2019 Edition

Background

The region of present day Georgia contained the ancient kingdoms of Colchis and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence in the first centuries A.D., and Christianity became the state religion in the 330s. Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks was followed by a Georgian golden age (11th-13th centuries) that was cut short by the Mongol invasion of 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman and Persian empires competed for influence in the region. Georgia was absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Independent for three years (1918-1921) following the Russian revolution, it was forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1921 and regained its independence when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Mounting public discontent over rampant corruption and ineffective government services, followed by an attempt by the incumbent Georgian Government to manipulate parliamentary elections in November 2003, touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, president since 1995. In the aftermath of that popular movement, which became known as the "Rose Revolution," new elections in early 2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI into power along with his United National Movement (UNM) party. Progress on market reforms and democratization has been made in the years since independence, but this progress has been complicated by Russian assistance and support to the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Periodic flare-ups in tension and violence culminated in a five-day conflict in August 2008 between Russia and Georgia, including the invasion of large portions of undisputed Georgian territory. Russian troops pledged to pull back from most occupied Georgian territory, but in late August 2008 Russia unilaterally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and Russian military forces remain in those regions. Billionaire Bidzina IVANISHVILI's unexpected entry into politics in October 2011 brought the divided opposition together under his Georgian Dream coalition, which won a majority of seats in the October 2012 parliamentary elections and removed UNM from power. Conceding defeat, SAAKASHVILI named IVANISHVILI as prime minister and allowed Georgian Dream to create a new government. Giorgi MARGVELASHVILI was inaugurated as president on 17 November 2013, ending a tense year of power-sharing between SAAKASHVILI and IVANISHVILI. At the time, these changes in leadership represented unique examples of a former Soviet state that emerged to conduct democratic and peaceful government transitions of power. IVANISHVILI voluntarily resigned from office after the presidential succession, and Georgia's legislature on 20 November 2013 confirmed Irakli GARIBASHVILI as his replacement. GARIBASHVILI was replaced by Giorgi KVIRIKASHVILI in December 2015. KVIRIKASHVILI remained prime minister following Georgian Dream’s success in the October 2016 parliamentary elections, where the party won a constitutional majority. IVANISHVILI reemerged as Georgian Dream party chairman in April 2018. KVIRIKASHVILI resigned in June 2018 and was replaced by Mamuka BAKHTADZE. In September 2019, BAKHTADZE resigned and Giorgi GAKHARIA was named the country's new head of government, Georgia's fifth prime minister in seven years. Popular and government support for integration with the West is high in Georgia. Joining the EU and NATO are among the country's top foreign policy goals.

Area

Land

69,700 sq km

Total

69,700 sq km

Water

0 sq km

Area Comparative

slightly smaller than South Carolina; slightly larger than West Virginia

Climate

warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast

Coastline

310 km

Elevation

Highest Point

Mt'a Shkhara 5,193 m

Lowest Point

Black Sea 0 m

Mean Elevation

1,432 m

Environment Current Issues

air pollution, particularly in Rust'avi; heavy water pollution of Mtkvari River and the Black Sea; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil pollution from toxic chemicals; land and forest degradation; biodiversity loss; waste management

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

Geographic Coordinates

42 00 N, 43 30 E

Geography Note

note 1: strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them note 2: the world's four deepest caves are all in Georgia, including two that are the only known caves on earth deeper than 2,000 m: Krubera Cave at -2,197 m (-7,208 ft; reached in 2012) and Veryovkina Cave at -2,212 (-7,257 ft; reached in 2018)

Irrigated Land

4,330 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

Border Countries

Armenia 219 km, Azerbaijan 428 km, Russia 894 km, Turkey 273 km

Total

1,814 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

35.5% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

5.8% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

1.8% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

27.9% (2011 est.)

Forest

39.4% (2011 est.)

Other

25.1% (2011 est.)

Location

Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia, with a sliver of land north of the Caucasus extending into Europe; note - Georgia views itself as part of Europe; geopolitically, it can be classified as falling within Europe, the Middle East, or both

Map References

Asia

Maritime Claims

Exclusive Economic Zone

200 nm

Territorial Sea

12 nm

Natural Hazards

earthquakes

Natural Resources

timber, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth

Population Distribution

settlement concentrated in the central valley, particularly in the capital city of Tbilisi in the east; smaller urban agglomerations dot the Black Sea coast, with Bat'umi being the largest

Terrain

largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the north and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhet'is Dablobi (Kolkhida Lowland) opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari River Basin in the east; fertile soils in river valley flood plains and foothills of Kolkhida Lowland

Age Structure

0 14 Years

18.23% (male 469,163 /female 428,734)

15 24 Years

11.45% (male 299,362 /female 264,456)

25 54 Years

40.89% (male 984,275 /female 1,029,902)

55 64 Years

13.17% (male 289,337 /female 359,444)

65 Years And Over

16.27% (male 314,467 /female 486,947) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

12.1 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

1.1% (2009)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

53.4% (2010)

Current Health Expenditure

8.4% (2016)

Death Rate

10.9 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio

21.9 (2015 est.)

