Georgia (country): Difference between revisions

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Geographically, Georgia is diverse and its natural resources are abundant. The mixture of [[Alpine climate|Alpine]] zone in the [[Caucasus mountains]] and the [[subtropical]] Black Sea coast of western Georgia attracts many tourists, because the country is considered both an excellent ski resort and an excellent sea resort. Georgia has one of the oldest wine-making traditions in the world. Georgian wine is characterized as naturally semi-sweet and very competitive with French, Spanish and other Western European wines and is well-known around the world, especially in [[Eastern Europe]]. Georgia has been called the birthplace of [[wine]], due to archaeological findings which indicate wine production back to [[5000 BC]].<ref>[http://www.selectwinesllc.com/repofgeor.html Republic of Georgian Wines], Select Wines LLC</ref><ref>[http://www.savoreachglass.com/articles.php/13 History of Wine I: The Ancients], Tynan Szvetecz, SavorEachGlass.com</ref><ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/09/world/europe/09russia.html?ex=1162094400&en=27ad9eba8eca1002&ei=5070], ''[[New York Times]]''</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/1079901.stm Georgia on my mind], From Our Own Correspondent , [[BBC News Online]], [[30 December]], [[2000]]</ref><ref>[http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/10/08/travel/08georgia.html In Georgia, a Pilgrimage to the Cradle of Wine], CJ Chivers, ''[[New York Times]] Travel'', [[October 8]] [[2006]]</ref>
Geographically, Georgia is diverse and its natural resources are abundant. The mixture of [[Alpine climate|Alpine]] zone in the [[Caucasus mountains]] and the [[subtropical]] Black Sea coast of western Georgia attracts many tourists, because the country is considered both an excellent ski resort and an excellent sea resort. Georgia has one of the oldest wine-making traditions in the world. Georgian wine is characterized as naturally semi-sweet and very competitive with French, Spanish and other Western European wines and is well-known around the world, especially in [[Eastern Europe]]. Georgia has been called the birthplace of [[wine]], due to archaeological findings which indicate wine production back to [[5000 BC]].<ref>[http://www.selectwinesllc.com/repofgeor.html Republic of Georgian Wines], Select Wines LLC</ref><ref>[http://www.savoreachglass.com/articles.php/13 History of Wine I: The Ancients], Tynan Szvetecz, SavorEachGlass.com</ref><ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/09/world/europe/09russia.html?ex=1162094400&en=27ad9eba8eca1002&ei=5070], ''[[New York Times]]''</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/1079901.stm Georgia on my mind], From Our Own Correspondent , [[BBC News Online]], [[30 December]], [[2000]]</ref><ref>[http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/10/08/travel/08georgia.html In Georgia, a Pilgrimage to the Cradle of Wine], CJ Chivers, ''[[New York Times]] Travel'', [[October 8]] [[2006]]</ref>
   
