|
|
|
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 AD and
Christianity became the state religion in the 330s.
Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks was followed by
a Georgian golden age (11th to the 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. Despite myriad
problems, some progress on market reforms and
democratization has been made since then. An attempt by
the government to manipulate 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. |
|
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:
|
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
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: 11.44%
permanent crops: 3.86%
other: 84.7% (2001) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
4,700 sq
km (1998 est.) |
|
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:
|
4,677,401
(July 2005 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14
years: 18% (male 444,779/female 398,162)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 1,480,557/female
1,603,743)
65 years and over: 16% (male 300,859/female
449,301) (2005 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total:
37.36 years
male: 34.93 years
female: 39.7 years (2005 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
-0.35%
(2005 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
10.25
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
9.09
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
-4.62
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at
birth: 1.16 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
|
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total:
18.59 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 20.71 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 16.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: 75.88 years
male: 72.59 years
female: 79.67 years (2005 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
1.41
children born/woman (2005 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 |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
Georgian
83.8%, Azeri 6.5%, Armenian 5.7%, Russian 1.5%, other
2.5% (2002 census) |
|
Religions:
|
Orthodox
Christian 83.9%, Armenian-Gregorian 3.9%, Catholic 0.8%,
Muslim 9.9%, 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: 99%
male: 100%
female: 98% (1999 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:
|
T'bilisi
|
|
Administrative divisions:
|
9 regions
(mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 9 cities (k'alak'ebi,
singular - 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
: cities: Chiat'ura, Gori, K'ut'aisi, P'ot'i,
Rust'avi, T'bilisi, 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 2
autonomous republics are shown in parentheses |
|
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 |
|
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; election last held 4 January 2004
(next to be held NA 2009)
election results: Mikheil SAAKASHVILI elected
president; percent of vote - Mikheil SAAKASHVILI 96.3%,
Temur SHASHIASHVILI 1.9% |
|
Legislative branch:
|
unicameral Supreme Council (commonly referred to as
Parliament) or Umaghiesi Sabcho (235 seats - 150 elected
by party lists); members are elected by popular vote to
serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 28 March 2004 (next to be
held spring 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party -
National Movement-Democrats 67.6%, Rightist Opposition
7.6%, all other parties received less than 7% each;
seats by party - National Movement-Democrats 135,
Rightist Opposition 15 |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Supreme
Court (judges elected by the Supreme Council on the
president'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 Right [David GAMKRELIDZE]; Republican
Party [David BERDZENISHVILI]; 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; supporters of the late ousted President
Zviad GAMSAKHURDYA |
|
International organization participation:
|
BSEC, CE,
CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GUUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICCt, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, OAS (observer), OPCW,
OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
chief
of mission: Ambassador Levan MIKELADZE
chancery: Suite 602, 1101 15th Street NW,
Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 387-4537
FAX: [1] (202) 393-4537 |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
chief
of mission: Ambassador Richard M. MILES
embassy: #25 Atoneli Street, T'bilisi 0105
mailing address: 7060 Tbilisi Place, Washington,
DC 20521-7060
telephone: [995] (32) 989-967/68
FAX: [995] (32) 933-759 |
|
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 citrus fruits, tea,
hazelnuts, and grapes; 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.
Its only sizable internal energy resource is hydropower.
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
1995, achieving positive GDP growth and curtailing
inflation. However, the Georgian Government has suffered
from limited resources due to a chronic failure to
collect tax revenues. Georgia's new government is making
progress in reforming the tax code, enforcing taxes, and
cracking down on corruption. Georgia also suffers from
energy shortages; it privatized the T'bilisi electricity
distribution network in 1998, but payment collection
rates remain low, both in T'bilisi and throughout the
regions. 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.
|
|
GDP (purchasing power parity):
|
$14.45
billion (2004 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
9.5%
(2004 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $3,100 (2004 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 20.5%
industry: 22.6%
services: 56.9% (2004 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
2.1
million (2001 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture 40%, industry 20%, services 40% (1999 est.)
