Basic Data

Country name: Georgia (population 4 497.6 thousand persons (as of January 2012)

Capital: Tbilisi (population 1,172.7 persons)

Administrative divisions: 9 regions, 9 cities, and 2 autonomous republics

Regions: Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli

Autonomous Republics: Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia (Sokhumi), Autonomous Republic of Ajara (Batumi)

Independence: 9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Constitution: Adopted 24 August 1995

Legal system: Based on civil law system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

National currency: Georgian Lari, 1 USD = approximately 1.7 GEL (as of April 2013)

Official holidays: 1 January – New Year's Day, 7 January – Christmas, 19 January – Epiphany, 3 March – Mothers’ Day, 8 March – Women’s Day, 26 May – Independence Day, 28 August – Feast of the Virgin Mary, 14 October – Svetitskhovloba, (Celebration of Svetitskhoveli Cathedral), 23 November – St. George’s Day.

Geography

Geographic coordinates: 42 00 N, 43 30 E

Map references: Europe

Area: 69,700 sq km

Land boundaries: Total: 1,461 km. Border countries: Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km, Turkey 252 km

Coastline: 310 km

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Black Sea 0 m; highest point: Mountain Shkhara 5,201 m

People    

Population: 4 497.6 thousand persons (as of January 2012)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 18%. Male: 444,779. Female: 398,162 (2005 est.)

Ethnic groups: Georgian 83.8%, Azeri 6.5%, Armenian 5.7%, Russian 1.5%, other 2.5% (2002 census)

Religions: Orthodox Christian 83.9%, Armenian-Gregorian 3.9%, Catholic 0.8%, Muslim 9.9%, other 0.8%, none 0.7% (2002 census)

Languages: Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, other 7%. Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia

Government

Executive branch:

Chief of State: President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25 January 2004); the president is the chief of state and serves as head of government for the power ministries of internal affairs, justice, and defence

Head of Government: Prime Minister Bidzina IVANISHVILI (since 25 October 2012); the Prime Minister is head of Government for all the ministries except the power ministries of internal affairs, justice, and defence.

Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers

Elections: President elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term). Election last held on 5 January 2008 (next to be held in October 2013)

Legislative branch:

Unicameral Parliament (150 seats; 77 members elected by proportional representation, 73 elected in single-member constituencies; members to serve four-year terms). Election last held on 1 October 2012 (next to be held in 2016). Election results: percent of vote by party - Georgian Dream 55%, United National Movement 40.3%, other 4.7%; seats by party - Georgian Dream 85, United National Movement 65.

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (judges elected by the Supreme Council on the president's or chairman of the Supreme Court's recommendation); Constitutional Court; first and second instance courts

Political parties and leaders:

Christian Democratic Movement [Giorgi TARGAMADZE]; Conservative Party [Zviad DZIDZIGURI]; Democratic Movement United Georgia [Nino BURJANADZE]; For Fair Georgia [Zurab NOGAIDELI]; Georgian Dream (a six-party coalition composed of Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia, Republican Party, Our Georgia-Free Democrats, National Forum, Conservative Party, and Industry Will Save Georgia); Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia [Bidzina IVANISHVILI, honorary chairman]; Georgian People's Front [Nodar NATADZE]; Greens [Giorgi GACHECHILADZE]; Industry Will Save Georgia (Industrialists) or IWSG [Georgi TOPADZE]; Labor Party [Shalva NATELASHVILI]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Bachuki KARDAVA]; National Forum [Kakhaber SHARTAVA]; New Rights [Pikria CHIKHRADZE]; Our Georgia-Free Democrats (OGFD) [Irakli KADAGIDZE]; People's Party [Koba DAVITASHVILI; Republican Party [David USUPASHVILI]; Traditionalists [Akaki ASATIANI]; United National Movement or UNM [Vano MERABISHVILI]