Factbook dossier
Background
The region of present-day Georgia once contained the ancient kingdoms of Colchis (known as Egrisi locally) and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence in the first centuries A.D., and Christianity became the state religion in the 330s. Persian, Arab, and Turk domination was followed by a Georgian golden age (11th-13th centuries) that was cut short when the Mongols invaded in 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman and Persian empires competed for influence in the region. Georgia was absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Independent for three years (1918-1921) following the Russian revolution, it was forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1921 and regained its independence when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. In 2003, mounting public discontent over rampant corruption, ineffective government services, and a government attempt to manipulate parliamentary elections touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, who had been president since 1995. In the aftermath of this "Rose Revolution," new elections in 2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI and his United National Movement (UNM) party into power. SAAKASHVILI made progress on market reforms and governance, but he faced accusations of abuse of office. Progress was further complicated when Russian support for the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia led to a five-day conflict between Russia and Georgia in August 2008, which included Russia invading large portions of Georgian territory. Russia initially pledged to pull back from most Georgian territory but then uni…
Location
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia, with a sliver of land north of the Caucasus extending into Europe; note - Georgia views itself as part of Europe; geopolitically, it can be classified as falling within Europe, the Middle East, or both
Area
total : 69,700 sq km land: 69,700 sq km water: 0 sq km note: approximately 12,560 sq km, or about 18% of Georgia's area, is Russian-occupied; the seized area includes all of Abkhazia and the breakaway region of South Ossetia, which consists of the northern part of Shida Kartli, eastern slivers of the Imereti region, Racha-Lechkhumi, Kvemo Svaneti, and part of western Mtskheta-Mtianeti
Natural resources
timber, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth
Natural hazards
earthquakes
Population
total: 4,900,961 (2024 est.) male: 2,343,068 female: 2,557,893
Ethnic groups
Georgian 86.8%, Azeri 6.3%, Armenian 4.5%, other 2.3% (includes Russian, Ossetian, Yazidi, Ukrainian, Kist, Greek) (2014 est.)
Languages
Georgian (official) 87.6%, Azeri 6.2%, Armenian 3.9%, Russian 1.2%, other 1% (including Abkhaz, the official language in Abkhazia) (2014 est.) major-language sample(s): მსოფლიო ფაქტების წიგნი, ძირითადი ინფორმაციის აუცილებელი წყარო. (Georgian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Eastern Orthodox Christian (official) 83.4%, Muslim 10.7%, Armenian Apostolic Christian 2.9%, other 1.2% (includes Roman Catholic Christian, Jehovah's Witness, Yazidi, Protestant Christian, Jewish), none 0.5%, unspecified/no answer 1.2% (2014 est.)
Environmental issues
air pollution, particularly in Rust'avi; heavy water pollution of Mtkvari River and the Black Sea; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil pollution from toxic chemicals; land and forest degradation; biodiversity loss; waste management
Government type
semi-presidential republic
Capital
name: Tbilisi geographic coordinates: 41 41 N, 44 50 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name comes from the Georgian word tbili , meaning "warm" and referring to the hot sulfur springs in the area
Executive branch
chief of state: President Mikheil KAVELASHVILI (since 29 December 2024) head of government: Prime Minister Irakli KOBAKHIDZE (since 8 February 2024) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers election/appointment process: president elected by a 300-member College of Electors; prime minister nominated by Parliament, appointed by the president most recent election date: 14 December 2024 election results: 2024: Mikheil KAVELASHVILI (Georgian Dream Party) was formally inaugurated on 29 December 2024 2024: Irakli KOBAKHIDZE approved as prime minister by Parliamentary vote 84-10 2018: Salome ZOURABICHVILI elected president in second round; percent of vote in second round - Salome ZOURABICHVILI (independent, backed by Georgian Dream) 59.5%, Grigol VASHADZE (UNM) 40.5%; Irakli GARIBASHVILI approved as prime minister by Parliamentary vote 89-2 expected date of next election: 2029
Legislative branch
legislature name: Parliament (Sakartvelos Parlamenti) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 150 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 10/26/2024 parties elected and seats per party: Georgian Dream (89); Coalition for Changes (19); Unity - National Movement (16); Strong Georgia – Lelo, For people, For Liberty! (14); For Georgia (12) percentage of women in chamber: 16.8% expected date of next election: October 2028
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$91.849 billion (2024 est.) $83.935 billion (2023 est.) $77.838 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$25,000 (2024 est.) $22,600 (2023 est.) $21,000 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.1% (2024 est.) 2.5% (2023 est.) 11.9% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
Azerbaijan 13%, Turkey 11%, Armenia 11%, Russia 10%, Kyrgyzstan 8% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
Turkey 16%, USA 13%, Russia 11%, China 8%, Germany 6% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
Georgian Defense Forces (GDF; aka Defense Forces of Georgia, DFG): Ground Forces, Air Force, Special Operations Forces, National Guard Ministry of Internal Affairs: Police, Border Police of Georgia, Coast Guard of Georgia (includes naval forces, which were merged with the Coast Guard in 2009) (2025)
Military expenditures
1.7% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.7% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.6% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.5% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.6% of GDP (2020 est.)