Republic of Georgia
Republic of Georgia
A state in the central and western parts of the South Caucasus. It borders Russia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east and southeast, Armenia and Turkey to the south, and is washed by the Black Sea to the west. The territory is 69,700 km². The capital is Tbilisi (1.081 million), with the largest cities being Kutaisi (186,000), Batumi (121,800), Rustavi (116,400), and Poti (47,100). Administratively, the country is divided into 66 districts, united into 9 regions. The population is 4,355,700 (according to the census on January 1, 2002; excluding Abkhazia and South Ossetia). National composition: Georgians - 83.8%, Azerbaijanis - 6.5%, Armenians - 5.7%, Russians - 1.5%, Ossetians - 0.9%, Kurds, Greeks, Kists, Ukrainians, Jews, Poles, and others - 1.6%. The official language is Georgian. Religion: the majority of believers are Orthodox Christians (83.9%), the rest are Muslims (9.9%), Catholics (4.7%). The currency (since September 1995) is the lari.
Diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation were established on July 1, 1992.
The national holiday is May 26 - the Day of Restoration of State Independence (1991).
According to the constitution adopted on August 24, 1995, Georgia is a presidential republic. The head of state is the president, elected every 5 years by universal direct secret ballot. The president is also the head of the executive branch, the supreme commander-in-chief, and presides over the meetings of the National Security Council.
On January 4, 2004, after the "Rose Revolution," extraordinary presidential elections were held (the term of the previous president E.A. Shevardnadze, who resigned on November 23, 2003, was expiring in the spring of 2005), in which the leader of the National Movement party, M. N. Saakashvili, won.
The highest legislative body is the parliament, which consists of 150 members elected by proportional representation and 85 by majoritarian representation. Parliamentary elections are held every 4 years. Extraordinary parliamentary elections took place on March 28, 2004. The National Movement - Democrats party won, and the Right Opposition bloc also overcame the 7% barrier, gaining the status of official opposition. The chairperson of the parliament is N. A. Burjanadze. According to constitutional amendments adopted in February 2005, starting from the parliamentary elections in 2008, the number of parliament members will be reduced: 100 will be elected by proportional representation and 50 by majoritarian representation.
Since February 2004, a cabinet of ministers has been re-established in Georgia, headed by the prime minister (this position was abolished with the adoption of the current constitution). Since February 2005, the Prime Minister of Georgia is 3. T. Noghaideli.
More than 150 political parties are registered in Georgia, and over a thousand public and political organizations, including NGOs, are active.
The system of local self-government operates based on the Law "On Local Government and Self-Government" of 1917 and the Law "On Elections to Local Representative Bodies" of July 25, 1998, and consists of local self-government bodies (sakrebulo), which have the right to control the executive power at the local level (gamgeoba). The president's representatives in the regions, heads of administrations, mayors of cities, and heads of 66 districts are appointed by the president. The last elections for local self-government bodies took place in June 2002.
The first Georgian states - the kingdoms of Colchis and Kartli (Iberia) emerged in the 6th-4th centuries BC. In the 6th-10th centuries, the Georgian nationality mainly formed. In the 10th century, the creation of a centralized state began, which reached its peak in the 12th-13th centuries during the reign of King David the Builder and his granddaughter Queen Tamara. In the 13th-14th centuries, it was subjected to invasions by the Mongol-Tatars. In the 15th-18th centuries, the Georgian feudal state fragmented into several kingdoms and principalities, which until the end of the 18th century were the subject of fierce struggle between Iran and Turkey.
In 1783, the Treaty of Georgievsk was concluded between Georgia and Russia, according to which Georgia recognized the protection of the Russian Empire. In 1801, Georgia was annexed, and from 1803 to 1864, Western Georgia became part of the Russian state.
In 1918, Georgia proclaimed independence. German-Turkish troops were introduced into the country. On May 7, 1920, a peace treaty was signed between Soviet Russia and Georgia. On November 25, 1921, the Georgian SSR was formed, which from December 1922 was part of the USSR, first as part of the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, and from 1936 to 1991 as a union republic. On April 9, 1991, based on the results of a nationwide referendum, the Supreme Council of the republic adopted the Act on the Restoration of State Independence of Georgia, declaring the Act of Independence of 1918 and the constitution of 1921 valid.
