from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Georgia
Introduction
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 civil 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. The
Georgian Government put forward a new peace initiative
for the peaceful resolution of the status of South
Ossetia in 2005.
Geography
Location: Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between
Turkey and Russia
Geographic 42 00 N, 43 30 E
coordinates:
Map Asia
references:
Area: total: 69,700 sq km
land: 69,700 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than South Carolina
comparative:
Land total: 1,461 km
boundaries: border countries: Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km,
Russia 723 km, Turkey 252 km
Coastline: 310 km
Maritime NA
claims:
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 lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
extremes: highest point: Mt'a Shkhara 5,201 m
Natural forests, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore,
resources: 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 4,690 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural earthquakes
hazards:
Environment - air pollution, particularly in Rust'avi; heavy
current pollution of Mtkvari River and the Black Sea;
issues: inadequate supplies of potable water; soil pollution
from toxic chemicals
Environment - party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
international Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
agreements: Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia
note: controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes
through them
People
Population: 4,661,473 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.3% (male 428,056/female 380,193)
15-64 years: 66.2% (male 1,482,908/female 1,602,064)
65 years and over: 16.5% (male 308,905/female 459,347)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 37.7 years
male: 35.3 years
female: 40.1 years (2006 est.)
Population -0.34% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 10.41 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 9.23 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -4.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.15 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 17.97 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 20.06 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 15.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 76.09 years
expectancy at male: 72.8 years
birth: female: 79.87 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.42 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 3,000 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - less than 200 (2003 est.)
deaths:
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%, 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.)
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 republic
type:
Capital: name: T'bilisi
geographic coordinates: 41 43 N, 44 49 E
time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
Administrative 9 regions (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 9 cities
divisions: (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 two autonomous
republics are shown in parentheses
Independence: 9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National Independence Day, 26 May (1918); note - 26 May 1918 is
holiday: 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; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25
branch: 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 (eligible for a second term); election
last held 4 January 2004 (next to be held in 2009)
election results: Mikheil SAAKASHVILI elected
president; percent of vote - Mikheil SAAKASHVILI 96.3%,
Temur SHASHIASHVILI 1.9%
Legislative unicameral Supreme Council (commonly referred to as
branch: 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-Democratic Front 67.6%, Rightist Opposition
7.6%, all other parties received less than 7% each;
seats by party - National Movement-Democratic Front
135, Rightist Opposition 15
Judicial Supreme Court (judges elected by the Supreme Council on
branch: the president's or chairman of the Supreme Court's
recommendation); Constitutional Court; first and second
instance courts
Political Burjanadze-Democrats [Nino BURJANADZE]; Georgian
parties and People's Front [Nodar NATADZE]; Georgian United
leaders: 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 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 Georgian independent deputies from Abkhaz government in
pressure exile; separatists in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia
groups and and South Ossetia; supporters of former President Zviad
leaders: GAMSAKHURDYA ousted in 1991
International ACCT (observer), BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GUAM,
organization IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
participation: IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OAS (observer), OIF
(observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI (observer), UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Vasil SIKHARULIDZE
representation chancery: 1101 15th Street NW, Suite 602, Washington,
in the US: DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 387-2390
FAX: [1] (202) 393-4537
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador John F. TEFFT
representation embassy: 11 George Balanchine St., T'bilisi 0131
from the US: mailing address: 7060 T'bilisi Place, Washington, DC
20521-7060
telephone: [995] (32) 27-70-00
FAX: [995] (32) 53-23-10
Flag white rectangle, in its central portion a red cross
description: 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
Economy - Georgia's main economic activities include the
overview: 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, and chemicals. The country imports the bulk
of its energy needs, including natural gas and oil
products. It has sizeable but underdeveloped hydropower
capacity. 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 2000, achieving positive GDP growth and
curtailing inflation. Georgia had 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. In
addition, the reinvigorated privatization process has
met with success, supplementing government expenditures
on infrastructure, defense, and poverty reduction.
Despite customs and financial (tax) enforcement
improvements, smuggling is a drain on the economy.
Georgia also suffers from energy shortages due to aging
and badly maintained infrastructure, as well as poor
management. Due to concerted reform efforts, collection
rates have improved considerably to roughly 60%, both
in T'bilisi and throughout the regions. Continued
reform in the management of state-owned power entities
is essential to successful privatization and onward
sustainability in this sector. 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.
Nevertheless, high energy prices in 2006 will compound
the pressure on the country's inefficient energy
sector. Restructuring the sector and finding energy
supply alternatives to Russia remain major challenges.
