Map of Georgia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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 until the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. An attempt by the incumbent Georgian government to manipulate national legislative elections in November 2003 touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE president since 1995. New elections in early 2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI into power along with his National Movement Party. Progress on market reforms and democratization has been made in the years since independence but this progress has been complicated by two civil conflicts in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. These two territories remain outside the control of the central government and are ruled by de facto unrecognized governments supported by Russia. Russian-led peacekeeping operations continue in both regions. The Georgian Government put forward a new peace initiative for the peaceful resolution of the status of South Ossetia in 2005.


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Location: Southwestern Asia bordering the Black Sea between Turkey and Russia

Geographic coordinates: 42 00 N 43 30 E

Map reference: Asia

Area
Total: 69,700 km²
Land: 69,700 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries
Total: 1,461 km
Border countries: (4) Armenia 164 km; , Azerbaijan 322 km; , Russia 723 km; , Turkey 252 km

Coastline: 310 km

Maritime claims: NA

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; good soils in river valley flood plains foothills of Kolkhida Lowland

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mt'a Shkhara 5,201 m

Natural resources: forests hydropower manganese deposits iron ore copper minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth

Land use
Arable land: 11.51%
Permanent crops: 3.79%
Other: 84.7% (2005)

Irrigated land: 4,690 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: earthquakes

Geography
Note: strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them


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Population: 4,661,473 (July 2006 est.)
Growth rate: -0.34% (2006 est.)
Below poverty line: 54% (2001 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Georgian
Adjective: Georgian

Ethnic groups: Georgian 83.8% Azeri 6.5% Armenian 5.7% Russian 1.5% other 2.5% (2002 census)

Languages
Note: Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia

Religions: Orthodox Christian 83.9% Muslim 9.9% Armenian-Gregorian 3.9% Catholic 0.8% other 0.8% none 0.7% (2002 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 17.3% (male 428,056/female 380,193)
15-64 years: 66.2% (male 1,482,908/female 1,602,064)
65 years and over: 16.5% (male 308,905/female 459,347) (2006 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 37.7 years
Male: 35.3 years
Female: 40.1 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.34% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 10.41 births/1000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 9.23 deaths/1000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.54 migrant(s)/1000 population (2006 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: air pollution particularly in Rust'avi; heavy pollution of Mtkvari River and the Black Sea; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil pollution from toxic chemicals
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.15 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.13 male/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male/female
Total population: 0.91 male/female (2006 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 17.97 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 20.06 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 15.56 deaths/1000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.09 years
Male: 72.8 years
Female: 79.87 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.42 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 3,000 (2003 est.)
Deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 100%
Male: 100%
Female: 100% (2004 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Georgia
Local long form: none
Local short form: Sak'art'velo
Former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: T'bilisi
Geographic coordinates: 41 43 N, 44 49 E
Time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions
Regions: Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli
Cities: Chiat'ura, Gori, K'ut'aisi, P'ot'i, Rust'avi, Tbilisi, Tqibuli, Tsqaltubo, Zugdidi
Autonomous republics: Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is Avtonomiuri Respublika (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika (Bat'umi)
Note: the administrative centers of the two autonomous republics are shown in parentheses

Dependent areas

Independence: 9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day 26 May (1918); note - 26 May 1918 is the date of independence from Soviet Russia 9 April 1991 is the date of independence from the Soviet Union

Constitution: adopted 24 August 1995

Legal system: based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25 January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government for the power ministries: state security (includes interior) and defense
Head of government: President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25 January 2004); Prime Minister Zurab NOGHAIDELI (since 17 February 2005); note - the president is the chief of state and head of government for the power ministries: state security (includes interior) and defense; the prime minister is head of the remaining ministries of government
Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 4 January 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
Election results: Mikheil SAAKASHVILI elected president; percent of vote - Mikheil SAAKASHVILI 96.3%, Temur SHASHIASHVILI 1.9%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held spring 2008)
Election results: percent of vote by party - National Movement-Democratic Front 67.6%, Rightist Opposition 7.6%, all other parties received less than 7% each; seats by party - National Movement-Democratic Front 135, Rightist Opposition 15

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges elected by the Supreme Council on the president's or chairman of the Supreme Court's recommendation); Constitutional Court; first and second instance courts

Political parties and leaders: Burjanadze-Democrats [Nino BURJANADZE]; Georgian People's Front [Nodar NATADZE]; Georgian United Communist Party or UCPG [Panteleimon GIORGADZE]; Greens [Giorgi GACHECHILADZE]; Industry Will Save Georgia (Industrialists) or IWSG [Georgi TOPADZE]; Labor Party [Shalva NATELASHVILI]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Bachuki KARDAVA]; National Movement Democratic Front [Mikheil SAAKASHVILI] bloc composed of National Movement and Burjanadze-Democrats; National Movement [Mikheil SAAKASHVILI]; New Rights [David GAMKRELIDZE]; Republican Party [David USUPASHVILI]; Rightist Opposition [David GAMKRELIDZE] bloc composed of Industrialists and New Right Party; Socialist Party or SPG [Irakli MINDELI]; Traditionalists [Akaki ASATIANI]; Union of National Forces-Conservatives [Koba DAVITASHVILI and Zviad DZIDZIGURI]

