GeographyCountry name: Georgia (local: Sak'art'velo). Capital: T'bilisi. Government type: republic. Independence: 9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union). Administrative divisions: 9 regions (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 9 cities (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 Autonomous republics: Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is Avtonomiuri Respublika (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika (Bat'umi) Note: the administrative centers of the 2 autonomous republics are shown in parentheses. 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. Total area: 69,700 kmē. Coastline: 310 km. Highest point: Mt'a Shkhara 5,201 m. Climate: warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast. Ports and harbors: Bat'umi, P'ot'i, Sokhumi. |
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, some progress on market reforms and democratization has been made.
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