1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 69,700 km2 land area: 69,700 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than South Carolina
Climate
warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast
Coastline
310 km
Environment
air pollution, particularly in Rustavi; heavy pollution of Kura River, Black Sea
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
4,660 km2 (1990)
Land boundaries
total 1,461 km, Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km, Turkey 252 km
Land use
arable land: NA% permanent crops: NA% meadows and pastures: NA% forest and woodland: NA% other: NA%
Location
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia
Map references
Africa, Asia, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
note: 12 nm in 1973 USSR-Turkish Protocol concerning the sea boundary between the two states in the Black Sea; Georgia claims the coastline along the Black Sea as its international waters, although it cannot control this area and the Russian navy and commercial ships transit freely
Natural resources
forest lands, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ores, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth
Terrain
largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the north and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhida Lowland opens to the Black Sea in the west; Kura River Basin in the east; good soils in river valley flood plains, foothills of Kolkhida lowland
People and Society
Birth rate
16.48 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
8.68 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Georgian 70.1%, Armenian 8.1%, Russian 6.3%, Azeri 5.7%, Ossetian 3%, Abkhaz 1.8%, other 5%
Infant mortality rate
24.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
2.763 million by occupation: industry and construction 31%, agriculture and forestry 25%, other 44% (1990)
Languages
Armenian 7%, Azerbaijani 6%, Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, other 7%
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 72.58 years male: 68.89 years female: 76.46 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 9-49 can read and write (1970) total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100%
Nationality
noun: Georgian(s) adjective: Georgian
Net migration rate
0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) note - this data may be low because of movement of Ossetian, Russian, and Abkhaz refugees due to ongoing conflicts
Population
5,634,296 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
0.85% (1993 est.)
Religions
Georgian Orthodox 65%, Russian Orthodox 10%, Muslim 11%, Armenian Orthodox 8%, unknown 6%
Total fertility rate
2.21 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika); Abkhazia (Sukhumi), Ajaria (Batumi) note: the administrative centers of the autonomous republics are included in parentheses; there are no oblasts - the rayons around T'bilisi are under direct republic jurisdiction; also included is the South Ossetia Autonomous Oblast
Capital
T'bilisi (Tbilisi)
Chairman of Parliament
last held NA October 1992 (next to be held NA); results - Eduard SHEVARDNADZE 95%
Chief of State
Chairman of Parliament Eduard Amvrosiyevich SHEVARDNADZE (since 10 March 1992)
Constitution
adopted NA 1921; currently amending constitution for Parliamentary and popular review by late 1995
Digraph
GG
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: NA chancery: NA telephone: NA
Executive branch
chairman of Parliament, Council of Ministers, prime minister
Flag
maroon field with small rectangle in upper hoist side corner; rectangle divided horizontally with black on top, white below
Georgian Parliament (Supreme Soviet)
last held 11 October 1992 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (225 total) number of seats by party NA; note - representatives of 26 parties elected; Peace Bloc, October 11, Unity, National Democratic Party, and the Greens Party won the largest representation
Head of Government
Prime Minister Tengiz SIGUA (since NA January 1992); First Deputy Prime Minister Roman GOTSIRIDZE (since NA); Deputy Prime Ministers Aleksandr KAVADZE, Avtandil MARGIANI, Zurab KERVALISHVILI (since NA)
Independence
9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Legal system
based on civil law system
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament
Member of
BSEC, CSCE, EBRD, IBRD, IMF, NACC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO
Names
conventional long form: Republic of Georgia conventional short form: Georgia local long form: Sakartvelo Respublika local short form: Sakartvelo former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
National holiday
Independence Day, 9 April 1991
Other political or pressure groups
supporters of ousted President GAMSAKHURDIA boycotted the October elections and remain an important source of opposition and instability
Political parties and leaders
All-Georgian Merab Kostava Society, Vazha ADAMIA, chairman; All-Georgian Traditionalists' Union, Akakiy ASATIANI, chairman; Georgian National Front - Radical Union, Ruslan GONGADZE, chairman; Georgian Social Democratic Party, Guram MUCHAIDZE, chairman; Green Party, Zurab ZHVANIA, chairman; Monarchist-Conservative Party (MCP), Temur ZHORZHOLIANI, chairman; Georgian Popular Front (GPF), Nodar NATADZE, chairman; National Democratic Party (NDP), Georgi CHANTURIA, chairman; National Independence Party (NIP), Irakli TSERETELI and Irakli BATIASHVILI, chairmen; Charter 1991 Party, Tedo PAATASHVILI, chairman; Democratic Georgia Party, Georgiy SHENGELAYA, Chairman; Peace Bloc; Unity; October 11