Potential Support Ratio

4.6 (2015 est.)

Total Dependency Ratio

50 (2015 est.)

Youth Dependency Ratio

28.1 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural

100% of population

Improved Total

100% of population

Improved Urban

100% of population

Unimproved Rural

0% of population

Unimproved Total

0% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

0% of population

Education Expenditures

3.8% of GDP (2017)

Ethnic Groups

Georgian 86.8%, Azeri 6.3%, Armenian 4.5%, other 2.3% (includes Russian, Ossetian, Yazidi, Ukrainian, Kist, Greek) (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

0.4% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

<500 (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

9,400 (2018 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

2.6 beds/1,000 population (2013)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

12.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

16.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

14.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Georgian (official) 87.6%, Azeri 6.2%, Armenian 3.9%, Russian 1.2%, other 1% (2014 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

80.9 years

Male

72.5 years

Total Population

76.6 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Female

99.7% (2015)

Male

99.8%

Total Population

99.8%

Major Urban Areas Population

1.077 million TBILISI (capital) (2019)

Maternal Mortality Rate

25 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

41.1 years

Male

35.5 years

Total

38.3 years (2018 est.)

Mother's Mean Age at First Birth

24.5 years (2014 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Georgian

Noun

Georgian(s)

Net Migration Rate

-1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

21.7% (2016)

Physicians Density

5.1 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

Population

4.003 million (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.01% (2018 est.)

Religions

Orthodox (official) 83.4%, Muslim 10.7%, Armenian Apostolic 2.9%, other 1.2% (includes Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Yazidi, Protestant, Jewish), none 0.5%, unspecified/no answer 1.2% (2014 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural

75.9% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

86.3% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

95.2% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

24.1% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

13.7% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

4.8% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

Female

16 years (2017)

Male

15 years

Total

15 years

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.09 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

1.13 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

0.96 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

0.8 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.65 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.06 male(s)/female

Total Population

0.92 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.76 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female

32.7% (2017 est.)

Male

26.3%

Total

30.5%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

0.42% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

59% of total population (2019)

Administrative Divisions

9 regions (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 1 city (kalaki), and 2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika)regions: Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta Mtianeti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli; note - the breakaway region of South Ossetia consists of the northern part of Shida Kartli, eastern slivers of the Imereti region and Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, and part of western Mtskheta-Mtianeti; city: Tbilisi; autonomous republics: Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is Avtonomiuri Respublika (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika (Bat'umi)

Capital

Geographic Coordinates

41 41 N, 44 50 E

Name

Tbilisi

Time Difference

UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

Citizenship By Birth

no

Citizenship By Descent Only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Georgia

Dual Citizenship Recognized

no

Residency Requirement For Naturalization

10 years

Constitution

Amendments

proposed as a draft law supported by more than one half of the Parliament membership or by petition of at least 200,000 voters; passage requires support by at least three fourths of the Parliament membership in two successive sessions three months apart and the signature and promulgation by the president of Georgia; amended several times, last in 2018 (2019)

History

previous 1921, 1978 (based on 1977 Soviet Union constitution); latest approved 24 August 1995, effective 17 October 1995

Country Name

Conventional Long Form

none

Conventional Short Form

Georgia

Etymology

the Western name may derive from the Persian designation "gurgan" meaning "Land of the Wolves"; the native name "Sak'art'velo" means "Land of the Kartvelians" and refers to the core central Georgian region of Kartli

Former

Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic

Local Long Form

none

Local Short Form

Sak'art'velo

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Elizabeth ROOD (since 13 May 2019)

Embassy

29 Georgian-American Friendship Avenue, Didi Dighomi, Tbilisi 0131

Fax

[995] (32) 253-23-10

Mailing Address

7060 T'bilisi Place, Washington, DC 20521-7060

Telephone

[995] (32) 227-70-00

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

Chancery

1824 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador David BAKRADZE (since 18 January 2017)

