Georgia

Republic of GeorgiaSakartvelo Respublika

republicIndependence 9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Georgia as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 79 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalT'bilisi (Tbilisi)

Area69,700 km2

LocationSoutheastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia

Populationas each edition published it

5.63 million July 1993 est. · 5.57m in 1992

Population growth% a year

0.85% 1993 est. · -0.45% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 34.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

72.58 years 1993 est. · 72.8 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.21 children per woman 1993 est. · 2.2 in 1992

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

24.2 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 34 in 1992

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $1,390 in 1994

GDP real growth% a year

-35% 1992 est. · 9.4% in 2025

Geography

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia

13 fields

Area

69,700km2

land area: 69,700 km2comparative area: slightly larger than South Carolina

Coastline

310km

Maritime claims: note: 12 nm in 1973 USSR-Turkish Protocol concerning the sea boundary between the two states in the Black Sea; Georgia claims the coastline along the Black Sea as its international waters, although it cannot control this area and the Russian navy and commercial ships transit freely

Land boundaries

1,461km

total · Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km, Turkey 252 km

Irrigated land

4,660km2

(1990)

Location

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia

Map references

Africa, Asia, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World

International disputes

none

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;
Kolkhida Lowland opens to the Black Sea in the west;
Kura River Basin in the east;
good soils in river valley flood plains, foothills of Kolkhida lowland

Natural resources

forest lands, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ores, copper, minor coal and oil deposits;
coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth

Land use

arable land:: NA%
permanent crops:: NA%
meadows and pastures:: NA%
forest and woodland:: NA%
other:: NA%

Environment

air pollution, particularly in Rustavi; heavy pollution of Kura River, Black Sea

People

14 fields

Population

5,634,296

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 0.85% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population

Birth

16.48 (1993 est.)Death

8.68 (1993 est.)Net migration

0.64

Net migration: (1993 est.) note - this data may be low because of movement of Ossetian, Russian, and Abkhaz refugees due to ongoing conflicts

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years72.58

68.89 · 76.46

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy100%

100% · 100%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 9-49 can read and write (1970)

Ethnic divisions

Georgian 70.1%Armenian 8.1%Russian 6.3%Azeri 5.7%Ossetian 3%Abkhaz 1.8%other 5%

Religions

Georgian Orthodox 65%Russian Orthodox 10%Muslim 11%Armenian Orthodox 8%unknown 6%

Labor force

2.763million

by occupation: industry and construction 31%, agriculture and forestry 25%, other 44% (1990)

Net migration rate

0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) note - this data may be low because of movement of Ossetian, Russian, and Abkhaz refugees due to ongoing conflicts

Infant mortality rate

24.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.21 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Georgian(s)
adjective:: Georgian

Languages

Armenian 7%, Azerbaijani 6%, Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, other 7%

Government

Republic

21 fields

Names

conventional long form:: Republic of Georgia
conventional short form:: Georgia
local long form:: Sakartvelo Respublika
local short form:: Sakartvelo
former:: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic

Digraph

Type

republic

Capital

T'bilisi (Tbilisi)

Administrative divisions

2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika); Abkhazia (Sukhumi), Ajaria (Batumi)

note: the administrative centers of the autonomous republics are included in parentheses; there are no oblasts - the rayons around T'bilisi are under direct republic jurisdiction; also included is the South Ossetia Autonomous Oblast

Independence

9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Constitution

adopted NA 1921; currently amending constitution for Parliamentary and popular review by late 1995

Legal system

based on civil law system

National holiday

Independence Day, 9 April 1991

Political parties and leaders

All-Georgian Merab Kostava Society, Vazha ADAMIA, chairman;
All-Georgian Traditionalists' Union, Akakiy ASATIANI, chairman;
Georgian National Front - Radical Union, Ruslan GONGADZE, chairman;
Georgian Social Democratic Party, Guram MUCHAIDZE, chairman;
Green Party, Zurab ZHVANIA, chairman;
Monarchist-Conservative Party (MCP), Temur ZHORZHOLIANI, chairman;
Georgian Popular Front (GPF), Nodar NATADZE, chairman;
National Democratic Party (NDP), Georgi CHANTURIA, chairman;
National Independence Party (NIP), Irakli TSERETELI and Irakli BATIASHVILI, chairmen;
Charter 1991 Party, Tedo PAATASHVILI, chairman;
Democratic Georgia Party, Georgiy SHENGELAYA, Chairman;
Peace Bloc;
Unity;
October 11

Other political or pressure groups

supporters of ousted President GAMSAKHURDIA boycotted the October elections and remain an important source of opposition and instability

