Georgia

• 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

• 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

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

0-14 years:

18.6% (male 466,743; female 449,440)

15-64 years:

68.4% (male 1,628,757; female 1,744,922)

65 years and over:

13% (male 252,031; female 392,520) (2003 est.)

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 (2003 est.)

noun:

Georgian(s)

adjective:

Georgian

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Georgia

local short form:

Sak'art'velo

former:

Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic

local long form:

none

• 9 regions, (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 9 cities* (k'alak'ebi, singular - k'alak'i), and 2 autonomous republics** (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika);
• Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is Avtonomiuri Respublika** (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika** (Bat'umi), Chiat'ura*, Gori*, Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, K'ut'aisi*, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, P'ot'i*, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Rust'avi*, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli, T'bilisi*, Tqibuli*, Tsqaltubo*, Zugdidi*

note: the administrative centers of the 2 autonomous republics are shown in parentheses

chief of state:

• President Nino BURJANADZE (acting president since 23 November 2003; formerly parliamentary speaker, she assumed the presidency upon the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE);
• note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government:

• President Nino BURJANADZE (acting president since 23 November 2003; formerly parliamentary speaker, she assumed the presidency upon the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE);
• note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet:

Cabinet of Ministers

election results:

• Eduard SHEVARDNADZE reelected president;
• percent of vote - Eduard SHEVARDNADZE 80%;
• note - following the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, Nino BURJANADZE became acting president

elections:

president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 9 April 2000 (next to be held 4 January 2004 to replace Eduard SHEVARDNADZE)

• Citizen's Union of Georgia or CUG [Avtandil JORBENADZE];
• Georgian People's Front [Nodar NATADZE];
• Georgian United Communist Party or UCPG [Panteleimon GIORGADZE];
• Greens [Giorgi GACHECHILADZE];
• Industry Will Save Georgia or IWSG [Georgi TOPADZE];
• Labor Party [Shalva NATELASHVILI];
• National Democratic Party or NDP [Irina SARISHVILI-CHANTURIA];
• New National Movement [Mikheil SAAKASHVILI];
• New Right [Levaii GACHECHILADZE];
• Republican Party [David BERDZENISHVILI];
• "Revival" Union Party or AGUR [Alsan ABASHIDZE];
• Socialist Party or SPG [Irakli MINDELI];
• Traditionalists [Akaki ASATIANI]

• Georgian independent deputies from Abkhaz government in exile;
• separatists in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia;
• supporters of the late ousted President Zviad GAMSAKHURDYA

chief of mission:

Ambassador Levan MIKELADZE

chancery:

Suite 300, 1615 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

FAX:

[1] (202) 393-6060

telephone:

[1] (202) 387-2390

chief of mission:

Ambassador Richard M. MILES

embassy:

#25 Atoneli Street, T'bilisi 380026

mailing address:

7060 Tbilisi Place, Washington, DC 20521-7060

telephone:

[995] (32) 989-967/68

FAX:

[995] (32) 933-759

lowest 10%:

2.3%

highest 10%:

27.9% (1996)

• scrap metal, machinery, chemicals;
• fuel reexports;
• citrus fruits, tea, wine

general assessment:

NA

domestic:

• local - T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi have cellular telephone networks;
• urban telephone density is about 20 per 100 people;
• rural telephone density is about 4 per 100 people;
• intercity facilities include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi;
• nationwide pager service is available

international:

• Georgia and Russia are working on a fiber-optic line between P'ot'i and Sochi (Russia);
• present international service is available by microwave, landline, and satellite through the Moscow switch;
• international electronic mail and telex service are available

total:

1,612 km

broad gauge:

1,575 km 1.520-m gauge

narrow gauge:

37 km 0.912-m gauge (2002)

total:

20,362 km

paved:

19,038 km

unpaved:

1,325 km (2000)

• a CIS peacekeeping force of Russian troops is deployed in the Abkhazia region of Georgia together with a UN military observer group;
• a Russian peacekeeping battalion is deployed in South Ossetia

• boundary with Russia has been largely delimited, but not demarcated with several small, strategic segments remaining in dispute and OSCE observers monitoring volatile areas such as the Pankisi Gorge in the Akhmeti region and the Argun Gorge in Abkhazia;
• Meshkheti Turks scattered throughout the former Soviet Union seek to return to Georgia;
• ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy, closer ties with Armenia

• limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption;
• used as transshipment point for opiates via Central Asia to Western Europe and Russia