|
|
 |
 |
|
Flag |
Coat of arms |
|
Motto: ძალა
ერთობაშია
(English:
"Strength
is in Unity") |
Anthem: თავისუფლება
(English:
"Freedom")
|
|
|
Capital
(and largest
city) |
Tbilisi
 41°43′N,
44°47′E |
|
Official
languages |
Georgian1 |
|
Demonym |
Georgian |
|
Government |
Semi-presidential
republic |
|
- |
President of
Georgia |
Mikheil
Saakashvili |
|
- |
Prime
Minister |
Lado
Gurgenidze |
|
- |
Cabinet of
Georgia |
UNN |
|
Consolidation |
|
- |
Kingdom of
Georgia |
1008 |
|
- |
Democratic
Republic of
Georgia |
May 26,
1918 |
|
- |
Georgian
Soviet
Socialist
Republic |
February
25, 1921 |
|
- |
Independence
from the
Soviet Union
Declared
Finalized |
April 9,
1991
December 25,
1991 |
|
Area |
|
- |
Total |
69,700 km² (121st)
26,916 sq mi |
|
|
Population |
|
- |
2008 estimate |
4,630,8412 (115th) |
|
- |
Density |
66/km² (132)
172/sq mi |
|
GDP (PPP) |
2007 estimate |
|
- |
Total |
$20.5
billion (117th) |
|
- |
Per capita |
$4,700 (112th) |
|
HDI (2007) |
▲
0.755 (medium) (95th) |
|
Currency |
Lari (ლ)
(GEL) |
|
Time zone |
UTC
(UTC+4) |
|
Internet TLD |
.ge |
|
Calling code |
+995 |
|
Georgia [ˈdʒɔrdʒə]
(help·info) or
Sakartvelo
(Georgian:
საქართველო),
formerly the
Republic of Georgia,
is a
transcontinental
country partially in
Eastern Europe and
Southwest Asia in
the Caucasus region.
It is bordered to
the north by the
Russian Federation
(723 km), to the
east by Azerbaijan
(322 km), to the
west across the
Black Sea by
Ukraine, to the
south by Armenia
(164 km) and to the
southwest by Turkey
(252 km).[2] The
territory of Georgia
covers 69,700 km²
and is influenced by
a temperate seasonal
climate.
Georgia’s population
is 4.4 million on
the territories
controlled by the
central government
of Georgia, nearly
84% of which are
ethnic Georgians
.[3]
Ancient Georgian
states were the
kingdoms of Colchis
and Iberia. The
latter, one of the
first countries in
the world to adopt
Christianity as an
official religion
early in the 4th
century,
subsequently
provided a nucleus
around which the
unified Kingdom of
Georgia was formed
early in the 11th
century. After a
period of political,
economic and
cultural
flourishing, this
kingdom went in
decline in the 13th
century and
eventually
fragmented into
several kingdoms and
principalities in
the 16th century.
The three subsequent
centuries of Ottoman
and Persian hegemony
over these entities
were followed by a
piecemeal absorption
into the Russian
Empire in the course
of the 19th century.
After the Russian
Revolution of 1917,
Georgia had a brief
period of
independence as a
Democratic Republic
(1918-1921), which
was terminated by
the Red Army
invasion of Georgia.
Georgia became part
of the Soviet Union
in 1922 and regained
its independence in
1991. Early
post-Soviet years
was marked by a
civil unrest and
economic crisis.
Georgia began to
gradually stabilize
in 1995, and
achieved more
effective
functioning of state
institutions
following a
bloodless change of
power in the
so-called Rose
Revolution of
2003.[4] However,
Georgia continues to
suffer from the
unresolved
secessionist
conflicts in
Abkhazia and South
Ossetia. The
relations with
Russia remain tense
over these issues as
well as Georgia’s
aspiration of NATO
membership.[5]
Georgia is a
representative
democracy, organized
as a secular,
unitary,
semi-presidential
republic. It is
currently a member
of the United
Nations, the Council
of Europe, the
Commonwealth of
Independent States,
the World Trade
Organization, the
Organization of the
Black Sea Economic
Cooperation, and
GUAM Organization
for Democracy and
Economic
Development. The
country seeks to
join NATO and, in
the longer term,
accession to the
European Union.[6]