Consulate's General

New York

Fax

[1] (202) 387-0864

Telephone

[1] (202) 387-2390

Executive Branch

Cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers

Chief Of State

President Salome ZOURABICHVILI (since 16 December 2018)

Election Results

Salome ZOURABICHVILI elected president in runoff; percent of vote - Salome ZOURABICHVILI (independent, backed by Georgian Dream) 59.5%, Grigol VASHADZE (UNM) 40.5%; Giorgi GAKHARIA approved as prime minister by Parliamentary vote 98-0

Elections Appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28 November 2018 (next to be held in 2024); prime minister nominated by Parliament, appointed by the president note - 2017 constitutional amendments made the 2018 election the last where the president was directly elected; future presidents will be elected by a 300-member College of Electors; in light of these changes, ZOURABICHVILI was allowed a six-year term

Head Of Government

Prime Minister Giorgi GAKHARIA (since 8 September 2019)

Flag Description

white rectangle with a central red cross extending to all four sides of the flag; each of the four quadrants displays a small red bolnur-katskhuri cross; sometimes referred to as the Five-Cross Flag; although adopted as the official Georgian flag in 2004, the five-cross design appears to date back to the 14th century

Government Type

semi-presidential republic

Independence

9 April 1991 (from the Soviet Union); notable earlier date: A.D. 1008 (Georgia unified under King BAGRAT III)

International Law Organization Participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation

ADB, BSEC, CD, CE, CPLP (associate), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-11, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial Branch

Highest Courts

Supreme Court (consists of 28 judges organized into several specialized judicial chambers; number of judges determined by the president of Georgia); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges); note - the Abkhazian and Ajarian Autonomous republics each have a supreme court and a hierarchy of lower courts

Judge Selection And Term Of Office

Supreme Court judges nominated by the High Council of Justice (a 14-member body consisting of the Supreme Court chairperson, common court judges, and appointees of the president of Georgia) and appointed by Parliament; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Court judges appointed 3 each by the president, by Parliament, and by the Supreme Court judges; judges appointed for 10-year terms

Subordinate Courts

Courts of Appeal; regional (town) and district courts

Legal System

civil law system

Legislative Branch

Description

unicameral Parliament or Sakartvelos Parlamenti (150 seats; 77 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed, party-list proportional representation vote and 73 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms)

Election Results

percent of vote by party - Georgian Dream 48.7%, UNM 27.1%, Alliance of Patriots 5%, other 19.2%; seats by party - Georgian Dream 115, UNM 27, Alliance of Patriots 6, IWSG 1, independent 1; composition - men 126, women 24, percent of women 16%; note - European Georgia split from UNM in January 2017 taking 20 of 27 parliamentary seats; composition as of 1 July 2019: Georgian Dream 106, European Georgia 20, UNM 7, Alliance of Patriots 7, independent 10

Elections

last held on 8 October and 30 October 2016 (next to be held in 2020)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Davit MAGRADSE/Zakaria PALIASHVILI (adapted by Joseb KETSCHAKMADSE)

Name

"Tavisupleba" (Liberty)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 26 May (1918); note - 26 May 1918 was the date of independence from Soviet Russia, 9 April 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union

National Symbol S

Saint George, lion; national colors: red, white

Political Parties And Leaders

Alliance of Patriots [Irma INASHVILI] Democratic Movement-United Georgia [Nino BURJANADZE] Development Movement [Davit USPASHVILI] European Georgia [Davit BAKRADZE] (split from UNM) For Justice Party [Eka BESELIA] Free Democrats or FD [Shalva SHAVGULIDZE] Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia [Bidzina IVANISHVILI] Girchi (Pinecone) [Zurab JAPARIDZE] Industry Will Save Georgia (Industrialists) or IWSG [Giorgi TOPADZE] Labor Party [Shalva NATELASHVILI] New Georgia [Giorgi VASHADZE] Republican Party [Khatuna SAMNIDZE] United National Movement or UNM [Grigol VASHADZE]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

citrus, grapes, tea, hazelnuts, vegetables; livestock

Budget

Expenditures

4.925 billion (2017 est.)

