[249] As a result, budget revenues have increased fourfold and a once large budget deficit has turned into a surplus. The responsibility for such actions does not cause dangerous consequences for the public. South Ossetia is officially known by Georgia as the Tskinvali region, as it views "South Ossetia" as implying political bonds with Russian North Ossetia. Free shipping for many products! In general, the forests in eastern Georgia occur between 5002,000 metres (1,6406,562ft) above sea level, with the alpine zone extending from 2,0002,300 to 3,0003,500 metres (6,5627,546 to 9,84311,483ft). Since February 2021, Irakli Gharibashvili has been the Prime Minister of Georgia. [151], Georgia maintains good relations with its direct neighbours Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, and is a member of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the World Trade Organization, the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Community of Democratic Choice, the GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development[152] and the Asian Development Bank. He also conducts the highly philosophical toasts, and makes sure that everyone is enjoying themselves. [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. The former communist countries of the Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia needed to reform the financing of their healthcare systems and make efforts to strengthen the role of primary care while limiting the role of hospital care. Marxism-Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Comintern after Bolshevisation and the communist states within the Comecon, the Eastern Bloc, and the Warsaw Pact. Gamsakhurdia stoked Georgian nationalism and vowed to assert Tbilisi's authority over regions such as Abkhazia and South Ossetia that had been classified as autonomous within the Georgian SSR. [86] The revolution was led by Mikheil Saakashvili, Zurab Zhvania and Nino Burjanadze, former members and leaders of Shevardnadze's ruling party. Top 10 Georgia country facts. [215], Georgia contains two official autonomous regions, of which one has declared independence. Burkhard Herbote, tourism Hero. [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. [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. [233] According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, there are 4,300 species of vascular plants in Georgia. [277], Like most native Caucasian peoples, the Georgians do not fit into any of the main ethnic categories of Europe or Asia. 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. Its Cold War with the United States (1947-1991) filled most of the 20th century with tension that extended throughout the world. [255] Since 2014, unemployment has been gradually decreasing each year but remained in double digits and worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. 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. Salome Zurabishvili is the current President of Georgia after winning 59.52% of the vote in the 2018 Georgian presidential election. [148], In February 2021, Irakli Garibashvili became Prime Minister of Georgia, following the resignation of Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia. Legislative authority is vested in the Parliament of Georgia. In 2019, Georgia ranked 61st on the Human Development Index (HDI). [citation needed] The military budget of Georgia for 2021 is 900 ($280) million. [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. Between 6001,000 metres (1,9693,281ft) above sea level, the deciduous forest becomes mixed with both broad-leaf and coniferous species making up the plant life. Their cause was championed by the socialist Mensheviks, who became the dominant political force in Georgia in the final years of Russian rule. [310], The special status of the Georgian Orthodox Church is officially recognized in the Constitution of Georgia and the Concordat of 2002, although religious institutions are separate from the state. [273][274], Air and maritime transport is developing in Georgia, with the former mainly used by passengers and the latter for transport of freight. [51] She succeeded in neutralizing opposition and embarked on an energetic foreign policy aided by the downfall of the rival powers of the Seljuks and Byzantium. ["Flora of Spore Producing Plants of Georgia (Summary)"]. COVID-19 Travel restrictions for Georgia As of June 15th 2022, Citizens of any foreign countries, traveling to Georgia via any route, are no longer obliged to present either Covid-vaccination certificate or PCR-examination negative result For more information, visit the Georgia official governmental site. [341], Television, magazines, and newspapers in Georgia are all operated by both state-owned and for-profit corporations which depend on advertising, subscription, and other sales-related revenues. Dinamo Tbilisi won the prestigious Euroleague competition in 1962. [337], The Georgian language, and the Classical Georgian literature of the poet Shota Rustaveli, were revived in the 19th century after a long period of turmoil, laying the foundations of the romantics and novelists of the modern era such as Grigol Orbeliani, Nikoloz Baratashvili, Ilia Chavchavadze, Akaki Tsereteli, and Vazha-Pshavela. [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). The government of Georgia is carried out under a semi-presidential representative democracy. Much of eastern Georgia experiences hot summers (especially in the low-lying areas) and relatively cold winters. The first mention of the name spelled as Georgia is in Italian on the mappa mundi of Pietro Vesconte dated AD 1320. [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. 