[229] A number of large carnivores live in the forests, namely Brown bears, wolves, lynxes and Caucasian Leopards. [306][c] 0.7 per cent of those recorded in the 2014 census declared themselves to be adherents of other religions, 1.2 per cent refused or did not state their religion and 0.5 per cent declared no religion at all. NGO "Tolerance", in its alternative report about its implementation, speaks of a rapid decrease in the number of Azerbaijani schools and cases of appointing headmasters to Azerbaijani schools who do not speak the Azerbaijani language. [9] On March 31, 1991, a referendum was held on the restoration of Georgia's independence on the basis of the Independence Act of 26 May 1918. Other deciduous species include several varieties of maple, aspen, ash, and hazelnut. In economics, the party controls the country's economic system, and private ownership is illegal, although this facet of communist rule has changed in some countries like China. The Georgian government fled to France where it operated until the early 1930s. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has called on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to oppose a federal takeover of elections and support election law reforms. On 29 October 2004, the North Atlantic Council of NATO approved the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) of Georgia, and Georgia moved on to the second stage of Euro-Atlantic Integration. [27] The earliest evidence of wine to date has been found in Georgia, where 8,000-year old wine jars were uncovered. There are several architectural styles for castles, towers, fortifications and churches. [277], Like most native Caucasian peoples, the Georgians do not fit into any of the main ethnic categories of Europe or Asia. The Lesser Caucasus Mountains partially protect the region from the influence of dry and hot air masses from the south. The first attempt to unite the country occurred under King Parnavaz of Kartli at the beginning of the third century B.C.E. Most countries consider the regions to be Georgian territory under Russian occupation. [117] Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as separate republics on 26 August. This period also brought social and economic change to Georgia, with new social classes emerging: the emancipation of the serfs freed many peasants but did little to alleviate their poverty; the growth of capitalism created an urban working class in Georgia. There were a number of other styles in the past that are not as widely used today. Beginning in 2007, politicians here have been debating whether or not to change the governmental framework to a constitutional monarchy. [217] In addition, another territory not officially autonomous has also declared independence. [170], In September 2019, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that "NATO approaching our borders is a threat to Russia. Rustavi International Motorpark originally built in 1978 was re-opened in 2012 after total reconstruction[356] costing $20million. The large cross is the cross of St George, the patron saint of Georgia. There is also a certified specialist's programme that represents a single-level higher education programme lasting from three to six years. The agriculture and industry output diminished. Lake Paliastomi area). According to the 1926 census there were 27,728 Jews in Georgia. The Kingdom of Georgia reached its zenith in the 12th to early 13th centuries. The party was founded on 23 February 1992 as the Socialist Labour Party. COVID-19 Travel restrictions for Georgia As of June 15th 2022, Citizens of any foreign countries, traveling to Georgia via any route, are no longer obliged to present either Covid-vaccination certificate or PCR-examination negative result For more information, visit the Georgia official governmental site. Russia received by far the most migrants from Georgia. In 19181919, Georgian general Giorgi Mazniashvili led an attack against the White Army led by Moiseev and Denikin in order to claim the Black Sea coastline from Tuapse to Sochi and Adler for the independent Georgia. Free shipping for many products! The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range forms the northern border of Georgia. [254] Georgia's economy is becoming more devoted to services (as of 2016[update], representing 59.4 per cent of GDP), moving away from the agricultural sector (6.1 per cent). This law prohibits communist symbolism and ideology along with fascist symbolism and ideology. Other airports in the country are largely underdeveloped or lack scheduled traffic, although, as of late, efforts have been made to solve both these problems. The federation consisted of three nations: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Total length of roads in Georgia, excluding the occupied territories, is 21,110 kilometres (13,120mi) and railways 1,576km (979mi). Georgia (Georgian: , .mw-parser-output .noitalic{font-style:normal}romanized:Sakartvelo, IPA:[skrtvl] (listen)) is a transcontinental country at the intersection of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. Neighboring large empires subsequently exploited the