*Georgia, Economy
Overview:
Among the former Soviet republics, Georgia has been noted for its Black Sea
tourist industry, its large output of citrus fruits and tea, and 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). About 25% of the labor
force is employed in agriculture. 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 have been
delivered by pipeline from Azerbaijan to the port of Batumi for export and
local refining. Gas has been supplied in pipelines from Krasnodar and
Stavropol'. The dismantling of central economic controls has been delayed by
political factionalism, marked by bitter armed struggles. In early 1993 the
Georgian economy was operating at well less than half capacity due to
disruptions in fuel supplies and vital transportation links as a result of
conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, antigovernment activity in Western
Georgia, and Azerbaijani pressure against Georgian assistance for Armenia.
To restore economic viability, Georgia must establish domestic peace and
must maintain economic ties to the other former Soviet republics while
developing new links to the West.
National product:
GDP $NA
National product real growth rate:
-35% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
$NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
50% per month (January 1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
3% but large numbers of underemployed workers
Budget:
revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
$NA
commodities:
citrus fruits, tea, other agricultural products; diverse types of machinery;
ferrous and nonferrous metals; textiles
partners:
Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan (1992)
Imports: $NA
commodities:
machinery and parts, fuel, transport equipment, textiles
partners:
Russia, Ukraine (1992)
External debt:
$650 million (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate -50% (1992)
Electricity:
4,875,000 kW capacity; 15,800 million kWh produced, about 2,835 kWh per
capita (1992)
*Georgia, Economy
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
Agriculture:
accounted for 97% of former USSR citrus fruits and 93% of former USSR tea;
berries and grapes; sugar; vegetables, grains, potatoes; cattle, pigs,
sheep, goats, poultry; tobacco
Illicit drugs:
illicit producers of cannabis and opium; mostly for domestic consumption;
used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe
Economic aid:
NA
Currency:
coupons introduced in April 1993 to be followed by introduction of the lari
at undetermined future date; Russian ruble remains official currency until
introduction of the lari
Exchange rates:
rubles per US$1 - 415 (24 December 1992) but subject to wide fluctuations
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)
Pipelines:
crude oil 370 km, refined products 300 km, natural gas 440 km (1992)
Ports:
coastal - Batumi, Poti, Sukhumi
Merchant marine: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 658,192 GRT/1,014,056 DWT; includes 16
bulk cargo, 30 oil tanker, and 1 specialized liquid carrier
Airports:
total:
37
useable:
26
with permanent-surface runways:
19
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
10
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
9
Telecommunications:
poor telephone service; as of 1991, 672,000 republic telephone lines
providing 12 lines per 100 persons; 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;
international electronic mail and telex service established
Note:
transportation network is disrupted by ethnic conflict, criminal activities,
and fuel shortages
*Georgia, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, National Guard, Interior Ministry Troops
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 1,338,606; fit for military service 1,066,309; reach
military age (18) annually 43,415 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GNP
Note:
Georgian forces are poorly organized and not fully under the government's
control
*Germany, Geography
Location:
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea between France and Poland
Map references:
Arctic Region, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
356,910 km2
land area:
349,520 km2
comparative area:
slightly smaller than Montana
note:
includes the formerly separate Federal Republic of Germany, the German
Democratic Republic, and Berlin following formal unification on 3 October
1990
Land boundaries:
total 3,621 km, Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 646 km,
Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577 km, Poland
456 km, Switzerland 334 km
Coastline:
2,389 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
200 m depth or to depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
3 nm in North Sea and Schleswig-Holstein coast of Baltic Sea (extends, at
one point, to 16 nm in the Helgolander Bucht); 12 nm in remainder of Baltic
Sea
International disputes:
none
Climate:
temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional
warm, tropical foehn wind; high relative humidity
Terrain:
lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
Natural resources:
iron ore, coal, potash, timber, lignite, uranium, copper, natural gas, salt,
nickel
Land use:
arable land:
34%
permanent crops:
1%
meadows and pastures:
16%
forest and woodland:
30%
other:
19%
Irrigated land:
4,800 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
air and water pollution; groundwater, lakes, and air quality in eastern
Germany are especially bad; significant deforestation in the eastern
mountains caused by air pollution and acid rain