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 national legislative 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 election and removed UNM from power. A new constitution shifting many powers from the president to the prime minister and parliament including the power to name the prime minister and government ministers does not go into effect until after a new president is elected in the fall of 2013. Conceding defeat SAAKASHVILI named IVANISHVILI as prime minister and allowed Georgian Dream to create a new government. Tensions remain high as IVANISHVILI SAAKASHVILI and their supporters struggle to co-exist until the end of the president's term.

Geographic coordinates: 42 00 N 43 30 E

Area
Rank: 121
Land: 69,700 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina

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

Coastline: 310 km

Maritime claims
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 highest point: Mt'a Shkhara 5,201 m

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

Land use
Permanent crops: 1.65%
Other: 92.41% (2011)

Irrigated land: 4,328 km² (2007)

Total renewable water resources: 63.33 km³ (2011)

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: 4,555,911 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 123
Growth rate: -0.33% (2013 est.)
Growth rate rank: 219
Below poverty line: 9.2% (2010)

Nationality
Adjective: Georgian

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

Languages: Georgian (official) 71% Russian 9% Armenian 7% Azeri 6% other 7%

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

Age structure
15-24 years: 14% (male 326,910/female 309,245)
25-54 years: 42.2% (male 926,172/female 994,432)
55-64 years: 12.3% (male 255,905/female 305,652)
65 years and over: 16.2% (male 293,435/female 443,482) (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 26.4 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 21.3 %
Potential support ratio: 4.7 (2013)

Median age
Male: 37.1 years
Female: 42.1 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.33% (2013 est.)
Rank: 219

Birth rate: 10.72 births/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 181

Death rate: 10.17 deaths/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 49

Net migration rate: -3.86 migrant(s)/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 188

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: -0.37% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: TBILISI (capital) 1.115 million (2009)

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 signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.15 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.84 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 23.9 (2010 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 116
Male: 16.07 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 12.16 deaths/1000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 65
Male: 74.17 years
Female: 81.17 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.46 children born/woman (2013 est.)
Rank: 194

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 53.4%

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 4.24 physicians/1000 population (2011)

Hospital bed density: 2.9 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 125
People living with hivaids: 3,500 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 126
Deaths: fewer than 100 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 143

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 22.1% (2008)
Rank: 82

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 1.1% (2009)
Rank: 128

Education expenditures: 2.7% of GDP (2011)
Rank: 152

Literacy
Total population: 99.7%
Male: 99.8%
Female: 99.7% (2011 est.)

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

Government type: republic

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 41 41 N 44 50 E
Time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 9 regions (mkharebi singular - mkhare) 1 city (k'alak'i) and 2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki singular - avtom respublika)
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)

Independence: 9 April 1991 (from the Soviet Union); notable earlier date: A.D. 1008 (Georgia unified under King BAGRAT III)

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: previous 1921 1978 (based on 1977 Soviet Union constitution); latest approved 24 August 1995 effective 17 October 1995; amended several times last in 2013 (2013)

Legal system: civil law system

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: Prime Minister Irakli GARIBASHVILI (since 20 November 2013); the prime minister is head of government for all the ministries of government except the power ministries of internal affairs justice 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 on 27 October 2013 (next to be held in October 2018)
Election results: Giorgi MARGVELASHVILI elected president; percent of vote - Giorgi MARGVELASHVILI 62.1% Davit BAKRADZE 21.7% Nino BURJANADZE 10.2% other 6%

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Parlamenti (150 seats; 77 members elected by proportional representation 73 elected in single-member constituencies; members to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held on 1 October 2012 (next to be held in 2016)
Election results: percent of vote by party - Georgian Dream 55% United National Movement 40.3% other 4.7%; seats by party - Georgian Dream 85 United National Movement 65

Judicial branch: note - the Abkhazian and Ajarian Autonomous republics each have a supreme court and a hierarchy of lower courts
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Parliament; judges serve not less than 10-year terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president following candidate selection by the Justice Council of Georgia a 12-member consultative body of high-level judges and presidential and parliamentary appointees; judges appointed for 10-year terms
Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; regional (town) and district courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ADB BSEC CD CE EAPC EBRD FAO G-11 GCTU GUAM IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA OAS (observer) OIF (observer) OPCW OSCE PFP SELEC (observer) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 2,209 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 387-2,390
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 387-0864
In the us consulate general: New York
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) 227-70-00
From the us FAX: [995] (32) 253-23-10

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

National symbols: Saint George; lion

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Dawit MAGRADSE/Zakaria PALIASHVILI (adapted by Joseb KETSCHAKMADSE)

