Georgia (republic) (in Georgian, Sakartvelo), republic in the Transcaucasia region of western Asia, bordered by the Black Sea on the west, Russia on the north, and Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Turkey on the south. Formerly the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), Georgia includes two autonomous republics—Abkhazia and Ajaria—and one autonomous region—South Ossetia. Tbilisi is the capital and largest city.
POPULATION
The population of Georgia is 4,909,633 (2004 estimate), which gives a population density of 70 people per sq km (182 per sq mi), concentrated mainly along the coast of the Black Sea and in river valleys, especially the valley of the Kura River. The population is made up of nearly a hundred different ethnic groups. Georgians comprise the largest group with about 70 per cent of the population, followed by Armenians (9 per cent), Russians (7.4 per cent), and Azeris (5.1 per cent). Large numbers of Ossetians, Greeks, and Abkhazians also reside in the republic.
LANGUAGE
Georgian, a South Caucasian language, is the country’s official language, spoken by about three-quarters of the population as a mother tongue. It has its own unique script, called Mkhedruli. Around 500,000 Margaluri people speak a South Caucasian language, Mingrelian, while a North Caucasian language, Abkhaz, is a mother tongue for around 100,000. Osetin, an Indo-Iranian language written in the Cyrillic script, is spoken by 164,000. Other, mainly South Caucasian, indigenous languages are spoken, as well as many immigrant languages including Armenian, Russian, and North Azerbaijani.
RELIGION
The predominant religion is Orthodox Christianity, although some groups adhere to Islam, including the Azeris, Kurds, and Adzhars (ethnic Georgians who were converted to Islam under Turkish rule). Judaism is also practised.
POPULATION
The population of Georgia is 4,909,633 (2004 estimate), which gives a population density of 70 people per sq km (182 per sq mi), concentrated mainly along the coast of the Black Sea and in river valleys, especially the valley of the Kura River. The population is made up of nearly a hundred different ethnic groups. Georgians comprise the largest group with about 70 per cent of the population, followed by Armenians (9 per cent), Russians (7.4 per cent), and Azeris (5.1 per cent). Large numbers of Ossetians, Greeks, and Abkhazians also reside in the republic.
LANGUAGE
Georgian, a South Caucasian language, is the country’s official language, spoken by about three-quarters of the population as a mother tongue. It has its own unique script, called Mkhedruli. Around 500,000 Margaluri people speak a South Caucasian language, Mingrelian, while a North Caucasian language, Abkhaz, is a mother tongue for around 100,000. Osetin, an Indo-Iranian language written in the Cyrillic script, is spoken by 164,000. Other, mainly South Caucasian, indigenous languages are spoken, as well as many immigrant languages including Armenian, Russian, and North Azerbaijani.
RELIGION
The predominant religion is Orthodox Christianity, although some groups adhere to Islam, including the Azeris, Kurds, and Adzhars (ethnic Georgians who were converted to Islam under Turkish rule). Judaism is also practised.
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