The 1996 CIA World Factbook page on Georgia

From: The CIA'sTHE WORLD FACTBOOK 1996

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Georgia

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Beset by ethnic and civil strife since independence in 1991, Georgia began to stabilize in 1994. Separatist conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia have been dormant for more than two years, although political settlements remain elusive. Russian peacekeepers are deployed in both regions and a UN Observer Mission is operating in Abkhazia. As a result of these conflicts, Georgia still has about 250,000 internally displaced people. In November 1995, Georgia held peaceful, generally free and fair nationwide presidential and parliamentary elections. Although the country continues to suffer from a crippling economic crisis, aggravated by a severe energy shortage, some progress has been made and the Georgian Government remains committed to economic reform in cooperation with the IMF and the World Bank. Violence and organized crime were sharply curtailed in 1995.

Map

Location: 42 00 N, 43 30 E -- Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia

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Geography

Location: Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia
Geographic coordinates: 42 00 N, 43 30 E
Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States
Area:
total area: 69,700 sq km
land area: 69,700 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than South Carolina
Land boundaries:
total: 1,461 km
border countries: Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km, Turkey 252 km
Coastline: 310 km
Maritime claims: NA
International disputes: none
Climate: warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast
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
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Mt'a Mqinvartsveri (Gora Kazbek) 5,048 m
Natural resources: forests, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth
Land use:
arable land: 11%
permanent crops: 4%
meadows and pastures: 29%
forest and woodland: 38%
other: 18%
Irrigated land: 4,660 sq km (1990)
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

People

Population: 5,219,810 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (male 595,524; female 571,207)
15-64 years: 66% (male 1,643,506; female 1,784,286)
65 years and over: 12% (male 229,910; female 395,377) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: -1.02% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 12.81 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 12.21 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: -10.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.58 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.9 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 22.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.09 years
male: 63.43 years
female: 72.98 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.69 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Georgian(s)
adjective: Georgian
Ethnic divisions: Georgian 70.1%, Armenian 8.1%, Russian 6.3%, Azeri 5.7%, Ossetian 3%, Abkhaz 1.8%, other 5%
Religions: Christian Orthodox 75% (Georgian Orthodox 65%, Russian Orthodox 10%), Muslim 11%, Armenian Apostolic 8%, unknown 6%
Languages: Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, other 7%
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989 est.)
total population: 99%
male: 100%
female: 98%

Government

Name of country:
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
Data code: GG
Type of government: republic
Capital: T'bilisi
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
Independence: 9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 26 May (1991)
Constitution: adopted 17 October 1995
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Eduard Amvrosiyevich SHEVARDNADZE (previously elected Chairman of the Government Council 10 March 1992, Council has since been disbanded; previously elected Chairman of Parliament 11 October 1992); presidential election last held 5 November 1995 (next to be held NA April 2001); results - Eduard SHEVARDNADZE 74%; president's term to last five years
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers
Legislative branch: unicameral
Georgian Parliament: elections last held 5 November 1995 (next to be held NA November 2000); results - CUG 24%, NDP 8%, All Georgia Revival Union 7%, all other parties received less than 5% each; seats - (235 total) number of seats by party NA
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Citizens Union of Georgia (CUG), Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, Zurab ZHVANIA, general secretary; National Democratic Party (NDP), Irina SARISHVILI-CHANTARIA; United Republican Party, umbrella organization for parties including the GPF and the Charter 1991 Party, Notar NATADZE, chairman; Georgian Popular Front (GPF), Nodar NATADZE, chairman; Charter 1991 Party, Tedo PAATASHVILI; Georgian Social Democratic Party (GSDP), Guram MUCHAIDZE, secretary general; All Georgia Union for Revival, Alsan ABASHIDZE; Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Irakli SHENGELAYA; Democratic Georgia Union (DGU), Avtandil MARGIANI; National Independence Party (NIP), Irakliy TSERETELI, chairman; Georgian Monarchists' Party (GMP), Temur ZHORZHOLIANI; Greens Party; Agrarian Party of Georgia (APG), Roin LIPARTELIANI; United Communist Party of Georgia (UCP), Panteleimon GIORGADZE, chairman
Other political or pressure groups: supporters of ousted President Zviad GAMSAKHURDIA (deceased 1 January 1994) remain a source of opposition; separatist elements in the breakaway region of Abkhazia
International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NACC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Tedo JAPARIDZE
chancery: (temporary) Suite 424, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone: [1] (202) 393-5959
FAX: [1] (202) 393-6060
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador William H. COURTNEY
embassy: #25 Antoneli Street, T'bilisi 380026
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [7] (8832) 98-99-67, 93-38-03
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