Revenues

4.352 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-3.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

23 September 2015

7%

7

6.5%

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016

12.62%

31 December 2017

11.49%

Current Account Balance

2016

-$1.84 billion

2017

-$1.348 billion

Debt External

31 December 2016

$14.08 billion

31 December 2017

$16.99 billion

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

2011

46

2014

40.1

Economy Overview

Georgia's main economic activities include cultivation of agricultural products such as grapes, citrus fruits, and hazelnuts; mining of manganese, copper, and gold; and producing alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, metals, machinery, and chemicals in small-scale industries. The country imports nearly all of its needed supplies of natural gas and oil products. It has sizeable hydropower capacity that now provides most of its electricity needs.Georgia has overcome the chronic energy shortages and gas supply interruptions of the past by renovating hydropower plants and by increasingly relying on natural gas imports from Azerbaijan instead of from Russia. Construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the South Caucasus gas pipeline, and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad are part of a strategy to capitalize on Georgia's strategic location between Europe and Asia and develop its role as a transit hub for gas, oil, and other goods.Georgia's economy sustained GDP growth of more than 10% in 2006-07, based on strong inflows of foreign investment, remittances, and robust government spending. However, GDP growth slowed following the August 2008 conflict with Russia, and sank to negative 4% in 2009 as foreign direct investment and workers' remittances declined in the wake of the global financial crisis. The economy rebounded in the period 2010-17, but FDI inflows, the engine of Georgian economic growth prior to the 2008 conflict, have not recovered fully. Unemployment remains persistently high.The country is pinning its hopes for faster growth on a continued effort to build up infrastructure, enhance support for entrepreneurship, simplify regulations, and improve professional education, in order to attract foreign investment and boost employment, with a focus on transportation projects, tourism, hydropower, and agriculture. Georgia had historically suffered from a chronic failure to collect tax revenues; however, since 2004 the government has simplified the tax code, increased tax enforcement, and cracked down on petty corruption, leading to higher revenues. The government has received high marks from the World Bank for improvements in business transparency. Since 2012, the Georgian Dream-led government has continued the previous administration's low-regulation, low-tax, free market policies, while modestly increasing social spending and amending the labor code to comply with International Labor Standards. In mid-2014, Georgia concluded an association agreement with the EU, paving the way to free trade and visa-free travel. In 2017, Georgia signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China as part of Tbilisi’s efforts to diversify its economic ties. Georgia is seeking to develop its Black Sea ports to further facilitate East-West trade.

Exchange Rates

2013

1.7657

2014

2.2694

2015

2.3668

2016

2.3668

2017

2.535

Currency

laris (GEL) per US dollar -

Exports

2016

$2.831 billion

2017

$3.566 billion

Exports Commodities

vehicles, ferro-alloys, fertilizers, nuts, scrap metal, gold, copper ores

Exports Partners

Russia 14.5%, Azerbaijan 10%, Turkey 7.9%, Armenia 7.7%, China 7.6%, Bulgaria 6.6%, Ukraine 4.6%, US 4.5% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

50.4% (2017 est.)

Government Consumption

17.1% (2017 est.)

Household Consumption

62.8% (2017 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-62.2% (2017 est.)

Investment In Fixed Capital

29.5% (2017 est.)

Investment In Inventories

2.4% (2017 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

8.2% (2017 est.)

Industry

23.7% (2017 est.)

Services

67.9% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$15.16 billion (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$9,900

2016

$10,300

2017

$10,700

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$36.91 billion

2016

$37.96 billion

2017

$39.85 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

2.9%

2016

2.8%

2017

5%

Gross National Saving

2015

19.5% of GDP

2016

19.9% of GDP

2017

23% of GDP

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

Highest 10

31.3% (2008)

Lowest 10

2%

Imports

2016

$6.747 billion

2017

$7.415 billion

Imports Commodities

fuels, vehicles, machinery and parts, grain and other foods, pharmaceuticals

Imports Partners

Turkey 17.2%, Russia 9.9%, China 9.2%, Azerbaijan 7.6%, Ukraine 5.6%, Germany 5.4% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

6.7% (2017 est.)

Industries

steel, machine tools, electrical appliances, mining (manganese, copper, gold), chemicals, wood products, wine

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016

2.1%

2017

6%

Labor Force

1.998 million (2016 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture

55.6%

Industry

8.9%

Services

35.5% (2006 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

31 December 2011

$795.7 million

31 December 2012

$943.4 million

31 December 2015

$1.155 billion

Population Below Poverty Line

9.2% (2010 est.)

