| Country name | conventional long form: none conventional short form: Georgia local long form: none local short form: Sak'art'velo former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic etymology: the Western name may derive from the Persian designation "gurgan" meaning "Land of the Wolves"; the native name "Sak'art'velo" means "Land of the Kartvelians" and refers to the core central Georgian region of Kartli |
| Government type | semi-presidential republic |
| Capital | name: Tbilisi geographic coordinates: 41 41 N, 44 50 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: the name in Georgian means "warm place," referring to the numerous sulfuric hot springs in the area |
| Administrative divisions | 9 regions (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 1 city (kalaki), and 2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika) regions: Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta Mtianeti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli; note - the breakaway region of South Ossetia consists of the northern part of Shida Kartli, eastern slivers of the Imereti region and Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, and part of western Mtskheta-Mtianeti city: Tbilisi autonomous republics: Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is Avtonomiuri Respublika (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika (Bat'umi) note 1: the administrative centers of the two autonomous republics are shown in parentheses note 2: the United States recognizes the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia to be part of Georgia |
| Independence | 9 April 1991 (from the Soviet Union); notable earlier date: A.D. 1008 (Georgia unified under King BAGRAT III) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 26 May (1918); note - 26 May 1918 was the date of independence from Soviet Russia, 9 April 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union |
| Constitution | history: previous 1921, 1978 (based on 1977 Soviet Union constitution); latest approved 24 August 1995, effective 17 October 1995 amendments: proposed as a draft law supported by more than one half of the Parliament membership or by petition of at least 200,000 voters; passage requires support by at least three fourths of the Parliament membership in two successive sessions three months apart and the signature and promulgation by the president of Georgia; amended several times, last in 2020 (legislative electoral system revised) |
| Legal system | civil law system |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Georgia dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Salome ZOURABICHVILI (since 16 December 2018) head of government: Prime Minister Irakli GARIBASHVILI (since 22 February 2021) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28 November 2018 (next to be held in 2024); prime minister nominated by Parliament, appointed by the president note - 2017 constitutional amendments made the 2018 election the last where the president was directly elected; future presidents will be elected by a 300-member College of Electors; in light of these changes, ZOURABICHVILI was allowed a six-year term election results: Salome ZOURABICHVILI elected president in runoff; percent of vote - Salome ZOURABICHVILI (independent, backed by Georgian Dream) 59.5%, Grigol VASHADZE (UNM) 40.5%; Irakli GARIBASHVILI approved as prime minister by Parliamentary vote 89-2 |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral Parliament or Sakartvelos Parlamenti (150 seats; 120 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed, party-list proportional representation vote and 30 directly elected in single-seat constituencies by at least 50% majority vote, with a runoff if needed; no party earning less than 40% of total votes may claim a majority; members serve 4-year terms) elections: last held on 31 October and 21 November 2020 (next to be held in October 2024) election results: percent of vote by party - Georgian Dream 48.2%, UNM 27.2%, European Georgia 3.8%, Lelo 3.2%, Strategy 3.2%, Alliance of Patriots 3.1%, Girchi 2.9%, Citizens 1.3%, Labor 1%; seats by party - Georgian Dream 90, UNM 36, European Georgia 5, Lelo 4, Strategy 4, Alliance of Patriots 4, Girchi 4, Citizens 2, Labor 1 |
| Judicial branch | highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of 28 judges organized into several specialized judicial chambers; number of judges determined by the president of Georgia); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges); note - the Abkhazian and Ajarian Autonomous republics each have a supreme court and a hierarchy of lower courts judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by the High Council of Justice (a 14-member body consisting of the Supreme Court chairperson, common court judges, and appointees of the president of Georgia) and appointed by Parliament; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Court judges appointed 3 each by the president, by Parliament, and by the Supreme Court judges; judges appointed for 10-year terms subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; regional (town) and district courts |
| Political parties and leaders | Alliance of Patriots [Irma INASHVILI] Democratic Movement-United Georgia [Nino BURJANADZE] Citizens Party Development Movement [Davit USPASHVILI] European Georgia-Movement for Liberty [Davit BAKRADZE] For Justice Party [Eka BESELIA] Free Democrats or FD [Shalva SHAVGULIDZE] Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia [Bidzina IVANISHVILI] Girchi (Pinecone) [Zurab JAPARIDZE] Industry Will Save Georgia (Industrialists) or IWSG [Giorgi TOPADZE] Labor Party [Shalva NATELASHVILI] Lelo for Georgia [Mamuka KHAZARADZE] New Georgia [Giorgi VASHADZE] Republican Party [Khatuna SAMNIDZE] Strategy Aghmashenebeli [Giorgi VASHADZE] United National Movement or UNM [Grigol VASHADZE] |
| International organization participation | ADB, BSEC, CD, CE, CPLP (associate), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-11, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador David BAKRADZE (since 18 January 2017) chancery: 1824 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 387-2390 FAX: [1] (202) 387-0864 email address and website: embgeo.usa@mfa.gov.ge https://georgiaembassyusa.org/contact/ consulate(s) general: New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Kelly C. DEGNAN (since 31 January 2020) embassy: 11 Georgian-American Friendship Avenue, Didi Dighomi, Tbilisi, 0131 mailing address: 7060 Tbilisi Place, Washington, DC 20521-7060 telephone: [995] (32) 227-70-00 FAX: [995] (32) 253-23-10 email address and website: askconsultbilisi@state.gov https://ge.usembassy.gov/ |
| Flag description | white rectangle with a central red cross extending to all four sides of the flag; each of the four quadrants displays a small red bolnur-katskhuri cross; sometimes referred to as the Five-Cross Flag; although adopted as the official Georgian flag in 2004, the five-cross design is based on a 14th century banner of the Kingdom of Georgia |
| National symbol(s) | Saint George, lion; national colors: red, white |
| National anthem | name: "Tavisupleba" (Liberty) lyrics/music: Davit MAGRADSE/Zakaria PALIASHVILI (adapted by Joseb KETSCHAKMADSE) note: adopted 2004; after the Rose Revolution, a new anthem with music based on the operas "Abesalom da Eteri" and "Daisi" was adopted |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
