|
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 ethnic
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.
|
|
Location: |
Southwestern Asia, bordering
the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia |
|
Geographic coordinates: |
42 00 N, 43 30 E |
|
Map references: |
Asia |
|
Area: |
total: 69,700 sq km
land: 69,700 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
|
Area - comparative: |
slightly smaller than South
Carolina |
|
Land boundaries: |
total: 1,461 km
border countries: 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
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 sq km (2003) |
|
Total renewable water resources: |
63.3 cu km (1997) |
|
Freshwater withdrawal
(domestic/industrial/agricultural): |
Total: 3.61 cu km/yr
(20%/21%/59%)
Per capita: 808 cu m/yr (2000) |
|
Natural hazards: |
earthquakes |
|
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 |
|
Environment - 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
signed, but not
ratified: none of the selected agreements |
|
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.)
|
|
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/1,000 population
(2007 est.) |
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Death rate: |
9.37 deaths/1,000 population
(2007 est.) |
|
Net migration rate: |
-4.45 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2007 est.) |
|
Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.14
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.135 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.928 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.672 male(s)/female
total population: 0.91 male(s)/female
(2007 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate: |
total: 17.36
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 19.42 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 15.01 deaths/1,000 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.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
3,000 (2003 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
less than 200 (2003 est.)
|
|
Nationality: |
noun: Georgian(s)
adjective: Georgian |
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Ethnic groups: |
Georgian 83.8%, Azeri 6.5%,
Armenian 5.7%, Russian 1.5%, other 2.5% (2002 census) |
|
Religions: |
Orthodox Christian 83.9%,
Muslim 9.9%, Armenian-Gregorian 3.9%, Catholic 0.8%, other 0.8%, none 0.7%
(2002 census) |
|
Languages: |
Georgian 71% (official),
Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, other 7%
note: Abkhaz is the
official language in Abkhazia |
|
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: |
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)
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:
President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25 January 2004); 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 Lado GURGENIDZE (since 19 November 2007); the president is
both 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 5 January
2008 (next to be held January 2013)
election results: Mikheil
SAAKASHVILI reelected president; percent of vote - Mikheil SAAKASHVILI
53.5%, Levan GACHECHILADZE 25.7%, Badri PATARKATSISHVILI 7.1% |
|
Legislative branch: |
unicameral Parliament or
Parlamenti (also known as Supreme Council or Umaghlesi Sabcho) (235 seats;
150 members elected by proportional representation, 75 from single-seat
constituencies, and 10 represent displaced persons from Abkhazia; to serve
five-year terms)
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] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders: |
Georgian independent deputies
from Abkhaz government in exile; separatists in the breakaway regions of
Abkhazia and South Ossetia |
|
International organization participation: |
ACCT (observer), ADB, 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
chancery: 2209 Massachusetts
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 387-2390
FAX: [1] (202) 393-4537 |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador John F. TEFFT
embassy: 11 George Balanchine Street,
T'bilisi 0131
mailing address: 7060 T'bilisi Place, Washington,
DC 20521-7060
telephone: [995] (32) 27-70-00
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 economy has sustained
robust GDP growth of close to 10% in 2006 and 12% in 2007, based on strong
inflows of foreign investment and robust government spending. However, a
widening trade deficit and higher inflation are emerging risks to the
economy. Areas of recent improvement include increasing foreign direct
investment as well as growth in the construction, banking services and
mining sectors. 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,
aircraft and chemicals. The country imports nearly all its needed supplies
of natural gas and oil products. It has sizeable hydropower capacity, a
growing component of its energy supplies. Despite the severe damage the
economy suffered due to civil strife in the 1990s, 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's GDP
growth neared 10% in 2006 and 2007 despite restrictions on commerce with
Russia. Areas of recent improvement include increased foreign direct
investment as well as growth in the construction, banking services, and
mining sectors. In addition, the reinvigorated privatization process has
met with success. However, a widening trade deficit and higher inflation
are emerging risks to the economy. Georgia has 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. Government
revenues have increased nearly four fold since 2003. Due to improvements
in customs and financial (tax) enforcement, smuggling is a declining
problem. Georgia has overcome the chronic energy shortages of the past by
renovating hydropower plants and by bringing newly available natural gas
