Georgia (country)

This page is about the European country called Georgia. For the U.S. state also called Georgia, see Georgia (U.S. state). For other meanings of "Georgia", see Georgia (disambiguation).

Georgia საქართველო Sakartvelo
Motto:
Anthem:
Capital and largest city	Tbilisi 41°43′N 44°47′E
71% Georgian 9% Russian 7% Armenian 6% Azeri 7% others.
Ethnic groups (2002)	83.8% Georgian, 6.5% Azeri, 5.7% Armenian, 1.5% Russian, 2.5% others
Demonym(s)	Georgian
Government	Unitary semi-presidential republic
• President	Salome Zurabishvili
• Prime Minister	Giorgi Gakharia
Modern Statehood
• Independence from Russian Empire	May 26, 1918
• Russian conquest	February 25, 1921
• Independence from the Soviet Union Declared Finalized	April 9, 1991 December 25, 1991
Area
•	69,700 km2 (26,900 sq mi) (119th)
Population
• 2019 estimate	3,723,464 (129th)
• 2014 census	3,713,804
• Density	53.5/km2 (138.6/sq mi) (137th)
GDP (PPP)	2019 estimate
• Total	$46.05 billion (112th)
• Per capita	$12,409 (101st)
GDP (nominal)	2019 estimate
• Total	$17.83 billion (118st)
• Per capita	$4,285 (107th)
Gini (2018)	▼ 36.4 medium
HDI (2018)	0.786 high · 70th
Currency	Lari (ლ) (GEL)
Time zone	UTC+4 (UTC)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+4 (not observed)
Driving side	right
Calling code	995
ISO 3166 code	GE
Internet TLD	.ge

Georgia is a country in Eastern Europe. It is on the coast of the Black Sea. During 1991-1995 its full name was the Republic of Georgia. Since 1995 it is Georgia as written in the Constitution. Before, it was part of the Soviet Union, but now it is an independent republic. The capital city is Tbilisi. Its population is almost 4 million.

History

The Georgians are an ancient people. Their capital Tbilisi was founded around AD 400, after the end of the Roman Empire . Western Georgia was part of the Roman Empire before then. The Arabs captured it in 635 AD. The culture continued and they flourished through trade. In the 900s Arabs influence diminished in Caucasia significantly. In 1008 Kingdom of Georgia was formed. It was the major country in the region until the Mongols invaded in 1223. Georgia was part of the Mongolian empire for a century on and off until 1334, when King Giorgi V took over. In the 1400s Georgia dissolved into several principalities. In the 1500s the Persians invaded Eastern Georgia four times from 1541-1544. In 1555 the Kings of Kartli ruled through the will of the Persian Shahs.

In 1783 The treaty of Georgievsk was signed between Catherine the Great of Russia and King Heraclius II, giving Russia the power to protect Georgia. Then, in 1798 the Persians burned Tbilisi to the ground.

From 1811 to 1918 Georgia was under the Tsar of Russia. Their culture survived intact. From 1918 to 1921 Georgia was independent, and then was part of the Soviet Union.

In 1991 Georgia declared their independence from the Soviet Union. Newly established Republic of Georgia saw bloody Civil War resulting in downfall of first-ever president of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia. Georgia was also involved in War in Abkhazia. There was a rough patch between 1994 and 1995 when the economy was poor, although Georgia saw significant improvements in last few years. Now Georgia is applying to NATO and European Union.

In 2008 Georgia was involved in the 2008 South Ossetia war.

Geography

A map of Georgia

Georgia is next to the countries of Russia, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan. It also has a coast on the Black Sea. It is at the edge of Europe and Asia.

Georgia has many mountains. Its highest point is 5,193 m above sea level. The mountains running through Georgia are called the Caucasus Mountains.

The highest mountain in Georgia is Mount Shkhara at 5,193 m. The coastline of Georgia is 310 km long. Georgia has about 25,000 rivers. The largest river is the Mtkvari.

Divisions

Map of Georgia showing the disputed territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region (South Ossetia)

Georgia is divided into 9 regions, 1 city, and 2 autonomous republics. These in turn are divided into 67 districts and 12 self-governing cities.

The region of Abkhazia declared independence in 1999. South Ossetia is officially known by Georgia as the Tskinvali region. Georgia considers both regions as occupied by Russia.

Region	Centre	Area (km2)	Population	Density
Abkhazia	Sukhumi	8,660	242,862est	28.04
Adjara	Batumi	2,880	333,953	115.95
Guria	Ozurgeti	2,033	113,350	55.75
Imereti	Kutaisi	6,475	533,906	82.45
Kakheti	Telavi	11,311	318,583	28.16
Kvemo Kartli	Rustavi	6,072	423,986	69.82
Mtskheta-Mtianeti	Mtskheta	6,786	94,573	13.93
Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti	Ambrolauri	4,990	32,089	6.43
Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti	Zugdidi	7,440	330,761	44.45
Samtskhe-Javakheti	Akhaltsikhe	6,413	160,504	25.02
Shida Kartli	Gori	5,729	300,382est	52.43
Tbilisi	Tbilisi	720	1,108,717	1,539.88

Culture

The population of Georgia is about 4 million. About 1.2 million of these live in Tbilisi. People from Georgia are called Georgians. Most of them speak Georgian as their first language, though some people also speak Azerbaijani, Armenian, Russian or other languages.

Georgians have their own unique three alphabets. They were invented by King Pharnavaz I of Iberia.

The most famous person to have come from Georgia is Josef Stalin.

Most Georgians are Christians, but there are some Muslims and Jews as well.

The currency of Georgia is called the lari.

Joseph Stalin's Death

KGB chief Lavrentij Beria feared Stalin's next purge and like his predecessor KGB/NKVD chief Yezhov, he would be next, so he had him poisoned. It’s known that on the night of February the 28 1953, Stalin drank "fruit juice" (diluted Georgian wine). Poison, in the form of the poisonous, tasteless blood thinner warfarin (rat poison) was slipped in Stalin’s drink and caused stomach and brain hemorrhaging. Doctors were not called entire day on purpose to make sure the poison works and Stalin could not be saved. His death was recorded at 9:50 p.m. ironically exactly to the minute of signing Katyn execution orders of Polish POWs in 1940. Stalin was laid to rest in the Lenin Mausuleum but was reburied during night without any fanfare on October 31 1956. Upon Stalin’s death, Beria (also responsible for Katyn Massacre), with his network of spies and contacts, seemed poised to take over. But he fatally underestimated his opponent Khrushchev who eventually took over and executed Beria and 6 of his accomplices on December 23 1953.

Related pages

• Georgia at the Olympics
• Georgia national football team
• List of rivers of Georgia (country)

Other websites

• Full information about (country) Georgia (English, German, Russian, Georgian)
• Friends of Georgia (Friends of Georgia International Foundation Website, including information on History, Culture, Gastronomy, News, etc.)

• Death of Stalin AT 9:50pm, March 5 1953, removal of disgraced Joseph Stalin's body from Lenin's mausuleum; after his death people acknowledged Stalin's atrocities

• Joseph Stalin on trial, 56 years after death, Stalin's grandson loses trial on Stalin defamation publication, essentially putting Stalin himself on trial for war crimes & other crimes against humanity!!!