Everything about Georgia

History of Georgia.

Since 6^th century B.C. Georgia was the colony of Ionic Greeks: its western region was called Kolkhida, eastern – Iberia. In 4^th century B.C. Georgia joined in one kingdom and in 4^th century A.D. in the country appeared Christianity. In the 7^th century Georgia was conquered by Arabs and in 11^th century by Turks-Seljuk. Since 10^th century in Georgia tends to feudal principalities centralization. This stage finished at the beginning of the 12^th century with foundation of joint Georgian state by David the Builder, who expelled Turks and brought back independency, having conquered large neighbor territories including part of Armenia. The birth of the independent Georgian country happened together with the general national progress depicted in architecture development. The biggest temples in Georgia were built in this period – Bagrat church in Kutaisi (1003), temple of Sveti-Tskhoveli in Mtskhet (1010-1029), Alaverdy temple (first quarter of 11^th century), and church in Samtavisi (1030). David the Builder founded near Kutaisi one of the most significant Georgian monastery Gelati (1106-1125) with a magnificent main temple, academy building and other constructions.

In 13^th century Georgia is conquered by Mongols, and later it gets under the reign of Iran and Ottoman empire. In the middle of the 18^th century the Georgian kingdom was proclaimed and it became a part of Russian empire in 1801. Last 200 years of Georgian history are part of Russian empire history: at first as a Russian province, and than as a soviet republic. In 1918 Georgia gained independence again, and in 1922 together with Armenia and Azerbaijan joined Transcaucasian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, and in 1936 was forced to enter USSR. In April 1991 Georgia proclaimed independence from USSR and in 1992 it became United Nations member.

Attempt of the Government to influence on elections results lead to mass disaffection and finished with resignation of the president Eduard Shevardnadze in 2003. In 2004 Mikhail Saakashvili was elected as a President of Georgia.

Title of the Country:

• Conventional full form: Republic Georgia;
• Conventional short form: Georgia;
• Local full form: Sakartvelos Republic;
• Local short form: Sakartvelo.

Geographic coordinates: 41-44 С, 40-47 В. Republic Georgia is situated on the south-west of Europe and takes central and western part of Transcaucasia. It borders with Russian in the north, on Azerbaijan on the east, on Armenia and Turkey on the south. It is washed by the Black Sea on the West.

Square: 69,7 sq.km.; 20 % of the general territory is not under the state control.

Climate: on the west – subtropical, on the east – transitional from tropical to moderate. On the whole territory of the country the climate conditions are complicated with mountain influence, but as the most part of ranges are situated from west to east, even in the most distant regions can be observed influence of warm Black Sea air masses.

Population: 4 385 400 people (at the beginning of 2009).

Capital: Tbilisi.

Biggest cities: Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi, Rustavi.

Administrative regions: Georgia consists of 53 regions and 2 autonomic republics, joined in 12 regions and 11 cities.

Regions: Abasha, Adigeni, Akhalgora, Akhaltsikhe, Akhmeta, Ambrolauri, Bakhdati,Bolnisi, Borjomi, Chkorosku, Chokhatauri, Dedoplistskaro, Dmanisi, Dusheti, Gardabani, Gurdjaani, Djaava, Kareli, Kaspi, Kharagauli, Khashuri, Khobi, Khoni, Lagodekhi, Lanchkhuti, Lentekhi, Marneuli, Martvili, Mestia, Mtskheta, Ninotsminda, Oni, Ozurgeti, Kazbegi, Kvareli, Sachkhere, Sagaredjo, Samtrediya, Senaki, Signakhi, Telavi, Terdjola, Teritskaro, Tianeti, Tsageri, Tsalendjika, Tsalka, Vani, Zestafoni, Zugdidi..

Autonomic republics: Abkhazia (out of state control of Georgia) and Adzharia.

Big Cities: Batumi, Chiatura, Gori, Kutaisi, Poti, Rustavi, Sukhumi, Tbilisi, Tkibuli, Tskhinvali, Tskaltubo.

12 regions:

• Abkhazia (Sukhumi);
• Adzharia (Batumi);
• Guria (Ozurgeti);
• Imereti (Kutaisi);
• Kakheti (Telavi);
• Kvemo Kartli (Rustavi);
• Mtskheta-Mtianeti (Mtskheta);
• Racha-Lechkhumi-Kvemo-Svaneti (Ambolauri);
• Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti (Zugdidi);
• Samtskhe-Jevakheti (Akhaltsikhe);
• Shida Kartli (Gori);
• Tbilisi (Tbilisi).

Ethnic composition (data of 2002):

• Georgians – 83,8 %;
• Azerbaijanians – 6,5 %;
• Armenians – 5,7 %;
• Russian – 1,5 %;
• Others – 2,5 %.

Language:

• Georgian (official) – 71%;
• Russian – 9 %;
• Armenian – 7 %;
• Azerbaijanian – 6 %;
• Others – 7 %;
• Abkhazian language is official language of Abkhazia.

Religion:

• Orthodoxy (main part of Georgians, Russian, partly Abkhazians, Ossetians and Greeks) – 83,9 %;
• Armenian apostolic church (Armenians) – 3,9 %;
• Catholicism (small part of Georgians and Armenians) – 0,8 %;

Sunni Islam (Georgians in Adzharia and Meskhet-Dzhavakheti, Abkhazians, Azerbaijanians, Kistinians) – 9,9 %.