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
Government type:
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)
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
city:
Tbilisi
autonomous republics:
Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is Avtonomiuri Respublika (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika (Bat'umi)
note:
the administrative centers of the two autonomous republics are shown in parentheses
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:
previous 1921, 1978 (based on 1977 Soviet Union constitution); latest approved 24 August 1995, effective 17 October 1995; amended several times, last in 2013 (2013)
Legal system:
civil law system
International law organization participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
[see also: Suffrage country ranks ]
:
chief of state:
President Giorgi MARGVELASHVILI (since 17 November 2013)
head of government:
Prime Minister Irakli GARIBASHVILI (since 20 November 2013)
cabinet:
Cabinet of Ministers
elections:
president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 27 October 2013 (next to be held in October 2018)
election results:
Giorgi MARGVELASHVILI elected president; percent of vote - Giorgi MARGVELASHVILI 62.1%, Davit BAKRADZE 21.7%, Nino BURJANADZE 10.2%, other 6%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Parlamenti (150 seats; 77 members elected by proportional representation, 73 elected in single-member constituencies; members to serve four-year terms)
elections:
last held on 1 October 2012 (next to be held in 2016)
election results:
percent of vote by party - Georgian Dream 55%, United National Movement 40.3%, other 4.7%; seats by party - Georgian Dream 85, United National Movement 65
Judicial branch:
highest court(s):
Supreme Court (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 president and appointed by the Parliament; judges serve not less than 10-year terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the president following candidate selection by the Justice Council of Georgia, a 12-member consultative body of high-level judges, and presidential and parliamentary appointees; judges appointed for 10-year terms
subordinate courts:
Courts of Appeal; regional (town) and district courts
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Movement [Giorgi AKHVELDIANI]
Conservative Party [Zviad DZIDZIGURI]
European Democrats [Paata DAVITAIA]
For Fair Georgia [Zurab NOGAIDELI]
Free Georgia [Kakha KUKAVA]
Georgian Dream (a six-party coalition composed of Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia, Republican Party, Our Georgia-Free Democrats, National Forum, Conservative Party, and Industry Will Save Georgia)
Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia [Irakli GARIBASHVILI]
Georgian People's Front [Nodar NATADZE]
Georgian Troupe [Jondi BAGHTURIA]
Industry Will Save Georgia (Industrialists) or IWSG [Georgi TOPADZE]
Labor Party [Shalva NATELASHVILI]
National Democratic Party or NDP [Bachuki KARDAVA]
National Forum [Kakhaber SHARTAVA]
New Rights [Pikria CHIKHRADZE]
Our Georgia-Free Democrats (OGFD) [Irakli KADAGIDZE]
People's Party [Koba DAVITASHVILI
Republican Party [Khatuna SAMNIDZE]
Traditionalists [Akaki ASATIANI]
United National Movement or UNM [Vano MERABISHVILI]
Political pressure groups and leaders: separatists in the Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
International organization participation:
ADB, BSEC, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-11, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), 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 Archil GEGESHIDZE (since 12 April 2013)
chancery:
2209 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 387-2390
FAX:
[1] (202) 387-0864
consulate(s) general:
New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Richard NORLAND (since 25 July 2012)
embassy:
11 George Balanchine Street, T'bilisi 0131
mailing address:
7060 T'bilisi Place, Washington, DC 20521-7060
telephone:
[995] (32) 227-70-00
FAX:
[995] (32) 253-23-10
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 appears to date back to the 14th century
National symbol(s):
Saint George; lion
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