1000 of all 4000 higher plants of Georgia are endemic to this country. Leon I then married Mirian's daughter, and a successor, Leon II exploited this dynastic union to acquire Lazica in the 770s. [187] As of 2015[update], 31 Georgian servicemen have died in Afghanistan,[188] most during the Helmand campaign. [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. [227], The west-central slopes of the Meskheti Range in Ajaria as well as several locations in Samegrelo and Abkhazia are covered by temperate rain forests. . [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. [61] Despite a punitive campaign subsequently launched against Qajar Iran in 1796, this period culminated in the 1801 Russian violation of the Treaty of Georgievsk and annexation of eastern Georgia, followed by the abolition of the royal Bagrationi dynasty, as well as the autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church. For example, the Khevsureti region of Georgia has three styles of wrestling. [78] The Georgian uprising on Texel against the Germans was the last battle of the Second World War in Europe. 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). The coup was instigated by part of the National Guards and a paramilitary organization called "Mkhedrioni" ("horsemen"). [235] 1,729 species of plants have been recorded from Georgia in association with fungi. [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. On 2 March 2005, the agreement was signed on the provision of the host nation support to and transit of NATO forces and NATO personnel. [12] [13] It is a developing country with a very high Human Development Index. [80] In August 1991, Romania became the first country to recognize Georgia. Rustavi International Motorpark originally built in 1978 was re-opened in 2012 after total reconstruction[356] costing $20million. 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. Mikheil Saakashvili was elected as President of Georgia in 2004. Other examples of Georgian ecclesiastic architecture can be found outside Georgia: Bachkovo Monastery in Bulgaria (built in 1083 by the Georgian military commander Grigorii Bakuriani), Iviron monastery in Greece (built by Georgians in the 10th century), and the Monastery of the Cross in Jerusalem (built by Georgians in the 9th century). Current Communist Countries: China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, and Vietnam. [305][c] Azerbaijani once served as a lingua franca for communication among various nationalities inhabiting Eastern Caucasus. Evergreen species such as box may also be found in many areas. Iranian elements in Georgian art and archeology", Ethnic tensions: War in the Caucasus is Stalin's legacy, "Georgian World War II hero's remains return home". is georgia a communist country. Various historical regions of Georgia are known for their particular dishes: for example, khinkali (meat dumplings), from eastern mountainous Georgia, and khachapuri, mainly from Imereti, Samegrelo and Adjara. [170], In September 2019, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that "NATO approaching our borders is a threat to Russia. For the U.S. state, see. [149] Garibashvili, who had an earlier term as prime minister in 201315, is known as a political hardliner. [118] In response to Russia's recognition, the Georgian government severed diplomatic relations with Russia. [9] On March 31, 1991, a referendum was held on the restoration of Georgia's independence on the basis of the Independence Act of 26 May 1918. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Despite the Soviet takeover, Zhordania was recognized as the legitimate head of the Georgian Government by France, UK, Belgium, and Poland through the 1930s. [33] In the 4th century BC, a kingdom of Iberia an early example of advanced state organization under one king and an aristocratic hierarchy was established. [56], The rulers of regions that remained partly autonomous organized rebellions on various occasions. [98] Abkhaz forces opened a second front on 9 August by attacking the Kodori Gorge held by Georgia. 1953 - Soviet Union explodes its first hydrogen bomb. At present, the forest cover generally remains outside of the low-lying areas and is mainly located along the foothills and the mountains. The proto-Georgian tribes first appear in written history in the 12th century BC. [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.