Georgia (country)

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Georgia
საქართველო
Motto: ძალა ერთობაშია  (Georgian)
"Strength is in Unity"
Anthem: Tavisupleba
Freedom
Location of Georgia (country)
Capital
and largest city
Tbilisi
Official languagesGeorgian1
GovernmentSemi-presidential unitary republic
• President
Mikheil Saakashvili
Zurab Noghaideli
Consolidation
• Kingdoms of Colchis and Iberia

c.2000 BCE
• Georgian Kingdom unified

1008 CE

May 26 1918
• Independence from
the Soviet Union
Declared
Recognized
Completed


April 9 1991
September 6 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)Increase 0.743
Error: Invalid HDI value (97th)
CurrencyLari (ლ) (GEL)
Time zoneUTC+3 (MSK)
• Summer (DST)
UTC+4 (MSD)
Calling code995
ISO 3166 codeGE
Internet TLD.ge
  1. Also Abkhaz within the Abkhazian Autonomous Republic.
  2. CIA World Factbook. Population figure excludes Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Georgia (Georgian: საქართველო, transliterated as Sakartvelo) is a country in Eurasia in the South Caucasus. From 1990 to 1995 it was officially known as Republic of Georgia. It is bordered on the west by the Black Sea, on the north by Russia, on the south by Turkey and Armenia, and on the west by Azerbaijan. Some sources place Georgia in Europe, while others place it in Asia.[1], however Georgia is considered to be culturally, politically and traditionally linked with Europe [2]

Georgia has one of the world’s richest and oldest histories, stretching back to the prehistoric times. The rise of the early Georgian states of Colchis and Iberia in c.2000 BC formed the unique Georgian civilization which achieved its renaissance and golden age in 12-13th century. The ancient Georgian kingdom of Iberia-Kartli recognized Christianity as a state religion in 327,[3][4][5] making Georgia one of the oldest Christian nations in the world. The Georgian alphabet is a unique alphabet which dates at least to the 4th century and is still used in modern times. The oldest surviving literary texts in Georgian date from the first half of the 5th century. Georgia is also known around the world as the birthplace of wine, due to archeological findings which indicate wine production back to 5000 BC.[6][7][8][9][10]

Georgia is a democracy, organized as a unitary, semi-presidential republic. After independence Georgia has sought integration with Europen Union. 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.

Etymology

File:St George (15th cent, Georgia).jpg
Plaque portraying St George slaying the Dragon. 15th century cloisonné enamel on gold. 15X11,5 cm (National Art Museum of Georgia)

Georgians call themselves Kartvelebi (ქართველები), their land Sakartvelo (საქართველო), and their language Kartuli (ქართული). These names are derived from a chief called Kartlos, said to be the father of all Georgians and biblical ancestor of Kartvelian people. According to the legend Kartlos was a son of Targamos, grandson of Biblical Japheth.

Supposedly, English name etymology of the term Georgia is derived from the Greek: Γεωργία Geōrgía. On the other hand, Eastern World knows Georgians through Persian word gurj, meaning beautiful in ancient Persian, which is also traces its etymology in other Indo-European languages, like English gorgeous. This term is the source of the Turkish Gürcü [ɟyɾ'ʤy] and Russian Грузин ("Gruzin") and Gürcistan and Грузия respectively.

In addition, there have been many other proposed derivations of the English Georgia. It has been mistakenly supposed to have come from the country's patron, St. George.[11][12] Yet another proposed etymology relates the Persian name to a Proto-Indo-European word meaning 'mountainous'.

In antiquity, dominant Kingdom of Kartli in Eastern Georgia was known by the Greco-Roman world, Iberia. Under the influence of the Armenian words for Georgia, respectively the ancient form of Virk (Վիրք) and the modern Vrastan (Վրաստան), or the Middle Iranian Wyrshn, Iberia may be also be spelled as Iveria[13][14]

History

Main article: History of Georgia (country)

The recorded history of Georgia dates back more than 4,000 years.

Georgia in antiquity

File:Colchisiberiamapandersen.jpg
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.)

Colchis is the location of the Golden Fleece sought by Jason and the Argonauts in the Greek myth and 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 power 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 in 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 the Georgian Kingdom at the beginning of the 11th century. Starting in the 12th century the rule of Georgia extended over the significant part of the Southern Caucasus, including northeastern parts and almost the entire northern coast of what is now Turkey.

Medieval Georgia

File:Geor tamro.gif
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 and Georgian Renaissance . The revival of the Georgian Kingdom was shortlived however, and the Kingdom was eventually subordinated by the Mongols in 1236. Thereafter, different local rulers fought for their independence from the 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 subordinated 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.

