General Information

Capital:

Tbilisi 1,268,000 (1990 est.)

Area:

69,700 sq km (26,900 sq mi)

Form of government

Republic with unicameral legislature

GDP per capita

Purchasing power parity-$2,300 (1999 est.)

Population

5,066,499 (July 1999 est.)

Ethnic composition

Georgian - 70.1%

Armenian - 8.1%

Russian - 6.3%

Azeri - 5.7%

Ossetian - 3%

Abkhaz - 1.8%

Greeks - 1.9%

Ukrainian - 0.7%

Kurds - 0.6%

Jews - 0.5%

Other - 0.3%

There are 94 nationalities in the country. Approximately 90% of Armenians live in the Javakheti region, which borders on Armenia. The Azerbaijanis live predominantly in Kvemo Kartli, with a population varying from 42% to 85% in different districts of the region, which borders with Azerbaijan. Ossetians occupy the former South Ossetian Autonomous region and they make up 66% of the population. Abkhazians live in the Abkhazian Autonomous Republic and Greeks in the Tsalka District. Chechen and Avarian minorities live near the border of Dagestan and Chechnia.

Other ethnic and linguistic minorities are dispersed and comprise small compact settlements in some regions. All minorities have their historical homeland with their own state system except for the Assyrians and in part the Kurds.

Note: data from 1989 census

Official Language(s)

The State Language of Georgia is Georgian; however, in Abkhazia the State Language is Abkhazian.

Minority Language(s)

Russian, Armenian, Azeri, Abkhaz (official in Abkhazia), others

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