internal division of the weakened country, and beginning in the 16th century up to the late 18th century, Safavid Iran (and successive Iranian Afsharid and Qajar dynasties) and Ottoman Turkey subjugated the eastern and western regions of Georgia, respectively. Various historical regions of Georgia are known for their particular dishes: for example, khinkali (meat dumplings), from eastern mountainous Georgia, and khachapuri, mainly from Imereti, Samegrelo and Adjara. [14] At the early stage of its appearance in the Latin world, it was not always written in the same transliteration, and the first consonant was being spelt with J as Jorgia. [236], Georgia is home to four ecoregions: Caucasus mixed forests, Euxine-Colchic deciduous forests, Eastern Anatolian montane steppe, and Azerbaijan shrub desert and steppe. Since the fall of the USSR in 1991, Georgia embarked on a major structural reform designed to transition to a free market economy. [245] As of 2021, it ranked 12th in the world for economic freedom. [329] Georgian culture was influenced by Classical Greece, the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the various Iranian empires (notably the Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanian, Safavid, and Qajar empires),[330][331][332][333] and later, since the 19th century, by the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. [226], At higher elevations above 1,000 metres (3,281ft) above sea level (particularly in the Tusheti, Khevsureti, and Khevi regions), pine and birch forests dominate. Two major rivers in Georgia are the Rioni and the Mtkvari. [30], Archaeological evidence indicates that Georgia has been the site of wine production since at least 6,000 BC, which over time played a role in forming Georgia's culture and national identity. On 26 May 2012, Saakashvili inaugurated a new Parliament building in the western city of Kutaisi, in an effort to decentralize power and shift some political control closer to Abkhazia. [75] In 1920 Soviet Russia recognized Georgia's independence with the Treaty of Moscow. Georgia is a representative democratic parliamentary republic, with the President as the largely ceremonial[125] head of state, and Prime Minister as the head of government. [93][96][97][98][99], On 7 August 2008, Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili announced a unilateral ceasefire and called for peace talks. In preparation for the 2012 parliamentary elections, Georgia implemented constitutional reforms to switch to a parliamentary democracy, moving executive powers from the President to the Prime Minister. This made it easy for the remaining Georgian realms to fall victim to the early Muslim conquests in the 7th century. 9 also warned of "color revolution." This term originated in the first decade of this century, when a series of antiauthoritarian popular uprisings in former Soviet states became known by colorful names, including Georgia's Rose Revolution (2003), Ukraine's Orange Revolution (2004), and Kyrgyzstan's Tulip Revolution (2005). [353] Wrestling remains a historically important sport of Georgia, and some historians think that the Greco-Roman style of wrestling incorporates many Georgian elements. [275] There are a number of seaports along Georgia's Black Sea coast, the largest and most busy of which is the Port of Batumi; whilst the town is itself a seaside resort, the port is a major cargo terminal in the Caucasus and is often used by neighbouring Azerbaijan as a transit point for making energy deliveries to Europe. New duties performed by the police include border security and customs functions and contracted security provision; the latter function is performed by the dedicated 'security police'. "[24] Before the 1995 constitution came into force, the country's official name was the Republic of Georgia (Georgian: , romanized: Sakartvelos Resp'ublik'a) and it is still sometimes referred to by that name. [338] The Georgian language is written in three unique scripts which, according to traditional accounts, were invented by King Pharnavaz I of Iberia in the 3rd century BC. [341], Television, magazines, and newspapers in Georgia are all operated by both state-owned and for-profit corporations which depend on advertising, subscription, and other sales-related revenues. The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range plays an important role in moderating Georgia's climate and protects the nation from the penetration of colder air masses from the north. [31][347][348][349] Local traditions associated with wine are entwined with its national identity. The revival of the Kingdom of Georgia was set back after Tbilisi was captured and destroyed by the Khwarezmian leader Jalal ad-Din in 1226. The soil in vineyards is so intensively cultivated that the grapevines grow up the trunks of fruit trees eventually hanging down along the fruit when they ripen. Joseph Stalin, an ethnic Georgian born Iosif Vissarionovich Jugashvili ( ) in Gori, was prominent among the Bolsheviks. Situated at the strategically important crossroads where Europe meets Asia, Georgia has a unique and ancient cultural heritage, and is famed for its