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| Geography |
| Strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them |
| Location: | Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia, with a sliver of land north of the Caucasus extending into Europe |
| Geographic coordinates: | 42 00 N, 43 30 E |
| Area: | total: 69,700 sq km land: 69,700 sq km water: 0 sq km
Size comparison: 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: | 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: | arable land: 11.51% permanent crops: 3.79% other: 84.7% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 4,330 sq km (2008) |
| Natural hazards: | earthquakes |
| Current Environment 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 Environment 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 |
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| People |
| Population: | 4,585,874 (July 2011 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 15.6% (male 383,856/female 333,617) 15-64 years: 68.3% (male 1,511,844/female 1,620,727) 65 years and over: 16% (male 293,143/female 442,687) (2011 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 39.1 years male: 36.6 years female: 41.6 years (2011 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | -0.326% (2011 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 10.73 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
| Death rate: | 9.92 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -4.06 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.113 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.15 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 15.17 deaths/1,000 live births male: 17.1 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 77.12 years male: 73.8 years female: 80.82 years (2011 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.45 children born/woman (2011 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.1% (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 3,500 (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | fewer than 100 (2009 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 (official) 83.9%, Muslim 9.9%, Armenian-Gregorian 3.9%, Catholic 0.8%, other 0.8%, none 0.7% (2002 census) |
| Languages: | Georgian (official) 71%, 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.) |
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| Government |
| 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 the Soviet Union); notable earlier date: A.D. 1008 (Georgia unified under 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: | adopted 24 August 1995 |
| Legal system: | civil law system |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25 January 2004); the president is the chief of state and serves as head of government for the power ministries of internal affairs and defense head of government: Prime Minister Nikoloz GILAURI (since 6 February 2009); the prime minister is head of government for all the ministries of government except the power ministries of internal affairs and defense cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 5 January 2008 (next to be held in January 2013) election results: Mikheil SAAKASHVILI reelected president; percent of vote - Mikheil SAAKASHVILI 53.5%, Levan GACHECHILADZE 25.7%, Badri PATARKATSISHVILI 7.1%, other 13.7% |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral Parliament or Parlamenti (also known as Supreme Council or Umaghlesi Sabcho) (150 seats; 75 members elected by proportional representation, 75 from single-seat constituencies; members to serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 21 May 2008 (next to be held in the spring of 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - United National Movement 59.2%, National Council-New Rights (a Joint Opposition, nine-party bloc) 17.7%, Christian Democratic Movement 8.8%, Labor Party 7.4%, Republican Party 3.8%; seats by party - United National Movement 120, National Council-New Rights 16, Christian Democratic Movement 6, Labor Party 6, Republican Party 2 |
| 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: | Christian Democratic Movement [Giorgi TARGAMADZE]; Conservative Party [Kakha KUKAVA]; Democratic Movement United Georgia [Nino BURJANADZE]; For Fair Georgia [Zurab NOGAIDELI]; Georgian Party [Sozar SUBARI]; Georgian People's Front [Nodar NATADZE]; Greens [Giorgi GACHECHILADZE]; Industry Will Save Georgia (Industrialists) or IWSG [Georgi TOPADZE]; Labor Party [Shalva NATELASHVILI]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Bachuki KARDAVA]; National Forum [Kakhaber SHARTAVA]; New Rights [David GAMKRELIDZE]; Our Georgia-Free Democrats (OGFD) [Irakli ALASANIA]; People's Party [Koba DAVITASHVILI; Republican Party [David USUPASHVILI]; Socialist Party or SPG [Irakli MINDELI]; Traditionalists [Akaki ASATIANI]; United National Movement or UNM [Mikheil SAAKASHVILI] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | separatists in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia |
| International organization participation: | ADB, BSEC, CE, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-11, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, 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 Temuri YAKOBASHVILI chancery: 2209 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-2390 FAX: [1] (202) 393-4537 consulate(s) general: New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador John BASS 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 |
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| Economy |