|
|
Unemployment rate:
|
17% (2001
est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
54% (2001
est.) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest
10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 27.9% (1996) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
37.1
(1996) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
5.5%
(2004 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed):
|
18.5% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $671.7 million
expenditures: $804.7 million, including capital
expenditures of NA (2004 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)
|
|
Electricity - production:
|
6.732
billion kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil
fuel: 19.7%
hydro: 80.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
6.811
billion kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
300
million kWh (2002) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
850
million kWh (2002) |
|
Oil - production:
|
2,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
31,500
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - exports:
|
NA |
|
Oil - imports:
|
NA |
|
Natural gas - production:
|
60
million cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption:
|
1.16
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports:
|
0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports:
|
1.1
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Current account balance:
|
$-632.9
million (2004 est.) |
|
Exports:
|
$909.4
million (2004 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
scrap
metal, machinery, chemicals; fuel reexports; citrus
fruits, tea, wine |
|
Exports - partners:
|
Turkey
18.3%, Turkmenistan 17.8%, Russia 16.2%, Armenia 8.4%,
UK 4.9% (2004) |
|
Imports:
|
$1.806
billion (2004 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
fuels,
machinery and parts, transport equipment, grain and
other foods, pharmaceuticals |
|
Imports - partners:
|
Russia
14%, Turkey 11%, UK 9.3%, Azerbaijan 8.5%, Germany 8.2%,
Ukraine 7.7%, US 6% (2004) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
|
$231.4
million (2004 est.) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$1.8
billion (2002) |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
ODA $150
million (2000 est.) |
|
Currency (code):
|
lari
(GEL) |
|
Currency code:
|
GEL |
|
Exchange rates:
|
lari per
US dollar - 1.9167 (2004), 2.1457 (2003), 2.1957 (2002),
2.073 (2001), 1.9762 (2000) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
calendar
year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
650,500
(2003) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
522,300
(2003) |
|
Telephone system:
|
general assessment: NA
domestic: local - T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi 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; Georgia and
Russia are working on a fiber-optic line between P'ot'i
and Sochi (Russia); present 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:
|
5,160
(2004) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
|
6 (2000)
|
|
Internet users:
|
150,500
(2003) |
|
Railways:
|
total:
1,612 km (1,612 km electrified)
broad gauge: 1,575 km 1.520-m gauge (1,575
electrified)
narrow gauge: 37 km 0.912-m gauge (37
electrified) (2004) |
|
Highways:
|
total:
20,229 km
paved: 18,914 km
unpaved: 1,315 km (2002) |
|
Pipelines:
|
gas 1,697
km; oil 1,027 km; refined products 232 km (2004) |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Bat'umi,
P'ot'i |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total:
175 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 855,908 GRT/1,288,812 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 22, cargo 133, container 3,
liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 3,
petroleum tanker 6, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll
off 1, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 105 (Albania 1, Azerbaijan 2,
Cyprus 2, Egypt 3, Estonia 1, Germany 1, Greece 4,
Israel 1, Lebanon 3, Romania 6, Russia 8, Syria 27,
Turkey 14, Ukraine 30, UAE 2)
registered in other countries: 1 (2005) |
|
Airports:
|
30 (2004
est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total:
17
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total:
13
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.) |
|
Heliports:
|
2 (2004
est.) |
|
Transportation - note:
|
transportation network is in poor condition resulting
from ethnic conflict, criminal activities, and fuel
shortages; network lacks maintenance and repair |
|
Military branches:
|
Ground
Forces (includes National Guard), Air and Air Defense
Forces, Maritime Defense Force, Interior Forces |
|
Military service age and obligation:
|
18 years
of age for compulsory and voluntary military service;
conscript service obligation - 18 months (2004) |
|
Manpower available for military service:
|
males
age 18-49: 1,038,736 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower fit for military service:
|
males
age 18-49: 827,281 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
|
males:
38,857 (2005 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$23
million (FY00) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
0.59%
(FY00) |
|
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 cannot resolve the alignment of
their boundary at certain crossing areas |
|
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
|
IDPs:
260,000 (displaced from Abkhazia and South Ossetia)
(2004) |
|
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
20 October, 2005 |
|
|
| |
|
|
