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Georgia is a small Christian outpost in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. It is located at a crossroads Western Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. It surrounded by the Black Sea, Russia, Turkey Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The capital and largest city is Tbilisi. Georgia covers a territory of 69,700 square kilometres (27,000 sq mi), and its population is approacging 4 million. Muslim powers like the Ottoman Empire and Russia have dominated the Christian kingdoms that formed in Georgia. Georgia has a fascinating history dating back millennia. It is not well know because the country was separated from Western Christendom for centuries. The country since independence from the Soviet Union is a semi-presidential republic, with the government elected through a representative democracy. And also since independence, the economy has benefitted from free market reforms. There are several important ethnic minorities in Georgia. The histories of Georgia and Armenia in the medieval era were linked as two small, isolated Christian kingdoms. There was during the Tsarist era an important Armenian minority in Georgia. We are unsure how the Armenian minority fared during the Soviet era, but as a multi-ethnic country we think tht there was considerable acceptance of ethnic diversuity. About 6 percent of the modern Georgian population is Armenian. There was also a Russian minority. We also notice a small Greek populations. Greeks were found in many Black Sea ports (Georgia, Turkey, the Ukraine, and Romania). Georgia was absorbed into the Tsarist Empire at the beginning of the 19th century. Russians then moved to Georgia, primarily settling in Tbilisi. The population shift was not one-way. The most famous Georgian is of course Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. He became a staunch Russian nationalist with little interest in Georgia. Georgia declared independence (1992). When relations between the two countries deteriorated, most Russians left Georgia amid mutual recriminations.
Georgia is a small Christian outpost in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. It is located at a crossroads Western Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe which has made for a fascuinating historydatung back to the Neolitic era. The country is surrounded by the Black Sea, Russia, Turke, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The capital and largest city is Tbilisi. Georgia covers a territory of 69,700 square kilometres (27,000 sq mi), and its population is approacging 4 million. Kura abd Rion are the major rivers. The climate and vegetation varies from sub-tropical western Black Sea coastal regions in Mingrelia to high mountain and dry steppe in the east. The Georgian Military Road and Ossetian Military Road are the chief trade routes. Batum, Poti, and Sukhum are the important ports, all on the Black Sea.
Georgia is located along the western border of Asia. It is mostly located nort of the Caucus Mountains. Georgia was known in antiquity as both Colchis and Iberia. The independent kingdom rose with a capital at Mtskhet (4th century BC). The Persians Sassanidae dynasty ruled ruled Georgia (3rd and 4th centuries AD). The Georgian Church is one of the oldest Eastern Orthodoc churches. This was followed by a long period of control by the Armenian Bagratid dynasty with various interuptions due to foreign invasions (6th-15th centuries). There was a great floweing of Georgian culture under Queen Thamar (12th-13th centuries). The Kingdom was devestated by Mongol armies (13th centuries). The Mongol conquest began (1230). Armenia and Georgia were the first Christian kingdoms invaded by the Mongols. The Mongols created the Vilayet of Gurjistan. This was made up of Georgia and the entire southern Caucasus. They ruled indirectly, through the Georgian monarchy confirmed by the Great Khan. Georgia came under pressure from more powerful Muslim neighbors who oiverwealmed Armenia. The expanding Ottoman Empire was a major threat. Georgia accepted Tsarist Russian protection and overlordshiop (18th century). Russia and Georgia shared the Orthodox faith. The last Georgia king abdicated (1801). The Georgians wwere forced to cede territory to the Ottoman Empire (1803 and 1829). Georgia tried to form an independent republic in the closing phase of World War I (1917). After the Bolshevik victory in the Russian Civil War, the Soviet Government exerted its authority (1921). Georgia spent most of the 20th century as a republic of the Soviet Union. It achieved its indewpendence with the disolution of the Soviet Union (1992). The country since independence from the Soviet Union is a semi-presidential republic, with the government elected through a representative democracy.Georgia's relationship with Russia has been stormy with many Russians believing that their country has a right to interfere in Georgian affairs.
dating back millennia. It is not well know because the country was separated from Western Christendom for centuries.
