ABOUT GEORGIA
Georgia occupies the center of the southern
Caucasia, bordering in the north - Russian Federation, in the east - Republic of Azerbaijan, in the south - Republic of Armenia and in the south west - Turkey. The nature of Georgia is quite
diverse and is characterized by rough terrain with almost two thirds of it being mountains
(the highest of them, Mt. Kazbegi, rises to 5068 meters above the sea level) Western Georgia has a humid subtropical climate, while in Eastern Georgia it is dry and moderately humid. The country's natural resources include oil, manganese, non-ferrous metals and some non-metallic ores. The area of Georgia is 69,700 sq. km. with a population of some 4 million.
The Georgian capital, Tbilisi, has about 1,2 million inhabitants.
Due to its special position between Europe and Asia - at the crossroads of peoples, cultures and languages - since early times Georgia has been a place of passage and enormous migrations. Peace has been sought, but without much success. It has been an arena of
many historical dramas, which have largely determined the destiny and history of its inhabitants. Powerful conquerors have desired to possess this land. The
Assyrians, Hittites, Greeks, Romans, Persians, Arabs, Mongols, Turks and
others fought for decades and centuries to take over this region. One by one these
empires passed away while Georgia lived on and over the centuries an original culture, rich traditions, and unique way of life had originated in this
land.
General
History of Georgia
by
Alexander Mikaberidze
