Population and Area

Population and Area History Geography Climate Top

Area					69500
Census results of 1989			5400800
Official data of 1997			5423000
Density of Population (per sq.km)	78

Population by Nationality
Nationality		       Quantity			   %
Georgian			3787400 		 70.13% 
Russian				 341200		  	  6.32% 
Ossetian			 164100			  3.04% 
Abkhazian			  95900			  1.78% 
Kurt				  33300			  0.62% 
Armenian			 437200			  8.10% 
Jew				  24800			  0.46% 
Azerbaijani			 307600			  5.70%
Ukrainian			  52400			  0.97%
Greek				 100300			  1.86%
Others				  56500			  1.05%    
Total				5400700			100.00%

Population of the Administrative Units
Region			Area		Population	Population Density(per sq.km)
Kakheti			11400 		 447900 		  39.3 
Shida Kartli		 4800		 363100		  	  75.6 
Kvemo Kartli		 6400 		 586700 		  91.7 
Mtskheta-Mtianeti	 6800 		 138800 		  20.4 
Samtskhe-Javakheti	 6400 		 234900 		  36.7 
Imereti 		 6600 		 796600			 120.7 
Guria 			 2000 		 160600 		  80.3 
Samegrelo and 
Zemo Svaneti	 	 7400 		 432600 		  58.5 
Racha-Lechkumi and 
Kvemo Svaneti	 	 4900 		  55000 		  11.2 
Ajaria			 2900 		 396400 		 136.7 
Abkhazia 		 8600 		 516600 		  60.1 
Tskhinvali 		 1300		      0			   0.0    
Total   		69500		5400700			  77.7

History

Population and Area History Geography Climate Top

Georgia, known to Greeks and Romans as Kolkheti (western part of the country) and Iberia (eastern part),
adopted Christianity in the IV century under the influence of Byzantium. The country managed to unite
during X-XII I centuries despite numerous invasions by Arabians, Mongolians, Turks and Persians. This
period in Georgian history is called "Golden Era", the King David Agmashenebeli (1089-1125) and his
granddaughter the King-woman Tamar (1184-1213) made a great contribution to this event. Recollections
of this period facilitated to preserve a national self-awareness in the following centuries, when
Georgia was conquered by foreigners. Russia, which started annexation of this region in 1801 and
finished it in 1917, was the last among such conquerors. Georgia formed a part of the Soviet Union from
1921, but it became an independent Soviet Republic of the Soviet Union in 1936.

A well-known Soviet dictator Ioseb Stalin and the "Head" of his police Lavrenti Beria, both Georgians
by origin, destroyed the hope of Georgians to win a national independence. The repressions went on after
Stalin’s death: in 1956 his successor Nikita Khrushov severely suppressed a revolutionary attempt by
means of Soviet tanks, which was followed by deaths of hundreds of people. During Brezhnev governance
Georgian Authorities gained a little success - Georgian language was declared a State language.

In present Georgian history 1989 year was a crucial moment, when in April the Soviet Army broke up a
peaceful demonstration. This resulted in a murder of 20 people and the society strongly supported the
policy of a complete independence and a separation from the Soviet Union. Gamsakhurdia’s victory in
elections of 1990 was a direct result of it.

After winning an independence separative movements and conflicts among political forces started. The
latter outgrew into an armed conflict among the supporters of the Authorities and Opposition, and as
a result the President Gamsakhurdia had to leave the country. The strain continued after Eduard
Shevardnadze became a leader of the country. A number of ethnic minorities: Osetians (from 1991),
Abkhazians (from 1992) felt suppressed and wished to separate from Georgia when Georgia declared
independence. An armed struggle began among nationalists and the Authorities. In 1993 Gansakhurdia’s
supporters tried by force to return lost Power, but they failed, and in December of 1993 Gamsakhurdia
committed suicide. The nationalists with the hidden support of Russian Authorities managed to go out
of the subordination of Georgian Authorities. Georgian Authorities had to give in to Russia, and as a
result Georgia became a member of the CIS.

By 1997 the jurisdiction of Georgian Authority have not reached the territory of Abkhazia and a part
of Tskhinvali. The majority of the residents of that area had to leave their homes and to look for a
temporary shelter in other parts of the country.

On July 31, 1992 Georgia became the 179th member of the UN. At the same time Georgia is a member 
of various international and regional organizations.

Geography

Population and Area History Geography Climate Top

Georgia is located in wrinkled Alpine zone, in Subtropical zones of northern periphery between (the
41 07 and 43 35 latitudes and West 40 05 and 46 44 longitudes). The border length is 1970 km (315 km
of which (16%) is coastline). The country is bounded by Russian federation from North, from East -
Azerbaijan, from South - Armenia and Turkey, from West - the Black Sea.


Mountain Ushba (Caucasus)

The geological constitution is characterised by the precipitation is basically of Mesozoic and
Cainozoic era. According to the wrinkles it's divided by several Geotectonical units: from North to
the South by Caucasian main ring's Antiklinorium, main Caucasian range, wrinkles system, Georgian Belt,
Achara-Trialeti system, Artvin-Bolnisi Belt and Loc-Karabag's wrinkled zone.