traditions of hospitality and cuisine. For much of the 20th century, Georgia's economy was within the Soviet model of command economy. Heraclius, who had risen to prominence through the Iranian ranks, was awarded the crown of Kakheti by Nader himself in 1744 for his loyal service to him. He also conducts the highly philosophical toasts, and makes sure that everyone is enjoying themselves. At present, the forest cover generally remains outside of the low-lying areas and is mainly located along the foothills and the mountains. Consecutive research estimated the 2002 census to be inflated by 8 to 9 percent,[286] which affected the annually updated population estimates in subsequent years. [28][29] Archaeological finds and references in ancient sources also reveal elements of early political and state formations characterized by advanced metallurgy and goldsmith techniques that date back to the 7th century BC and beyond. Other prominent peaks include Mount Kazbek at 5,047m (16,558ft), Shota Rustaveli Peak 4,960m (16,273ft), Tetnuldi 4,858m (15,938ft), Ushba 4,700m (15,420ft), and Ailama 4,547m (14,918ft). De facto separate since Georgian independence, offers were made to give South Ossetia autonomy again, but in 2006 an unrecognized referendum in the area resulted in a vote for independence. The head of the Bagrationi dynasty Ashot I of Iberia (r. 813826), who had migrated to the former southwestern territories of Iberia, came to rule over Tao-Klarjeti and restored the Principate of Iberia in 813. Zurabishvili was backed by the ruling Georgian Dream party. [211] In response to lawsuits from civil society organizations, in 2018 the Constitutional Court of Georgia ruled that "consumption of marijuana is an action protected by the right to free personality"[212] and that "[Marijuana] can only harm the user's health, making that user him/herself responsible for the outcome. Meanwhile in Georgia, the communists terrorized dissidents, abolished democratic freedoms and persecuted the Church. South Ossetians were responsible for instigating this incident, which marked the opening of hostilities and injured five Georgian servicemen. 9 min read. Cart; vintage milk bottle caps [166], Georgia is currently working to become a full member of NATO. During much of this time (1927-1953), Joseph Stalin was the totalitarian leader. [248], Since coming to power the Saakashvili administration accomplished a series of reforms aimed at improving tax collection. why were chinese railroad workers called jakes . [214], Georgia is administratively divided into 9 regions, 1 capital region, and 2 autonomous republics. Saakashvili believed in 2008 that the country is "on the road to becoming a European democracy. 1956 - Soviet troops . This was nowhere else more publicly and violently opposed than in Georgia, where in 1956 riots broke out upon the release of Khrushchev's public denunciation of Stalin, which had to be dispersed by military force. Between 2000 and 2019, Georgia's HDI score improved by 17.7%. [284], Today 83.4 per cent of the population practices Eastern Orthodox Christianity, with the majority of these adhering to the national Georgian Orthodox Church. Marxism-Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Comintern after Bolshevisation and the communist states within the Comecon, the Eastern Bloc, and the Warsaw Pact. However, subsequent Iranian and Ottoman invasions further weakened local kingdoms and regions. Following the bloodless Rose Revolution in 2003, Georgia strongly pursued a pro-Western foreign policy; it introduced a series of democratic and economic reforms aimed at integration into the European Union and NATO. [299][300][301][302][303][304] The official languages of Georgia are Georgian, with Abkhaz having official status within the autonomous region of Abkhazia. Ever since its turbulent founding in 1918, Georgia has been highly dependent on the German Empire, the primary nation guaranteeing Georgian independence. A communist state, also known as a Marxist-Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism-Leninism. After Stalin's death, Nikita Khrushchev became the leader of the Soviet Union and implemented a policy of de-Stalinization. [234] Although the amount of available information is still very small, a first effort has been made to estimate the number of fungal species endemic to Georgia, and 2,595 species have been tentatively identified as possible endemics of the country. [48][49], David suppressed dissent of feudal lords and centralized the power in his hands to effectively deal with foreign threats. Moscow's campaign to 'coerce Georgia to peace', "The Conflict Between Russia and Georgia", "Saakashvili Appeals for Peace in Televised Address", "The Goals Behind Moscow's Proxy Offensive in South Ossetia", "A Two-Sided Descent into Full-Scale War", "The Russian-Georgian War was Preplanned in Moscow", "Georgia Offers Fresh Evidence on War's Start", "Russian Federation: Legal Aspects of War in Georgia", "Abkhaz separatists strike disputed Georgia gorge", "I got my children out minutes before the bombs fell", "Russia opens new front, drives deeper into Georgia", "Amnesty