Georgia
Georgia is a country in the western part of the South Caucasus, located on the eastern coast of the Black Sea. Georgia borders Armenia and Turkey to the south, Azerbaijan to the southeast, and Russia to the north. Territory: 69,700 km². Population: 4,630,003 people.
The history of Georgia reaches back through the centuries. As early as the 12th century BCE, inscriptions mention the kingdom of Diaohi, situated in northeastern Anatolia. The existence of Colchis is documented in the writings of Diodorus, Theocritus, and Apollodorus; however, the earliest references are found in Homer’s epics, where the Argonauts are often mentioned. Under King Mirian III, Christianity became the state religion of Iberia (327 CE). The 11th–12th centuries marked the period of greatest political power, economic prosperity, and cultural flourishing in feudal Georgia. Queen Tamar symbolizes the Golden Age—the zenith of Georgia’s influence throughout its history.
Georgia was part of the Russian Empire from 1801 to 1917. After the October Revolution in 1917, Georgia declared independence. However, following the Soviet-Georgian War in the spring of 1921, the Georgian Democratic Republic was abolished, Soviet power was established, and Georgia became one of the republics of the USSR. In 1991, Georgia left the Soviet Union and declared independence. Like some other post-Soviet countries, Georgia underwent a civil war and armed conflicts for territorial integrity. After the Rose Revolution in 2004, Mikheil Saakashvili came to power. In 2012, the opposition party "Georgian Dream," led by businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili, assumed leadership.
Georgia is a democratic republic with a presidential form of government. However, the idea of restoring the monarchy remains popular among the public and some political circles, especially within the Georgian Orthodox Church. Currently, Georgia is a member of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the World Trade Organization, the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation, GUAM, and more.