Economy overview: Georgia's main economic activities include the cultivation of agricultural products such as grapes citrus fruits and hazelnuts; mining of manganese copper and gold; and output of a small industrial sector producing alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages metals machinery and chemicals. The country imports nearly all its needed supplies of natural gas and oil products. It has sizeable hydropower capacity that now provides most of its energy needs. Georgia has overcome the chronic energy shortages and gas supply interruptions of the past by renovating hydropower plants and by increasingly relying on natural gas imports from Azerbaijan instead of from Russia. Construction of the Baku-T'bilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline the Baku-T'bilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline and the Kars-Akhalkalaki Railroad are part of a strategy to capitalize on Georgia's strategic location between Europe and Asia and develop its role as a transit point for gas oil and other goods. Georgia's economy sustained GDP growth of more than 10% in 2006-07 based on strong inflows of foreign investment and robust government spending. However GDP growth slowed following the August 2008 conflict with Russia and sunk to negative 4 percent in 2009 as foreign direct investment and workers' remittances declined in the wake of the global financial crisis. The economy rebounded in 2010-12 with growth rates above 6% per year but FDI inflows the engine of Georgian economic growth prior to the 2008 conflict have not recovered fully. Unemployment has also remained high at above 15%. Georgia has historically suffered from a chronic failure to collect tax revenues; however the government since coming to power in 2004 has simplified the tax code improved tax administration increased tax enforcement and cracked down on petty corruption leading to higher revenues. The country is pinning its hopes for renewed growth on a determined effort to continue to liberalize the economy by reducing regulation taxes and corruption in order to attract foreign investment with a focus on hydropower agriculture tourism and textiles production. Since 2004 the government has taken a series of actions against endemic corruption including reform of the traffic police and implementation of a fair examination system for entering the university system. The government has received high marks from the World Bank for its anti-corruption efforts.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 120

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 44

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 150

Gross national saving:
Rank: 94

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 17.7%
Investment in fixed capital: 24.9%
Investment in inventories: 4.1%
Exports of goods and services: 38.8%
Imports of goods and services: -57.8%: (2012 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 23.1%
Services: 68.4% (2012 est.)

Agriculture products: citrus grapes tea hazelnuts vegetables; livestock

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

Industrial production growth rate: 13% (2012 est.)
Rank: 6

Labor force: 1.959 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 123
By occupation industry: 8.9%
By occupation services: 35.5% (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate: 15.1% (2011 est.)
Rank: 144

Population below poverty line: 9.2% (2010)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 31.3% (2008)

Distribution of family income gini index: 37.1 (1996)
Rank: 35

Budget
Expenditures: $4.905 billion (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -3.1% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 122

Taxes and other revenues: 28.3% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 104

Public debt: 36.5% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 101

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 8.5% (2011 est.)
Rank: 2

Central bank discount rate: 6.5% (31 January 2012)
Rank: 54

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 22.19% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 13

Stock of narrow money: $1.737 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 125

Stock of broad money: $4.249 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 130

Stock of domestic credit: $4.973 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 111

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 108

Current account balance: $-1.96 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 138

Exports: $3.223 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 126
Commodities: vehicles ferro-alloys fertilizers nuts scrap metal gold copper ores
Partners: Azerbaijan 26.4% Armenia 11% US 9.5% Ukraine 7% Turkey 6% Canada 4.4% (2012)

Imports: $6.723 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 113
Commodities: fuels vehicles machinery and parts grain and other foods pharmaceuticals
Partners: Turkey 17.8% Azerbaijan 8.1% Ukraine 7.6% China 7.2% Germany 6.9% Russia 6% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $2.818 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 111

Debt external: $11.12 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 96

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $9.749 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 83

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $1.137 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 78

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 9.694 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Production rank: 93
Consumption: 9.379 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 91
Exports: 1.492 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 48
Imports: 614 million kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 72
Installed generating capacity: 4.538 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 77
Generation sources fossil fuels: 37.2% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 171
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 92
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 62.8% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 31
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 176

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 979.5 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 112
Crude oil exports: 531 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 71
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 190
Crude oil proven reserves: 35 million bbl (1 January 2013 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 81

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 179
Products consumption: 17,280 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 138
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products exports rank: 177
Products imports: 18,500 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 107

Natural gas
Production: 9.151 million m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 93
Consumption: 1.97 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 79
Exports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 105
Imports: 1.96 billion m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 51
Proven reserves: 8.495 billion m³ (1 January 2013 es)
Proven reserves rank: 84

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 5.868 million Mt (2011 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 122

Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.276 million (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 67
Mobile cellular: 4.699 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 116

Telephone system
Domestic: cellular telephone networks cover the entire country; mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 100 per 100 people; intercity facilities include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi
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 (2011)

Broadcast media: 1 public broadcaster in Tbilisi 1 state-owned broadcaster in Ajaria Autonomous Republic; 8 privately owned TV stations; state run public broadcaster operates 2 TV stations; dozens of cable TV operators several major commercial TV stations and several dozen private radio stations; state run public broadcaster operates 2 radio stations (2012)

Internet
Country code: .ge
Hosts: 357,864 (2012)
Hosts rank: 59
Users: 1.3 million (2009)
Users rank: 90

Airports: 22 (2013)
Rank: 135
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7