International Satellite Images Reveal Damage to South Ossetian Villages After", "Rights Groups Say South Ossetian Militias Burning Georgian Villages", "Statement by President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev", "Russia Completes 'Most of Withdrawal' EU Monitors", "Moscow Says EU Monitors Fully Control 'Buffer Zones', "Resolution of the Parliament of Georgia on the Occupation of the Georgian Territories by the Russian Federation", "Abkhazia, S.Ossetia Formally Declared Occupied Territory", "Russian exiles get a chilly reception in Georgia VoxEurop", Georgia elects Salome Zurabishvili as first woman president, "Georgia opens new parliament in Kutaisi, far from the capital", "With loss of parliament, Georgia's second city prepares for a downgrade", "Georgia: Freedom in the World 2022 Country Report", "Democracy Index 2021: the China challenge", "Saakashvili Concedes Defeat in Parliamentary Election", "Georgian tycoon Ivanishvili confirmed as prime minister", "Georgia: Conflict Rather than Cohabitation", "Georgia's Historic Transition Faces Crucial Tests In 2013", "Georgia PM ally Giorgi Margvelashvili 'wins presidency', "Irakli Garibashvili Named as Georgia's Next Prime Minister", "Did Georgia's 'Informal Leader' Pressure Prime Minister To Resign? South Ossetia is officially known by Georgia as the Tskinvali region, as it views "South Ossetia" as implying political bonds with Russian North Ossetia. The country is a member of international organizations, such as the Council of Europe, the OSCE, Eurocontrol, the EBRD, the BSEC, the GUAM, the ADB, the WTO, and the Energy Community. Top 10 Georgia country facts. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, Georgia emerged as an independent republic under German protection. [103] According to Russian military expert Pavel Felgenhauer, the Ossetian provocation was aimed at triggering the Georgian response, which was needed as a pretext for premeditated Russian military invasion. [145], On 31 October 2020, the ruling Georgian Dream again led by Bidzina Ivanishvili secured over 48% of votes in the parliamentary election under a different electoral system. The penetration of humid air masses from the Black Sea is often blocked by mountain ranges (Likhi and Meskheti) that separate the eastern and western parts of the nation. A bitter civil war and feudal revolts which began under Demetrius III (r. 967975) led the kingdom into complete anarchy under the unfortunate king Theodosius III the Blind (r. 975978). As Karl Marx, coauthor of the The Communist Manifesto, declared,. [191] The US State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law-Enforcement Affairs has provided assistance to the training efforts and continues to act in an advisory capacity. The highest mountain in Georgia is Mount Shkhara at 5,203 metres (17,070ft), and the second highest is Mount Janga at 5,059m (16,598ft) above sea level. [31] In 2013, UNESCO added the ancient traditional Georgian winemaking method using the Kvevri clay jars to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.[31][32]. Announces New Military Assistance Program for Georgia", "Why was Georgia not granted EU candidate status? The opposition made accusations of fraud, which the Georgian Dream denied. An Arab incursion into western Georgia led by Marwan II, was repelled by Leon I (r. 720740) jointly with his Lazic and Iberian allies in 736. [351], The most popular sports in Georgia are football, basketball, rugby union, wrestling, judo, and weightlifting. Georgian wine making is a very old tradition and a key branch of the country's economy. In 2018, more than 1.4million tourists from Russia visited Georgia. Georgia is a representative democracy governed as a unitary parliamentary republic. [207][209], Since independence, Georgia maintained harsh policies against drugs, handing out lengthy sentences even for marijuana use. GCP 0001-01-01. With the death of Nader Shah in 1747, both kingdoms broke free of Iranian control and were reunified through a personal union under the energetic king Heraclius II in 1762. The species number of invertebrates is considered to be very high but data is distributed across a high number of publications. Its root, kartvel-i (-), specifies an inhabitant of the core central-eastern Georgian region of Kartli, or Iberia as it is known in sources of the Eastern Roman Empire. [164] The European Union has identified Georgia as a prospective member,[165] and Georgia has sought membership. The present day Georgian or Kartvelian nation is thought to have resulted from the fusion of aboriginal, autochthonous inhabitants with immigrants who moved into South Caucasus from the direction of Anatolia in remote antiquity. Brief on Georgia. [226], Much of the natural habitat in the low-lying areas of western Georgia has disappeared during the past 100 years because of the agricultural development of the land and urbanization. With the support of the UNFPA, the demographic data for the period 19942014 has been retro-projected. Communist Party of Georgia ( Georgian: , Sakartvelos Komunisturi Partia) is a communist party in Georgia. [195], Prior to the Rose Revolution, Georgia