Georgia

Georgia is a state, which occupied central and western parts of the Caucasus. The state has borders on the north-west with Abkhazia, in the north - with Russia and South Ossetia, in the east and south-east with Azerbaijan, in the south - with Turkey and Armenia. On the west is surrounded by the Black Sea.

Area - 57.2 thousand square kilometers. Capital - Tbilisi (1081.7 thousand people).

The largest cities are: Kutaisi (186 thousand people), Batumi (121.8 thousand people), Rustavi (116.4 thousand people), Poti (47.1 thousand people). Georgia is administratively divided into 66 districts that make up the 9 territories and one autonomous republic - Adjara.

Population - 4371.4 thousand people (data from the 2002 census).
In Georgia live more than 120 nationalities, including Georgians (83.8%), Azerbaijanis (6.5%), Armenians (1.5%) and Russians (1.5%). The remaining nationalities (Jews, Kurds, Greeks, Kistin, Poles, Ukrainians, etc.) account for 1.6%.
The major part of religious is Orthodox Christians (83.9%). There are also Muslims (9.9%), Roman Catholics (4.7%), and representatives of other religions (1.5%).

Official language is Georgian.

Polity. According to the Constitution (adopted on August 24, 1995) Georgia is a democratic republic. The head of state is the President, elected for a five-year term by universal, direct and secret ballot. He is also the Supreme Commander and presides at meetings of the National Security Council. President Mikhail Saakashvili was elected by special election on January 4, 2004, and re-elected by special election January 5, 2008.
Post of Secretary of the National Security Council has G.Bokeriya (appointed November 2010).
The highest legislative body is the parliament, consisting of 150 members (75 elected by proportional system and 75 by majoritarian). By the result of elections, held on May 21, 2008, the vast majority of seats got the ruling party "United National Movement". David Bakradze is the Chairman of the Parliament.
Realization of the executive power, the internal and external policies of the country, ensures the Government, which is accountable to the President and the Parliament and is headed by the Prime Minister (since February 2009 - N. Gilauri).

The Constitutional Court is the judicial body of constitutional control and carries out the judicial authority in order of constitutional court proceedings.

The Supreme Court supervises the proceedings in courts of general jurisdiction, considers some cases as a trial court.
Local government system operates on the basis of the laws "About the Local Self-Government" 1997 and "About the elections in local representative bodies" 1998. It consists of local government, which has the right to control the executive power. The last elections to local government bodies were held in May 2010. President’s representatives in regions, chairmen of councils, mayors and heads of districts are appointed by the president.

National Holiday is the Day of Restoration of State Independence of Georgia (May 26, 1991).

Currency – Lari (September 1995). Exchange rate is about 1.6 Lari per U.S. $1.

Economy. Georgia's GDP in 2010 was $10.5 billion dollars, or about 3 thousand dollars per capita.
Among the major industries: food - production of tea, wine and cognac, mineral water, tobacco, air-oil crops, canned fruit and vegetables; light industry - silk, wool, cotton, knitwear, clothing and footwear manufacturing; ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
Suitable for agriculture areas occupy about 16% of the country. The greatest economic importance have tea and citrus plantations, vineyards.
Transport network: railways (1,400 km) roads (about 22 thousand km), seaports of Batumi and Poti, airports: Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Senaki and Batumi.
Georgia has natural resources: manganese, ferrous metal ores, coal, clay, marble, quartz sand and other minerals. There are valuable timber species: boxwood, walnut. There are unique recreational resources such as mountain and seaside resorts, and numerous mineral springs.
Georgia's foreign trade turnover in 2010 exceeded 7.55 billion dollars (exports - 1497.7 million dollars, import - 6058.1 million dollars). Among the imported goods dominate natural gas, oil and petroleum products, tobacco products. Manganese ore, ferrous alloys and non-ferrous metals, mineral water, wine, nuts are exported. Major trading partners - Turkey, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Germany, Russia.
The internal political situation is characterized by political and social tensions.
At the heart of the foreign policy priorities of Georgia is the thesis of its "European vocation".
Georgia - a member of the UNO, OSCE, UNESCO, the Council of Europe, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, the IMF, World Bank and WTO.