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Agriculture has dominated the economy. Crops include frit, tea, tobacco, silk, and wine produced in the warmer, well-watered areas of the west. Manganese is mined at Chiatura. Mostly during the Soviet era, manufacturing developed for machinery, chemicals, and iron and steel works. These industries operated in the closed Tsarist and then Soviet system. Like other Soviet industries they were highly inefficent. They could only function in a closed system which shielded them from competion. The inefficencies, however, impaired the contribution to the Soviet economy and the wages they could pay workers. The economy imploded with the collapse of the Soviet Uniin and independence (1991). Inefficent Soviet socialist enterprises could not survive once subjected to competition. Since independence, however, the economy and workers have benefitted from free market reforms. The economy gradually recovered as private enterprises began to function. Growth rates reached double digits as a result economic (capitalist market-based) and democratic reforms brought by the peaceful Rose Revolution. In 2007, the World Bank (WB) named Georgia the World's number one economic reformer (2007). The WB has since continuously ranked Georgia at the top of its ease of doing business index. [GT] Georgia has continued its upward economic trajectory 'moving from a near-failed state in 2003 to a relatively well-functioning market economy in 2014.' [U.S. State Department] Georgia's free market reforms are supported by a relatively free and transparent national poliical and social atmosphere. Georgia has been identified as the least corrupt nation in the Black Sea region, not only outperforming all of its neighboring states, but even closeby European Union member states . [TI] Georgia has developed is a mixed news media environment. As a result it is the also the only country in the region where the press is basically free. [Freedom House] Georgia joined the European Union's (EU) Free Trade Area (2014). The EU is Georgia's largest trading partner. More than a quarter of Georgia's overall trade is with the EU. [European Commission] Georgia signed a trade agreement with EU (2015). This has resulted with exoanded trade ith the EU and declining trade with the Russian controlled Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). [Georgia]
Georgia has continued its upward economic trajectory 'moving from a near-failed state in 2003 to a relatively well-functioning market economy in 2014.' [U.S. State Department] Georgia's free market reforms are supported by a relatively free and transparent national poliical and social atmosphere. Georgia has been identified as the least corrupt nation in the Black Sea region, not only outperforming all of its neighboring states, but even closeby European Union states Union states. [TI] Georgia has developed is a mixed news media environment. As a result it is the also the only country in the region where the press is basically free. [Freedom House] Georgia joined the European Union's (EU) Free Trade Area (2014). The EU is Georgia's largest trading partner. More than a quarter of Georgia's overall trade is with the EU. [European Commission] Georgia signed a trade agreement with EU (2015). This has resulted with exoanded trade ith the EU and declining trade with the Russian controlled Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). [Georgia]
The principal sundivisions of Georgia are Abkhaz, Adzhar, and South Osetia.
The population is primarily thjnic Georgians. About two-thirds of the population are Georgians who speak a south Caucasian language. The major minority is a geographially centered Osetians. There are several important more dispersed minorities. They include: Abkhazians, Armenians, Azerbaijanians, and Jews. There was during the Tsarist era an important Armenian minority in Georgia. We are unsure how the Armenian minority fared during the Soviet era, but as a multi-ethnic country we think that there was considerable acceptance of ethnic diversity. About 6 percent of the modern Georgian population is Armenian. There was also a Russian minority. We also notice a small Greek populations. Greeks were found in many Black Sea ports (Georgia, Turkey, the Ukraine, and Romania). Georgia was absorbed into the Tsarist Empire at the beginning of the 19th century. Russians then moved to Georgia, primarily settling in Tbilisi. The population shift was not one-way. The most famous Georgian is of course Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. He became a staunch Russian nationalist with little interest in Georgia. Georgia declared independence (1992). When relations between the two countries deteriorated, most Russians left Georgia amid mutual recrimiations. The Jewish population is an especially interesting ethnic and religious minority. Jews in Georgia based on both oral traditions as well as actual written records dates millenia (around 500 BC). Despite becoming integrated in Georgian society and the pasage of millenia Georgian Jews maintained a degree of ethnic sepasration. They came to see themselves as direct descendants of thegfabeled twelve tribes of Israel who were forcibly settled in Midia by the expanding Assyrian Empire. It was an early exmple of the settlement policy adopted by many major imperial powers. Georgia thus becanme one of the earliest points of the Jewish disapora. Georgia was a rare exeption to the viciious abntisemitism prevalent in medieval Christendom. They would be joined later by an influx of Ashkenazi Jews who arrived after the Tsarist annexation of Georgia (1801-04). Georgian Jews survived the Holocaust because the Red Army Army stopped NAZI forces seeking oil as they advanced into the Caucasus (1942). Most Georgina Jews would, however, migrate to Israel after the Six Days War and American economic pressure convinced the Soviets to open emigration (1970s).
The Georgian church is one of the oldest Eatern Orthodox churches.
Georgia. Georgia’s 2015 Foreign Trade (2016).
European Commission. "Georgia" (2016).
GT. "Georgia’s reforms please World Bank," Russia Today (June 17, 2007).
Freedom House. "Freedom of the Press" (2016).
Transparency International (TI). "Corruption Perceptions Index 2015," (2016).
United States Department of State. "Georgia: Executive Summary" (2016).
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