Georgia




                                  Header


Note:
     Georgia is currently besieged by interethnic strife in its Abkhazian
     and South Ossetian enclaves.


                                 Geography


Location:
     Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia
Map references:
     Africa, Asia, Commonwealth of Independent States - European States,
     Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
     69,700 sq km
land area:
     69,700 sq km
comparative area:
     slightly larger than South Carolina
Land boundaries:
     total 1,461 km, Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km,
     Turkey 252 km
Coastline:
     310 km
Maritime claims:
note:
     12 nm in 1973 USSR-Turkish Protocol concerning the sea boundary
     between the two states in the Black Sea; Georgia claims the coastline
     along the Black Sea as its international waters, although it cannot
     control this area and the Russian navy and commercial ships transit
     freely
International disputes:
     none
Climate:
     warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast
Terrain:
     largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the north and
     Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; 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
Natural resources:
     forest lands, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ores, copper, minor
     coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important
     tea and citrus growth
Land use:
arable land:
     NA%
permanent crops:
     NA%
meadows and pastures:
     NA%
forest and woodland:
     NA%




other:
     NA%
Irrigated land:
     4,660 sq km (1990)
Environment:
current issues:
     air pollution, particularly in Rust'avi; heavy pollution of Mtkvari
     River and the Black Sea; inadequate supplies of safe drinking water;
     soil pollution from toxic chemicals
natural hazards:
     NA
international agreements:
     NA


                                  People


Population:
     5,681,025 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate:
     0.81% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
     16.11 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
     8.69 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
     0.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
     23.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
     72.84 years
male:
     69.16 years
female:
     76.7 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
     2.18 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
     Georgian(s)
adjective:
     Georgian
Ethnic divisions:
     Georgian 70.1%, Armenian 8.1%, Russian 6.3%, Azeri 5.7%, Ossetian 3%,
     Abkhaz 1.8%, other 5%
Religions:
     Georgian Orthodox 65%, Russian Orthodox 10%, Muslim 11%, Armenian
     Orthodox 8%, unknown 6%
Languages:
     Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, other 7%
Literacy:
     age 9-49 can read and write (1970)
total population:
     100%




male:
     100%
female:
     100%
Labor force:
     2.763 million
by occupation:
     industry and construction 31%, agriculture and forestry 25%, other 44%
     (1990)


                                Government


Names:
conventional long form:
     Republic of Georgia
conventional short form:
local long form:
     Sak'art'velos Respublika
local short form:
     Sak'art'velo
former:
     Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
Digraph:
     GG
Type:
     republic
Capital:
     T'bilisi
Administrative divisions:
     2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom
     respublika); Abkhazia (Sokhumi), Ajaria (Bat'umi)
note:
     the administrative centers of the autonomous republics are included in
     parentheses; there are no oblasts - the rayons around T'bilisi are
     under direct republic jurisdiction
Independence:
     9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday:
     Independence Day, 9 April (1991)
Constitution:
     adopted NA February 1921; currently amending constitution for
     Parliamentary and popular review by late 1995
Legal system:
     based on civil law system
Suffrage:
     18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
     Chairman of Parliament Eduard Amvrosiyevich SHEVARDNADZE (since 10
     March 1992); election last held 11 October 1992 (next to be held NA
     1995); results - Eduard SHEVARDNADZE 95%




head of government:
     Prime Minister Otar PATSATSIA (since September 1993); Deputy Prime
     Ministers Avtandil MARGIANI, Zurab KERVALISHVILI (since NA), Tamaz
     NADARISHVILI (since September 1993), Teimuraz BASILIA (since NA)
cabinet:
     Council of Ministers
Legislative branch:
     unicameral
Georgian Parliament (Supreme Soviet):
     elections last held 11 October 1992 (next to be held NA 1995); results
     - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (225 total) number of seats by
     party NA; note - representatives of 26 parties elected; Peace Bloc,
     October 11, Unity, National Democratic Party, and the Greens Party won
     the largest representation
Judicial branch:
     Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
     Merab Kostava Society, Vazha ADAMIA, chairman; Traditionalists' Union,
     Akaki ASATIANI, chairman; Georgian Social Democratic Party, Guram
     MUCHAIDZE, chairman; Green Party, Zurab ZHVANIA, chairman; Georgian
     Popular Front (GPF), Nodar NATADZE, chairman; National Democratic
     Party (NDP), Gia CHANTURIA, chairman; National Independence Party
     (NIP), Irakliy TSERETELI, chairmen; Charter 1991 Party, Tedo
     PATASHVILI, chairman; Peace Bloc; Unity; October 11
Other political or pressure groups:
     supporters of ousted President Zuiad GAMSAKHURDIA (deceased 1 January
     1994) boycotted the October elections and remain a source of
     opposition and instability
Member of:
     BSEC, CIS, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, IBRD, IDA, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, IOC,
     ITU, NACC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Petr CHKHEIDZE
chancery:
     (temporary) Suite 424, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC
telephone:
     (202) 393-6060
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
     Ambassador Kent N. BROWN
embassy:
     #25 Antoneli Street, T'bilisi 380026
mailing address:
     use embassy street address
telephone:
     (7) 8832-98-99-68
FAX:
     (7) 8832-93-37-59
Flag:
     maroon field with small rectangle in upper hoist side corner;
     rectangle divided horizontally with black on top, white below