In May 1991, in the elections for the head of state, 3. K. Gamsakhurdia won. In January 1992, as a result of acute confrontation among political forces, he was removed from office. The Military Council that came to power dissolved the parliament and suspended the constitution. In March of the same year, the Military Council announced its self-dissolution and the creation of a State Council headed by E.A. Shevardnadze. In October 1992, new parliamentary elections were held, and Shevardnadze became the chairman of the parliament. According to the new constitution, in November 1995, Shevardnadze was elected president and re-elected to this position in 2000.
In August 1992, after the introduction of government troops into Abkhazia, an armed Georgian-Abkhaz conflict broke out. In September 1993, the Abkhaz took control of the entire territory of Abkhazia. On May 14, 1994, in Moscow, under the auspices of the UN and with the mediation of Russia, a ceasefire and separation of forces agreement was signed. Based on this document and the decision of the Council of Heads of CIS States, collective peacekeeping forces of the CIS (KSPM), consisting of Russian peacekeepers, were deployed in the conflict zone since June 1994. The UN Security Council established the UN Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG).
After the abolition of the South Ossetian autonomy, on September 19, 1990, the Republic of South Ossetia was proclaimed on its territory. This largely predetermined the escalation of the situation and the beginning of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict. In June 1992, an agreement on the principles of resolving the Georgian-Ossetian conflict was signed. In July 1992, a peacekeeping operation began in South Ossetia. Mixed peacekeeping forces (SSPM) consisting of Russian, Georgian, and Ossetian battalions were deployed in the conflict zone. A Mixed Control Commission (MCC) was created from representatives of Georgia, South Ossetia, Russia, and the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, which plays a key role in the peaceful resolution of the conflict. In the summer of 2004, the situation in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone sharply escalated.
The presence of Russian peacekeepers in the Georgian-Abkhaz (according to the CIS mandate) and Georgian-Ossetian conflict zones allows for maintaining relative stability there.
In both conflicts, it has been possible to stop the bloodshed, separate the opposing sides, and establish a negotiation process.
Obstacles to resolution remain the lack of trust between the parties and their disagreements on the status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The implementation of the Sochi agreements (March 2003), reached between the presidents of Russia and Georgia with the participation of the Abkhaz side (return of refugees, opening of a through railway connection from Sochi to Tbilisi, modernization of the Inguri HPP cascade), and the fulfillment of the MCC decisions in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone are of great importance for resolving the conflicts.
The domestic political situation in the country after the "Rose Revolution" remains complicated. In addition to the unresolved Georgian-Abkhaz and Georgian-Ossetian conflicts, the relationship between the authorities and several other regions has a complex inter-ethnic character. An uneasy situation persists in the Pankisi Gorge. There is a high level of crime.
Georgia is a member of the UN, OSCE, UNESCO, Council of Europe, GUAM, IMF, World Bank, WTO, CIS, and GUAM.
The basis of Georgia's foreign policy priorities is the thesis of Georgia's European orientation. Tasks are set for its rapid integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures, primarily the EU and NATO. In 2004, Georgia, along with Armenia and Azerbaijan, was included in the "European Neighborhood Initiative," which implies deepened cooperation with the European Union, particularly harmonization of Georgian legislation, trade-economic and legal principles with existing European standards. Relations with NATO are built on the basis of the "Partnership for Peace" program, as well as the "Individual Partnership Action Plan" adopted in 2004. A separate direction is strengthening strategic relations with the USA, which Tbilisi views as the main guarantor of the country's foreign policy security. Agreements have been concluded, including on military cooperation, with the USA, UK, Germany, Turkey, and other countries.
