It was the last direct election of a Georgian president, as additional constitutional reforms removed the popular vote. Russia withdrew all personnel and equipment from these sites by December 2007[91] while failing to withdraw from the Gudauta base in Abkhazia, which it was required to vacate after the adoption of the Adapted Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty during the 1999 Istanbul summit. The party was founded on 23 February 1992 as the Socialist Labour Party. [294] There were 184 thousand immigrants in Georgia in 2014 with most of them hailing from Russia (51.6%), Greece (8.3%), Ukraine (8.11%), Germany (4.3%), and Armenia (3.8%). [191] The US State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law-Enforcement Affairs has provided assistance to the training efforts and continues to act in an advisory capacity. It is unicameral and has 150 members, known as deputies, of whom 30 are elected by plurality to represent single-member districts, and 120 are chosen to represent parties by proportional representation. [122][123] Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Georgia has topped the list of countries which Russian exiles departed to after the war began; Russians are allowed to stay in Georgia for at least one year without a visa, though many Georgians view the presence of more Russian citizens in Georgia as a security risk.[124]. [311], Despite the long history of religious harmony in Georgia,[312] there have been instances of religious discrimination and violence against "nontraditional faiths", such as Jehovah's Witnesses, by followers of the defrocked Orthodox priest Basil Mkalavishvili. The region between Kazbek and Shkhara (a distance of about 200km (124mi) along the Main Caucasus Range) is dominated by numerous glaciers. Ca. [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. The Upper Svaneti fortifications, and the castle town of Shatili in Khevsureti, are some of the finest examples of medieval Georgian castle architecture. Between 2000 and 2019, Georgia's HDI score improved by 17.7%. In Greek mythology, Colchis was the location of the Golden Fleece sought by Jason and the Argonauts in Apollonius Rhodius' epic tale Argonautica. Its root, kartvel-i (-), specifies an inhabitant of the core central-eastern Georgian region of Kartli, or Iberia as it is known in sources of the Eastern Roman Empire. Russia received by far the most migrants from Georgia. [207][209], Since independence, Georgia maintained harsh policies against drugs, handing out lengthy sentences even for marijuana use. With the death of Nader Shah in 1747, both kingdoms broke free of Iranian control and were reunified through a personal union under the energetic king Heraclius II in 1762. 1000 of all 4000 higher plants of Georgia are endemic to this country. It borders Russia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east, Armenia and the Ottoman Empire to the south.. [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. Peter Lang. Saakashvili believed in 2008 that the country is "on the road to becoming a European democracy. In 1783, one of the Georgian kingdoms entered into an alliance with the Russian Empire, which proceeded to annex the territory of modern Georgia in a piecemeal fashion throughout the 19th century. Rugby is considered Georgia's national sport. There are several architectural styles for castles, towers, fortifications and churches. [351], The most popular sports in Georgia are football, basketball, rugby union, wrestling, judo, and weightlifting. South Ossetia is officially known by Georgia as the Tskinvali region, as it views "South Ossetia" as implying political bonds with Russian North Ossetia. Since February 2021, Irakli Gharibashvili has been the Prime Minister of Georgia. In 19181919, Georgian general Giorgi Mazniashvili led an attack against the White Army led by Moiseev and Denikin in order to claim the Black Sea coastline from Tuapse to Sochi and Adler for the independent Georgia. According to CPUSA records, by 1932 only a small number of party members were active in Atlanta, and the statewide apparatus was in disarray. [252] In 2015, the average monthly income of a household was 1,022.3 (about $426). Georgia's decision to boost its presence in the coalition forces in Iraq was an important initiative. The last Imeretian king and the last Georgian Bagrationi ruler, Solomon II, died in exile in 1815, after attempts to rally people against Russia and to enlist foreign support against the latter, had been in vain. 1956 - Soviet troops . [335] These cultural, religious, and later political attributes are associated with a European and Western identity, based on a national perception of these attributes that contrasts with surrounding powers. [235] 1,729 species of plants have been recorded from Georgia in association with fungi. [226], The term Lesser Caucasus Mountains is often used to describe the mountainous (highland) areas of southern Georgia that are connected to the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range by the Likhi Range. By 1994 the gross domestic product had shrunk to a quarter of that of 1989.[240]. The true total number of fungal species occurring in Georgia, including species not yet recorded, is likely to be far higher, given the generally accepted estimate that only about seven per cent of all fungi worldwide have so far been discovered. [211] In response to lawsuits from civil society organizations, in 2018 the Constitutional Court of Georgia ruled that "consumption of marijuana is an action protected by the right to free personality"[212] and that "[Marijuana] can only harm the user's health, making that user him/herself responsible for the outcome. Government of Georgia. The country has sizeable hydropower resources. Their cause was championed by the socialist Mensheviks, who became the dominant political force in Georgia in the final years of Russian rule. The country plans to host 11 million visitors by 2025 with annual revenues reaching US$6.6 billion. [228], Eastern Georgia has a transitional climate from humid subtropical to continental. [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. p. 65. [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. The Lesser Caucasus