1995 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1995 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 69,700 sq km land area: 69,700 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than South Carolina
Climate
warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast
Coastline
310 km
Environment
current issues: air pollution, particularly in Rust'avi; heavy pollution of Mtkvari River and the Black Sea; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil pollution from toxic chemicals natural hazards: NA international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Desertification
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
4,660 sq km (1990)
Land boundaries
total 1,461 km, Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km, Turkey 252 km
Land use
arable land: 11% permanent crops: 4% meadows and pastures: 29% forest and woodland: 38% other: 18%
Location
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia
Map references
Middle East
Maritime claims
NA
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; Mtkvari River Basin in the east; good soils in river valley flood plains, foothills of Kolkhida Lowland
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 24% (female 674,331; male 707,355) 15-64 years: 64% (female 1,894,681; male 1,791,847) 65 years and over: 12% (female 410,703; male 247,055) (July 1995 est.)
Birth rate
15.77 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate
8.73 deaths/1,000 population (1995 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
22.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Labor force
2.763 million by occupation: industry and construction 31%, agriculture and forestry 25%, other 44% (1990)
Languages
Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, other 7%
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 73.1 years male: 69.43 years female: 76.95 years (1995 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1989) total population: 99% male: 100% female: 98%
Nationality
noun: Georgian(s) adjective: Georgian
Net migration rate
0.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Population
5,725,972 (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate
0.77% (1995 est.)
Religions
Georgian Orthodox 65%, Russian Orthodox 10%, Muslim 11%, Armenian Orthodox 8%, unknown 6%
Total fertility rate
2.16 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika); Abkhazia (Sokhumi), Ajaria (Bat'umi) 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
Capital
T'bilisi
Constitution
adopted 21 February 1921; currently amending constitution for Parliamentary and popular review by late 1995
Digraph
GG
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Tedo JAPARIDZE chancery: (temporary) Suite 424, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 393-6060, 5959
Executive branch
chief of state: Chairman of Parliament Eduard Amvrosiyevich SHEVARDNADZE (Chairman of the Government Council since 10 March 1992; elected Chairman of Parliament in 11 October 1992; note - the Government Council has since been disbanded); election last held 11 October 1992 (next to be held October 1995); results - Eduard SHEVARDNADZE 95% head of government: Prime Minister Otar PATSATSIA (since September 1993); Deputy Prime Ministers Avtandil MARGIANI, Zurab KERVALISHVILI (since 25 November 1992), Tamaz NADAREISHVILI (since September 1993), Temur BASILIA (since 17 March 1994), Bakur GULA (since NA) cabinet: Council of Ministers
FAX
[7] (8832) 93-37-59
Flag
maroon field with small rectangle in upper hoist side corner; rectangle divided horizontally with black on top, white below
Georgian Parliament (Supreme Soviet)
elections last held 11 October 1992 (next to be held October 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (225 total) number of seats by party NA
Independence
9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Legal system
based on civil law system
Legislative branch
unicameral
Member of
BSEC, CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NACC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Names
conventional long form: Republic of Georgia conventional short form: Georgia local long form: Sak'art'velos Respublika local short form: Sak'art'velo former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
National holiday
Independence Day, 26 May (1991)
Other political or pressure groups
supporters of ousted President Zviad GAMSAKHURDIA (deceased 1 January 1994) boycotted the October elections and remain a source of opposition
Political parties and leaders
Citizens Union (CU), Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, Zurab SHVANIA, general secretary; National Democratic Party (NDP), Georgi (Gia) CHANTURIA, Ivane GIORGADZE; United Republican Party, umbrella organization for parties including the GPF and the Charter 1991 Party, cochairmen Bakhtand DZABIRADZE, Notar NATADZE, and Theodor PAATASHVILI; Georgian Popular Front (GPF), Nodar NATADZE, chairman; Charter 1991 Party, Thedor PAATASHVILI; Georgian Social Democratic Party (GSDP), Guram MUCHAIDZE, secretary general; National Reconstruction and Rebirth of Georgia Union, Valerian ADVADZE; Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Irakli SHENGELAYA; Democratic Georgia Union (DGU), El'dar SHENGELAYA; National Independence Party (NIP), Irakliy TSERETELI, chairman; Georgian Monarchists' Party (GMP), Temur ZHORZHOLIANI; Green Party, Zurab ZHVANIA; Republican Party (RP), Ivliane KHAINDRAVA; Workers' Union of Georgia (WUG), Vakhtang GABUNIA; Agrarian Party of Georgia (APG), Roin LIPARTELIANI; Choice Society (Archevani), Jaba IOSELIANI, chairman; Georgian Workers Communist Party, Panteleimon GIORGADZE, chairman; National Liberation Front, Tengiz SIGULA, chairman
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Type
republic
