Georgia:
Geography

Pages for other countries and territories

Other pages in this profile of Georgia:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


Background	Definition The region of present-day Georgia contained the ancient kingdoms of Colchis and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence in the first centuries A.D. and Christianity became the state religion in the 330s. Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks was followed by a Georgian golden age (11th-13th centuries) that was cut short by the Mongol invasion of 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 until the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. An attempt by the incumbent Georgian government to manipulate national legislative elections in November 2003 touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, president since 1995. New elections in early 2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI into power along with his National Movement party. Progress on market reforms and democratization has been made in the years since independence, but this progress has been complicated by two ethnic conflicts in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. These two territories remain outside the control of the central government and are ruled by de facto, unrecognized governments, supported by Russia. Russian-led peacekeeping operations continue in both regions.

Location	Definition Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia
Geographic coordinates	Definition 42 00 N, 43 30 E
Map references	Definition Asia
Area	Definition - World rank and map total: 69,700 sq km land: 69,700 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	Definition slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries	Definition total: 1,461 km border countries: Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km, Turkey 252 km
Coastline	Definition 310 km
Maritime claims	Definition territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate	Definition warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast
Terrain	Definition largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the north and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhet'is Dablobi (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
Elevation extremes	Definition lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Mt'a Shkhara 5,201 m
Natural resources	Definition forests, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth
Land use	Definition - World rank and map arable land: 11.51% permanent crops: 3.79% other: 84.7% (2005)
Irrigated land	Definition 4,690 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources	Definition 63.3 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	Definition total: 3.61 cu km/yr (20%/21%/59%) per capita: 808 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards	Definition earthquakes
Environment - current issues	Definition air pollution, particularly in Rust'avi; heavy pollution of Mtkvari River and the Black Sea; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil pollution from toxic chemicals
Environment - international agreements	Definition party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note	Definition strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them

Georgia: Geography

Georgia:
Geography