacement. GARIBASHVILI was replaced by Giorgi KVIRIKASHVILI in December 2015. KVIRIKASHVILI remained Prime Minister following Georgian Dream’s success in the October 2016 parliamentary elections, where the party won a constitutional majority. These changes in leadership represent unique examples of a former Soviet state that emerged to conduct democratic and peaceful government transitions of power. Popular and government support for integration with the West is high in Georgia. Joining the EU and NATO are among the country's top foreign policy goals.
Flag description
white rectangle with a central red cross extending to all four sides of the flag; each of the four quadrants displays a small red bolnur-katskhuri cross; sometimes referred to as the Five-Cross Flag; although adopted as the official Georgian flag in 2004, the five-cross design appears to date back to the 14th century

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Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 120)	37,170,000,000	USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 105)	2.70	%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 134)	10,000	USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 94)	9.30	%
Source industry (World Rank: 126)	22.80	%
Source service (World Rank: 80)	67.20	%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 124)	1,998,000
In poverty (World Rank: 152)	9.20	%
Products
Industries	- chemicals - copper - electrical appliances - gold - machine tools - manganese - mining - steel - wine - wood products
Agriculture	- citrus - grapes - hazelnuts - livestock - tea - vegetables
Exports	- copper ores - ferro-alloys - fertilizers - gold - nuts - scrap metal - vehicles
Imports	- fuels - grain - machinery - other foods - parts - pharmaceuticals - vehicles

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Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 82)	831,346
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 106)	17.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 99)	112.00
Assessment	0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 105)	2,464,110
Population (World Rank: 123)	50.00	%

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Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 84)	18.00
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 156)	4.00
Heliports (World Rank: 65)	2.00
Rail
Total length (World Rank: 83)	1,363
Road
Total length (World Rank: 114)	19,109
Paved length (World Rank: 60)	19,109

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