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Elections

Chairman of Parliament:: last held NA October 1992 (next to be held NA); results - Eduard SHEVARDNADZE 95%
Georgian Parliament (Supreme Soviet):: last held 11 October 1992 (next to be held NA);
results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (225 total) number of seats by party NA;
note - representatives of 26 parties elected;
Peace Bloc, October 11, Unity, National Democratic Party, and the Greens Party won the largest representation

Executive branch

chairman of Parliament, Council of Ministers, prime minister

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Leaders

Chief of State:: Chairman of Parliament Eduard Amvrosiyevich SHEVARDNADZE (since 10 March 1992)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister Tengiz SIGUA (since NA January 1992);
First Deputy Prime Minister Roman GOTSIRIDZE (since NA);
Deputy Prime Ministers Aleksandr KAVADZE, Avtandil MARGIANI, Zurab KERVALISHVILI (since NA)

Member of

BSEC, CSCE, EBRD, IBRD, IMF, NACC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: NA
chancery:: NA
telephone:: NA

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Kent N. BROWN
embassy:: #25 Antoneli Street, T'bilisi
mailing address:: APO AE 09862
telephone:: (7) 8832-74-46-23

Flag

maroon field with small rectangle in upper hoist side corner; rectangle divided horizontally with black on top, white below

Economy

19 fields

Real growth rate

-35%

(1992 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate -50% (1992)

Inflation, consumer prices

50%per month

(January 1993 est.)

Unemployment rate

but large numbers of underemployed workers

External debt

$650million

(1991 est.)

Overview

Among the former Soviet republics, Georgia has been noted for its Black Sea tourist industry, its large output of citrus fruits and tea, and an industrial sector that accounted, however, for less than 2% of the USSR's output. Another salient characteristic of the economy has been a flourishing private sector (compared with the other republics). About 25% of the labor force is employed in agriculture.

Mineral resources consist of manganese and copper, and, to a lesser extent, molybdenum, arsenic, tungsten, and mercury. Except for very small quantities of domestic oil, gas, and coal, fuel must be imported from neighboring republics. Oil and its products have been delivered by pipeline from Azerbaijan to the port of Batumi for export and local refining.

Gas has been supplied in pipelines from Krasnodar and Stavropol'. The dismantling of central economic controls has been delayed by political factionalism, marked by bitter armed struggles. In early 1993 the Georgian economy was operating at well less than half capacity due to disruptions in fuel supplies and vital transportation links as a result of conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, antigovernment activity in Western Georgia, and Azerbaijani pressure against Georgian assistance for Armenia.

To restore economic viability, Georgia must establish domestic peace and must maintain economic ties to the other former Soviet republics while developing new links to the West.

National product

GDP $NA

National product per capita

$NA

Budget

revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Exports

$NA

commodities:: citrus fruits, tea, other agricultural products;
diverse types of machinery;
ferrous and nonferrous metals;
textiles
partners:: Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan (1992)

Imports

$NA

commodities:: machinery and parts, fuel, transport equipment, textiles
partners:: Russia, Ukraine (1992)

Electricity

4,875,000 kW capacity; 15,800 million kWh produced, about 2,835 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

heavy industrial products include raw steel, rolled steel, cement, lumber;
machine tools, foundry equipment, electric mining locomotives, tower cranes, electric welding equipment, machinery for food preparation, meat packing, dairy, and fishing industries;
air-conditioning electric motors up to 100 kW in size, electric motors for cranes, magnetic starters for motors;
devices for control of industrial processes;
trucks, tractors, and other farm machinery;
light industrial products, including cloth, hosiery, and shoes

Agriculture

accounted for 97% of former USSR citrus fruits and 93% of former USSR tea;
berries and grapes;
sugar;
vegetables, grains, potatoes;
cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, poultry;
tobacco

Illicit drugs

illicit producers of cannabis and opium;
mostly for domestic consumption;
used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe

Economic aid

Currency

coupons introduced in April 1993 to be followed by introduction of the lari at undetermined future date;
Russian ruble remains official currency until introduction of the lari

Exchange rates

rubles per US$1 - 415 (24 December 1992) but subject to wide fluctuations

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Networkskm · (1990)

Highways

33,900Railroads

1,570

Highways: ; 29,500 km hard surfaced, 4,400 km earth · Railroads: , does not include industrial lines

total:: 37
useable:: 26
with permanent-surface runways:: 19
with runways over 3,659 m:: 0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:: 10
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:: 9

Telecommunications

poor telephone service;
as of 1991, 672,000 republic telephone lines providing 12 lines per 100 persons;
339,000 unsatisfied applications for telephones (31 January 1992);
international links via landline to CIS members and Turkey;
low capacity satellite earth station and leased international connections via the Moscow international gateway switch;
international electronic mail and telex service established