Georgia's economy continues to experience difficulties characteristic of all former Soviet republics. It has not yet been possible to approach the indicators of 1990. The economy of the country is gradually being reoriented to serve international transit cargo flows, primarily the transportation of energy resources from the Caspian through Georgia to Europe. In 1998, the Baku-Supsa oil pipeline was put into operation. By the end of 2005, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (Turkey) oil pipeline should be operational, and by the beginning of 2007, the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum (Turkey) gas pipeline will be completed.
Natural resources include manganese, non-ferrous metal ores, coal, oil, bentonite clays, marble, quartz sands, and other minerals. There are valuable forest species: boxwood, yew, walnut. Unique recreational resources include mountain and sea resorts, numerous mineral water springs.
In 2004, the authorities managed to balance the budget, which, however, remains deficit. Georgia achieved another deferment of payments on external debt (1.85 billion dollars) and received significant external financial assistance. Gold and foreign exchange reserves of the National Bank increased (460 million dollars). The privatization process is ongoing intensively.
GDP in 2004 amounted to 9.8 billion lari, or about 5 billion dollars (+8.4%), and the GDP per capita indicator was 2.1 thousand lari per person. However, the main "growth factors" (construction of the Transcaucasian oil pipeline and sharp increase in deforestation) are temporary in nature. The structure of GDP remains traditional: agriculture and forestry and fishing - 16.2%, industry - 13.2%, trade - 13.4%, transport and warehousing - 9.8%, construction - 6.4%.
Industry is losing its positions, as, apart from a few large enterprises, the vast majority are on the brink of bankruptcy. Relative growth is only present in food processing: production of wine, cognac, mineral water, vegetable and fruit preserves.
Arable land accounts for about 16% of the country's territory. Vineyards, tobacco, and citrus plantations are of the greatest importance. However, the area of land suitable for effective agricultural turnover is decreasing due to the decline in land cultivation culture, chronic lack of fertilizers, and the population's transition to growing less demanding crops. Tea cultivation is in regression.
In recent years, the resort and tourism complex has been severely affected - Bakuriani, Borjomi, Gudauri, Black Sea coast resorts, etc. According to official data, in 2004, Georgia was visited by 368 thousand tourists, while in the 1980s their number exceeded 3 million.
Georgia's transport network includes railways (1,420 km), roads (over 22,000 km), operational seaports - Batumi, Poti, operational airports - Batumi, Kutaisi, Senaki, Tbilisi.
There are 23 commercial banks operating.
The socio-economic situation of the majority of the country's population remains complicated. The normative pension is 28 lari, and the minimum wage in budget organizations is 115 lari. The unemployment rate is 11.5% with an economically active population share of 64%.
More than half of the population lives below the poverty line. Up to a million people have been forced to seek work in other countries, mainly in Russia.
Georgia's foreign trade turnover in 2004 amounted to 2,495.8 million dollars (+55%). At the same time, the trade deficit reached 1,198.3 million dollars (imports exceeded exports by three times in value without changing their structure: mainly scrap metal is exported, while petroleum products are imported). Russia maintains its position as Georgia's main trading partner. The trade turnover between Russia and Georgia in 2004 amounted to 336.7 million dollars (+42%), or 14.5% of Georgia's total foreign trade turnover (Georgia's share in Russia's foreign trade is 0.1%).
Trade turnover with CIS countries was 986.9 million dollars (+64.8%). The main trading partners of Georgia include Turkey - 12.9%, the UK - 8.1%, Azerbaijan - 7.3%, Germany - 6.7%, Ukraine - 6.3%, Turkmenistan - 5.9%, USA - 5.3%.
In Georgia, there are 110 higher education institutions, including 35 state and 75 private. The secondary education system had 359 schools (167 with Russian language of instruction or with Russian-speaking sectors).
There are 32 theaters and more than 100 museums. The Russian Drama Theater named after A. S. Griboedov in Tbilisi celebrated its 160th anniversary in 2005.
The media is represented by the state television and radio corporation, information agencies "Sakinform," "BS-Press," "Iprainda," "Prime-news," and private television companies "Imedi," "Mze," "Rustavi-2." The largest newspapers are "Sakartvelos Respublika," "Free Georgia." Since February 2004, the information agency "News-Georgia" has been operating in Tbilisi.
