Long-form name:
Republic of Georgia
Type:
republic
Capital:
T'bilisi (Tbilisi)
Administrative divisions:
2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika);
Abkhazia (Sukhumi), Ajaria (Batumi); note - the administrative centers of
the autonomous republics are included in parentheses; there are no oblasts -
the rayons around T'bilisi are under direct republic jurisdiction; also
included is the South Ossetia Autonomous Oblast
Independence:
9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union); formerly Georgian Soviet Socialist
Republic
Constitution:
adopted NA, effective NA
Legal system:
NA
National holiday:
Independence Day, 9 April 1991
Executive branch:
State Council, chairman of State Council, Council of Ministers, prime
minister
Legislative branch:
unicameral Supreme Soviet
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Chairman of State Council Eduard SHEVARDNADZE (since March 1992)
Head of Government:
Acting Prime Minister Tengiz SIGUA (since January 1992); First Deputy Prime
Minister Otar KVILITAYA (since January 1992); First Deputy Prime Minister
Tengiz KITOVANI (since March 1992)
Political parties and leaders:
All-Georgian Merab Kostava Society, Vazha ADAMIA, chairman; All-Georgian
Tradionalists' Union, Akakiy ASATIANI, chairman; Georgian National Front -
Radical Union, Ruslan GONGADZE, chairman; Social-Democratic Party, Guram
MUCHAIDZE, chairman; All-Georgian Rustaveli Society, Akakiy BAKRADZE,
chairman; Georgian Monarchists' Party, Teymur JORJOLIANI, chairman; Georgian
Popular Front, Nodar NATADZE, chairman; National Democratic Party, Georgiy
CHANTURIA, chairman; National Independence Party, Irakliy TSERETELI,
chairman; Charter 1991 Party, Tedo PAATASHVILI, chairman; Democratic Georgia
Party, Georgiy SHENGELAYA, Chairman
Suffrage:
universal at age 18
Elections:
Georgian Parliament:
last held November 1990; results - 7-party coalition Round Table - Free
Georgia 62%, other 38%; seats - (250) Round Table - Free Georgia 155, other
95
President:
Zviad GAMSAKHURDIYA, 87% of vote
Other political or pressure groups:
NA
Member of:
CSCE, IMF, World Bank
:Georgia Government
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador NA, Chancery at NA NW, Washington, DC 200__; telephone (202) NA
US:
Ambassador NA; Embassy at NA (mailing address is APO New York 09862)
Flag:
maroon field with small rectangle in upper left corner; rectangle divided
horizontally with black on top, white below
:Georgia Economy
Overview:
Among the former Soviet republics, Georgia is noted for its Black Sea
tourist industry, its large output of citrus fruits and tea, and the amazing
diversity of an industrial sector that accounted, however, for less than 2%
of the USSR's output. Another salient characteristic of the economy has been
a flourishing private sector (compared with the other republics). Almost 30%
of the labor force is employed in agriculture and 18% in industry. Mineral
resources consist of manganese and copper, and, to a lesser extent,
molybdenum, arsenic, tungsten, and mercury. Except for very small quantities
of domestic oil, gas, and coal, fuel must be imported from neighboring
republics. Oil and its products are delivered by pipeline from Azerbaijan to
the port of Batumi for export and local refining. Gas is supplied in
pipelines from Krasnodar and Stavropol'. Georgia is nearly self-sufficient
in electric power, thanks to abundant hydropower stations as well as some
thermal power stations. The dismantling of central economic controls is
being delayed by political factionalism, marked by armed struggles between
the elected government and the opposition, and industrial output seems to
have fallen more steeply in Georgia in 1991 than in any other of the former
Soviet republics. To prevent further economic decline, Georgia must
establish domestic peace and must maintain economic ties to the other former
Soviet republics while developing new links to the West.
GDP:
purchasing power equivalent - $NA; per capita $NA; real growth rate - 23%
(1991)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
approximately 90% (1991)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
million (1991)
Exports:
$176 million (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
citrus fruits, tea, other agricultural products; diverse types of machinery;
ferrous and nonferrous metals; textiles
partners:
NA
Imports:
$1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
machinery and parts, fuel, transport equipment, textiles
partners:
NA
External debt:
$650 million (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate - 19% (1991)
Electricity:
4,575,000 kW capacity; 15,300 million kWh produced, about 2,600 kWh per
capita (1991)
Industries:
Heavy industrial products include raw steel, rolled steel, cement, lumber;
machine tools, foundry equipment, electric mining locomotives, tower cranes,
electric welding equipment, machinery for food preparation, meat packing,
dairy, and fishing industries; air-conditioning electric motors up to 100 kW
in size, electric motors for cranes, magnetic starters for motors; devices
for control of industrial processes; trucks, tractors, and other farm
machinery; light industrial products, including cloth, hosiery, and shoes
:Georgia Economy
Agriculture:
accounted for 97% of former USSR citrus fruits and 93% of former USSR tea;
berries and grapes; sugar; vegetables, grains, and potatoes; cattle, pigs,
sheep, goats, and poultry
Illicit drugs:
illicit producers of cannabis and opium; mostly for domestic consumption;
status of government eradication programs unknown; used as transshipment
points for illicit drugs to Western Europe
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $NA billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-86), $NA million;
Communist countries (1971-86), $NA million
Currency:
as of May 1992, retaining ruble as currency
Exchange rates:
NA
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:Georgia Communications
Railroads:
1,570 km, does not include industrial lines (1990)
Highways:
33,900 km total; 29,500 km hard surfaced, 4,400 km earth (1990)
Inland waterways:
NA km perennially navigable
Pipelines:
crude oil NA km, refined products NA km, natural gas NA km
Ports:
maritime - Batumi, Poti; inland - NA
Merchant marine:
54 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 715,802 GRT/1,108,068 DWT; includes 16
bulk cargo, 34 oil tanker, 2 chemical tanker, and 2 specialized liquid
carrier
Civil air:
NA major transport aircraft
Airports:
NA total, NA usable; NA with permanent-surface runways; NA with runways over
3,659 m; NA with runways 2,440-3,659 m; NA with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
poor telephone service; 339,000 unsatisfied applications for telephones (31
January 1992); international links via landline to CIS members and Turkey;
low capacity satellite earth station and leased international connections
via the Moscow international gateway switch
:Georgia Defense Forces