                                  Economy




Overview:
     Georgia's economy has traditionally revolved around Black Sea tourism;
     cultivation of citrus fruits, tea, and grapes; mining of manganese and
     copper; and a small industrial sector producing wine, metals,
     machinery, chemicals, and textiles. The country imports the bulk of
     its energy needs, including natural gas and coal. Its only sizable
     domestic energy resource is hydropower. Since 1990, widespread
     conflicts, e.g., in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Mengrelia, severely
     aggravated the economic crisis resulting from the disintegration of
     the Soviet command economy in December 1991. Throughout 1993, much of
     industry was functioning at only 20% of capacity; heavy disruptions in
     agricultural cultivation were reported; and tourism was shut down. The
     country is precariously dependent on US and EU humanitarian grain
     shipments, as most other foods are priced beyond reach of the average
     citizen. Georgia is also suffering from an acute energy crisis, as it
     is having problems paying for even minimal imports. Georgia is pinning
     its hopes for recovery on reestablishing trade ties with Russia and on
     developing international transportation through the key Black Sea
     ports of P'ot'i and Bat'umi.
National product:
     GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $7.8 billion (1993 estimate from
     the UN International Comparison Program, as extended to 1991 and
     published in the World Bank's World Development Report 1993; and as
     extrapolated to 1993 using official Georgian statistics, which are
     very uncertain because of major economic changes since 1990)
National product real growth rate:
     -35% (1993 est.)
National product per capita:
     $1,390 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
     40.5% per month (2nd half 1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
     officially less than 5% but real unemployment may be up near 20%, with
     even larger numbers of underemployed workers; real unemployment may be
     up near 20% with even larger numbers of underemployed workers
Budget:
revenues:
     $NA
expenditures:
     $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
     $NA
commodities:
     citrus fruits, tea, wine, other agricultural products; diverse types
     of machinery; ferrous and nonferrous metals; textiles; chemicals; fuel
     re-exports
partners:
     Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan (1992)
Imports:
     $NA
commodities:
     fuel, grain and other foods, machinery and parts, transport equipment
partners:
     Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey (1993)




External debt:
     $100 million to $200 million (1993 est.)
Industrial production:
     growth rate -27% (1993); accounts for 36% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
     4,875,000 kW
production:
     15.8 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
     2,835 kWh (1992)
Industries:
     heavy industrial products include raw steel, rolled steel, airplanes;
     machine tools, foundry equipment, electric locomotives, tower cranes,
     electric welding equipment, machinery for food preparation and meat
     packing, electric motors, process control equipment, instruments;
     trucks, tractors, and other farm machinery; light industrial products,
     including cloth, hosiery, and shoes; chemicals; wood-working
     industries; the most important food industry is wine
Agriculture:
     accounts for 41% of GDP; accounted for 97% of former USSR citrus
     fruits and 93% of former USSR tea; important producer of grapes; also
     cultivates vegetables and potatoes; dependent on imports for grain,
     dairy products, sugar; small livestock sector
Illicit drugs:
     illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for domestic
     consumption; used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western
     Europe
Economic aid:
recipient:
     heavily dependent on US for humanitarian grain shipments; EC granted
     around $70 million in trade credits in 1992 and another $40 million in
     1993; Turkey granted $50 million in 1993; smaller scale credits
     granted by Russia and China
Currency:
     coupons introduced in April 1993 to be followed by introduction of the
     lari at undetermined future date; in July 1993 use of the Russian
     ruble was banned
Exchange rates:
     NA
Fiscal year:
     calendar year


                              Communications


Railroads:
     1,570 km, does not include industrial lines (1990)
Highways:
total:
     33,900 km
paved and gravelled:
     29,500 km
unpaved:
     earth 4,400 km (1990)




Pipelines:
     crude oil 370 km; refined products 300 km; natural gas 440 km (1992)
Ports:
     coastal - Bat'umi, P'ot'i, Sokhumi
Merchant marine:
     41 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 575,823 GRT/882,110 DWT, bulk
     cargo 14, oil tanker 27
Airports:
total:
     37
usable:
     27
with permanent-surface runways:
     14
with runways over 3,659 m:
     0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
     10
with runways 1,060-2,439 m:
     4
note:
     a C-130 can land on a 1,060-m airstrip
Telecommunications:
     poor telephone service; as of mid-1993, 672,000 telephone lines
     providing 14 lines per 100 persons; 339,000 unsatisfied applications
     for telephones (31 December 1990); international links via landline to
     CIS members and Turkey; low capacity satellite earth station and
     leased international connections via the Moscow international gateway
     switch with other countries; international electronic mail and telex
     service available
Note:
     transportation network is disrupted by ethnic conflict, criminal
     activities, and fuel shortages


                              Defense Forces


Branches:
     Army, Air Force, Navy, Interior Ministry Troops, Border Guards
Manpower availability:
     males age 15-49 1,362,818; fit for military service 1,081,624; reach
     military age (18) annually 42,881 (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures:
     $NA, NA% of GNP
Note:
     Georgian forces are poorly organized and not fully under the
     government's control