Georgia

Georgia

AREA	69,700 sq km (26,911 sq miles).
POPULATION	5,411,000 (1996).
POPULATION DENSITY	77.6 per sq km.
CAPITAL	Tbilisi
CAPITAL POPULATION	1,268,000 (1990).
GEOGRAPHY	Georgia is a mountainous country bordered by the Russian Federation in the north, Turkey in the southeast, Armenia in the south, Azerbaijan in the east and by the Black Sea in the west, which forms a 330km (206 mile-long) coastline. It includes the two autonomous republics Ajaria and Abkhazia. The state is crossed by the ranges of the Greater Caucasus (highest peak: Mt Kazbek, 5047m/16,554ft). Enclosed high valleys, wide basins, health spas with famous mineral waters, caves and waterfalls combine in this land of varied landscapes and striking beauty.
GOVERNMENT	Republic. Gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Head of State and Government: President Eduard Shevardnadze since 1995.
LANGUAGE	The official language is Georgian, the only language in the Ibera Caucasian family written in ancient script, with its own unique alphabet. Russian, Ossetian and Abkhazian are also spoken.
RELIGION	Christian majority, mainly Georgian Orthodox church. Also Eastern Orthodox, Muslim, Jewish and other Christian denomination minorities.
STANDARD TIME	GMT + 4.
ELECTRICITY	220 volts AC, 50 Hz. European-type, 2-pin plugs are used. Owing to the energy crisis, the supply of electricity can be intermittent between November and March. Visitors are advised to bring a torch with them.

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