   
== History ==
The recorded history of Georgia dates back more than 4,000 years.
=== Georgia in Antiquity===
Two early Georgian Kingdoms of late [[Classical antiquity|antiquity]], known to ancient [[Greeks]] and [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] as [[Caucasian Iberia|Iberia]] in the east of the country and [[Colchis]] in the west, were among the first nations in the region to adopt [[Christianity]] (in [[337]] AD, or in [[319]] AD as recent research suggests.). 
Colchis is the location of the [[Golden Fleece]] sought by [[Jason]] and the [[Argonauts]] in the [[Greek myth]] and may have derived from the local practice of using fleeces to sift gold dust from rivers.  Known to its natives as [[Egrisi]] or [[Lazica]], Colchis often saw [[Lazic War|battles]] between the rival power of [[Iran|Persia]] and the [[Byzantine Empire]], both of which managed to conquer Western Georgia from time to time. As a result, those Kingdoms disintegrated into various feudal regions in the early [[Middle Ages]]. This made it easy for [[Arabs]] to conquer Georgia in the [[7th century]].  The rebellious regions were liberated and united into the Georgian Kingdom at the beginning of the [[11th century]]. Starting in the [[12th century]] the rule of Georgia extended over the significant part of the Southern [[Caucasus]], including northeastern parts and almost the entire northern coast of what is now [[Turkey]].
===Medieval===
The '''Georgian Kingdom''' reached its zenith in the 12th to early 13th centuries.  This period has been widely termed as ''Georgia's Golden Age.''  The revival of the Georgian Kingdom was shortlived however, and the Kingdom was eventually subordinated by the [[Mongols]] in [[1236]]. Thereafter, different local rulers fought for their independence from the central Georgian rule, until the total disintegration of the Kingdom in the [[15th century]]. Neighbouring kingdoms exploited the situation and from the [[16th century]], the [[Persian Empire]] and the [[Ottoman Empire]] subordinated the eastern and western regions of Georgia, respectively.
The rulers of regions, which remained partly [[autonomous entity|autonomous]], organised rebellions on various occasions. Subsequent Persian and Turkish invasions further weakened local kingdoms and regions.
As a result of wars against the neighbouring countries the population of Georgia was reduced to 250,000 inhabitants at one point .
===Within the Russian Empire===
In [[1783]] Russia and the eastern Georgian kingdom of [[Kartli-Kakheti]] signed the [[Treaty of Georgievsk]], according to which Kartli-Kakheti received protection by Russia. This, however, did not prevent [[Tbilisi]] from being [[Battle of Krtsanisi|sacked by the Persians]] in [[1795]].
On [[December 22]], [[1800]], [[Tsar]] [[Paul I of Russia]], at the alleged request of the Georgian king [[Giorgi XII of Kartli-Kakheti|George XII]], signed the Proclamation on the incorporation of Georgia (Kartli-Kakheti) within the [[Russian Empire]]. On [[January 8]], [[1801]] Tsar [[Paul I of Russia]], signed a decree on the incorporation of Georgia (Kartli-Kakheti) within the Russian Empire<ref> Gvosdev (2000), p. 85 </ref><ref> Avalov (1906), p. 186 </ref> which was confirmed by Tsar [[Alexander I of Russia|Alexander I]] on [[September 12]] [[1801]].<ref> Gvosdev (2000), p. 86 </ref><ref> Lang (1957), p. 249 </ref> The Georgian envoy in [[Saint Petersburg]] reacted with a note of protest that was presented to the Russian vice-chancellor Prince Kurakin.<ref> Lang (1957), p. 251 </ref> In May 1801, Russian General [[Carl Heinrich Knorring]] dethroned the Georgian heir to the throne David [[Bagrationi|Batonishvili]] and deployed a government headed by General [[Ivan Petrovich Lasarev]].<ref> Lang (1957), p. 247 </ref>
The Georgian nobility did not accept the decree until April [[1802]] when General Knorring compassed the nobility in [[Tbilisi Sioni Cathedral|Tbilisi's Sioni Cathedral]] and forced them to take an oath on the [[imperial crown of Russia]]. Those who disagreed were arrested temporarily.<ref> Lang (1957), p. 252 </ref>
In the summer of [[1805]], Russian troops on the [[river Askerani]] near [[Zagam]] defeated the Persian army and saved [[Tbilisi]] from conquest.
In [[1810]], after a brief war,<ref> Anchabadze (2005), p. 29 </ref> the western Georgian [[kingdom of Imereti]] was annexed by Tsar [[Alexander I of Russia]]. The last Imeretian king and the last Georgian [[Bagrationi]] ruler [[Solomon II of Imereti|Solomon II]] died in exile in [[1815]]. From [[1803]] to [[1878]], as a result of numerous Russian wars against [[Turkey]] and [[Iran]], several territories were annexed to Georgia. These areas ([[Batumi]], [[Akhaltsikhe]], [[Poti]], and [[Abkhazia]]) now represent a large part of the territory of Georgia.
The principality of [[Guria]] was abolished in [[1828]], and that of [[Samegrelo]] (Mingrelia) in [[1857]]. The region of [[Svaneti]] was gradually annexed in [[1857]]–[[1859|59]].
===The Soviet period===
After the [[Russian Revolution of 1917]], Georgia declared independence on [[May 26]], [[1918]] in the midst of the [[Russian Civil War]]. The parliamentary election was won by the [[Georgian Social-Democratic Party]], considered to be a party of [[Menshevik]]s, and its leader, [[Noe Zhordania]], became the prime minister. In 1918 a Georgian–[[Armenia]]n war erupted over parts of Georgian provinces populated mostly by Armenians which ended due to British intervention. In [[1918]]–[[1919|19]] Georgian general [[Giorgi Mazniashvili]] led a Georgian attack against White Army led by Moiseev and Denikin in order to claim the [[Black Sea]] coastline from [[Tuapse]] to [[Sochi]] and [[Adler]] for independent Georgia. The country's independence did not last long, however. In February [[1921]] Georgia [[Red Army invasion of Georgia|was attacked]] by the [[Red Army]]. Georgian troops lost the battle and the Social-Democrat government fled the country. On [[February 25]] [[1921]] the [[Red Army]] entered the capital [[Tbilisi]] and installed a puppet communist government led by Georgian Bolshevik [[Filipp Makharadze]], but the Soviet rule was firmly established only after the [[August Uprising in Georgia|1924 revolt]] was brutally suppressed. Georgia was incorporated into the [[Transcaucasian SFSR]] uniting Georgia, [[Armenia]] and [[Azerbaijan]]. The TFSSR was disaggregated into its component elements in [[1936]] and Georgia became the [[Georgian SSR]].
