Georgia Population: 4,555,911
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| 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 in 1921 and regained its independence when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Mounting public discontent over rampant corruption and ineffective government services, followed by 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. In the aftermath of that popular movement, which became known as the "Rose Revolution," new elections in early 2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI into power along with his United National Movement (UNM) 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 separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Periodic flare-ups in tension and violence culminated in a five-day conflict in August 2008 between Russia and Georgia, including the invasion of large portions of undisputed Georgian territory. Russian troops pledged to pull back from most occupied Georgian territory, but in late August 2008 Russia unilaterally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and Russian military forces remain in those regions. Billionaire philanthropist Bidzina IVANISHVILI's unexpected entry into politics in October 2011 brought the divided opposition together under his Georgian Dream coalition, which won a majority of seats in the October 2012 parliamentary election and removed UNM from power. A new constitution shifting many powers from the president to the prime minister and parliament, including the power to name the prime minister and government ministers, does not go into effect until after a new president is elected in the fall of 2013. Conceding defeat, SAAKASHVILI named IVANISHVILI as prime minister and allowed Georgian Dream to create a new government. Tensions remain high as IVANISHVILI, SAAKASHVILI, and their supporters struggle to co-exist until the end of the president's term. |
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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; note - Georgia views itself as part of 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 (2003) |
| 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: | 4,555,911 (July 2013 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 15.4% (male 373,539/female 327,139) 15-24 years: 14% (male 326,910/female 309,245) 25-54 years: 42.2% (male 926,172/female 994,432) 55-64 years: 12.3% (male 255,905/female 305,652) 65 years and over: 16.2% (male 293,435/female 443,482) (2013 est.) population pyramid: |
| Median age: | total: 39.3 years male: 36.8 years female: 41.8 years (2012 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | -0.327% (2012 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 10.75 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Death rate: | 10.05 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -3.96 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.11 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.15 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 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: 14.68 deaths/1,000 live births male: 16.58 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 77.32 years male: 73.99 years female: 81 years (2012 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.46 children born/woman (2013 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: 99.7% male: 99.8% female: 99.7% (2010 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: Tbilisi geographic coordinates: 41 41 N, 44 50 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 King 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, justice, and defense head of government: Prime Minister Bidzina IVANISHVILI (since 25 October 2012); the prime minister is head of government for all the ministries of government except the power ministries of internal affairs, justice, 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 October 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 (150 seats; 77 members elected by proportional representation, 73 elected in single-member constituencies; members to serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 1 October 2012 (next to be held in 2016) election results: percent of vote by party - Georgian Dream 55%, United National Movement 40.3%, other 4.7%; seats by party - Georgian Dream 85, United National Movement 65 |
| 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 [Zviad DZIDZIGURI]; Democratic Movement United Georgia [Nino BURJANADZE]; For Fair Georgia [Zurab NOGAIDELI]; Georgian Dream (a six-party coalition composed of Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia, Republican Party, Our Georgia-Free Democrats, National Forum, Conservative Party, and Industry Will Save Georgia); Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia [Bidzina IVANISHVILI, honorary chairman]; 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 [Pikria CHIKHRADZE]; Our Georgia-Free Democrats (OGFD) [Irakli KADAGIDZE]; People's Party [Koba DAVITASHVILI; Republican Party [David USUPASHVILI]; Traditionalists [Akaki ASATIANI]; United National Movement or UNM [Vano MERABISHVILI] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | separatists in the occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia |
| International organization participation: | ADB, BSEC, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-11, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SELEC (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) 387-0864 consulate(s) general: New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Richard NORLAND embassy: 11 George Balanchine Street, T'bilisi 0131 mailing address: 7060 T'bilisi Place, Washington, DC 20521-7060 telephone: [995] (32) 227-70-00 FAX: [995] (32) 253-23-10 |
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| Economy | |
