Georgia
Asia · Western Asia
Overview
Georgia lies in the southern Caucasus on the Black Sea coast, bordered by Russia, Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The country has one of the world's oldest winemaking traditions, with archaeological evidence indicating that grape cultivation and winemaking have taken place in Georgia for about 8,000 years; the traditional fermentation method using clay vessels called qvevri has been recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2013. Georgia adopted Christianity as early as the 4th century, making it one of the oldest Christian states in the world. The official language is Georgian, which has its own unique writing system, unrelated to either the Indo-European or Slavic language families.
Tbilisi, the capital, with the Metekhi Church and the narrow streets of its old town, along with the Abanotubani district known for its sulfur baths, reflects a blend of Caucasus and Middle Eastern influences. The town of Mtskheta, Georgia's former capital, home to Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and Jvari Monastery, early monuments of Georgian Christianity, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994. The Svaneti region, high in the Caucasus mountains, known for its distinctive stone defensive towers (koshki) built for medieval protection, is also on the UNESCO list. Batumi, a resort city on the Black Sea, with modern skyscrapers and a botanical garden, is a hub of coastal tourism.
The Georgian stretch of the Caucasus, including the Kazbegi region with Mount Kazbek rising above 5,000 meters, offers excellent terrain for mountain hiking, with the Gergeti Trinity Church at the mountain's base among the country's most frequently photographed sights. Georgia's wine regions, including Kakheti, home to the country's longest-standing winemaking tradition, have grown increasingly popular among wine tourists thanks to traditional qvevri wines. The cave monastery complex of Vardzia, carved into a cliff face in the 12th century, preserves the memory of medieval Georgian monastic life across several hundred rooms. Local cuisine is built around khachapuri, a cheese-filled bread, and khinkali, spiced meat dumplings, traditionally served with Georgian wine.
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UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Browse all UNESCO sites →Gelati Monastery
Founded in 1106 in the west of Georgia, the Monastery of Gelati is a masterpiece of the Golden Age of medieval Georgia, a period of political strength and economic growth between the 11th and 13th centuries. It is characterized by the facades of smoothly hewn large blocks, balanced proportions and blind arches for exterior decoration. The Gelati monastery, one of the largest medieval Orthodox monasteries, was also a centre of science and education and the Academy it housed was one of the most important centres of culture in ancient Georgia.
Historical Monuments of Mtskheta
The historic churches of Mtskheta, former capital of Georgia, are outstanding examples of medieval religious architecture in the Caucasus. They show the high artistic and cultural level attained by this ancient kingdom.
Upper Svaneti
Preserved by its long isolation, the Upper Svaneti region of the Caucasus is an exceptional example of mountain scenery with medieval-type villages and tower-houses. The village of Chazhashi still has more than 200 of these very unusual houses, which were used both as dwellings and as defence posts against the invaders who plagued the region.
Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands
The property comprises seven component parts, within an 80km long corridor along the warm-temperate and extremely humid eastern coast of the Black Sea. They provide a series of the most typical Colchic ecosystems at altitudes ranging from sea level to more than 2,500 metres above it. The main ecosystems are ancient deciduous Colchic rainforests and wetlands, percolation bogs and other mire types of the distinct Colchic mire region. The extremely humid broad-leaved rainforests comprise a highly diverse flora and fauna, with very high densities of endemic and relict species, with significant numbers of globally threatened species and relict species, which survived the glacial cycles of the Tertiary. The site is home to approximately 1,100 species of vascular and non-vascular plants, including 44 threatened vascular plan species, and almost 500 species of vertebrates, and a high number of invertebrate species. The site also harbours 19 threatened animal species including sturgeon, notably the critically endangered Colchic Sturgeon. It is a key stopover for many globally threatened birds that migrate through the Batumi bottleneck.
Data: UNESCO WHC · CC BY-SA 4.0
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Georgia?
The capital of Georgia is Tbilisi.
What is the area of Georgia?
The area of Georgia is 69,700 km².
What is the population of Georgia?
The population of Georgia is 3,699,557.
What is the currency of Georgia?
The currency of Georgia is lari (GEL).
What is the official language of Georgia?
The official language of Georgia: Georgian.
What side of the road does Georgia drive on?
Georgia: Right-hand traffic.
Is Georgia a member of the United Nations?
Yes, Georgia is a member of the United Nations.