supplies from Azerbaijan. It also has an increased ability to pay for more
expensive gas imports from Russia. The country is pinning its hopes for
long-term growth on a determined effort to reduce regulation, taxes and
corruption in order to attract foreign investment. The construction on 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. |
|
GDP (purchasing power parity): |
$19.65 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
GDP (official exchange rate): |
$5.963 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
10% (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$4,200 (2007 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 12.3%
industry: 29.7%
services: 58% (2007 est.) |
|
Labor force: |
2.04 million (2004 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture: 40%
industry: 20%
services: 40% (1999 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate: |
13.8% (2005 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) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
8% (2007 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed): |
31.6% of GDP (2007 est.) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $2.805 billion
expenditures: $3.006 billion (2007 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: |
12% (2007 est.) |
|
Electricity - production: |
7.142 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 19.7%
hydro: 80.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
|
|
Electricity - consumption: |
7.354 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - exports: |
122 million kWh (2005) |
|
Electricity - imports: |
1.468 billion kWh (2005) |
|
Oil - production: |
1,979 bbl/day (2005) |
|
Oil - consumption: |
13,400 bbl/day (2005 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports: |
2,400 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - imports: |
13,530 bbl/day (2004) |
|
Oil - proved reserves: |
35 million bbl (1 January 2006
est.) |
|
Natural gas - production: |
14.39 million cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - consumption: |
1.415 billion cu m (2005 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2005) |
|
Natural gas - imports: |
1.4 billion cu m (2005) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves: |
8.147 billion cu m (1 January
2006 est.) |
|
Current account balance: |
-$1.582 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Exports: |
$1.908 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Exports - commodities: |
scrap metal, wine, mineral
water, ores, vehicles, fruits and nuts |
|
Exports - 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: |
$4.725 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Imports - commodities: |
fuels, vehicles, machinery and
parts, grain and other foods, pharmaceuticals |
|
Imports - partners: |
Russia 15.2%, Turkey 14.2%,
Germany 9.5%, Ukraine 8.7%, Azerbaijan 8.7% (2006) |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
ODA, $309.8 million (2005 est.)
|
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: |
$1.592 billion (31 December
2007 est.) |
|
Debt - external: |
$2.04 billion (2004) |
|
Market value of publicly traded shares: |
$354.6 million (2005) |
|
Currency (code): |
lari (GEL) |
|
Currency code: |
GEL |
|
Exchange rates: |
lari per US dollar - 1.7
(2007), 1.78 (2006), 1.8127 (2005), 1.9167 (2004), 2.1457 (2003) |
|
Fiscal year: |
calendar year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use: |
544,000 (2007) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular: |
2.4 million (2007) |
|
Telephone system: |
general assessment:
fixed-line telecommunications network has only limited coverage outside
Tbilisi; multiple mobile-cellular providers provide services to an
increasing subscribership throughout the country
domestic:
cellular telephone networks now cover the entire country; 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 |
|
Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 7, FM 12, shortwave 4 (1998)
|
|
Radios: |
3.02 million (1997) |
|
Television broadcast stations: |
12 (plus repeaters) (1998)
|
|
Televisions: |
2.57 million (1997) |
|
Internet country code: |
.ge |
|
Internet hosts: |
30,193 (2007) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
6 (2000) |
|
Internet users: |
332,000 (2006) |
|
Airports: |
23 (2007) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 19
over
3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m:
5
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 4
1,524 to
2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1
(2007) |
|
Heliports: |
3 (2007) |
|
Pipelines: |
gas 1,591 km; oil 1,253 km
(2007) |
|
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 |
|
Transportation - note: |
transportation network is in
poor condition resulting from ethnic conflict, criminal activities, and
fuel shortages; network lacks maintenance and repair |
|
Military branches: |
Georgian Armed Forces: Land
Forces (includes National Guard), Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (2006)
|
|
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) |
|
Manpower available for military service: |
males age 18-49:
1,038,736
females age 18-49: 1,105,910 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower fit for military service: |
males age 18-49: 827,281
females age 18-49: 903,791 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually: |
males age 18-49: 38,857
females age 18-49: 38,238 (2005 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
0.59% (2005 est.) |
|
Military - note: |
a CIS peacekeeping force of
Russian troops is deployed in the Abkhazia region of Georgia together with
a UN military observer group; a Russian peacekeeping battalion is deployed
in South Ossetia |
|
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
|
This page was last updated on 12 February, 2008
|