International organization participation: ACCT (observer) BSEC CE CIS EAPC EBRD FAO GUAM IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITU MIGA OAS (observer) OIF (observer) OPCW OSCE PFP SECI (observer) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Vasil SIKHARULIDZE
In the us chancery: 1101 15th Street NW, Suite 602, Washington, DC 20,005
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 387-2,390
In the us fax: [1] (202) 393-4,537
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John F. TEFFT
From the us embassy: 11 George Balanchine St., T'bilisi 0131
From the us mailing address: 7,060 T'bilisi Place, Washington, DC 20,521-7,060
From the us telephone: [995] (32) 27-70-00
From the us fax: [995] (32) 53-23-10

Flag description: white rectangle in its central portion a red cross connecting all four sides of the flag; in each of the four corners is a small red bolnur-katskhuri cross; the five-cross flag appears to date back to the 14th century

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Georgia's main economic activities include the cultivation of agricultural products such as grapes citrus fruits and hazelnuts; mining of manganese and copper; and output of a small industrial sector producing alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages metals machinery and chemicals. The country imports the bulk of its energy needs including natural gas and oil products. It has sizeable but underdeveloped hydropower capacity. Despite the severe damage the economy has suffered due to civil strife Georgia with the help of the IMF and World Bank has made substantial economic gains since 2000 achieving positive GDP growth and curtailing inflation. Georgia had suffered from a chronic failure to collect tax revenues; however the new government is making progress and has reformed the tax code improved tax administration increased tax enforcement and cracked down on corruption. In addition the reinvigorated privatization process has met with success supplementing government expenditures on infrastructure defense and poverty reduction. Despite customs and financial (tax) enforcement improvements smuggling is a drain on the economy. Georgia also suffers from energy shortages due to aging and badly maintained infrastructure as well as poor management. Due to concerted reform efforts collection rates have improved considerably to roughly 60% both in T'bilisi and throughout the regions. Continued reform in the management of state-owned power entities is essential to successful privatization and onward sustainability in this sector. The country is pinning its hopes for long-term growth on its role as a transit state for pipelines and trade. The construction on the Baku-T'bilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-T'bilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline have brought much-needed investment and job opportunities. Nevertheless high energy prices in 2006 will compound the pressure on the country's inefficient energy sector. Restructuring the sector and finding energy supply alternatives to Russia remain major challenges.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $16.03 billion (2005 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 9.3% (2005 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $3,400 (2005 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 17.2%
Industry: 27.5%
Services: 55.3% (2005 est.)

Agriculture products: citrus grapes tea hazelnuts vegetables; livestock

Industries: steel aircraft machine tools electrical appliances mining (manganese and copper) chemicals wood products wine

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (2000)

Labor force: 2.04 million (2004 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 40%
By occupation industry: 20%
By occupation services: 40% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 12.6% (2004 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 54% (2001 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.3%
Highest 10: 27.9% (1996)

Distribution of family income gini index: 38 (2003)

Budget
Revenues: $1.43 billion
Expenditures: $1.56 billion; including capital expenditures of $N/A (2005 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 8.2% (2005 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports

Imports

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates


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Electricity

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 0.59% (FY00)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 to 34 years of age for compulsory and voluntary active duty military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2005)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Unpaved: 12,274 km (2003)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 222 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,059,386 GRT/1,538,746 DWT
By type: bulk carrier 27, cargo 176, container 4, liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 2, specialized tanker 1
Foreign owned: 188 (Albania 1, Azerbaijan 2, Belgium 1, China 2, Cyprus 1, Ecuador 1, Egypt 8, Germany 1, Greece 8, Indonesia 1, South Korea 1, Lebanon 7, Monaco 13, Romania 11, Russia 28, Slovakia 1, Slovenia 1, Syria 43, Turkey 30, UAE 1, UK 4, Ukraine 22) (2006)

Ports and terminals: Bat'umi P'ot'i


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Disputes international: Russia and Georgia agree on delimiting 80% of their common border leaving certain small strategic segments and the maritime boundary unresolved; OSCE observers monitor volatile areas such as the Pankisi Gorge in the Akhmeti region and the Argun Gorge in Abkhazia; UN Observer Mission in Georgia has maintained a peacekeeping force in Georgia since 1993; Meshkheti Turks scattered throughout the former Soviet Union seek to return to Georgia; boundary with Armenia remains undemarcated; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy from the Georgian government; Azerbaijan and Georgia continue to discuss the alignment of their boundary at certain crossing areas

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Idps: 260,000 (displaced from Abkhazia and South Ossetia) (2005)

Illicit drugs: limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy mostly for domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for opiates via Central Asia to Western Europe and Russia