NAVIGATION
|
HOME
• FLAG FINDER
• MAP FINDER
• SOURCES
• ADD YOURSELF TO THE ATLAS! COUNTRIES A-D • COUNTRIES E-K • COUNTRIES L-R • COUNTRIES S-Z |
NAVIGATION
Georgia
Sak'art'velo
former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
INTRODUCTION
|
Background:
|
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. Ethnic separation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, poor governance, and Russian military bases deny the government effective control over the entirety of the state's internationally recognized territory. Despite myriad problems, progress on market reforms and democratization support the country's goal of greater integration with Western political, economic, and security institutions. |
GEOGRAPHY
|
Location:
|
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
42 00 N, 43 30 E |
|
Map references:
|
Asia |
|
Area:
|
total: 69,700 sq km
water: 0 sq km land: 69,700 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
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:
|
NA |
|
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:
|
forests, 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: 11.21%
permanent crops: 4.09% other: 84.7% (1998 est.) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
4,700 sq km (1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
earthquakes |
|
Environment - current 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 |
|
Environment - international 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 |
|
Geography - note:
|
strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them |
PEOPLE
|
Population:
|
4,960,951 (July 2002 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 19% (male 481,669; female 462,966)
15-64 years: 68.2% (male 1,631,351; female 1,752,230) 65 years and over: 12.8% (male 246,663; female 386,072) (2002 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
-0.55% (2002 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
11.48 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
14.61 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
-2.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
51.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 64.67 years
female: 68.32 years (2002 est.) male: 61.19 years |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
1.48 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
less than 0.01% (1999 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
less than 500 (1999 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
less than 100 (1999 est.) |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Georgian(s)
adjective: Georgian |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
Georgian 70.1%, Armenian 8.1%, Russian 6.3%, Azeri 5.7%, Ossetian 3%, Abkhaz 1.8%, other 5% |
|
Religions:
|
Georgian Orthodox 65%, Muslim 11%, Russian Orthodox 10%, Armenian Apostolic 8%, unknown 6% |
|
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: 99% male: 100% female: 98% (1989 est.) |