Economy

Economic 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 internal energy resource is hydropower. Since 1991 the economy has sustained severe damage from civil strife. Georgia has been suffering from acute energy shortages, as it is having problems paying for even minimal imports. Georgia is pinning its hopes for long-term recovery largely on reestablishing trade ties with Russia and on developing international transportation through the key Black Sea ports of P'ot'i and Bat'umi. Statistical estimates on Georgia are subject to a particularly wide margin of error, even compared with other FSU countries. The GDP estimate below probably does not reflect much of its grass roots economic activity. GDP is supplemented by considerable EU and US humanitarian aid.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $6.2 billion (1995 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
GDP real growth rate: -11% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $1,080 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: 70.4%
industry: 10.2%
services: 19.4% (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.2% monthly average (first half 1995 est.)
Labor force: 2.763 million
by occupation: industry and construction 31%, agriculture and forestry 25%, other 44% (1990)
Unemployment rate: officially less than 5% but real unemployment may be more than 20%, with even larger numbers of underemployed workers
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries: steel, aircraft, machine tools, foundry equipment, electric locomotives, tower cranes, electric welding equipment, machinery for food preparation and meat packing, electric motors, process control equipment, trucks, tractors, textiles, shoes, chemicals, wood products, wine
Industrial production growth rate: -10% (1995)
Electricity:
capacity: 4,410,000 kW
production: 9.1 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 1,526 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: citrus, grapes, tea, vegetables, potatoes; small livestock sector
Illicit drugs: illicit cultivator of cannabis and opium poppy; mostly for domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe
Exports: $140 million (c.i.f., 1995)
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
Imports: $250 million (f.o.b., 1995)
commodities: fuel, grain and other foods, machinery and parts, transport equipment
partners: Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey; note - EU and US send humanitarian food shipments
External debt: $1.2 billion (of which $135 million to Russia) (1995 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $28 million (1993)
note: commitments, 1992-95, $1,200 million ($675 million disbursements)
Currency: lari introduced September 1995 replacing the coupon
Exchange rates: laris per US$1 - 1.24 (end December 1995)
Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation

Railways:
total: 1,570 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines
broad gauge: 1,570 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)
Highways:
total: 35,100 km
paved: 31,200 km
unpaved: 3,900 km (1990 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 370 km; refined products 300 km; natural gas 440 km (1992)
Ports: Bat'umi, P'ot'i, Sokhumi
Merchant marine:
total: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 307,765 GRT/483,567 DWT
ships by type: bulk 8, cargo 2, oil tanker 12, short-sea passenger 1 (1995 est.)
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 2 437 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 5
with unpaved runways under 914 m: 6 (1994 est.)
Transportation note: transportation network is in poor condition and disrupted by ethnic conflict, criminal activities, and fuel shortages; network lacks maintenance and repair

Communications

Telephones: 672,000 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: poor service; 339,000 unsatisfied applications for telephones (December 1990 est.)
domestic: NA
international: landline to CIS members and Turkey; satellite earth station - 1 Eutelsat; leased connections with other countries via the Moscow international gateway switch; international electronic mail and telex service available
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 3
Televisions: NA

Defense

Branches: Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops)
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 1,288,291
males fit for military service: 1,021,632
males reach military age (18) annually: 40,654 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $60 million to $65 million, NA% of GDP (1995)

Georgia

Original publicaton at http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/nsolo/wfb-all.htm (June 17, 1997).