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type
republic
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador Kent N. BROWN embassy: #25 Antoneli Street, T'bilisi mailing address: APO AE 09862 telephone: (7) 8832-74-46-23
Economy
Agriculture
accounted for 97% of former USSR citrus fruits and 93% of former USSR tea; berries and grapes; sugar; vegetables, grains, potatoes; cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, poultry; tobacco
Budget
revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Currency
coupons introduced in April 1993 to be followed by introduction of the lari at undetermined future date; Russian ruble remains official currency until introduction of the lari
Economic aid
NA
Electricity
4,875,000 kW capacity; 15,800 million kWh produced, about 2,835 kWh per capita (1992)
Exchange rates
rubles per US$1 - 415 (24 December 1992) but subject to wide fluctuations
Exports
$NA commodities: citrus fruits, tea, other agricultural products; diverse types of machinery; ferrous and nonferrous metals; textiles partners: Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan (1992)
External debt
$650 million (1991 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Illicit drugs
illicit producers of cannabis and opium; mostly for domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe
Imports
$NA commodities: machinery and parts, fuel, transport equipment, textiles partners: Russia, Ukraine (1992)
Industrial production
growth rate -50% (1992)
Industries
heavy industrial products include raw steel, rolled steel, cement, lumber; machine tools, foundry equipment, electric mining locomotives, tower cranes, electric welding equipment, machinery for food preparation, meat packing, dairy, and fishing industries; air-conditioning electric motors up to 100 kW in size, electric motors for cranes, magnetic starters for motors; devices for control of industrial processes; trucks, tractors, and other farm machinery; light industrial products, including cloth, hosiery, and shoes
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
50% per month (January 1993 est.)
National product
GDP $NA
National product per capita
$NA
National product real growth rate
-35% (1992 est.)
Overview
Among the former Soviet republics, Georgia has been noted for its Black Sea tourist industry, its large output of citrus fruits and tea, and an industrial sector that accounted, however, for less than 2% of the USSR's output. Another salient characteristic of the economy has been a flourishing private sector (compared with the other republics). About 25% of the labor force is employed in agriculture. Mineral resources consist of manganese and copper, and, to a lesser extent, molybdenum, arsenic, tungsten, and mercury. Except for very small quantities of domestic oil, gas, and coal, fuel must be imported from neighboring republics. Oil and its products have been delivered by pipeline from Azerbaijan to the port of Batumi for export and local refining. Gas has been supplied in pipelines from Krasnodar and Stavropol'. The dismantling of central economic controls has been delayed by political factionalism, marked by bitter armed struggles. In early 1993 the Georgian economy was operating at well less than half capacity due to disruptions in fuel supplies and vital transportation links as a result of conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, antigovernment activity in Western Georgia, and Azerbaijani pressure against Georgian assistance for Armenia. To restore economic viability, Georgia must establish domestic peace and must maintain economic ties to the other former Soviet republics while developing new links to the West.
Unemployment rate
3% but large numbers of underemployed workers
Communications
Airports
total: 37 useable: 26 with permanent-surface runways: 19 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 10 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 9
Highways
33,900 km total; 29,500 km hard surfaced, 4,400 km earth (1990)
Merchant marine
47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 658,192 GRT/1,014,056 DWT; includes 16 bulk cargo, 30 oil tanker, and 1 specialized liquid carrier
Note
transportation network is disrupted by ethnic conflict, criminal activities, and fuel shortages
Pipelines
crude oil 370 km, refined products 300 km, natural gas 440 km (1992)
Ports
coastal - Batumi, Poti, Sukhumi
Railroads
1,570 km, does not include industrial lines (1990)
Telecommunications
poor telephone service; as of 1991, 672,000 republic telephone lines providing 12 lines per 100 persons; 339,000 unsatisfied applications for telephones (31 January 1992); international links via landline to CIS members and Turkey; low capacity satellite earth station and leased international connections via the Moscow international gateway switch; international electronic mail and telex service established
Military and Security
Branches
Army, National Guard, Interior Ministry Troops
Defense expenditures
$NA, NA% of GNP
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 1,338,606; fit for military service 1,066,309; reach military age (18) annually 43,415 (1993 est.)
Note
Georgian forces are poorly organized and not fully under the government's control