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.

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
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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)

Natural hazards: earthquakes

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

Population: 4,646,003 (July 2007 est.)
Growth rate: -0.329% (2007 est.)
Below poverty line: 54.5% (2003)

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)

Age structure
0-14 years: 16.7% (male 413,506/female 364,407)
15-64 years: 66.6% (male 1,489,081/female 1,605,021)
65 years and over: 16.7% (male 311,098/female 462,890) (2007 est.)

Median age
Total: 38 years
Male: 35.5 years
Female: 40.4 years (2007 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.329% (2007 est.)

Birth rate: 10.54 births/1000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate: 9.37 deaths/1000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.45 migrant(s)/1000 population (2007 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.14 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.135 male/female
15-64 years: 0.928 male/female
65 years and over: 0.672 male/female
Total population: 0.91 male/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 17.36 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 19.42 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 15.01 deaths/1000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.3 years
Male: 73 years
Female: 80.07 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.42 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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

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

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 47 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
City: Tbilisi
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

Independence: 9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)

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

Constitution: adopted 24 August 1995

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Acting President Nino BURJANADZE (since 25 November 2007); note - Mikheil SAAKASHVILI, who had been president since 25 January 2004, resigned the presidency on 25 November 2007 in order to become a candidate in early presidential elections to be held 5 January 2008; 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: Acting President Nino BURJANADZE (since 25 November 2007); Prime Minister Lado GURGENIDZE (since 19 November 2007); note - Mikheil SAAKASHVILI, who had been president since 25 January 2004, resigned the presidency on 25 November 2007 in order to become a candidate in early presidential elections to be held 5 January 2008; the president is both the chief of state and head of government for the power ministries: state security (includes interior) and defense
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 5 January 2008)
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 in spring 2008)
Election results: percent of vote by party - National Movement-Democratic Front 67.6%, Rightist Opposition 7.6%, other parties 24.8%; 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]; Georgia's Way Party [Salome ZOURABICHVILI]; 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 GCTU GUAM IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA OAS (observer) OIF (observer) OPCW OSCE PFP SECI (observer) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO 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 Street, 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

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. Due to concerted reform efforts collection rates have improved considerably to roughly 60% both in T'bilisi and throughout the regions. 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 remains a drain on the economy. Georgia also suffers from energy shortages due to aging and badly maintained infrastructure as well as poor management. 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 have compounded 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: $18.16 billion (2006 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 9.4% (2006 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $3,900 (2006 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 15%
Industry: 28.3%
Services: 56.7% (2006 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.)

Population below poverty line: 54.5% (2003)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2%
Highest 10: 30.3% (2003)

Distribution of family income gini index: 40.4 (2003)

Budget
Revenues: $2.331 billion
Expenditures: $2.507 billion (2006 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 9.2% (2006 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $354.6 million (2005)

Current account balance: $-1.243 billion (2006 est.)

Exports: $1.667 billion (2006 est.)
Commodities: scrap metal machinery chemicals; fuel reexports; citrus fruits tea wine
Partners: Turkey 12.7% Azerbaijan 9.4% Russia 7.7% Armenia 7.5% Turkmenistan 7.3% Bulgaria 6.4% US 6% Ukraine 5.8% Canada 5% Germany 4.6% (2006)

Imports: $3.686 billion (2006 est.)
Commodities: fuels machinery and parts transport equipment grain and other foods pharmaceuticals
Partners: Russia 15.2% Turkey 14.2% Germany 9.5% Ukraine 8.7% Azerbaijan 8.7% (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $930.8 million (2006 est.)

Debt external: $2.04 billion (2004)

Exchange rates: lari per US dollar - 1.78 (2006) 1.8127 (2005) 1.9167 (2004) 2.1457 (2003) 2.1957 (2002)

Electricity
Production: 7.142 billion kWh (2005)
Consumption: 7.354 billion kWh (2005)
Exports: 122 million kWh (2005)
Imports: 1.468 billion kWh (2005)

Natural gas
Production: 14.39 million m³ (2005 est.)
Consumption: 1.415 billion m³ (2005 est.)
Exports: NA m³
Imports: 1.4 billion m³ (2005)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 553,100 (2006)
Mobile cellular: 1.704 million (2006)

Telephone system
General assessment: fixed-line telecommunications network has only limited coverage outside Tbilisi; multiple mobile-cellular providers provide services to an increasing subscribership
Domestic: local - T'bilisi, K'ut'aisi, and Batumi have cellular telephone networks; urban telephone density is about 20 per 100 people; rural telephone density is about 4 per 100 people; intercity facilities include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi; nationwide pager service is available
International: country code - 995; the Georgia-Russia fiber optic submarine cable provides connectivity to Russia; international service is available by microwave, landline, and satellite through the Moscow switch; international electronic mail and telex service are available

Internet
Country code: .ge
Hosts: 30,193 (2007)
Users: 332,000 (2006)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 0.59% (2005 est.)

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)

Airports: 23 (2007)
With paved runways total: 19
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 5
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With paved runways under 914 m: 2 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 4
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Heliports: 3 (2007)

Pipelines: gas 1349 km; oil 1010 km (2006)

Railways
Total: 1,612 km
Broad gauge: 1,575 km 1.520-m gauge (1,575 electrified)
Narrow gauge: 37 km 0.912-m gauge (37 electrified) (2006)

Roadways
Total: 20,247 km
Paved: 7,973 km
Unpaved: 12,274 km (2004)

Merchant marine
Total: 209 ships (1000 GRT or over) 958,504 GRT/1,408,540 DWT
By type: bulk carrier 25, cargo 159, carrier 2, chemical tanker 1, container 5, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 3, vehicle carrier 1
Foreign owned: 180 (Albania 2, Azerbaijan 1, China 4, Cyprus 1, Egypt 14, Germany 2, Greece 7, Lebanon 3, Monaco 10, Romania 15, Russia 17, Slovenia 2, Syria 54, Turkey 23, Ukraine 24, UAE 1) (2007)

Ports and terminals: Bat'umi P'ot'i

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: 220,000-240,000 (displaced from Abkhazia and South Ossetia) (2006)

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