The Georgian-born communist radical [[Ioseb Jughashvili]] was prominent among the Russian [[Bolshevik]]s, who came to power in the Russian Empire after the [[October Revolution]] in [[1917]].  Jughashvili was better known by his [[nom de guerre]] ''Stalin'' (from the [[Russian language|Russian]] word for steel: сталь). [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] was to rise to the highest position of the [[Soviet]] state and to rule ruthlessly.
From [[1941]] to [[1945]], during [[World War II]], almost 700,000 Georgians fought as [[Red Army]] soldiers against [[Nazi Germany]]. (A number [[Georgian Legion|also fought with]] the German army). About 350,000 Georgians died in the battlefields of the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]]. Also during this period the [[Chechen]], [[Ingush]], [[Karachay]] and the [[Balkarian]] peoples from the Northern [[Caucasus]], were deported to [[Siberia]] for alleged collaboration with the [[Nazism|Nazis]]. With their respective autonomous republics abolished, the [[Georgian SSR]] was briefly granted some of their territory, until [[1957]].
The most radical expression of the progressive part of the society opposed to the Soviet system was the dissidential movement, which started in the 60s. Among the Georgian dissidents, the most prominent activist was [[Merab Kostava]]. He was arrested several times by the state security committee and served his term in Soviet jail.<ref>http://www.parliament.ge/pages/archive_en/history/his13.html From Georgian Parliament</ref>
The Georgian [[Eduard Shevardnadze]], the [[USSR]]'s Georgian minister for foreign affairs, was one of the main architects of the [[Perestroika]] reforms of the late [[1980s]]. During this period, Georgia developed a vigorous multiparty system which strongly favoured independence. The country staged the first democratic, multiparty parliamentary elections in the [[Soviet Union]] on [[October 28]], [[1990]]. From November [[1990]] to March [[1991]], one of the leaders of the National Liberation movement, Dr [[Zviad Gamsakhurdia]], was the Chairman of the [[Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia]] (the Georgian parliament).
===Independence===
On [[9 April]] [[1989]], a peaceful demonstration in the Georgian capital Tbilisi ended in a [[April 9 tragedy|massacre]] in which several people were killed by Soviet troops. This incident launched an anti-Soviet mass movement, soon shattered, however, by the in-fighting of its different political wings. Before the October 1990 elections to the Georgian Parliament (Supreme Council) — the first polls in the USSR held on a formal multi-party basis — the political landscape was reshaped again. While the more radical groups boycotted the elections and convened an alternative forum (National Congress), another part of the anticommunist opposition united into the [[Round Table—Free Georgia]] (RT-FG) around the former dissidents like [[Merab Kostava]] and [[Zviad Gamsakhurdia]]. The latter won the elections by a clear margin, with 155 out of 250 parliamentary seats, whereas the ruling Communist Party (CP) received only 64 seats. All other parties failed to get over the 5%-threshold and were thus allotted only some single-member constituency seats.
{{Georgian statehood}}
On [[April 9]], [[1991]], shortly before the collapse of the USSR, Georgia declared independence. On [[May 26]], [[1991]], [[Zviad Gamsakhurdia]] was elected as a first President of independent Georgia. However, Gamsakhurdia was soon deposed in a bloody [[coup d'état]], from [[December 22]], [[1991]] to [[January 6]], [[1992]]. The coup was instigated by part of the National Guards and a paramilitary organization called "[[Mkhedrioni]]". The country became embroiled in a bitter [[Georgian Civil War|civil war]] which lasted almost until 1995. Eduard Shevardnadze returned to Georgia in 1992 and joined the leaders of the coup — Kitovani and Ioseliani &mdash; to head a triumvirate called the "State Council".
In 1995, Shevardnadze was officially elected as a president of Georgia, and reelected in 2000. At the same time, two regions of Georgia, [[Abkhazia]] and [[South Ossetia]], quickly became embroiled in disputes with local separatists that led to widespread inter-ethnic violence and wars. Supported by Russia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia achieved and maintained ''de facto'' independence from Georgia. More than 250,000 Georgians were [[Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia|ethnically cleansed]] from [[Abkhazia]] by Abkhaz separatists and North Caucasians volunteers, (including Chechens) in 1992-1993. More than 25,000 Georgians were expelled from [[Tskhinvali]] as well, and many Ossetian families were forced to abandon their homes in the [[Borjomi]] region and move to Russia.
In 2003 Shevardnadze was deposed by the [[Rose Revolution]], after Georgian opposition and international monitors asserted that the [[November 2]] parliamentary elections were marred by fraud.<ref>http://eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav112204a.shtml</ref> The revolution was led by [[Mikheil Saakashvili]], [[Zurab Zhvania]] and [[Nino Burjanadze]], former members and leaders of Shavarnadze's ruling party. Mikheil Saakashvili was elected as President of Georgia in 2004.
Following the Rose Revolution, a series of reforms was launched to strengthen the country's military and economic capabilities. The new government's efforts to reassert the Georgian authority in the southwestern autonomous republic of [[Ajaria]] led to a major [[Ajaria Crisis|crisis]] early in 2004. Success in Ajaria encouraged Saakashvili to intensify his efforts, but without success, in the breakaway [[South Ossetia]].
[[George W. Bush]] visited Georgia in [[2005]] and he became the first acting U.S. president to visit the country.