Mountains partially protect the region from the influence of dry and hot air masses from the south. [226] The wettest periods generally occur during spring and autumn, while winter and summer months tend to be the driest. [318][320] As of 2016[update], 75 higher education institutions are accredited by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia. [88], The country's newly pro-Western stance, along with accusations of Georgian involvement in the Second Chechen War,[89] resulted in a severe deterioration of relations with Russia, fuelled also by Russia's open assistance and support to the two secessionist areas. [195], Prior to the Rose Revolution, Georgia was among the most corrupt countries in the world. There is also a certified specialist's programme that represents a single-level higher education programme lasting from three to six years. The country covers an area of 69,700 square kilometres (26,900sqmi), and has a population of 3.7 million people. [96] South Ossetian separatists began shelling Georgian villages on 1 August. [139], In October 2016, the ruling party Georgian Dream won the parliamentary elections with 48.61 percent of the vote while the opposition United National Movement (UNM) gained 27.04 percent of the vote. [93][96][97][98][99], On 7 August 2008, Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili announced a unilateral ceasefire and called for peace talks. [193], The new Patruli force was first introduced in the summer of 2005 to replace the traffic police, a force which was accused of widespread corruption. In June 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union on an immediate course towards Caucasian oil fields and munitions factories. Document No. [145], On 31 October 2020, the ruling Georgian Dream again led by Bidzina Ivanishvili secured over 48% of votes in the parliamentary election under a different electoral system. [70] Following the annexation of eastern Georgia, the western Georgian kingdom of Imereti was annexed by Tsar Alexander I. 'Kartvelians'), first attested in the Umm Leisun inscription found in the Old City of Jerusalem. [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. Edn 10. As with all other post-Soviet states, Georgia faced a severe economic collapse. The civil war and military conflicts in South Ossetia and Abkhazia aggravated the crisis. Beginning in 2007, politicians here have been debating whether or not to change the governmental framework to a constitutional monarchy. Philology, typology and language structure. Against the expectations of the then ruling United National Movement (UNM) of president Mikheil Saakashvili, the 6-party opposition coalition around newly found Georgian Dream won the parliamentary elections in October 2012, bringing an end to nine years of UNM rule and marking the first peaceful, electoral, transfer of power in Georgia. Members of parliament are elected for four-year terms. In 2018, more than 1.4million tourists from Russia visited Georgia. For example, in its 2017 report, Council of Europe observed that while most day-to-day corruption has been eliminated, there are some indications of a "clientelistic system" whereby the country's leadership may allocate resources in ways that generate the loyalty and support it needs to stay in power. [318] The school system is divided into elementary (six years; ages 612), basic (three years; ages 1215), and secondary (three years; ages 1518), or alternatively vocational studies (two years). As result of the mixed proportional-majoritarian system, with a threshold of 5% for the proportional vote and redefined majoritarian districts, only four parties entered parliament, with the Georgian Dream party gaining a constitutional majority of 77% (+36 seats). From 1,5001,800 metres (4,9215,906ft), the forest becomes largely coniferous. [37] In 337 AD King Mirian III declared Christianity as the state religion, giving a great stimulus to the development of literature, arts, and ultimately playing a key role in the formation of the unified Georgian nation,[38][39] The acceptance led to the slow but sure decline of Zoroastrianism,[40] which until the 5th century AD, appeared to have become something like a second established religion in Iberia (eastern Georgia), and was widely practised there.[41]. The USSR was also the largest communist country. [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. The mission and functions of the GDF are based on the Constitution of Georgia, Georgia's Law on Defense and National Military Strategy, and international agreements to which Georgia is signatory. [77] Stalin was to rise to the highest position, leading the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death on 5 March 1953. [35][36] From the first centuries AD, the cult of Mithras, pagan beliefs, and Zoroastrianism were commonly practised in Georgia. [82] Supported by Russia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia achieved de facto independence from Georgia, with Georgia retaining control only in small areas of the disputed territories. Most countries consider the regions to be Georgian territory under Russian occupation. [141][142][143] After international mediation to overcome the deep political crisis in the runup to the 2020 parliamentary elections an amended electoral system was adopted, specifically for the 2020 elections. It was not until around 2010 that parts of the system became reliable again. Thousands of people gathered outside the Central Election Commission to demand a new vote. [73] The Menshevik Social Democratic Party of Georgia won the parliamentary election and its leader, Noe Zhordania, became prime minister. [319], Most of these institutions offer three levels of study: a bachelor's programme (three to four years); a master's programme (two years), and a doctoral programme (three years). The country then became embroiled in a bitter civil war, which lasted until nearly 1994. The native name is Sakartvelo (; 'land of Kartvelians'), derived from the core central Georgian region of Kartli, recorded from the 9th century, and in extended usage referring to the entire medieval Kingdom of Georgia by the 13th century. [350] Among the best-known Georgian wine regions are Kakheti (further divided into