File:St Mamas tondo, Georgia.jpg
Tondo depicting Saint Mamas from the Gelati Monastery, 14th–15th centuries

As a result of wars against the 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[15][16] which was confirmed by Tsar Alexander I on September 12 1801.[17][18] The Georgian envoy in Saint Petersburg reacted with a note of protest that was presented to the Russian vice-chancellor Prince Kurakin.[19] In May 1801, Russian General Carl Heinrich Knorring dethroned the Georgian heir to the throne David Batonishvili and deployed a government headed by General Ivan Petrovich Lasarev.[20]

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.[21]

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

In 1810, after a brief war,[22] 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 Soviet period

File:Amirajabifamily.jpg
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 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.

File:TL021461.jpg
Georgian girl holding the GDR flag during the pro-independence rally in Tbilisi, April 10, 1989

The Dissidential movement for restoration of Georgian statehood started started to gain popularity in the 1960s. [23] 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. .[24]

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

File:TL021501.jpg
Georgian child holding the flag of Independent Georgia, Tbilisi, April 10, 1989

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. Template:Georgian statehood 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.[25] 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.

George W. Bush visited Georgia in 2005 and he became the first acting U.S. president to visit the country.

Government and politics

Main article: Politics of Georgia
File:529720 georgien.jpg
Newly adopted medieval Georgian flag over the government building in Tbilisi

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.

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.[26] 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.[27]

Foreign relations

Main articles: Georgia and the European Union and Georgian–Russian relations
File:52258884.jpg
Georgian troops in Iraq

Georgia maintains good relations with its direct neighbours Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey and participates actively in regional forums, such as the Black Sea Economic Council and the GUAM Grouping.[28] Georgia maintains very close relations with Ukraine. During the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, thousands of Georgians rallied in support of Viktor Yushchenko in Kiev, Georgia's capital Tbilisi, and North America.

Georgia is working in becoming 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 under the silence procedure 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.[29] Currently, it is expected that Georgia will join NATO in 2009.


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, at the same time underlining his ambitions to advance co-operation with Russia.[30]

The European Union is deeply concerned about continuing tension between Georgia and Russia and recent incidents in South Ossetia, which do not contribute to stability and freedom of movement. The European Union is particularly worried by the recent closure of the only recognized border crossing between Georgia and the Russian Federation. The European Union emphasises the importance of ensuring freedom of movement of goods and people, in particular by keeping the border crossing at Zemo Larsi open. —[31]

File:42-15325358.jpg
George W. Bush visiting Georgia in 2005

On October 2, 2006, 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.[32]

The growing US influence in Georgia, notably through the Train and Equip military assistance programme and the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, have made Tbilisi’s relations with Moscow frequently strained. The US has announced that the programme will come to an end in the early summer of 2004 and will be replaced by more regular military support activities. Former US Secretary of State Colin Powell has announced that it is not the intention of the US to establish military bases in Georgia.[33]

“We call on the Government of Georgia and the Abkhaz authorities to abide by the 1994 ceasefire agreement and all relevant agreements pertaining to Georgia's Abkhazia region. The United States supports demilitarizing the Kodori Valley… We urge the two parties to return promptly to the Coordination Council to resume discussions of a peaceful end to the conflict,” according to a US statement.[34]

Administrative divisions

Main article: Subdivisions of Georgia
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, Liakhvi, Marneuli, Martvili, Mestia, Mtskheta, Ninotsminda, Ochamchire, Oni, Ozurgeti, Poti, Rustavi, Sachkhere, Sagarejo, Samtredia, Senaki, Shuakhevi, Sighnagi, Sokhumi, Stepantsminda, Telavi, Terjola, Tetritskaro, Tianeti, Tkibuli, Tsageri, Tskhinvali, Tsalenjikha, Tsalka, Tskaltubo, Vani, Zestaponi, and Zugdidi.

Main cities:

Geography and climate

Main article: Geography of Georgia

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.

File:Kazbegi1.jpg
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.

Major rivers in Georgia include 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 as well. The west-central slopes of the Meskheti Range in Ajaria as well as several regions 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.

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. In the upper Alazani River Valley, there are yew forests as well. 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 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
File:20lari.jpg
Georgian twenty lari bill portraying the founder of the National Bank, Ilia Chavchavadze

Archaeological research demonstrates that Georgia has been involved in commerce with the majority of the world's historical empires.[35] Throughout Georgia's history agriculture and tourism have been principal economic sectors, due to the country's climate and topography.[36] 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.[36] 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.[37]

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%).[36] 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.[38] 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.