== Economy ==
== Economy ==

Revision as of 19:19, 15 April 2007

Georgia (Template:Lang-ka, transliterated as Sakartvelo), known officially from 1990 to 1995 as the Republic of Georgia, is a country to the southeast of Continental Europe at the east coast of the Black Sea, most of which is located in the South Caucasus, while a portion of the territory lies in the North Caucasus. It shares borders with Russia in the north and Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan in the south.

Georgia is a unitary, emerging liberal democratic[1][2] nation-state with an ancient historical and cultural heritage. Georgian civilization stretches back for more than three thousand years of history with a unique literary and artistic heritage.[3] Culturally, historically, and politically Georgia is considered part of Europe; however, the official geographic classification of the country varies according to different sources. Sometimes Georgia is considered a transcontinental nation.[4]

The English name Georgia is a transliteration of the classical term (Template:Lang-el) according to archaeological research, the Greek and Aramaic alphabets were used for the purposes of commerce before officially adopting the Georgian alphabet during the reign of King Pharnavaz I of Iberia.[5] In 327, Christianity was declared the official state religion in the ancient Georgian Kingdom of Iberia, making Georgia the second oldest[6][7][8] country after Armenia (301) to declare Christianity as her official state religion. The Bible was translated into Georgian in the 5th century.[9]

Geographically, Georgia is diverse and its natural resources are abundant. The mixture of Alpine zone in the Caucasus mountains and the subtropical Black Sea coast of western Georgia attracts many tourists, because the country is considered both an excellent ski resort and an excellent sea resort. Georgia has one of the oldest wine-making traditions in the world. Georgian wine is characterized as naturally semi-sweet and very competitive with French, Spanish and other Western European wines and is well-known around the world, especially in Eastern Europe. Georgia has been called the birthplace of wine, due to archaeological findings which indicate wine production back to 5000 BC.[10][11][12][13][14]


