Position, Relief, Climate
Georgia is located in wrinkled Alpine zone, in Subtropical zones of northern periphery between (the 41 07 and 43 35 latitudes and West 40 05 and 46 44 longitudes). The border length is 1970 km (315 km of which (16%) is coastline). The country is bounded by Russian federation from North, from East - Azerbaijan, from South - Armenia and Turkey, from West - the Black Sea.
 The territory of the Georgia features a highly contrasting topography. The north of the country is occupied by the Greater Caucasus chain (highest point - Mt. Shkhara, 5068 m), which includes the Great Caucasian Range (the main watershed) and Gagra, Bzipi, Kodori, Svaneti, Egrisi, Racha, Lomisi, Kartli and other ranges. The inter mountain depression to the south of the Greater Caucasus encompasses the Kolkheti lowland, Inner Kartli, Lower Kartli and the Alazani Plain. Still further to the south the Minor Caucasian ranges rise to the medium height (Meskheti, Shavsheti and other ranges), reaching 2850 m. The southernmost area of the country is covered by the volcanic South Georgian Upland (Mt. Didi Abuli, 3301 m, its highest peak), dissected by specific canyon-like river gorges.
The location of Georgia on the border between the moderate humid Mediterranean and the dry continental Aral-Caspian areas is responsible for the climate of the country. A humid subtropical climate dominants in the Western Georgia, while Eastern Georgia features a transition from subtropical to moderate. The mean January temperature varies from -2 degree (Kolkheti) to 3 degree; in August from 23 to 26 degree. In the mean annual precipitation varies from 1000 to 2800 mm, in Eastern Georgia from 300 to 600 mm.
The rivers of Georgia belong to the basins of the Black and Caspian Basin flows the Mtkvari river with its numerous tributaries (left) the Didi Liakhvi, the Aragvi, the Iori, the Alazani, (right) the Paravani, the Algeti, and Khrami. The Black Sea Basin rivers include the Rioni, the Enguri, the Acharistskali, the Bzipi and others. There are not many lakes in Georgia, the largest being Lake Paravani (37 sq. km), and Lake Paliastomi (17,3 sq. km), and the deepest Lake Ritsa (116 m) and Lake Amtkeli (72-122 m) (both are impounded lakes).
Forest covers over 1/3 of the area, with broad-leafed species (oak, horn beam, chestnut, peach, etc.) common at lower levels, dark conifers (fir and spruce) in a higher mountain belt, and pine in higher-mountain valleys. Alpine meadows are spreading above 1880 m. The Kolkheti and Alazani plains and the lava plateau's of the South Georgian Upland are dominated by cultivated plants (tea, citrus's, grapes).
Population, Language and Religion
 Age structure:
0–14 years: 18.7% (male 461,967; female 416,898)
15–64 years: 65.8% (male 1,480,217; female 1,607,509)
65 years and over: 15.5% (male 290,534; female 436,767) (2004 est.)
Median age:
total: 37 years
male: 34.5 years
female: 39.2 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.36% (2004 est.)
Birth rate: 10.1 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate: 8.98 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate: -4.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.16 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 19.34 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 16.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 21.5 deaths/1,000 live births
 Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.62 years
male: 72.35 years
female: 79.44 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.4 children born/woman (2004 est.) Ethnic groups: Georgian 83.8%, Armenian 5.7%, Russian 1.5%, Azeri 6.5%, Ossetia 0.9%, other 1.6% Religions: Georgian Orthodox 82%, Muslim 9.9%, Russian Orthodox 2%, Armenian Apostolic 3.9%, other 2.2% Languages: Georgian 90% (official), Russian,Armenian,Azeri and other 10% note: Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia
Economy
 Georgia's economy has traditionally revolved around Black Sea tourism, cultivation of citrus fruits, tea and grapes; mining of manganese and copper; and output of 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 internal energy resource is hydropower. Despite the severe damage the economy has suffered due to civil strife, Georgia, with the help of the IMF and World Bank, made substantial economic gains since 1995, increasing GDP growth and slashing inflation. The Georgian economy continues to experience large budget deficits due to a failure to collect tax revenues. Georgia also still suffers from energy shortages; it privatized the distribution network in 1998, and deliveries are steadily improving. Georgia is pinning its hopes for long-term recovery on the development of an international transportation corridor through the key Black Sea ports of P'ot'i and Batumi. The growing trade deficit, continuing problems with tax evasion and corruption, and political uncertainties cloud the short-term economic picture. However, revived investment could spur higher economic growth in 2000, perhaps up to 6%.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $11.7 billion (1999 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 3.5% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,300 (1999 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 32%
industry: 23%
services: 45% (1999 est.)Population below poverty line: 60% (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 19% (1999 est.)
Labor force: 3.08 million (1997)
Labor force - by occupation: industry and construction 20%, agriculture and forestry 40%, services 40% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate: 14.5% (1998 est.)
 Industries: steel, aircraft, machine tools, electric locomotives, trucks, tractors, textiles, shoes, chemicals, wood products, wine
Industrial production growth rate: -0.3% (1998 est.)
Electricity - production: 6,960 GWh (1998)<<br>
Electricity - production by source:
fossil fuel: 14.66%
hydro: 85.34%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1998)
Electricity - consumption: 6,123 GWh (1998)
Electricity - exports: 700 GWh (1998)
Electricity - imports: 350 GWh (1998)
Agriculture - products: citrus, grapes, tea, vegetables, potatoes; livestock
Exports: $330 million (1999 est.)
Exports - commodities: citrus fruits, tea, wine, other agricultural products; diverse types of machinery and metals; chemicals; fuel reexports; textiles
Exports - partners: Russia 27%, Turkey 20%, Azerbaijan 10%, Armenia 8% (1997)
Imports: $840 million (1999 est.)
Imports - commodities: fuel, grain and other foods, machinery and parts, transport equipment
Imports - partners: EU 22%, Russia 15%, Turkey 12%, Azerbaijan 12%, US 7% (1997)
Debt - external: $1.8 billion (1998)
Economic aid - recipient: $212.7 million (1995)
Currency: 1 lari (GEL) = 100 tetri
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