other: 84.7% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
4,700 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
earthquakes
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
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia controls much
of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them
People Georgia
Population:
4,934,413 (July 2003 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 18.6% (male 466,743; female 449,440)
15–64 years: 68.4% (male 1,628,757; female 1,744,922)
65 years and over: 13% (male 252,031; female 392,520) (2003 est.)
Median age:
total: 34.8 years
male: 32.6 years
female: 37 years (2002)
Population growth rate:
−0.52% (2003 est.)
Birth rate:
11.79 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Death rate:
14.71 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Net migration rate:
−2.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.64 male(s)/female
total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 51.24 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 45.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 56.83 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.76 years
male: 61.33 years
female: 68.36 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.51 children born/woman (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 900 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 100 (2001 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Georgian(s)
adjective: Georgian
Ethnic groups:
Georgian 70.1%, Armenian 8.1%, Russian 6.3%, Azeri 5.7%, Ossetian
3%, Abkhaz 1.8%, other 5%
Religions:
Georgian Orthodox 65%, Muslim 11%, Russian Orthodox 10%, Armenian
Apostolic 8%, unknown 6%
Languages:
Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, other 7%
note: Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 100%
female: 98% (1999 est.)
Government Georgia
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Georgia
local short form: Sak'art'velo
former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
local long form: none
Government type:
republic
Capital:
T'bilisi
Administrative divisions:
9 regions, (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 9 cities* (k'alak'ebi,
singular - k'alak'i), and 2 autonomous republics** (avtomnoy
respubliki, singular - avtom respublika); Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is
Avtonomiuri Respublika** (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri
Respublika** (Bat'umi), Chiat'ura*, Gori*, Guria, Imereti, Kakheti,
K'ut'aisi*, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, P'ot'i*,
Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Rust'avi*, Samegrelo and Zemo
Svaneti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli, T'bilisi*, Tqibuli*,
Tsqaltubo*, Zugdidi*
note: the administrative centers of the 2 autonomous republics are
shown in parentheses
Independence:
9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 26 May (1918); note - 26 May 1918 is the date of
independence from Soviet Russia, 9 April 1991 is the date of
independence from the Soviet Union
Constitution:
adopted 17 October 1995
Legal system:
based on civil law system
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nino BURJANADZE (acting president since
23 November 2003; formerly parliamentary speaker, she assumed the
presidency upon the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Nino BURJANADZE (acting president
since 23 November 2003; formerly parliamentary speaker, she assumed
the presidency upon the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers
election results: Eduard SHEVARDNADZE reelected president; percent
of vote - Eduard SHEVARDNADZE 80%; note - following the resignation
of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, Nino BURJANADZE became acting president