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Capital: Tbilisi
Leader: Mikhail Saakashvili
Religion: Orthodox Christian 83.9%, Muslim 9.9%, Armenian-Gregorian 3.9%, Catholic 0.8%, other 0.8%, none 0.7%
Economy: GNI per capita: USD $1,350
Main Exports: scrap metal, wine and fruit
Monetary unit: 1 Lari = 100 tetri
Literacy: 100%
Net primary school enrolment: 93%
Net primary school enrolment of girls: 92%
Health: Life Expectancy: 66 years (men), 74 years (women)
Infant Mortality: 17.36 deaths/1,000 live births
HIV prevalence: 0.2%
Culture: Georgia’s main ethnic groups are: Georgian 83.8%, Azeri 6.5%, Armenian 5.7%, Russian 1.5%. The remaining 2.5% of the population fall into smaller cultural categories.
Environment: Georgia is rich in resources and has very fertile soil, but toxic chemicals used in Georgia have caused soil pollution. Air and water pollution, including pollution of the Mtkvari River and the Black Sea, have also contributed to inadequate supplies of potable water.
Politics: Georgia gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. After independence Georgia lost access to former Soviet markets and faced an economic collapse. This was the worst decline faced by any transition economy. Coupled with economic challenges, Georgia faced a civil war as the Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions were seeking independence. This conflict displaced about 300, 000 people and destroyed capital and trade routes. Although the civil war in Georgia is now over, violence, disputes and separatist conflict is still ongoing.
Current Political Climate: Conflicts in some areas of Georgia have severely affected the availability of basic human services. Some religious minorities still continue to face intimidation and violent attacks and in many cases police forces have failed to provide protection. Despite the 2001 accord signed by the government and separatist forces pledging not to use force against each other, clashes have still occurred.
Position of Women: Societal violence against women continues to be a problem. Laws against domestic violence and the protection of victims were adopted in 2006 but spousal abuse continues to be considered a private matter and many victims remain unprotected.
Children in Georgia: The needs of young people in Georgia have not been considered a priority as the country undergoes reform. Many families cannot afford school fees and preschool enrolment is declining. Family poverty has caused more than 4,000 children who have two living parents to be transferred into state institutions. Conflict and poverty in Georgia has also lead to 4,500 children being internally displaced.
Freedom: Although journalists enjoy relative freedom of expression under the law, there are still cases where journalists have been physically attacked. As a result many journalists continue to practice self-censorship.
CULTURAL SNAPSHOT:
Architecture in Georgia
Georgia has some of the world’s most unique architecture that has been influenced by many civilizations. Their architecture ranges from preserved medieval towers, to castles, to various dome styles and medieval churches and cathedrals, two of which are on the World Heritage List.
LEARN MORE:
UNICEF
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/georgia_background.html
BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/1102477.stm
CIA World Fact Book
https://www.cia.gov/
World Bank
http://web.worldbank.org/
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