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 Russian assistance and support to the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. After a series of Russian and separatist provocations in summer 2008, Georgian military action in South Ossetia in early August led to a Russian military response that not only occupied the breakaway areas, but large portions of Georgia proper as well. Russian troops pulled back from most occupied Georgian territory, but in late August 2008 Russia unilaterally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This action was strongly condemned by most of the world's nations and international organizations.

Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia, with a sliver of land north of the Caucasus extending into Europe

slightly smaller than South Carolina

warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast

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

timber, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth

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

strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them

4,615,807 (July 2010 est.)

10.66 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

9.65 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

-4.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

1.44 children born/woman (2010 est.)

less than 0.1% (2007 est.)

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

Georgian 83.8%, Azeri 6.5%, Armenian 5.7%, Russian 1.5%, other 2.5% (2002 census)

Orthodox Christian 83.9%, Muslim 9.9%, Armenian-Gregorian 3.9%, Catholic 0.8%, other 0.8%, none 0.7% (2002 census)

Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, other 7%

9 regions (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 1 city (k'alak'i), and 2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika)

9 April 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

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

adopted 24 August 1995

based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

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 five-year terms)

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

Christian Democratic Movement [Giorgi TARGAMADZE]; Conservative Party [Kakha KUKAVA]; Democratic Movement United Georgia [Nino BURJANADZE]; For Fair Georgia [Zurab NOGAIDELI]; Georgian People's Front [Nodar NATADZE]; Georgia's Way Party [Salome ZOURABICHVILI]; 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) or Alliance for Georgia [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]

separatists in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia

ACCT (observer), ADB, BSEC, CE, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, 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, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

white rectangle with a central red cross extending to all four sides of the flag; each of the four quadrants displays a small red bolnur-katskhuri cross; the five-cross flag appears to date back to the 14th century

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 to 2.1% in 2008 following the August 2008 conflict with Russia, and the economy contracted by about 7% in 2009 as foreign direct investment and workers' remittances declined in the wake of the global financial crisis. 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 current economic downturn has 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.

$20.23 billion (2009 est.)

$21.68 billion (2008 est.)

$21.24 billion (2007 est.)

$10.74 billion (2009 est.)

1.918 million (2007 est.)

22.5% of GDP (2009 est.)

8% (25 December 2008)

NA% (31 December 2007)

22% (31 December 2009)

20.8% (31 December 2008)

$1.077 billion (31 December 2009)

$972.4 million (31 December 2008)

$1.606 billion (31 December 2008)

$1.379 billion (31 December 2007)

$3.695 billion (31 December 2009)

$3.598 billion (31 December 2008)

$NA (31 December 2009)

$327.3 million (31 December 2008)

$1.389 billion (31 December 2007)

citrus, grapes, tea, hazelnuts, vegetables; livestock

steel, aircraft, machine tools, electrical appliances, mining (manganese and copper), chemicals, wood products, wine

7.97 billion kWh (2008 est.)

6.902 billion kWh (2008 est.)

628 million kWh (2007 est.)

430 million kWh (2007 est.)

994.9 bbl/day (2009 est.)

13,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

1,486 bbl/day (2008 est.)

16,590 bbl/day (2008 est.)

35 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)

8 million cu m (2008 est.)

1.73 billion cu m (2008 est.)

1.72 billion cu m (2008 est.)

8.495 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

-$1.549 billion (2009 est.)

-$2.915 billion (2008 est.)

$1.793 billion (2009 est.)

$2.428 billion (2008 est.)

scrap metal, wine, mineral water, ores, vehicles, fruits and nuts

Turkey 17.87%, Azerbaijan 12.3%, Bulgaria 9.6%, Canada 8.78%, UK 7.49%, Ukraine 6.82%, Spain 5.27%, US 4.99% (2009)

$4.298 billion (2009 est.)

$6.261 billion (2008 est.)

fuels, vehicles, machinery and parts, grain and other foods, pharmaceuticals

Turkey 16.81%, Azerbaijan 9.72%, Ukraine 9.17%, Russia 7.39%, US 6.63%, Germany 6.22% (2009)

$2.11 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$1.48 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$3.381 billion (31 December 2009)

$7.711 billion (31 December 2008)

laris (GEL) per US dollar - 1.6996 (2009), 1.47 (2008), 1.7 (2007), 1.78 (2006), 1.8127 (2005)

2.755 million (2008)

1 state-owned public television station in Tbilisi and 8 privately-owned TV stations; state-run public broadcaster operates 2 networks; dozens of cable TV operators and several major commercial TV stations are operating; state-owned public radio broadcaster operates 2 networks; several dozen private stations broadcast (2008)

1.024 million (2008)

gas 1,596 km; oil 1,258 km (2009)

large parts of transportation network are in poor condition because of lack of maintenance and repair

Georgian Armed Forces: Land Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces

18 to 34 years of age for compulsory and voluntary active duty military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2005)

0.59% of GDP (2005 est.)

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

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 continue to discuss the alignment of their boundary at certain crossing areas

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