| 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 in 2008 following the August 2008 conflict with Russia, and turned negative in 2009 as foreign direct investment and workers' remittances declined in the wake of the global financial crisis, but rebounded in 2010. 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. Areas of recent improvement include growth in the construction, banking services, and mining sectors, but reduced availability of external investment and the slowing regional economy are emerging risks. 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. 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. 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. 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. However, the economic downturn of 2008-09 eroded the tax base and led to a decline in the budget surplus and an increase in public borrowing needs. 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, but the economy faces a more difficult investment climate both domestically and internationally. |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $22.44 billion (2010 est.) $21.1 billion (2009 est.) $21.93 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $11.67 billion (2010 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 6.4% (2010 est.) -3.8% (2009 est.) 2.4% (2008 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $4,900 (2010 est.) $4,600 (2009 est.) $4,700 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 10.4% industry: 28.7% services: 60.9% (2010 est.) |
| Labor force: | 1.918 million (2007 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 55.6% industry: 8.9% services: 35.5% (2006 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 16.4% (2009 est.) 13.6% (2006 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | 31% (2006) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 31.3% (2008) |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 40.8 (2009) 37.1 (1996) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.1% (2010 est.) 1.7% (2009 est.) |
| Investment (gross fixed): | Investment (gross fixed): 15.4% of GDP (2010 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $3.291 billion expenditures: $4.063 billion (2010 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: | 4% (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - production: | 8.292 billion kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 7.08 billion kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 675 million kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 117 million kWh (2008 est.) |
| Oil - production: | 984 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
| Oil - consumption: | 13,000 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
| Oil - exports: | 445 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
| Oil - imports: | 17,840 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
| Oil - proved reserves: | 35 million bbl (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 10 million cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 1.71 billion cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 1.7 billion cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 8.495 billion cu m (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$1.247 billion (2010 est.) -$1.319 billion (2009 est.) |
| Exports: | $2.46 billion (2010 est.) $1.894 billion (2009 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | scrap metal, wine, mineral water, ores, vehicles, fruits and nuts |
| Exports - partners: | Turkey 14.1%, Azerbaijan 11.2%, Bulgaria 10%, US 9.8%, UK 9%, Canada 6.7%, Ukraine 6.1% (2010) |
| Imports: | $5.027 billion (2010 est.) $4.293 billion (2009 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | fuels, vehicles, machinery and parts, grain and other foods, pharmaceuticals |
| Imports - partners: | Turkey 15%, Ukraine 9.2%, Azerbaijan 8.5%, Russia 6.5%, Germany 6.1%, US 5.9%, China 5.4% (2010) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $2.264 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $2.11 billion (31 December 2009 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $3.381 billion (31 December 2009) $7.711 billion (31 December 2008) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $1.06 billion (31 December 2010) $733.3 million (31 December 2009) $327.3 million (31 December 2008) |
| Exchange rates: | laris (GEL) per US dollar - 1.8009 (2010) 1.6705 (2009) 1.47 (2008) 1.7 (2007) 1.78 (2006) |
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| Communications |
| Telephones in use: | 620,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 94 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 2.837 million (2009) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: fixed-line telecommunications network has only limited coverage outside Tbilisi; long list of people waiting for fixed line connections; multiple mobile-cellular providers provide services to an increasing subscribership throughout the country domestic: cellular telephone networks cover the entire country; mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 60 per 100 people; urban fixed-line 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: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .ge |
| Internet hosts: | 110,680 (2010) |
| Internet users: | 1.3 million (2009) |
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| Transportation |
| Airports: | 22 (2010) country comparison to the world: 134 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 18 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2010) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2010) |
| Heliports: | 3 (2010) |
| Pipelines: | gas 1,596 km; oil 1,258 km (2010) |
| 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) (2009) |
| Roadways: | total: 20,329 km paved: 19,123 km (includes 13 km of expressways) unpaved: 1,206 km (2007) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 193 by type: bulk carrier 18, cargo 151, carrier 1, chemical tanker 3, container 2, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 7, vehicle carrier 2 foreign-owned: 132 (China 11, Denmark 1, Egypt 11, Germany 4, Greece 3, Hong Kong 4, Israel 1, Italy 2, Latvia 1, Lebanon 1, Pakistan 1, Romania 7, Russia 7, Syria 35, Turkey 22, UAE 1, UK 4, Ukraine 15, US 1) registered in other countries: 1 (unknown 1) (2010) |
| Ports and terminals: | Bat'umi, P'ot'i |
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| Military |
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| Military branches: | Georgian Armed Forces: Land Forces (include Air and Air Defense Forces); separatist Abkhazia Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Air Forces; separatist South Ossetia Armed Forces (2011) |
| 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 16-49: 1,080,840 females age 16-49: 1,122,031 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 893,003 females age 16-49: 931,683 (2010 est.) |
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