Georgia is a country of outstanding natural beauty located right at the edge of Europe to the east of the Black Sea and beneath the Caucasus Mountains. It is a country with a long and fascinating history and one steeped in myths and legend. Like its neighbour Armenia, Georgia adopted Christianity in the 4th century and the country is filled with ancient and impressive churches and monasteries in spectacular locations. The elaborate cave towns of Uplistikhe and Varzdia and the towerhouses of the Upper Svaneti add to its historical heritage. Add to that the charming and well preserved capital of Tbilisi and the Georgia's reputation for hospitality, good food and wine and you've got a great travel destination. Explore in depth highlights of Georgia.
| Tours | Unesco WHS | Guidebooks |
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| groups tours with set departures |
World Heritage Sites | country, regions and cities |
| Time zone: | GMT +4 (Georgian standard time) | Daylight savings: None |
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| Main languages: | Georgian |
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| Other languages: | Abkhaz, Armenian, Azeri, Russian |
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| Currency: |
laris (GEL) €1 = GEL2.55, $1 = GEL2.29, £1 = GEL3.00 (rates as of Sep 2016) |
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| Internet Domain: | .ge | International Dialling Code: 995 |
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For help planning your trip to Georgia including visas, vaccinations, currency exchange, flights, accomodation and insurance, see our Georgia trip planning page.
Further information on Georgia
Discover more about Georgia - the country's geogrpahy and natural features, an assessment of its status on freedom and rights and data on the country's population and economy.
Geography & Natural Features
Total area: 69,700 sq km (0 sq km under water)
Coastline: 310 km (landlocked)
Neighbours (border lengths): Armenia (164km), Azerbaijan (322km), Russia (723km), Turkey (252km)
Climate: Climate varies with landscape. Subtropical in the Black Sea coastal region hot summers, cool winters and high rainfall year round. Hot summers and cold winters in the east. Mountain regions are warm and clear in the summer and very cold in the winter with heavy snowfall.
Highest mountain: Mt'a Shkhara (5,201m)
Freedom & Rights
Summary status and rankings for Georgia from classifications of different organisations measuring political and economic freedom, democracy and civil rights. See more details of these rankings.
| Index | Status | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Freedom in the World | Partly Free | - |
 | Democracy Index | Hybrid regime | 81/167 |
 | Economic Freedom | Mostly Free | 22/179 |
 | Press Freedom | Noticeable problems | 68/179 |
 | ILGA LGBT rights | Some rights | - |
 | Corruption Perceptions | Low corruption | 50/174 |
| Overall Ranking: | 54/195 | ||
Other Data & Links
Status: Independent Country
Population: 4,935,880 (rank: 120/196) Density: 70.8 people/sq km (rank: 109/196)
Ethnic groups: Georgian 83.8%, Azeri 6.5%, Armenian 5.7%, Russian 1.5%, other 2.5% (2002 census)
Religions: Orthodox Christian 83.9%, Muslim 9.9%, Armenian-Gregorian 3.9%, Catholic 0.8%, other 0.8%, none 0.7% (2002 census)
GDP (PPP): $27.3 billion GDP per capita: $6,100 (rank: 123/195)
Information derived from the CIA World Factbook. Other country profiles: BBC News.