Georgia is reach by minerals resources: oil, coal, peat, iron, magnum, copper, projectile-zinc, arsenic,
mercury, andezit, barite, talc, serpentit, agate, quartz, basalt, granite, diorite, marble, etc.

Georgia differs by it's contrast relief. It is represented by high, middle and low mountain highland
plane unity. The Caucasus are reflected sharply, inter mountain lowland.


Mountain Tetnuldi (Caucasus)

The territory of the Georgia features a highly contrasting topography. The north of the country is
occupied by the Greater Caucasus chain (highest point - Mt. Shkhara, 5068 m), which includes the Great
Caucasian Range (the main watershed) and Gagra, Bzipi, Kodori, Svaneti, Egrisi, Racha, Lomisi, Kartli
and other ranges. The inter mountain depression to the south of the Greater Caucasus encompasses the
Kolkheti lowland, Inner Kartli, Lower Kartli and the Alazani Plain. Still further to the south the
Minor Caucasian ranges rise to the medium height (Meskheti, Shavsheti and other ranges), reaching
2850 m. The southernmost area of the country is covered by the volcanic South Georgian Upland 
(Mt. Didi Abuli, 3301 m, its highest peak), dissected by specific canyon-like river gorges. 

The Greater Caucasus and the South Georgian Upland join with the Likhi Range, which at the same time
divides Georgia into two contrasting climatic zones: Western and Eastern Georgia.

The location of Georgia on the border between the moderate humid Mediterranean and the dry continental
Aral-Caspian areas is responsible for the climate of the country. A humid subtropical climate dominants
in the Western Georgia, while Eastern Georgia features a transition from subtropical to moderate. The
mean January temperature varies from -2 degree (Kolkheti) to 3 degree; in August from 23 to 26 degree.
In the mean annual precipitation varies from 1000 to 2800 mm, in Eastern Georgia from 300 to 600 mm.

 Mountains, Mountains, Mountains ...

According to the climate conditions, hydrological network is not equally distributed in Georgia. In
comparison with the East, the Western part of the country is highly satiated with river basins.

The rivers of Georgia belong to the basins of the Black and Caspian Basin flows the Mtkvari river with
its numerous tributaries (left) the Didi Liakhvi, the Aragvi, the Iori, the Alazani, (right) the
Paravani, the Algeti, and Khrami. The Black Sea Basin rivers include the Rioni, the Enguri, the
Acharistskali, the Bzipi and others. There are not many lakes in Georgia, the largest being Lake
Paravani (37 sq. km), and Lake Paliastomi (17,3 sq. km), and the deepest Lake Ritsa (116 m) and Lake
Amtkeli (72-122 m) (both are impounded lakes).

    Black Sea Coast

The glaciers are only on Caucuses (688) and occupy 508 sq. km (country area's 0.7%). Regular snow line
hesitates on 2800-3600 metre.

Georgia is rich with underground waters, there are mineral and thermal waters (Borjomi, Utsera, Dzau,
Nabeglavi, Sairme, Zvare, Nunisi etc.).

The vegetation of Georgia is extremely rich and diverse, with numerous relict and endemic plants
(dioskeria, Pontic and Caucasian rhododendron, boxtree, zelkva, persimmon, etc.).

Forest covers over 1/3 of the area, with broad-leafed species (oak, horn beam, chestnut, peach, etc.)
common at lower levels, dark conifers (fir and spruce) in a higher mountain belt, and pine in higher-
mountain valleys. Alpine meadows are spreading above 1880 m. The Kolkheti and Alazani plains and the
lava plateau's of the South Georgian Upland are dominated by cultivated plants (tea, citrus's, grapes).

The animal world is represented by variety of different mountain and plain is as plain species 
(Caucasian tur, roe deer, wolf, lynx, eagle, sparrow-hawk, falcon, sturgeon, salmon, shoat-fish, trout etc.).

Climate

Population and Area History Geography Climate Top

Georgia's climate is affected by subtropical influences from the west and mediterranean influances from the
east. The Greater Caucasus range moderates local slimate by serving as a barrier against cold air from the 
north. The relatively small territory covers differant climatic zones, which are determined by distance from
the Black Sea and by altitude. The climatic zones are ranging from humid subtropical to the eternal snow 
and glaciers.

West Georgia
Along the Black Sea coast, from Abkhazia to the Turkish border, and in the region known as the Kolkhida 
Lowlands inland from the coast, the dominant subtropical climate features high humidity and heavy 
precipitation. Several varieties of palm treet grow there. Midwinter average temperature here is 5C and the
midsummer average is 22C.

East Georgia
The plains of eastern Georgia are shielded from the influance of the Black Sea by mountains of Likhi that 
provide a more continental climate. Average temperature in Summer here is 20-24C, in winter 2-4C. 
Humidity is lower.

Alpine and highland regions in the east and west, as well as semiarid region on the Iori Plateau to the 
southeast have distinct microclimates. Alpine conditions start at 2,100 meters and above 3,600 meters year-
round snow and ice is present.

Data on average monthly and annual atmospheric temperature for the period of 1881-1960 (C).