was among the most corrupt countries in the world. However, scholars agree that the word is derived from the Karts, one of the proto-Georgian tribes that emerged as a dominant group in ancient times. [150], On 1 October 2021, former President Mikheil Saakashvili was arrested on his return from exile. [338], Georgian architecture has been influenced by many civilizations. The first exhibition of products made by STC Delta was in 1999. According to the 2014 census, Ethnic Georgians form about 86.8 per cent of the population, while the remainder includes ethnic groups such as Abkhazians, Armenians, Assyrians, Azerbaijanis, Greeks, Jews, Kists, Ossetians, Russians, Ukrainians, Yezidis and others. [144], Meanwhile, Salome Zurabishvili won the 2018 presidential election in two rounds, becoming the first woman in Georgia to hold the office in full capacity after Parliament Speaker Nino Burjanadze held the office as female interim President twice, in 2003 and 2007. [226], Eastern Georgia's landscape (referring to the territory east of the Likhi Range) is considerably different from that of the west, although, much like the Colchis plain in the west, nearly all of the low-lying areas of eastern Georgia including the Mtkvari and Alazani River plains have been deforested for agricultural purposes. For the U.S. state, see. Russian suzerainty over eastern Georgia was officially finalized with Iran in 1813 following the Treaty of Gulistan. As with all other post-Soviet states, Georgia faced a severe economic collapse. Other architectural features of Georgia include Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi and the Old Town District. Temur Pipia (TP): Since 2011, a law under the title "Charter of Freedom" has been in force in Georgia. It was not until around 2010 that parts of the system became reliable again. The Georgian army was defeated and the Social Democratic government fled the country. 1955 - Nikolay Bulganin replaces Malenkov as prime minister. Evergreen species such as box may also be found in many areas. [87], Following the Rose Revolution, a series of reforms were launched to strengthen the country's military and economic capabilities, as well as to reorient its foreign policy westwards. The country then became embroiled in a bitter civil war, which lasted until nearly 1994. It's been a communist takeover of our country, and it happened on January 21. The 1989 census recorded 341,000 ethnic Russians, or 6.3 per cent of the population,[288] 52,000 Ukrainians and 100,000 Greeks in Georgia. Despite these increasingly difficult relations, in May 2005 Georgia and Russia reached a bilateral agreement[90] by which Russian military bases (dating back to the Soviet era) in Batumi and Akhalkalaki were withdrawn. Archaeological research demonstrates that Georgia has been involved in commerce with many lands and empires since ancient times, largely due its location on the Black Sea and later on the historical Silk Road. It was named after George II of Great Britain. Dinamo Tbilisi won the prestigious Euroleague competition in 1962. Russian rule offered the Georgians security from external threats, but it was also often heavy-handed and insensitive. [218], In both Abkhazia and South Ossetia large numbers of people had been given Russian passports, some through a process of forced passportization by Russian authorities. Phoenix: The Peoples of the Hills: Ancient Ararat and Caucasus by Charles Burney, David Marshall Lang, Phoenix Press; New edition (31 December 2001), Thomas Stllner, Irina Gambaschidze (2014). [46] This early Georgian renaissance, which preceded its Western European analogue, was characterized by impressive military victories, territorial expansion, and a cultural renaissance in architecture, literature, philosophy and the sciences. [174] On 2 October 2006, Georgia and the European Union signed a joint statement on the agreed text of the GeorgiaEuropean Union Action Plan within the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). [122][221] The two self-declared republics gained limited international recognition after the 2008 Russo-Georgian War. Georgia is the official host country at ITB Berlin 2023. [57] Eastern Georgia (Safavid Georgia), composed of the regions of Kartli and Kakheti, had been under Iranian suzerainty since 1555 following the Peace of Amasya signed with neighbouring rivalling Ottoman Turkey. [225] The main roads through the mountain range into Russian territory lead through the Roki Tunnel between Shida Kartli and North Ossetia and the Darial Gorge (in the Georgian region of Khevi). The sons and grandsons of Ashot I established three separate branches, frequently struggling with each other and with neighbouring rulers. The only remaining large, low-land forests remain in the Alazani Valley of Kakheti. [219] This was used as a justification for Russian invasion of Georgia during the 2008 South Ossetia war after which Russia recognized the region's independence. The large majority of the forests that covered the Colchis plain are now virtually non-existent with the exception of the regions that are included in the national parks and reserves (e.g.