Georgia

Continent

Europe/ Asia

Best States to Visit

Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia.
Autonomous Republic of Adjara
Imereti Region
Racha-Lechkhumi Region
Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Region

Best Cities to Visit

Tbilisi
Batumi
Kutaisi
Rustavi
Gori

Size

69,700 KM²

Population

372,000

GDP

$17,047,000,000

Spending Budget

$187 - $380

Best Time to Visit

May
June
September

History

Situated at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Georgia is known for its unique and ancient cultural heritage, traditions of hospitality, and cuisines. Annexed by Russia in the 19th century, Georgia was the center of political turmoil for decades altogether. With the fall of the Soviet Union, Georgia emerged as an independent state in 1991. Over the years the increasing US economic and political influence in the country has long been a source of concern for neighboring Russia, as have Georgia’s aspirations to join NATO and the EU. With an estimated population of 4.3 million and Tbilisi as the capital city, the country has three ethnic enclaves - Abkhazia in the Northwest, Ajaria in the Southwest, and South Ossetia in the North. The country is under the constant influence of warm, moist air from the Black Sea. Western Georgia has a humid subtropical, maritime climate, while eastern Georgia has a range of climates varying from moderately humid to a dry subtropical type. Diverse terrain and a remarkable variety of landscapes add to the picturesque beauty of the country. More than a third of the country is covered with forest and bushes. The forests include oak, chestnut, beech, and alder, as well as Caucasian fir, ash, linden, and apple and pear trees. Forest regions are characterized by wild boars, roe and Caucasian deer, brown bears, lynx, wolves, foxes, jackals, hares, and squirrels. Birds range from the thrush to the black vulture and hawk. The native Georgians refer to themselves as Kartveli and Georgia as Sakartvelo. Ethnically, contemporary Georgia reflects the intermixtures and successions of the Caucasus region. About four-fifths of the people are Georgians; the rest are Armenians, Russians, Azerbaijanis, and, in smaller numbers, Ossetes, Greeks, Abkhazians, and others. Diversified and mechanized agriculture along with a very developed industrial base contribute majorly to the economy. Agriculture accounts for about half of the gross domestic product and employs about one-fourth of the labor force.

Present Day

Georgia has a dense transportation system. Most freight is carried by truck, but railways are important. Tbilisi is connected by rail with both Sokhumi and Batʿumi on the Black Sea and Baku on the Caspian. The country’s international airport is in Tbilisi. Georgia, a land of rock and stone, medieval fortresses and monasteries, green hills, majestic mountains, deep caves, and rocky beaches. A country where culture and history lovers will have the feeling they’ve been transported to the past while walking through the villages and towns. The Georgians are known both for their skills as warriors and for their hospitality, love for life, sense of humor, and lively intelligence. The ancient culture of the republic is reflected in a large number of architectural monuments, including many monasteries and churches; indeed, Georgian architecture (with Armenian) played a considerable role in the development of the Byzantine style. Georgia has a long tradition of fine metalwork. Bronze, gold, and silver objects of a high technical and aesthetic standard have been recovered from tombs of the 1st and 2nd millennia BCE.

Future

Ongoing depopulation up to 2030 will be driven by negative net migration, alongside natural decrease from 2021 onwards. Falling birth rates and rising life expectancy will encourage a hastening of the ageing trend, but Georgia will remain relatively young in a regional context due to higher fertility and birth rates. While the rural population continues its decline, urbanisation will remain swift, with Tbilisi growing at the fastest pace and continuing to dominate the urban landscape. Making things tougher for Georgia is its demography. As we argue in the Georgia Systematic Country Diagnostic, the country’s demographic trajectory will continue to drag down growth unless some remedy is found. Many rich countries have begun to experience demographic stagnation. Georgia is a rare example of a lower middle-income country—economies that have per capita incomes that are about a 10th of the average high-income country—which is experiencing a secular decline in population. Georgia’s population peaked in the early 1990s and has declined since then. The size of the working age cohort is shrinking as well. The driving forces behind these trends are low fertility and out-migration. On average, women in Georgia have 1.8 children, which is below replacement levels. And available estimates suggest that more than 10 percent of Georgians left the country between 2000 and 2010, and this trend continues today. Population projections indicate that Georgia’s population will continue to decline.

Must Visit Places ------------

Svaneti

Svaneti consists of several small villages, built on the slopes of the snow-covered mountains and surrounded by the breathtaking scenery of alpine meadows. Walking around in these picturesque villages that are dominated by tower-houses, gives one the feeling of the European Middle Ages. Ushguli is a tiny collection of villages in this mountain region known for the ancient watchtowers.

Tbilisi

Tbilisi with its diverse architecture and complicated history is a place one must visit while visiting Georgia. A walk in the streets of the city will make one appreciate the beauty of the ransacked buildings and their unique construction. Narikala Fortress gives a panoramic view of the city.

Mtskheta

Mtskheta is the religious capital and spiritual heart of the country. It’s also one of the oldest cities in Georgia, where 4000-year-old traces of human settlements were found. Mtskheta is home to three of Georgia’s most important churches: Svetitskhoveli, Jvari, and Samtavro Monastery. Saint Nino lived in this city. She’s known as the Enlightener of Georgia, is one of the most important saints in this country.

Vardzia

Vardzia is a spectacular cave monastery near Aspindza in southern Georgia. This underground monastery was built in the 12th Century, under the reign of King Tamar, the first woman that was ever crowned as a king (not a queen!) in Georgian history. It used to be completely hidden until a severe earthquake exposed and destroyed the cave monastery.

Katskhi Pillar

The Katskhi Pillar is a 40-meter high limestone monolith that is also known as “the Pillar of Life”. This rock became a place of seclusion for the ’Stylites’, a religious group who had a “slight” obsession with sitting on top of narrow pillars to come closer to God.

Chiatura

Chiatura was founded in the late 1800s as a mining colony. In 1954 the Stalinist government installed a system of cable cars, also referred to as a “rope road” to get the workers more quickly to the mines, instead of them walking to the sites on the steep cliffs. Every corner of the town was connected with the mines through these cable cars and Chiatura became known as “the cable car city”.

Batumi

Batumi is a ’glamorous’ city, designed to attract tourists and gamblers to play in one of its many casinos. The architecture is a combination of European and Asian styles, often mixed with fairy-tale-like towers, statues, and buildings created by some hallucinating architects.

Sighnaghi

Sighnaghi some of the best food

Juta

Juta is the most peaceful and green place in Georgia and one of the most popular climbing and trekking areas among professional climbers. There are also many equally pleasant walks to be done around the village.

Gergeti Glacier

Hike to the Gergeti Glacier, Ananuri Castle, the Jinvaly water reservoir and the Russia-Georgia friendship monument are some other popular attractions. Martvili Canyon known for its scenery and amazing views of the dark canyon. Bakhmaro, which is situated 2,000 meters above sea level, known as the highest alpine climatic resort in Georgia. Tour the Caves of Gareji - This Georgian Orthodox complex is set against a rocky hillside; the complex includes hundreds of dwellings, churches, chapels, and more. Or just relax on the beach of Batumi