Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/wfbook93_texi.lha/texi/88.data

Text File | 1995-03-27 | 11.8 KB | 406 lines

@node Header (Georgia)
@section Header (Georgia)

@display

Note:
  Georgia is currently besieged by conflicts driven by separatists in its
  Abkazian and South Ossetian enclaves, and supporters of ousted President
  GAMAKHURDIA control much of western Georgia



@end display

@node Geography (Georgia)
@section Geography (Georgia)

@display

Location:
  Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia
Map references:
  Africa, Asia, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  69,700 km2
 land area:
  69,700 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly larger than South Carolina
Land boundaries:
  total 1,461 km, Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km, Turkey 252
  km
Coastline:
  310 km
Maritime claims:
 note:
  12 nm in 1973 USSR-Turkish Protocol concerning the sea boundary between the
  two states in the Black Sea; Georgia claims the coastline along the Black
  Sea as its international waters, although it cannot control this area and
  the Russian navy and commercial ships transit freely
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast
Terrain:
  largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the north and Lesser
  Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhida Lowland opens to the Black Sea in
  the west; Kura River Basin in the east; good soils in river valley flood
  plains, foothills of Kolkhida lowland
Natural resources:   forest lands, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ores, copper, minor coal
  and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and
  citrus growth
Land use:
 arable land:
  NA%
 permanent crops:
  NA%
 meadows and pastures:
  NA%
 forest and woodland:
  NA%
 other:
  NA%
Irrigated land:
  4,660 km2 (1990)
Environment:
  air pollution, particularly in Rustavi; heavy pollution of Kura River, Black
  Sea



@end display

@node People (Georgia)
@section People (Georgia)

@display

Population:
  5,634,296 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  0.85% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  16.48 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  8.68 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) note - this data may be low
  because of movement of Ossetian, Russian, and Abkhaz refugees due to ongoing
  conflicts
Infant mortality rate:
  24.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  72.58 years
 male:
  68.89 years
 female:
  76.46 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  2.21 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Georgian(s)
 adjective:
  Georgian
Ethnic divisions:
  Georgian 70.1%, Armenian 8.1%, Russian 6.3%, Azeri 5.7%, Ossetian 3%, Abkhaz
  1.8%, other 5%
Religions:   Georgian Orthodox 65%, Russian Orthodox 10%, Muslim 11%, Armenian Orthodox
  8%, unknown 6%
Languages:
  Armenian 7%, Azerbaijani 6%, Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, other 7%
Literacy:
  age 9-49 can read and write (1970)
 total population:
  100%
 male:
  100%
 female:
  100%
Labor force:
  2.763 million
 by occupation:
  industry and construction 31%, agriculture and forestry 25%, other 44%
  (1990)



@end display

@node Government (Georgia)
@section Government (Georgia)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Republic of Georgia
 conventional short form:
  Georgia
 local long form:
  Sakartvelo Respublika
 local short form:
  Sakartvelo
 former:
  Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
Digraph:
  GG
Type:
  republic
Capital:
  T'bilisi (Tbilisi)
Administrative divisions:
  2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika);
  Abkhazia (Sukhumi), Ajaria (Batumi)
 note:
  the administrative centers of the autonomous republics are included in
  parentheses; there are no oblasts - the rayons around T'bilisi are under
  direct republic jurisdiction; also included is the South Ossetia Autonomous
  Oblast
Independence:
  9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Constitution:
  adopted NA 1921; currently amending constitution for Parliamentary and
  popular review by late 1995
Legal system:
  based on civil law system
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 9 April 1991
Political parties and leaders:
  All-Georgian Merab Kostava Society, Vazha ADAMIA, chairman; All-Georgian
  Traditionalists' Union, Akakiy ASATIANI, chairman; Georgian National Front -
  Radical Union, Ruslan GONGADZE, chairman; Georgian Social Democratic Party,
  Guram MUCHAIDZE, chairman; Green Party, Zurab ZHVANIA, chairman;
  Monarchist-Conservative Party (MCP), Temur ZHORZHOLIANI, chairman; Georgian
  Popular Front (GPF), Nodar NATADZE, chairman; National Democratic Party
  (NDP), Georgi CHANTURIA, chairman; National Independence Party (NIP), Irakli
  TSERETELI and Irakli BATIASHVILI, chairmen; Charter 1991 Party, Tedo
  PAATASHVILI, chairman; Democratic Georgia Party, Georgiy SHENGELAYA,
  Chairman; Peace Bloc; Unity; October 11
Other political or pressure groups:
  supporters of ousted President GAMSAKHURDIA boycotted the October elections
  and remain an important source of opposition and instability
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Elections:
 Chairman of Parliament:
  last held NA October 1992 (next to be held NA); results - Eduard
  SHEVARDNADZE 95%



@end display

@node Government (Georgia 2. usage)
@section Government (Georgia 2. usage)