the micro-regions of Telavi and Kvareli), Kartli, Imereti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Adjara and Abkhazia. It is bounded on the north and northeast by Russia, on the east and southeast by Azerbaijan, on the south by Armenia and Turkey, and on the west by the Black Sea. Dinamo Tbilisi won the prestigious Euroleague competition in 1962. The species number of invertebrates is considered to be very high but data is distributed across a high number of publications. However, subsequent Iranian and Ottoman invasions further weakened local kingdoms and regions. [321] Gross primary enrolment ratio was 117 per cent for the period of 20122014, the 2nd highest in Europe after Sweden. [259] Georgia was ranked 63rd in the Global Innovation Index in 2021, down from 48th in 2019. Joseph Stalin, an ethnic Georgian born Iosif Vissarionovich Jugashvili ( ) in Gori, was prominent among the Bolsheviks. Its economy is growing at 5 percent per year, and the country ranks ahead of the United States in economic . [323] The number of faculty and staff (collaborators) at TSU is approximately 5,000, with over 35,000 students enrolled. [344] The Georgian folk song "Chakrulo" was one of 27 musical compositions included on the Voyager Golden Records that were sent into space on Voyager 2 on 20 August 1977. [citation needed]. ed., Nasmyth, Peter, I. Gagoshidze "The Achaemenid influence in Iberia" Boreas 19. 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. In the early 4th century, ethnic Georgians officially adopted Christianity, which contributed to the spiritual and political unification of the early Georgian states. [257], Georgia's telecommunications infrastructure is ranked the last among its bordering neighbours in the World Economic Forum's Network Readiness Index (NRI) an indicator for determining the development level of a country's information and communication technologies. [117] Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as separate republics on 26 August. Later, in 1936, the TSFSR was dissolved and Georgia emerged as a union republic: the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. [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. Rustavi International Motorpark originally built in 1978 was re-opened in 2012 after total reconstruction[356] costing $20million. [80] In August 1991, Romania became the first country to recognize Georgia. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic was established with Nikolay Chkheidze acting as its president. The large majority of the forests that covered the Colchis plain are now virtually non-existent with the exception of the regions that are included in the national parks and reserves (e.g. In the Middle Ages, the unified Kingdom of Georgia emerged and reached its Golden Age during the reign of King David IV and Queen Tamar in the 12th and early 13th centuries. Both peasants and workers found expression for their discontent through revolts and strikes, culminating in the Revolution of 1905. [119] Russian forces left the buffer areas bordering Abkhazia and South Ossetia on 8 October, and the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia was dispatched to the buffer areas. [282][d] Georgia was also once home to significant ethnic German communities, numbering 11,394 according to the 1926 census. [134] Due to the incomplete transition to parliamentary democracy, a year of uneasy cohabitation between rivals Ivanishvili and Saakashvili followed until the October 2013 presidential elections. Georgian wine making is a very old tradition and a key branch of the country's economy. The Cabinet is composed of ministers, headed by the Prime Minister, and appointed by the Parliament. Michael W. Hughey, Springer, Mar 29, 2016. Georgia is a representative democracy governed as a unitary parliamentary republic. [59], In 1783, Russia and the eastern Georgian Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti signed the Treaty of Georgievsk, by which Georgia abjured any dependence on Persia or another power, and made the kingdom a protectorate of Russia, which guaranteed Georgia's territorial integrity and the continuation of its reigning Bagrationi dynasty in return for prerogatives in the conduct of Georgian foreign affairs. [citation needed], Coordinates: 4200N 4330E / 42.000N 43.500E / 42.000; 43.500. [115][116], President of France Nicolas Sarkozy negotiated a ceasefire agreement on 12 August 2008. The medieval Georgian Chronicles present an eponymous ancestor of the Kartvelians, Kartlos, a great-grandson of Japheth. In 1121, he decisively defeated much larger Turkish armies during the Battle of Didgori and liberated Tbilisi. Burkhard Herbote, tourism Hero. Lore-based theories were given by the traveller Jacques de Vitry, who explained the name's origin by the popularity of St. George amongst Georgians,[16] while traveller Jean Chardin thought that Georgia came from Greek ('tiller of the land'). [55] The Mongols were expelled by George V of Georgia (r. 12991302), son of Demetrius II of Georgia (r. 12701289), who was named "Brilliant" for his role in restoring the country's previous strength and Christian culture. [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. In August 2004, the Individual Partnership Action Plan of Georgia was submitted officially to NATO. The penetration of humid air masses from the Black Sea is often blocked by mountain ranges (Likhi and Meskheti) that separate the eastern and western parts of the nation. [201], Human rights in Georgia are guaranteed by the country's constitution. [346], Georgia is one of the oldest wine-producing countries in the world. The Democratic Republic of Georgia and its territorial losses after the Soviet invasion After occupation of Georgia by Lenin Russia, Communists began to depress the rival forces and to. Georgia currently has four international airports, the largest of which is by far Tbilisi International Airport, hub for Georgian Airways, which offers connections to many large European cities. 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. [1] Georgia, Georgian Sakartvelo, country of Transcaucasia located at the eastern end of the Black Sea on the southern flanks of the main crest of the Greater Caucasus Mountains.