GDP $16.03 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $6.4 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 9.3% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $3,400 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 17.2%
composition by industry: 27.5%
sector: services: 55.3% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 2.04 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 40%
by occupation: industry: 20%
services: 40% (1999 est.)
Unemployment 12.6% (2004 est.)
rate:
Population 54% (2001 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 2.3%
income or highest 10%: 27.9% (1996)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 38 (2003)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 8.2% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 24% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $1.43 billion
expenditures: $1.56 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Agriculture - citrus, grapes, tea, hazelnuts, vegetables; livestock
products:
Industries: steel, aircraft, machine tools, electrical appliances,
mining (manganese and copper), chemicals, wood
products, wine
Industrial 3% (2000)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 8.634 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 19.7%
production by hydro: 80.3%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 9.8 billion kWh (2005)
consumption:
Electricity - 71 million kWh (2004)
exports:
Electricity - 1.2 billion kWh (2004)
imports:
Oil - 1,982 bbl/day (2003)
production:
Oil - 13,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 20 million cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 1.5 billion cu m (2005 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - NA cu m
exports:
Natural gas - 1.5 billion cu m (2005 est.)
imports:
Current $-625 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $1.4 billion (2005 est.)
Exports - scrap metal, machinery, chemicals; fuel reexports;
commodities: citrus fruits, tea, wine
Exports - Russia 18.1%, Turkey 14.3%, Azerbaijan 9.8%,
partners: Turkmenistan 8.9%, Bulgaria 5%, Armenia 4.7%, Ukraine
4.4%, Canada 4.2% (2005)
Imports: $2.5 billion (2005 est.)
Imports - fuels, machinery and parts, transport equipment, grain
commodities: and other foods, pharmaceuticals
Imports - Russia 15.4%, Turkey 11.4%, Azerbaijan 9.4%, Ukraine
partners: 8.8%, Germany 8.3%, US 6% (2005)
Reserves of $474.2 million (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $2.04 billion (2004)
external:
Economic aid - ODA, $150 million (2000 est.)
recipient:
Currency lari (GEL)
(code):
Currency code: GEL
Exchange lari per US dollar - 1.8127 (2005), 1.9167 (2004),
rates: 2.1457 (2003), 2.1957 (2002), 2.073 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 683,200 (2004)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 1.459 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: NA
system: 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 AM 7, FM 12, shortwave 4 (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 3.02 million (1997)
Television 12 (plus repeaters) (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 2.57 million (1997)
Internet .ge
country code:
Internet 10,752 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 6 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 175,600 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 23 (2006)
Airports - total: 19
with paved over 3,047 m: 1
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - total: 4
with unpaved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Heliports: 3 (2006)
Pipelines: gas 1,349 km; oil 1,010 km (2006)
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)
(2005)
Roadways: total: 20,247 km
paved: 7,973 km
unpaved: 12,274 km (2003)
Merchant total: 222 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,059,386 GRT/
marine: 1,538,746 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 27, cargo 176, container 4,
liquefied gas 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 3,
petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll
off 2, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 188 (Albania 1, Azerbaijan 2, Belgium 1,
China 2, Cyprus 1, Ecuador 1, Egypt 8, Germany 1,
Greece 8, Indonesia 1, South Korea 1, Lebanon 7, Monaco
13, Romania 11, Russia 28, Slovakia 1, Slovenia 1,
Syria 43, Turkey 30, UAE 1, UK 4, Ukraine 22) (2006)
Ports and Bat'umi, P'ot'i
terminals:
Transportation transportation network is in poor condition resulting
- note: from ethnic conflict, criminal activities, and fuel
shortages; network lacks maintenance and repair
Military
Military Ground Forces (includes National Guard), Air and Air
branches: Defense Forces, Navy (2006)
Military 18 to 34 years of age for compulsory and voluntary
service age active duty military service; conscript service
and obligation - 18 months (2005)
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 1,038,736
available for females age 18-49: 1,105,910 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 827,281
for military females age 18-49: 903,791 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 38,857
reaching females age 18-49: 38,238 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $23 million (FY00)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 0.59% (FY00)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Military - a CIS peacekeeping force of Russian troops is deployed
note: in the Abkhazia region of Georgia together with a UN
military observer group; a Russian peacekeeping
battalion is deployed in South Ossetia
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - Russia and Georgia agree on delimiting 80% of their
international: 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 IDPs: 260,000 (displaced from Abkhazia and South
internally Ossetia) (2005)
displaced
persons:
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