@display

 Georgian Parliament (Supreme Soviet):
  last held 11 October 1992 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by
  party NA; seats - (225 total) number of seats by party NA; note -
  representatives of 26 parties elected; Peace Bloc, October 11, Unity,
  National Democratic Party, and the Greens Party won the largest
  representation
Executive branch:
  chairman of Parliament, Council of Ministers, prime minister
Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Leaders:
 Chief of State:
  Chairman of Parliament Eduard Amvrosiyevich SHEVARDNADZE (since 10 March
  1992)
 Head of Government:
  Prime Minister Tengiz SIGUA (since NA January 1992); First Deputy Prime
  Minister Roman GOTSIRIDZE (since NA); Deputy Prime Ministers Aleksandr
  KAVADZE, Avtandil MARGIANI, Zurab KERVALISHVILI (since NA)
Member of:
  BSEC, CSCE, EBRD, IBRD, IMF, NACC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  NA
 chancery:
  NA
 telephone:
  NA
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:   Ambassador Kent N. BROWN
 embassy:
  #25 Antoneli Street, T'bilisi
 mailing address:
  APO AE 09862
 telephone:
  (7) 8832-74-46-23
Flag:
  maroon field with small rectangle in upper hoist side corner; rectangle
  divided horizontally with black on top, white below



@end display

@node Economy (Georgia)
@section Economy (Georgia)

@display

Overview:
  Among the former Soviet republics, Georgia has been noted for its Black Sea
  tourist industry, its large output of citrus fruits and tea, and an
  industrial sector that accounted, however, for less than 2% of the USSR's
  output. Another salient characteristic of the economy has been a flourishing
  private sector (compared with the other republics). About 25% of the labor
  force is employed in agriculture. Mineral resources consist of manganese and
  copper, and, to a lesser extent, molybdenum, arsenic, tungsten, and mercury.
  Except for very small quantities of domestic oil, gas, and coal, fuel must
  be imported from neighboring republics. Oil and its products have been
  delivered by pipeline from Azerbaijan to the port of Batumi for export and
  local refining. Gas has been supplied in pipelines from Krasnodar and
  Stavropol'. The dismantling of central economic controls has been delayed by
  political factionalism, marked by bitter armed struggles. In early 1993 the
  Georgian economy was operating at well less than half capacity due to
  disruptions in fuel supplies and vital transportation links as a result of
  conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, antigovernment activity in Western
  Georgia, and Azerbaijani pressure against Georgian assistance for Armenia.
  To restore economic viability, Georgia must establish domestic peace and
  must maintain economic ties to the other former Soviet republics while
  developing new links to the West.
National product:
  GDP $NA
National product real growth rate:
  -35% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
  $NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  50% per month (January 1993 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  3% but large numbers of underemployed workers
Budget:
  revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports:
  $NA
 commodities:
  citrus fruits, tea, other agricultural products; diverse types of machinery;
  ferrous and nonferrous metals; textiles
 partners:
  Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan (1992)
Imports:   $NA
 commodities:
  machinery and parts, fuel, transport equipment, textiles
 partners:
  Russia, Ukraine (1992)
External debt:
  $650 million (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate -50% (1992)
Electricity:
  4,875,000 kW capacity; 15,800 million kWh produced, about 2,835 kWh per
  capita (1992)



@end display

@node Economy (Georgia 2. usage)
@section Economy (Georgia 2. usage)

@display

Industries:
  heavy industrial products include raw steel, rolled steel, cement, lumber;
  machine tools, foundry equipment, electric mining locomotives, tower cranes,
  electric welding equipment, machinery for food preparation, meat packing,
  dairy, and fishing industries; air-conditioning electric motors up to 100 kW
  in size, electric motors for cranes, magnetic starters for motors; devices
  for control of industrial processes; trucks, tractors, and other farm
  machinery; light industrial products, including cloth, hosiery, and shoes
Agriculture:
  accounted for 97% of former USSR citrus fruits and 93% of former USSR tea;
  berries and grapes; sugar; vegetables, grains, potatoes; cattle, pigs,
  sheep, goats, poultry; tobacco
Illicit drugs:
  illicit producers of cannabis and opium; mostly for domestic consumption;
  used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe
Economic aid:
  NA
Currency:
  coupons introduced in April 1993 to be followed by introduction of the lari
  at undetermined future date; Russian ruble remains official currency until
  introduction of the lari
Exchange rates:
  rubles per US$1 - 415 (24 December 1992) but subject to wide fluctuations
Fiscal year:
  calendar year



@end display

@node Communications (Georgia)
@section Communications (Georgia)

@display

Railroads:
  1,570 km, does not include industrial lines (1990)
Highways:
  33,900 km total; 29,500 km hard surfaced, 4,400 km earth (1990)
Pipelines:
  crude oil 370 km, refined products 300 km, natural gas 440 km (1992)
Ports:
  coastal - Batumi, Poti, Sukhumi
Merchant marine:   47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 658,192 GRT/1,014,056 DWT; includes 16
  bulk cargo, 30 oil tanker, and 1 specialized liquid carrier
Airports:
 total:
  37
 useable:
  26
 with permanent-surface runways:
  19
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  10
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  9
Telecommunications:
  poor telephone service; as of 1991, 672,000 republic telephone lines
  providing 12 lines per 100 persons; 339,000 unsatisfied applications for
  telephones (31 January 1992); international links via landline to CIS
  members and Turkey; low capacity satellite earth station and leased
  international connections via the Moscow international gateway switch;
  international electronic mail and telex service established
Note:
  transportation network is disrupted by ethnic conflict, criminal activities,
  and fuel shortages



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Georgia)
@section Defense Forces (Georgia)

@display

Branches:
  Army, National Guard, Interior Ministry Troops
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 1,338,606; fit for military service 1,066,309; reach
  military age (18) annually 43,415 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  $NA, NA% of GNP
Note:
  Georgian forces are poorly organized and not fully under the government's
  control



@end display