Travel Guide to Georgia

Georgia has one of the richest and oldest history in the world, stretching back to the prehistoric times. The rise of the early Georgian states of Colchis and Iberia in c.2000 BC formed the unique Georgian civilization which achieved its renaissance and golden age in 12-13th century. Dispite invasions and subjugation by foreign empires, the Georgian statehood and the Georgian nation has endured and preserved its national identity.

NAME OF THE COUNTRY:
Conventional form: Georgia
Local form: Sak’art’velo

INTERNATIONAL CODE:

Tbilisi Flag

Geography code (by fips 10-4): GG;
Country code (by ISO-3166): GE (2 char);
GEO (3 char); 268 (number);

Internet code: GE Language code (by ISO-639):
KA (K’art’uli, IBERIO-CAUCASIAN language family)
Calling code: +995 (for Georgia); +995 (32) (for Tbilisi)

AREA: 69,700 sq. km (26,911 sq. miles)
POPULATION: 5,400,800 (1998 est.)
POPULATION DENSITY: 77.0 per sq. km
CAPITAL: Tbilisi. Population: 1,225,000

GEOGRAPHY:

Georgia is a mountainous country, the Northern geographical boundaries run along the Great Caucasian Range. The Southern boundary coincides with the mountainous system of the Minor Caucasus, including the Meskheti – Trialeti volcanic plateau. The Western part of the country is washed by the Black Sea.

LANGUAGE:
The official language is Georgian, the only language in the Ibera Caucasian family written in ancient script, with its own unique alphabet. Russian, Ossetian and Abkhazian are also spoken.

ETHNIC DIVISIONS:
Georgian 70.1%, Armenian 8.1%, Russian 6.3%, Azeri 5.7%, Ossetian 3%, Abkhaz 1.8%, other 5%.

RELIGION:
Christian majority, mainly Georgian Orthodox church. Also Eastern Orthodox, Muslim, Jewish and other Christian denomination minorities. Christian Orthodox 75% (Georgian Orthodox 65%, Russian Orthodox 10%), Muslim 11%, Armenian Apostolic 8%, Others 6%.

NATIONALITY:
noun: Georgian(s); adjective: Georgian.

BIGGEST CITIES (Hab. Population):
Tbilisi – 1,225,000
Kutaisi – 221,000
Rustavi – 145,000
Batumi – 115,000

Useful info:

From June 15, 2005 Georgian Visas are not required for the citizens of the countries on the list: USA, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, GB, Spain, Estonia, Japan, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Canada, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Greece, France, Slovakia, Finland, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, Holland.