Facts about Georgia: history, symbols, numbers
Where Georgia is and which countries it borders, how many people live here, what time it is in Tbilisi, what the flag and coat of arms show and who founded Tbilisi.
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What happened to Abkhazia, and what is its status under Georgian law?
In Soviet times Abkhazia was an autonomous republic within the Georgian SSR, and after the armed conflict of 1992-1993 the Georgian authorities lost control of it.
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What time is it in Tbilisi and Batumi, and what is the difference with Moscow?
All of Georgia, including Tbilisi and Batumi, is on one time zone, UTC+4, one hour ahead of Moscow.
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How big is Georgia, and which is larger: Georgia, Armenia or Azerbaijan?
Georgia covers about 69,700 square kilometres.
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How old is Batumi?
A settlement has existed on Batumi's site since antiquity; the ancient Greeks called the harbour Bathys, meaning 'deep'.
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Who were Queen Tamar, Shota Rustaveli and other heroes of Georgian history?
Queen Tamar ruled Georgia in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, the country's golden age, and the poet Shota Rustaveli lived at her court and wrote 'The Knight in the Panther's Skin'.
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Where was Stalin born, and how is he viewed in Georgia?
Joseph Stalin, born Dzhugashvili, was born in 1878 in the town of Gori in Georgia.
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How do Georgians differ from Armenians?
Georgians and Armenians are different peoples with different languages: Georgian is Kartvelian and Armenian Indo-European, and each has its own ancient alphabet.
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When did Georgia leave the USSR and become independent?
Georgia restored its independence on 9 April 1991, when the Supreme Council adopted the Act of Restoration of State Independence following the referendum of 31 March 1991.
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How many regions and cities does Georgia have?
Georgia is divided into 9 regions, 2 autonomous republics, Adjara and Abkhazia, and the capital Tbilisi, which has a separate status.
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How old is Tbilisi?
Tbilisi was founded in the 5th century AD and is more than 1,500 years old.
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When did Georgia emerge, and how old is it?
The first Georgian states, Colchis in the west and Iberia, or Kartli, in the east, emerged in the first millennium BC, more than 2,500 years ago.
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When and why did Georgia become part of the Russian Empire?
In 1783 the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti signed the Treaty of Georgievsk with Russia, seeking protection from Persia and the Ottoman Empire.
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What does the name Tbilisi mean, and how is it spelled?
The name Tbilisi comes from the Georgian word tbili, warm, after the sulfur springs where, according to legend, the city was founded.
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How many people live in Georgia?
According to the 2024 census, Georgia has just under 4 million people, about 6 percent more than in 2014.
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What happened between Georgia and Russia in August 2008?
From 7 to 12 August 2008 Georgia and Russia fought a war, often called the five-day war, which began around South Ossetia, known in Georgia as the Tskhinvali region.
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What is Georgia famous for, and what is it like?
Georgia is famous for wine with an eight-thousand-year history, food such as khachapuri and khinkali, hospitality and the supra feast, as well as the Caucasus mountains, ancient churches and polyphonic singing.