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador Kent N. BROWN embassy: #25 Antoneli Street, T'bilisi 380026 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [7] (8832) 98-99-67, 93-38-03
Economy
Agriculture
accounted for 97% of former USSR citrus fruits and 93% of former USSR tea; important producer of grapes; also cultivates vegetables and potatoes; dependent on imports for grain, dairy products, sugar; small livestock sector
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; in July 1993 use of the Russian ruble was banned
Economic aid
recipient: heavily dependent on US and EU for humanitarian grain shipments; EC granted around $70 million in trade credits in 1992 and another $40 million in 1993; Turkey granted $50 million in 1993; smaller scale credits granted by Russia and China
Electricity
capacity: 4,410,000 kW production: 9.1 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,526 kWh (1993)
Exchange rates
coupons per $US1 - 1,280,000 (end December 1994)
Exports
$NA commodities: citrus fruits, tea, wine, other agricultural products; diverse types of machinery; ferrous and nonferrous metals; textiles; chemicals; fuel re-exports partners: Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan (1992)
External debt
NA (T'bilisi owes about $400 million to Turkmenistan for natural gas as of January 1995)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Illicit drugs
illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe
Imports
$NA commodities: fuel, grain and other foods, machinery and parts, transport equipment partners: Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey (1993); note - EU and US sent humanitarian food shipments
Industrial production
growth rate -27% (1993); accounts for 36% of GDP
Industries
heavy industrial products include raw steel, rolled steel, airplanes; machine tools, foundry equipment, electric locomotives, tower cranes, electric welding equipment, machinery for food preparation and meat packing, electric motors, process control equipment, instruments; trucks, tractors, and other farm machinery; light industrial products, including cloth, hosiery, and shoes; chemicals; wood-working industries; the most important food industry is wine
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
40.5% per month (2nd half 1993 est.)
National product
GDP - purchasing power parity - $6 billion (1994 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1992)
National product per capita
$1,060 (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate
-30% (1994 est.)
Overview
Georgia's economy has traditionally revolved around Black Sea tourism; cultivation of citrus fruits, tea, and grapes; mining of manganese and copper; and a small industrial sector producing wine, metals, machinery, chemicals, and textiles. The country imports the bulk of its energy needs, including natural gas and oil products. Its only sizable domestic energy resource is hydropower. Since 1990, widespread conflicts, e.g., in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Mingreliya, have severely aggravated the economic crisis resulting from the disintegration of the Soviet command economy in December 1991. Throughout 1993 and 1994, much of industry was functioning at only 20% of capacity; heavy disruptions in agricultural cultivation were reported; and tourism was shut down. The country is precariously dependent on US and EU humanitarian grain shipments, as most other foods are priced beyond reach of the average citizen. Georgia is also suffering from an acute energy crisis, as it is having problems paying for even minimal imports. Georgia is pinning its hopes for recovery on reestablishing trade ties with Russia and on developing international transportation through the key Black Sea ports of P'ot'i and Bat'umi. The government began a tenuous program in 1994 aiming to stabilize prices and reduce large consumer subsidies.
Unemployment rate
officially less than 5% but real unemployment may be more than 20%, with even larger numbers of underemployed workers
Communications
Radio
broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA radios: NA
Telephone system
672,000 telephones (mid-1993); 117 telephones/1,000 persons; poor telephone service; 339,000 unsatisfied applications for telephones (December 1990) local: NA intercity: NA international: links via landline to CIS members and Turkey; low-capacity satellite link and leased international connections via the Moscow international gateway switch with other countries; international electronic mail and telex service available
Television
broadcast stations: NA televisions: NA
Transportation
Airports
total: 28 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 1 with unpaved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 5 with unpaved runways under 914 m: 6
Highways
total: 33,900 km paved and graveled: 29,500 km unpaved: earth 4,400 km (1990)
Merchant marine
total: 32 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 419,416 GRT/640,897 DWT ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 1, oil tanker 19, short-sea passenger 1
Note
transportation network is in poor condition and disrupted by ethnic conflict, criminal activities, and fuel shortages; network lacks maintenance and repair
Pipelines
crude oil 370 km; refined products 300 km; natural gas 440 km (1992)
Ports
Bat'umi, P'ot'i, Sokhumi
Railroads
total: 1,570 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines broad gauge: 1,570 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, Interior Ministry Troops, Border Guards/National Guard
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $85 million, NA% of GDP (1992)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 1,385,593; males fit for military service 1,095,835; males reach military age (18) annually 42,207 (1995 est.)
Note
Georgian forces are poorly organized and not fully under the government's control ________________________________________________________________________ GERMANY