Economy

Archaeological research demonstrates that Georgia has been involved in commerce with the majority of the world's historical empires.[15] Throughout Georgia's history agriculture and tourism have been principal economic sectors, due to the country's climate and topography.[16] For much of the 20th century, Georgia's economy was governed by the Soviet command model. Since the fall of the USSR in 1991, Georgia has seen major structural reform designed to transition to a free market economy. In 2006 Georgia's real GDP growth rate reached 8.8%, making Georgia one of the fastest growing economies in Eastern Europe.[16] The World Bank dubbed Georgia "the number one economic reformer in the world" because it has in one year improved from rank 112th to 37th in terms of ease of doing business.[17]

2006 estimates place Georgia's GDP (adjusted for purchasing power parity) at US$17.79 billion. Georgia's economy is becoming more dependent on services (now representing 54.8% of GDP), moving away from agricultural sector (17.7%).[16] After the Kremlin banned imports of Georgian wine to Russia, one of Georgia's biggest trading partners, and severed financial links, the Georgian lari's rate of inflation spiked to 10% in 2006.[18] However, the high inflation rate was offset in part by a high investment rate (30% of 2006 GDP) and the country maintained a solid credit in international market securities.

According to Ilia Chavchavadze, the founder of the National Bank, in order to increase wealth of the country, there must be economic freedom.[19] Georgia is becoming more integrated into the global trading network: its 2006 imports and exports account for 10% and 18% of GDP respectively.[16] Georgia's main imports are natural gas, oil products, machinery and parts, and transport equipment. However, the country also has sizable internal energy hydropower resources. In 2004, the Georgian Parliament voted to introduce a flat income tax pegged at 12%, which significantly increased tax collection, thereby reducing the government's formerly large budget deficits. Experts estimate that Georgia has in the past few years significantly reduced corruption, because Transparency International places Georgia at joint number 99th in the world in its 2006 Corruption Perceptions Index (with number 1 being considered the least corrupt nation).[20] This is a significant improvement on Georgia's 2005 Corruption Perceptions Index, where Georgia was rated joint 130th.

References

  1. ↑ Mitchell, Lincoln. "Georgia's Rose Revolution. (Brief Article) (Author Abstract)." Current History 103.675 (Oct 2004)
  2. ↑ Saakashvili, Mikheil. "The way forward: Georgia's democratic vision for the future. (after empire: Soviet Legacies)." Harvard International Review 28.1 (Spring 2006): 68(6)
  3. ↑ David Marshal Lang, History of Modern Georgia, London, 1962
  4. ↑ The Geographic Web Site www.worldatlas.com places Georgia in Europe as do many European sources, such as the BBC. The UN classification of world regions places Georgia in Western Asia as does the CIA World Factbook.
  5. ↑ David Marshall Lang, The Georgians, 1965
  6. ↑ Alasania, g. Twenty centuries of Christianity in Georgia. Library of Congress. Washington, DC
  7. ↑ Meyer, Karl E. Icebergs in the caucasus. 07-01-2001 World Policy Journal
  8. ↑ Theodor Dowling, Sketches of Georgian Church History, New York, 1912
  9. ↑ T. Dowling, The Scetches of History of the Georgian Church, 1912
  10. ↑ Republic of Georgian Wines, Select Wines LLC
  11. ↑ History of Wine I: The Ancients, Tynan Szvetecz, SavorEachGlass.com
  12. ↑ [1], New York Times
  13. ↑ Georgia on my mind, From Our Own Correspondent , BBC News Online, 30 December, 2000
  14. ↑ In Georgia, a Pilgrimage to the Cradle of Wine, CJ Chivers, New York Times Travel, October 8 2006
  15. ↑ National Museum of Georgia - [2]
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 CIA World Factbook - [3]
  17. ↑ World Bank Economy Rankings.
  18. ↑ See 2006 Russian ban of Moldovan and Georgian wines
  19. ↑ Chavchavadze, Ilia. "Novels and Poetry". Ch. IV
  20. ↑ Corruption Perceptions Index 2006
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