Public Debt

2016

44.4% of GDP

2017

44.9% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016

$2.756 billion

31 December 2017

$3.039 billion

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$1.933 billion

31 December 2017

$2.301 billion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

31 December 2016

$2.185 billion

31 December 2017

$2.477 billion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment at Home

31 December 2016

$14.66 billion

31 December 2017

$17.47 billion

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$7.753 billion

31 December 2017

$8.961 billion

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$1.933 billion

31 December 2017

$2.301 billion

Taxes And Other Revenues

28.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2016

11.8%

2017

NA%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

9.912 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

3,006 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

2,660 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

400 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

35 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

100% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

12.37 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

560 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

35% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

65% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

1.329 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

4.641 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

13.24 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

2.294 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

2.294 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

7.363 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

8.495 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

27,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

2,052 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

28,490 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

247 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

16 (2017 est.)

Total

770,113

Broadcast Media

The Tbilisi-based Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) includes Channel 1, Channel 2 as well as the Batumi-based Adjara TV, and the State Budget funds all three; there are also a number of independent commercial television broadcasters, such as Imedi, Rustavi 2, Pirveli TV, Maestro, Kavkasia, Georgian Dream Studios (GDS), Obiektivi, and a small Russian language operator TOK TV; Tabula and Post TV are web-based television outlets; all of these broadcasters and web-based television outlets, except GDS, carry the news; the Georgian Orthodox Church also operates a satellite-based television station called Unanimity; there are 26 regional television broadcasters across Georgia that are members of the Georgian Association of Regional Broadcasters and/or the Alliance of Georgian Broadcasters; the broadcaster organizations seek to strengthen the regional media's capacities and distribution of regional products: a nationwide digital switchover occurred in 2015; there are several dozen private radio stations; GPB operates 2 radio stations (2019)

Internet Country Code

.ge

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

50% (July 2016 est.)

Total

2,464,107

Telephone System

Domestic

fixed-line 14 per 100, cellular telephone networks cover the entire country; mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 116 per 100 persons; intercity facilities include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi (2018)

General Assessment

fixed-line telecommunications network has limited coverage outside Tbilisi; multiple mobile-cellular providers provide services to an increasing subscribership throughout the country; broadband subscribers steadily increasing; with the recent investment in infrastructure customers are moving from copper to fiber networks (2018)

International

country code - 995; landing points for the Georgia-Russia, Diamond Link Global, and Caucasus Cable System fiber-optic submarine cable provides connectivity to Russia, Romania and Bulgaria; international service is available by microwave, landline, and satellite through the Moscow switch; international electronic mail and telex service are available (2019)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

14 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

713,826

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

116 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

5,730,625

Airports

22 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

3 (2017)

2 438 To 3 047 M

7 (2017)

914 To 1 523 M

5 (2017)

Over 3 047 M

1 (2017)

Total

18 (2017)

Under 914 M

2 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

1 524 To 2 437 M

1 (2013)

914 To 1 523 M

2 (2013)

Total

4 (2013)

Under 914 M

1 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

4L (2016)

Heliports

2 (2013)

Merchant Marine

By Type

bulk carrier 1, general cargo 24, oil tanker 2, other 55 (2018)

Total

82

National Air Transport System

Annual Freight Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

185,040 mt-km (2015)

Annual Passenger Traffic On Registered Air Carriers

232,263 (2015)

Inventory Of Registered Aircraft Operated By Air Carriers

13 (2015)

Number Of Registered Air Carriers

5 (2015)

Pipelines

1596 km gas, 1175 km oil (2013)

Ports And Terminals

Black Sea - Bat'umi, P'ot'i

Railways

Broad Gauge

1,326 km 1.520-m gauge (1,251 km electrified) (2014)

Narrow Gauge

37 km 0.912-m gauge (37 km electrified) (2014)

Total

1,363 km (2014)

Roadways

20,295 km (2018)

Military And Security Forces

Georgian Defense Forces: Land Forces (include Air and Air Defense Forces); separatist Abkhazia Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Air Forces; separatist South Ossetia Armed Forces (2019)

Military Expenditures

2015

2.34% of GDP

2016

2.23% of GDP

2017

2% of GDP

2018

2.1% of GDP

2019

2.3% of GDP

Military Note

Georgia does not have any military stationed in the separatist territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, but large numbers of Russian servicemen have been stationed in these regions since the 2008 Russia-Georgia War (2019)

Military Service Age And Obligation

18 to 27 years of age for compulsory and voluntary active duty military service; conscript service obligation is 12 months (2017)

Disputes International

Russia's military support and subsequent recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia independence in 2008 continue to sour relations with Georgia

Illicit Drugs

limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for opiates via Central Asia to Western Europe and Russia

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

Idps

293,000 (displaced in the 1990s as a result of armed conflict in the breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia; displaced in 2008 by fighting between Georgia and Russia over South Ossetia) (2018)

Stateless Persons

566 (2018)