Georgia covers an area of ​​69,700 square kilometers and is located in the midwestern Transcaucasus connecting Eurasia, including the entire Black Sea coast of Transcaucasus, the middle reaches of the Kura River and the Alazani Valley, a tributary of the Kura River. It borders the Black Sea to the west, Turkey to the southwest, Russia to the north, and Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia to the southeast. About two-thirds of the entire territory are mountainous and piedmont areas, with lowlands accounting for only 13%. The west has a humid subtropical maritime climate, and the east has a dry subtropical climate.

Overview

Georgia covers an area of ​​69,700 square kilometers. Located in the mid-western Transcaucasus connecting Eurasia, including the entire Black Sea coast of Transcaucasia, the middle reaches of the Kura River and the Alazani Valley, a tributary of the Kura River. It borders the Black Sea to the west, Turkey to the southwest, Russia to the north, and Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia to the southeast. About two-thirds of the entire territory are mountainous and piedmont areas, with lowlands accounting for only 13%. In the north are the Greater Caucasus Mountains, in the south are the Lesser Caucasus Mountains, and in the middle are mountain lowlands, plains and plateaus. The Greater Caucasus Mountains have many peaks above 4000 meters above sea level, and the highest peak in the territory, Shikhara, is 5,068 meters above sea level. The main rivers are Kura and Rioni. There are Lake Parawana and Lake Ritsa. The west has a humid subtropical maritime climate, and the east has a dry subtropical climate. The climate varies significantly throughout the region. The area with an altitude of 490 to 610 meters has a subtropical climate, and the higher areas have a colder climate; the area above 2000 meters has an alpine climate with no summer; and the area above 3500 meters has snow all year round.

In the 6th century BC, the slavery kingdom of Korshida was established in modern Georgia, and a feudal state was established in the 4th to 6th century AD. From the 6th to the 10th centuries AD, it was under the rule of the Sassanid Dynasty of Iran, the Byzantine Empire and the Arab Caliphate. From the 6th to the 10th century AD, the Georgian nation was basically formed, and from the 8th to the early 9th century, the feudal principalities of Kakhtya, Elegin, Tao-Klarzhet and the Kingdom of Abkhazia were formed. In the 13th to 14th centuries, the Mongol Tatars and Timurs invaded successively. From the 15th to the beginning of the 17th century, many independent principalities and kingdoms appeared in Georgia. From the 16th to the 18th centuries, Georgia was the object of competition between Iran and Turkey. From 1801 to 1864, the Principalities of Georgia were annexed by Tsarist Russia and changed to Tiflis and Kutaisi provinces. In 1918 German, Turkish and British troops invaded Georgia. On December 5, 1936, the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic became a republic of the Soviet Union. The Declaration of Independence was issued on November 4, 1990, and the country was renamed the Republic of Georgia. After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Georgia declared independence on April 9, 1991, and formally joined the CIS on October 22, 1993. In 1995, the Republic of Georgia passed a new constitution, changing the name of the country from the original Republic of Georgia to Georgia.

Flag: On January 14, 2004, the Georgian Parliament passed a bill, deciding to stop using the original national flag determined in 1990 and replace it with a "white flag bottom, 5 "A red cross" new national flag.

Georgia has a population of 4.401 million (January 2006). Georgians accounted for 70.1%, Armenians accounted for 8.1%, Russians accounted for 6.3%, Azerbaijanis accounted for 5.7%, Ossetians accounted for 3%, Abkhazia accounted for 1.8%, and Greeks accounted for 1.9%. The official language is Georgian, and most residents are proficient in Russian. Most believe in Orthodox Church and a few believe in Islam.

Georgia is an industrial and agricultural country with poor natural resources. The main minerals include coal, copper, polymetallic ore, and heavy gemstone. There are abundant manganese ore reserves and abundant water resources. Industrial production is dominated by manganese ore, ferroalloys, steel pipes, electric locomotives, trucks, metal cutting machine tools, reinforced concrete, etc., especially for manganese ore mining. Light industry products are famous for food processing, and the main products are canned food and wine. Georgian wines are famous all over the world. Agriculture mainly includes tea industry, citrus, grape and fruit tree cultivation. Animal husbandry and sericulture are relatively developed. The main economic crops are tobacco, sunflower, soybean, sugar beet and so on. However, grain production is low and cannot be self-sufficient. In recent years, Georgia has also discovered abundant oil and natural gas resources in the western, eastern and Black Sea regions. There are many well-known mineral spring recuperation areas and climatic recuperation areas in Georgia, such as Gagra and Sukhumi.

Main cities

Tbilisi: Tbilisi is the capital of Georgia and the national political, economic, and cultural center. It is also a famous ancient capital in the Transcaucasus region. It is located between the Greater Caucasus and the Lesser Caucasus, at the strategic point of Transcaucasus, bordering the Kura River, with an altitude of 406 to 522 meters. The Kura River passes through a steep gorge in Tbilisi and flows from northwest to southeast in an arched shape. The entire city stretches towards the foothills along the banks of the Kura River in steps. It has an area of ​​348.6 square kilometers, a population of 1.2 million (2004), and an average annual temperature of 12.8°C.

According to historical records, in the 4th century AD, a settlement called Tbilisi along the Kura River became the capital of Georgia. The earliest record of Tbilisi in the literature is a siege of a foreign invasion in the 460s. Since then, the history of Tbilisi has been forever connected with the prolonged war and short-term peace, the ruthless destruction of war, and the large-scale construction, prosperity and decline after the war.

Tbilisi was occupied by the Persians in the 6th century, and by the Byzantium and Arabs in the 7th century. In 1122, Tbilisi was recovered by David II and designated as the capital of Georgia. It was captured by the Mongols in 1234, looted by Timur in 1386, and then captured by the Turks several times. In 1795, the Persians set fire to the city, turning Tbilisi into a scorched earth. From 1801 to 1864, the Principalities of Georgia merged into the Russian Empire, and Tbilisi was annexed by Russia. Before 1921, the Soviet Union designated it as the capital of the Republic of Georgia, and since then began unprecedented large-scale urban construction activities. After decades of continuous construction, Tbilisi has become one of the most beautiful and comfortable cities in the former Soviet Union. On April 9, 1991, the Republic of Georgia declared its independence and Tbilisi was the capital.

The elegant Georgian Academy of Sciences Botanical Garden is located in the canyon southeast of the ancient castle. It was originally an ancient palace garden. It was converted into the National Botanical Garden in 1845 and later changed to Botanical Garden of Georgian Academy of Sciences. There is a bathing area here, and in ancient times it was an important spa area in Tbilisi. This is a group of crypt-style bathing buildings. People use the natural hot spring water containing sulfur and minerals from the adjacent Tabor mountain to bathe. The medical effect is excellent. It has become a famous tourist resort area. Go north along Bath Street and you will arrive at the Kura River. The tall horse-riding statue of the founder of the ancient city of Tbilisi stands on the high ground bedrock on the north bank of the Kura River.

Tbilisi is the industrial center of Georgia, focusing on machinery manufacturing and metal processing industries, textiles, tobacco, tanning and other light industries, oils, dairy products and other foods The processing industry is also relatively developed. The city is also an important transportation hub in the Caucasus. Its main railway line connects Batumi, Baku, Yerevan and other places, and there are many roads crossing here, connecting the outer and North Caucasus together, and the former Soviet Union and surrounding areas, and Europe. There are air routes in some major cities of the country.