Interesting facts about Georgia

georgia flag

Georgia is a country located at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia, and generally considered to be part of Europe.

The official name is Georgia.

Bounded to the west by the Black Sea, Georgia is bordered to the north and northeast by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan.

The official language is Georgian.

As of 1 January 2016, the population of Georgia was estimated to be 3,968,523 people.

Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia. Its mazelike, cobblestoned old town reflects a long, complicated history, with periods under Persian and Russian rule. Its diverse architecture encompasses Eastern Orthodox churches, art nouveau buildings with ornate balconies and Soviet Modernist structures.

tbilisi

Georgia is a land with a magnificent history and unparalleled natural beauty.

Geographically, Georgia is very mountainous with the exceptions of the Black Sea coast and the valley running east and west across the center of the country.

The highest mountain in Georgia is Mount Shkhara at 5,193 meters (17,040 feet) above sea level.

mt. shkhara

The coastline of Georgia is 310 kilometers (193 miles) long.

Forests cover around 40% of Georgia’s territory.

georgia forest

Forest regions are characterized by wild boars, deer, bears, lynx, wolves, foxes, jackals, hares, and squirrels.

Georgian Protected Areas include: 14 Strict Nature Reserves, 9 National Parks, 17 Managed Nature Reserves, 14 Natural Monuments and 2 Protected Landscapes ; which amounts to approximately 7% of the country’s territory.

Georgia has a long history of establishing Protected Areas dating back to 1912 when the Lagodekhi Strict Nature Reserve was created.

The Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park is located in central Georgia and is part of the Caucasian upland region (Smaller Caucasus). The park is one of the largest in Europe – it covers more than 76,000 hectares of native forest and sub-alpine and alpine meadows, home to rare species of flora and fauna.

borjomi-kharagauli national park

With a staggering depth of 2,197 meters (7,208 feet), Krubera Cave (also known as Voronya or Voronja Cave) is the deepest known cave in the world. Located in the Arabika Massif, of the Western Caucasus in Abkhazia, Georgia, it extends for 13.432 kilometers (8,346 miles.)

krubera cave

Vardzia is a cave monastery site in southern Georgia, excavated from the slopes of the Erusheti Mountain on the left bank of the Kura River. The main period of construction was the second half of the twelfth century. The caves stretch along the cliff for some five hundred metres and in up to nineteen tiers. The Church of the Dormition dating to the 1180s.

vardzia

Narikala Fortress also called the Mother Fortress of Tbilisi, Narikala is an ancient symbol of Tbilisi’s defence. The fortress was established in the 4th century, around the period when the city itself was founded. On the lower court there is the recently restored St Nicholas church. Newly built in 1996–1997, it replaces the original 13th-century church that was destroyed in a fire.

narikala fortress

The Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral located in the historic town of Mtskheta, Georgia, to the northwest of the Georgian capital Tbilisi. A masterpiece of the Early Middle Ages, Svetitskhoveli is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

svetitskhoveli cathedral

The Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi commonly known as Sameba is the main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church located in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Constructed between 1995 and 2004, it is the third-tallest Eastern Orthodox cathedral in the world and one of the largest religious buildings in the world by total area.

holy trinity cathedral of tbilisi

Gergeti Trinity Church is a popular name for Holy Trinity Church near the village of Gergeti in Georgia. The church is situated on the right bank of the river Chkheri, at an elevation of 2170 meters, under Mount Kazbegi. The Gergeti Trinity Church is built in the 14th century.

gergeti trinity church

Gelati is a medieval monastic complex near Kutaisi, in the Imereti region of western Georgia. A masterpiece of the Georgian Golden Age, Gelati was founded in 1106 by King David IV of Georgia and is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

gelati monastery

The Cathedral of the Dormition, or the Kutaisi Cathedral, more commonly known as Bagrati Cathedral, is an 11th-century cathedral in the city of Kutaisi, the Imereti region of Georgia. A masterpiece of the medieval Georgian architecture. That same year in 1994 Bagrati Cathedral, together with the Gelati Monastery, was included in UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list as a single entity.

bagrati cathedral

Uplistsikhe, whose name translates to ‘Fortress of the Lord‘, is an ancient rock-hewn town which played a significant role in Georgian history over a period of approximately 3,000 years. Archaeological excavations have revealed extraordinary artifacts dating from the late Bronze Age all the way up to the late Middle Ages.

uplistsikhe

Archaeologists found the oldest traces of wine production (6,000 BC) in Georgia.

Due to the many millennia of wine in Georgian history, and its key economical role, the traditions of its
viticulture are entwined and inseparable with the country’s national identity.

UNESCO added the ancient traditional Georgian winemaking method using the Kvevri clay jars to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.

There are just 14 independent alphabets in the world and Georgian is one of them.

The Georgian kingdom of Iberia converted to Christianity in 326 AD.

The Georgian cuisine is unique to the country, but also carries some influences from other European and nearby Middle Eastern culinary traditions. Each historical province of Georgia has its own distinct culinary tradition, with variations such as Megrelian, Kakhetian, and Imeretian cuisines. Heavy on meat dishes, the Georgian cuisine also offers a variety of vegetarian dishes.