According to Ilia Chavchavadze, the founder of the National Bank, in order to increase wealth of the country, there must be economic freedom.[39] Georgia is becoming more integrated into the global trading network: its 2006 imports and exports account for 10% and 18% of GDP respectively.[36] 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).[40] This is a significant improvement on Georgia's 2005 Corruption Perceptions Index, where Georgia was rated joint 130th.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Georgia
A page from a rare Georgian bible, dating from 1030 AD, depicting the Raising of Lazarus

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.).[41] 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.[42]

Culture

Main article: Culture of Georgia

See also

Education

Universities in Tbilisi include:

Images of Georgia

Notes

  1. ^ The Geographic Web Site www.worldatlas.com places Georgia in Europe as do many European sources, such as the BBC. The UN classification of world regions places Georgia in Western Asia as does the CIA World Factbook
  2. ^ Socialism in Georgian Colors: The European Road to Social Democracy, 1883-1917 by Stephen F. Jones
  3. ^ Alasania, g. Twenty centuries of Christianity in Georgia. Library of Congress. Washington, DC
  4. ^ Meyer, Karl E. Icebergs in the caucasus. 07-01-2001 World Policy Journal
  5. ^ Theodor Dowling, Sketches of Georgian Church History, New York, 1912
  6. ^ Republic of Georgian Wines, Select Wines LLC
  7. ^ History of Wine I: The Ancients, Tynan Szvetecz, SavorEachGlass.com
  8. ^ [1], New York Times
  9. ^ Georgia on my mind, From Our Own Correspondent , BBC News Online, 30 December, 2000
  10. ^ In Georgia, a Pilgrimage to the Cradle of Wine, CJ Chivers, New York Times Travel, October 8 2006
  11. ^ David Marshall Lang, The Georgians, (New York: Frederick A. Praeger, Inc., 1966), 17-18.
  12. ^ David Marshall Lang, A Modern History of Soviet Georgia, (New York: Grove Press, Inc., 1962), 5-6.
  13. ^ David Marshall Lang, The Georgians, (New York: Frederick A. Praeger, Inc., 1966), 17-18.
  14. ^ David Marshall Lang, A Modern History of Soviet Georgia, (New York: Grove Press, Inc., 1962), 5-6.
  15. ^ Gvosdev (2000), p. 85
  16. ^ Avalov (1906), p. 186
  17. ^ Gvosdev (2000), p. 86
  18. ^ Lang (1957), p. 249
  19. ^ Lang (1957), p. 251
  20. ^ Lang (1957), p. 247
  21. ^ Lang (1957), p. 252
  22. ^ Anchabadze (2005), p. 29
  23. ^ Socialism in Georgian Colors: The European Road to Social Democracy, 1883-1917 by Stephen F. Jones
  24. ^ http://www.parliament.ge/pages/archive_en/history/his13.html From Georgian Parliament
  25. ^ http://eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav112204a.shtml
  26. ^ * http://www.kyivpost.com/bn/24927/ - "Georgian president proposes military reserve system for defense, disaster response"
  27. ^ Tbilisi prepares to send Abkhaz government-in-exile to Kodori, Zaal Anjaparidze
  28. ^ http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/georgia/intro/index.htm
  29. ^ Georgia's way to NATO
  30. ^ http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/georgia/intro/index.htm
  31. ^ http://www.mfa.gov.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=78&info_id=1866
  32. ^ EU, Georgia Sign ENP Action Plan, Civil Georgia, October 2, 2006.
  33. ^ http://ec.europa.eu/comm/external_relations/georgia/intro/index.htm
  34. ^ & http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=13301 U.S. Concerned over Renewed Tensions in Georgia
  35. ^ National Museum of Georgia - [2]
  36. ^ a b c d CIA World Factbook - [3]
  37. ^ World Bank Economy Rankings.
  38. ^ See 2006 Russian ban of Moldovan and Georgian wines
  39. ^ Chavchavadze, Ilia. "Novels and Poetry". Ch. IV
  40. ^ Corruption Perceptions Index 2006
  41. ^ This figure includes the territories currently out of the Georgian government's control – Abkhazia and South Ossetia – whose total population, as of 2005, is estimated by the State Department of Statistics of Georgia at 227,200 (178,000 in Abkhazia plus 49,200 in South Ossetia). Statistical Yearbook of Georgia, 2005: Population (607kb, Microsoft Word Document).
  42. ^ CIA World Factbook, [4]

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

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