| Georgia's main economic activities include the cultivation of agricultural products such as grapes, citrus fruits, and hazelnuts; mining of manganese, copper, and gold; and output of a small industrial sector producing alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, metals, machinery, and chemicals. The country imports nearly all its needed supplies of natural gas and oil products. It has sizeable hydropower capacity that now provides most of its energy needs. 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. Construction of 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'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 following the August 2008 conflict with Russia, and sunk to negative 4 percent in 2009 as foreign direct investment and workers' remittances declined in the wake of the global financial crisis. The economy rebounded in 2010-12, with growth rates above 6% per year, but FDI inflows, the engine of Georgian economic growth prior to the 2008 conflict, have not recovered fully. Unemployment has also remained high at above 16%. 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, leading to higher revenues. 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, with a focus on hydropower, agriculture, tourism, and textiles production. Since 2004, the government has taken a series of actions against endemic corruption, including reform of the traffic police and implementation of a fair examination system for entering the university system. The government has received high marks from the World Bank for its anti-corruption efforts. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $26.52 billion (2012 est.) $25 billion (2011 est.) $23.32 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $15.8 billion (2012 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 6.1% (2012 est.) 7.2% (2011 est.) 6.3% (2010 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $5,900 (2012 est.) $5,600 (2011 est.) $5,300 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 8.3% industry: 23.7% services: 68% (2012 est.) |
| Labor force: | 1.959 million (2011 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 55.6% industry: 8.9% services: 35.5% (2006 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 15.1% (2011 est.) 16.3% (2010 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | 9.2% (2010) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 2% highest 10%: 31.3% (2008) |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 46 (2011) 37.1 (1996) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): -0.9% (2012 est.) 8.5% (2011 est.) |
| Investment (gross fixed): | Investment (gross fixed): 34.3% of GDP (2012 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $4.1 billion expenditures: $4.8 billion (2012 est.) |
| Public debt: | 36.3% of GDP (2012 est.) 36.5% of GDP (2011 est.) note: data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities; Georgia does not maintain intra-governmental debt or social funds |
| Agriculture - products: | citrus, grapes, tea, hazelnuts, vegetables; livestock |
| Industries: | steel, machine tools, electrical appliances, mining (manganese, copper, and gold), chemicals, wood products, wine |
| Industrial production growth rate: | 11.8% (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - production: | 9.694 billion kWh (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 94 |
| Electricity - consumption: | 9.379 billion kWh (2012 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 528 million kWh (2012 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 614 million kWh (2012 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 9.151 million cu m (2012 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 1.97 billion cu m (2012 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2012 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 1.96 billion cu m (2012 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 93.41 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.) |
| Current account balance: | -$1.669 billion (2012 est.) -$1.799 billion (2011 est.) |
| Exports: | $3.324 billion (2012 est.) $3.326 billion (2011 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | vehicles, ferro-alloys, fertilizers, nuts, scrap metal, gold, copper ores |
| Exports - partners: | Azerbaijan 17.3%, Turkey 10.4%, Armenia 9.9%, Kazakhstan 7.3%, Ukraine 6.2%, US 5.5%, Canada 5.1%, Bulgaria 4.7% (2011) |
| Imports: | $6.623 billion (2012 est.) $6.683 billion (2011 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | fuels, vehicles, machinery and parts, grain and other foods, pharmaceuticals |
| Imports - partners: | Turkey 17.8%, Ukraine 10%, Azerbaijan 8.3%, China 7.6%, Germany 6.8%, Russia 5.6% (2011) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $2.873 billion (31 December 2012 est.) $2.818 billion (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $8.2 billion (31 December 2012) $11.08 billion (31 December 2011) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: | $9.133 billion (31 July 2011 est.) $9.305 billion (31 December 2011 est.) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: | $741.6 million (31 December 2011 est.) $660.3 million (31 December 2010 est.) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $795.7 million (31 December 2011) $1.06 billion (31 December 2010) $733.3 million (31 December 2009) |
| Exchange rates: | laris (GEL) per US dollar - 1.66 (2012 est.) 1.6865 (2011 est.) 1.7823 (2010 est.) 1.6705 (2009 est.) 1.47 (2008 est.) |
| Fiscal year: | calendar year |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 1.345 million (2011) country comparison to the world: 67 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 4.43 million (2011) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: fixed-line telecommunications network has limited coverage outside Tbilisi; 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 100 per 100 people; intercity facilities include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi 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 (2011) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .ge |
| Internet hosts: | 357,864 (2012) |
| Internet users: | 1.3 million (2009) |
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| Transportation | |
| Airports: | 22 (2012) 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: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 2 (2012) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2012) |
| Heliports: | 2 (2012) |
| 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) (2008) |
| Roadways: | total: 20,329 km paved: 19,123 km (includes 13 km of expressways) unpaved: 1,206 km (2006) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 142 by type: bulk carrier 13, cargo 114, chemical tanker 1, container 1, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 5, vehicle carrier 2 foreign-owned: 95 (Bulgaria 1, China 10, Egypt 7, Hong Kong 3, Israel 1, Italy 2, Latvia 1, Lebanon 1, Romania 7, Russia 6, Syria 24, Turkey 14, UAE 2, UK 5, Ukraine 10, US 1) registered in other countries: 1 (unknown 1) (2010) |
| Ports and terminals: | Bat'umi, P'ot'i |
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| Military | |
| 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 note: Georgian naval forces have been incorporated into the coast guard, which is not part of the Defense Ministry (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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