The 2004 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

on Black Sea coast

      Terrain:

       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

      Elevation extremes:

       lowest point: Black Sea 0 m

       highest point: Mt'a Shkhara 5,201 m

      Natural resources:

       forests, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor

       coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important

       tea and citrus growth

      Land use:

       arable land: 11.44%

       permanent crops: 3.86%

       other: 84.7% (2001)

      Irrigated land:

       4,700 sq km (1998 est.)

      Natural hazards:

       earthquakes

      Environment - current issues:

       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

      Environment - international agreements:

       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

      Geography - note:

       strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia controls much

       of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them

      People Georgia

      Population:

       4,693,892 (July 2004 est.)

      Age structure:

       0–14 years: 18.7% (male 461,967; female 416,898)

       15–64 years: 65.8% (male 1,480,217; female 1,607,509)

       65 years and over: 15.5% (male 290,534; female 436,767) (2004 est.)

      Median age:

       total: 37 years

       male: 34.5 years

       female: 39.2 years (2004 est.)

      Population growth rate:

       −0.36% (2004 est.)

      Birth rate:

       10.1 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

      Death rate:

       8.98 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

      Net migration rate:

       −4.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

      Sex ratio:

       at birth: 1.16 male(s)/female

       under 15 years: 1.11 male(s)/female

       15–64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female

       65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female

       total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

       total: 19.34 deaths/1,000 live births

       female: 16.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

       male: 21.5 deaths/1,000 live births

      Life expectancy at birth:

       total population: 75.62 years

       male: 72.35 years

       female: 79.44 years (2004 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

       1.4 children born/woman (2004 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

       less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

       3,000 (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

       less than 200 (2003 est.)

      Nationality:

       noun: Georgian(s)

       adjective: Georgian

      Ethnic groups:

       Georgian 70.1%, Armenian 8.1%, Russian 6.3%, Azeri 5.7%, Ossetian

       3%, Abkhaz 1.8%, other 5%

      Religions:

       Georgian Orthodox 65%, Muslim 11%, Russian Orthodox 10%, Armenian

       Apostolic 8%, unknown 6%

      Languages:

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

       note: Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia

      Literacy:

       definition: age 15 and over can read and write

       total population: 99%

       male: 100%

       female: 98% (1999 est.)

      Government Georgia

      Country name:

       conventional long form: none

       conventional short form: Georgia

       local long form: none

       former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic

       local short form: Sak'art'velo

      Government type:

       republic

      Capital:

       T'bilisi

      Administrative divisions:

       9 regions (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 9 cities (k'alak'ebi,

       singular - k'alak'i), and 2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy

       respubliki, singular - avtom respublika)

       : regions: Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti,

       Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti,

       Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli

       : cities: Chiat'ura, Gori, K'ut'aisi, P'ot'i, Rust'avi, T'bilisi,

       Tqibuli, Tsqaltubo, Zugdidi

       note: the administrative centers of the 2 autonomous republics are

       shown in parentheses

       : autonomous republics: Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is Avtonomiuri

       Respublika (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika

       (Bat'umi)

      Independence:

       9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)

      National holiday:

       Independence Day, 26 May (1918); note - 26 May 1918 is the date of

       independence from Soviet Russia, 9 April 1991 is the date of

       independence from the Soviet Union

      Constitution:

       adopted 17 October 1995

      Legal system:

       based on civil law system

      Suffrage: