[153] Georgia also maintains political, economic, and military relations with France,[154] Germany,[155] Israel,[156] Japan,[157] South Korea,[158] Sri Lanka,[159] Turkey,[160] Ukraine,[161] the United States,[162] and many other countries. [226] The wettest periods generally occur during spring and autumn, while winter and summer months tend to be the driest. [316][317] Education in Georgia is mandatory for all children aged 614. [93][94] A bomb explosion on 1 August 2008 targeted a car transporting Georgian peacekeepers. [163], The explicit western orientation of Georgia, deepening political ties with the US and European Union, notably through its EU and NATO membership aspirations, the US Train and Equip military assistance programme, and the construction of the BakuTbilisiCeyhan pipeline, have frequently strained Tbilisi's relations with Moscow. New duties performed by the police include border security and customs functions and contracted security provision; the latter function is performed by the dedicated 'security police'. Georgia (the ex-Soviet Republic, not the U.S. state) is now a remarkable success story. [237] It had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 7.79/10, ranking it 31st globally out of 172 countries.[238]. [217] In addition, another territory not officially autonomous has also declared independence. Unified Communist Party of Georgia. [214], Georgia is administratively divided into 9 regions, 1 capital region, and 2 autonomous republics. 1956 - Soviet troops . Document No. Meanwhile in Georgia, the communists terrorized dissidents, abolished democratic freedoms and persecuted the Church. [68] The Georgian nobility did not accept the decree until 12 April 1802, when Knorring assembled the nobility at the Sioni Cathedral and forced them to take an oath on the Imperial Crown of Russia. [269] Positioned in the Caucasus and on the coast of the Black Sea, Georgia is a key country through which energy imports to the European Union from neighbouring Azerbaijan pass. In 2018, more than 1.4million tourists from Russia visited Georgia. Georgia (Georgian: , .mw-parser-output .noitalic{font-style:normal}romanized:Sakartvelo, IPA:[skrtvl] (listen)) is a transcontinental country at the intersection of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for soviet union ussr tee shirt Red Army Communist at the best online prices at eBay! Based on this law, 300 medals were confiscated by the Georgian Customs. [353] Wrestling remains a historically important sport of Georgia, and some historians think that the Greco-Roman style of wrestling incorporates many Georgian elements. [82] Eduard Shevardnadze (Soviet Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1985 to 1991) returned to Georgia in 1992. ", "Ruling party in Georgia decisively wins parliament vote", "Georgian government offers concessions to end crisis", "Transparency International urges dialogue with civil society during political crisis in Georgia", "Georgian Dream, Opposition Reach Consensus over Electoral Reform", "Georgia elects Salome Zurabishvili as first woman president", "Georgia protests: Tbilisi police fire water cannon at demonstrators", "New EU Proposal: Amnesty for Rurua, Melia, 2022 Snap Polls if GD Gets Less than 43% in Locals", "President Michel to Start Consultations after GD's EU-Brokered Deal Withdrawal", "Mikheil Saakashvili: Georgian ex-president arrested returning from exile", "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Relations between Georgia and the Republic of France", "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Relations between Georgia and the Federal Republic of Germany", "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Relations between Georgia and the State of Israel", "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Relations between Georgia and Japan", "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Visa Information for Foreign Citizens", "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka", "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Relations between Georgia and the Republic of Turkey", "Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Relations between Georgia and Ukraine", "Relations Between Georgia and the United States of America", "U.S. 1. [182], During later periods of the Iraq War Georgia had up to 2,000 soldiers serving in the Multi-National Force. Salome Zurabishvili is the current President of Georgia after winning 59.52% of the vote in the 2018 Georgian presidential election. Access to higher education is given to students who have gained a secondary school certificate. [65][66] The Bagrationi royal family was deported from the kingdom. [18] The name Sakartvelo () consists of two parts. The party was led by Panteleimon Giorgadze. Georgia was incorporated into the Soviet Union as the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic after 25 February 1921 when the Red Army entered its capital Tbilisi and installed a communist government led by Georgian Bolshevik Filipp Makharadze. The 1989 census recorded 341,000 ethnic Russians, or 6.3 per cent of the population,[288] 52,000 Ukrainians and 100,000 Greeks in Georgia. [308][309] The Church gained autocephaly during the early Middle Ages; it was abolished during the Russian domination of the country, restored in 1917 and fully recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1989. [85], In 2003, Shevardnadze (who won re-election in 2000) was deposed by the Rose Revolution, after Georgian opposition and international monitors asserted that 2 November parliamentary elections were marred by fraud. [43] The successful defence against the Arabs, and new territorial gains, gave the Abkhazian princes enough power to claim more autonomy from the Byzantine Empire. For example, the Khevsureti region of Georgia has three styles of wrestling. [166], Georgia is currently working to become a full member of NATO. This period during the reigns of David IV (r. 10891125) and his great-granddaughter Tamar (r. 11841213) has been widely termed as Georgia's Golden Age or the Georgian Renaissance. Other popular sports in 19th century Georgia were polo, and Lelo, a traditional Georgian game very similar to rugby. [78] The Georgian uprising on Texel against the Germans was the last battle of the Second World War in Europe. Most countries consider the regions to be Georgian territory under Russian occupation. In emerging Europe's wealthiest nation, Slovenia, GDP per-capita in 2019 was 23,170 euros. Communism is both a political system and an economic one. [170], In September 2019, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that "NATO approaching our borders is a threat to Russia. [290][289] Other factors in the population decline include birth-death deficits for the period 19952010 and the exclusion of Abkhazia and South Ossetia from the statistics. [168], In 2011, the North Atlantic Council designated Georgia as an "aspirant country". [287] On the basis of that back-projection, Geostat has corrected its data for these years. Georgia (excluding Abkhazia) was one of the six republics along with Armenia, Moldova and the Baltic States who boycotted participation in the March 1991 union-wide preservation referendum. [127], Different opinions exist regarding the degree of political freedom in Georgia. [279], The population of Georgia totalled 3,688,647 as of 2022,[280][c] a decrease from a figure of 3,713,804 of the previous census in October 2014. [11] Following World War I, Georgia was invaded and annexed by the Soviet Union in 1922, becoming one of its constituent republics. The zone is made up mainly of beech, spruce, and fir forests. [citation needed], Religious minorities of Georgia include Muslims (10.7 per cent), Armenian Christians (2.9 per cent) and Roman Catholics (0.5 per cent). [241] Georgia's main imports are vehicles, ores, fossil fuels and farmaceuticals. [351], The most popular sports in Georgia are football, basketball, rugby union, wrestling, judo, and weightlifting. [118] In response to Russia's recognition, the Georgian government severed diplomatic relations with Russia. The tree line generally ends at around 1,800 metres (5,906ft) and the alpine zone takes over, which in most areas, extends up to an elevation of 3,000 metres (9,843ft) above sea level. [277], Like most native Caucasian peoples, the Georgians do not fit into any of the main ethnic categories of Europe or Asia. Philology, typology and language structure. [226], Eastern Georgia's landscape (referring to the territory east of the Likhi Range) is considerably different from that of the west, although, much like the Colchis plain in the west, nearly all of the low-lying areas of eastern Georgia including the Mtkvari and Alazani River plains have been deforested for agricultural purposes. Their cause was championed by the socialist Mensheviks, who became the dominant political force in Georgia in the final years of Russian rule. The Kingdom of Georgia reached its zenith in the 12th to early 13th centuries. why were chinese railroad workers called jakes . [citation needed] Three types of polyphony have developed in Georgia: a complex version in Svaneti, a dialogue over a bass background in the Kakheti region, and a three-part partially-improvised version in western Georgia. Mikheil Saakashvili was elected as President of Georgia in 2004. Alexander Mikaberidze wrote that these century-old explanations for the word Georgia/Georgians are rejected by the scholarly community, who point to the Persian word gur/gurn (, 'wolf'[17]) as the root of the word. 1953 - Soviet Union explodes its first hydrogen bomb. [31][347][348][349] Local traditions associated with wine are entwined with its national identity. Georgia: in the mountains of poetry 3rd rev. Thousands of people gathered outside the Central Election Commission to demand a new vote. South Ossetians were responsible for instigating this incident, which marked the opening of hostilities and injured five Georgian servicemen. [73] The Menshevik Social Democratic Party of Georgia won the parliamentary election and its leader, Noe Zhordania, became prime minister. [245] As of 2021, it ranked 12th in the world for economic freedom. 'Kartvelians'), first attested in the Umm Leisun inscription found in the Old City of Jerusalem. One of the most famous late 19th/early 20th century Georgian artists was primitivist painter Niko Pirosmani. [81], On 26 May, Zviad Gamsakhurdia was elected as the first President of independent Georgia. Scheduled and chartered passenger ferry services link Georgia with Bulgaria,[276] Romania, Turkey and Ukraine. George V was the last great king of the unified Georgian state. Formerly Communist countries (by current name): Formerly part of the Soviet Union: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. The first exhibition of products made by STC Delta was in 1999. Communist Party of Georgia ( Georgian: , Sakartvelos Komunisturi Partia) is a communist party in Georgia. [67], In May 1801, under the oversight of General Carl Heinrich von Knorring, Imperial Russia transferred power in eastern Georgia to the government headed by General Ivan Petrovich Lazarev. [295][c], In the early 1990s, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, violent separatist conflicts broke out in the autonomous region of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region. There are several architectural styles for castles, towers, fortifications and churches. [30], Archaeological evidence indicates that Georgia has been the site of wine production since at least 6,000 BC, which over time played a role in forming Georgia's culture and national identity. Its autonomous status was revoked in 1990. [185][186] Over 11,000 Georgian soldiers have been rotated through Afghanistan. [108] Tskhinvali was seized by the Russian military by 10 August. On 9 April 1991, shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Supreme Council of Georgia declared independence after a referendum held on 31 March. On the other hand, Georgia, the country in the Caucasus region between Europe and Asia, is a sovereign state. As in the western parts of the nation, elevation plays an important role in eastern Georgia where climatic conditions above 1,500 metres (4,921ft) are considerably colder than in the low-lying areas. A period of unrest ensued, which ended as Abkhazia and eastern Georgian states were unified under a single Georgian monarchy, ruled by King Bagrat III of Georgia (r. 9751014), due largely to the diplomacy and conquests of his energetic foster-father David III of Tao (r. 9661001). The Georgian army was defeated and the Social Democratic government fled the country. [226], Much of the natural habitat in the low-lying areas of western Georgia has disappeared during the past 100 years because of the agricultural development of the land and urbanization. Consecutive research estimated the 2002 census to be inflated by 8 to 9 percent,[286] which affected the annually updated population estimates in subsequent years. Top 10 Georgia country facts. The 2014 census, carried out in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), found a population gap of approximately 700,000 compared to the 2014 data from the National Statistical Office of Georgia, Geostat, which was cumulatively built on the 2002 census. [220] Georgia considers the regions as occupied by Russia. The sons and grandsons of Ashot I established three separate branches, frequently struggling with each other and with neighbouring rulers. The Georgian language, the most pervasive of the Kartvelian languages, is not Indo-European, Turkic, or Semitic. For most of the subsequent decade, post-Soviet Georgia suffered from economic crisis, political instability, ethnic conflict, and secessionist wars in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. [44][45] The most prosperous period of the Abkhazian kingdom was between 850 and 950. In August 2004, the Individual Partnership Action Plan of Georgia was submitted officially to NATO. [104] According to Georgian intelligence,[105] and several Russian media reports, parts of the regular (non-peacekeeping) Russian Army had already moved to South Ossetian territory through the Roki Tunnel before the Georgian military action. [177] On 27 February 2017, the Council adopted a regulation on visa liberalization for Georgians travelling to the EU for a period of stay of 90 days in any 180-day period. Georgia adopted Christianity in 334, when King Mirian III of Kartli-Iberia, following the instructions of Saint Nino of Cappadocia, declared it the state religion. By the 1980s, an independence movement emerged and grew quickly, leading to Georgia's secession from the Soviet Union in April 1991. Georgia is a representative democracy governed as a unitary parliamentary republic. . Economic reforms since independence have led to higher levels of economic freedom, as well as reductions in corruption indicators, poverty, and unemployment. [234] Although the amount of available information is still very small, a first effort has been made to estimate the number of fungal species endemic to Georgia, and 2,595 species have been tentatively identified as possible endemics of the country. [167] The majority of Georgians and politicians in Georgia support the push for NATO membership. In contrast with western Georgia, nearly 85 per cent of the forests of the region are deciduous. [93][96][97][98][99], On 7 August 2008, Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili announced a unilateral ceasefire and called for peace talks. Western Georgia's landscape ranges from low-land marsh-forests, swamps, and temperate rainforests to eternal snows and glaciers, while the eastern part of the country even contains a small segment of semi-arid plains. [321] Gross primary enrolment ratio was 117 per cent for the period of 20122014, the 2nd highest in Europe after Sweden. On 25 February 1921, the Red Army entered Tbilisi and established a government of workers' and peasants' soviets with Filipp Makharadze as acting head of state. [citation needed] The general landscape of eastern Georgia comprises numerous valleys and gorges that are separated by mountains. Georgia ranked number 58 overall in the 2016 NRI ranking,[258] up from 60 in 2015. The first attempt to unite the country occurred under King Parnavaz of Kartli at the beginning of the third century B.C.E. [233] According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, there are 4,300 species of vascular plants in Georgia. 1000 of all 4000 higher plants of Georgia are endemic to this country. [345], Georgian cuisine and wine have evolved through the centuries, adapting traditions in each era. In a letter on Monday, Raffensperger called on the GOP's congressional leadership to . [219] This was used as a justification for Russian invasion of Georgia during the 2008 South Ossetia war after which Russia recognized the region's independence. [169] Since 2014, GeorgiaNATO relations are guided by the Substantial NATOGeorgia Package (SNGP), which includes the NATOGeorgia Joint Training and Evaluation Centre and facilitation of multi-national and regional military drills. "[172], George W. Bush became the first sitting US president to visit the country. [207][209], Since independence, Georgia maintained harsh policies against drugs, handing out lengthy sentences even for marijuana use. NGO "Tolerance", in its alternative report about its implementation, speaks of a rapid decrease in the number of Azerbaijani schools and cases of appointing headmasters to Azerbaijani schools who do not speak the Azerbaijani language. [11] As the Ottomans advanced into the Caucasian territories of the crumbling Russian Empire, Georgia declared independence on 26 May 1918. The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range plays an important role in moderating Georgia's climate and protects the nation from the penetration of colder air masses from the north. In addition, 435 were wounded, including 35 amputees. [12][13] It is a developing country with a very high Human Development Index. Country straddling Western Asia and Eastern Europe in the Caucusus, "Republic of Georgia" redirects here. [306], Islam is represented by both Azerbaijani Shia Muslims (in the south-east) ethnic Georgian Sunni Muslims in Adjara, and Laz-speaking Sunni Muslims as well as Sunni Meskhetian Turks along the border with Turkey. referred to early western Georgians as Colchians and eastern Georgians as Iberians (Iberoi, in some Greek sources). [225] Historically, the western portion of Georgia was known as Colchis while the eastern plateau was called Iberia.[226]. [223][224] The country lies between latitudes 41 and 44 N, and longitudes 40 and 47 E, with an area of 67,900km2 (26,216sqmi). Since 2004 the Georgian Railways have been undergoing a rolling programme of fleet-renewal and managerial restructuring which is aimed at making the service provided more efficient and comfortable for passengers. The Constitution of Georgia guarantees freedom of speech. This made it easy for the remaining Georgian realms to fall victim to the early Muslim conquests in the 7th century. From 1,5001,800 metres (4,9215,906ft), the forest becomes largely coniferous. Christianity and the Georgian language are particularly important national identifiers. [296] On the other hand, at least 160,000 Georgians left Abkhazia after the break-out of hostilities in 1993. Archaeology indicates that fertile valleys and slopes in and around Georgia have been home to grapevine cultivation and neolithic wine production (Georgian: , vino) for millennia. According to the 2014 census, Ethnic Georgians form about 86.8 per cent of the population, while the remainder includes ethnic groups such as Abkhazians, Armenians, Assyrians, Azerbaijanis, Greeks, Jews, Kists, Ossetians, Russians, Ukrainians, Yezidis and others. [351] The shipment of counterfeit wine has been primarily channelled through Russian managed customs checkpoints in Russian occupied Georgian territories Abkhazia and South Ossetia, where no inspection and regulation occurs. Pyotr Bagration, one of the descendants of the abolished house of Bagrationi, would later join the Russian army and rise to be a prominent general in the Napoleonic wars. [122][221] The two self-declared republics gained limited international recognition after the 2008 Russo-Georgian War. The climate of the region varies significantly with elevation and while much of the lowland areas of western Georgia are relatively warm throughout the year, the foothills and mountainous areas (including both the Greater and Lesser Caucasus Mountains) experience cool, wet summers and snowy winters (snow cover often exceeds 2 metres or 6feet 7inches in many regions). Lake Paliastomi area). The government of Georgia is carried out under a semi-presidential representative democracy. [79] Georgia was the first non-Baltic republic of the Soviet Union to officially declare independence. In response,[95] several South Ossetian militiamen were killed by snipers. According to CPUSA records, by 1932 only a small number of party members were active in Atlanta, and the statewide apparatus was in disarray. The country covers an area of 69,700 square kilometres (26,900sqmi), and has a population of 3.7 million people. [b][10] Tbilisi is its capital as well as its largest city, home to roughly a third of the Georgian population. [196] However, following the reforms brought by the peaceful revolution, the level of corruption in the country abated dramatically. The common pheasant (also known as the Colchian Pheasant) is an endemic bird of Georgia which has been widely introduced throughout the rest of the world as an important game bird. "It's a communist regime. [256] A perception of economic stagnation led to a 2019 survey of 1,500 residents finding unemployment was considered a significant problem by 73% of respondents, with 49% reporting their income had decreased over the prior year. Gold, silver, copper and iron have been mined in the Caucasus Mountains. [305][c] Azerbaijani once served as a lingua franca for communication among various nationalities inhabiting Eastern Caucasus. Georgia had five players in the NBA: Vladimir Stepania, Jake Tsakalidis, Nikoloz Tskitishvili, Tornike Shengelia and current Golden State Warriors centre Zaza Pachulia. [31] In 2013, UNESCO added the ancient traditional Georgian winemaking method using the Kvevri clay jars to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.[31][32]. The federation consisted of three nations: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Archaeological research demonstrates that Georgia has been involved in commerce with many lands and empires since ancient times, largely due its location on the Black Sea and later on the historical Silk Road.