History and facts of the country Georgia

History of the country Georgia

Georgia, an exquisitely beautiful country, is ringed by the Caucasus Mountains and set at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. It lies between the Black and Caspian Seas and has borders with Turkey, Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, along the Silk Road of ancient times. Since recorded time, Georgians have been famous for their hospitality to strangers.

The visiting ancient Greeks knew Georgia as the land of the Golden Fleece. It was a woman, St. Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia in 330 A.D. Georgian wine has been produced for over 8000 years and Georgian literature dates back to the fifth century A.D. Scholars have compared the 12th-century Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli to Dante and Shakespeare.

The Caucasus is a truly surprising place! And Georgia is the heart of this region. The history of Georgia is very interesting and partly sad. This small mountainous territory east of the Black Sea is a crossroad of Western and Eastern cultures. The territory that modern Georgia occupies, has a perfect geographical location. That's why many foreign empires were attracted by this country. Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Turks, Persians, and so on. A lot of really powerful empires used to conquer this beautiful land. But these unique, brave, and majestic people could defend their independence and they can be proud of a great deal. So visit this country and touch the mysterious atmosphere of the proud country Georgia.

Location and the map of the country Georgia

Georgia is often the starting point for tourists visiting the Caucasus. From Georgia, they travel to Armenia and Azerbaijan. You can use the table with distances and duration of travel from Tbilisi to the touristic destinations within Georgia and the table for traveling to Baku and Yerevan.

Distances to the tourist destinations

Travel from Tbilisi to Batumi 380 KM 6 hrs
Travel from Tbilisi to Gori 90 KM 1.5 hrs
Travel from Tbilisi to Gudauri 130 KM 2.5 hrs
Travel from Tbilisi to Kutaisi 230 KM 3.5 hrs
Travel from Tbilisi to Mestia 470 KM 8 hrs
Travel from Tbilisi to Mtskheta 30 KM 0.5 hrs
Travel from Tbilisi to Telavi 100 KM 2 hrs
Travel from Tbilisi to Vardzia 270 KM 4 hrs
Travel from Tbilisi to Ushguli 520 KM 11 hrs

Map of the country Georgia

Map of the country Georgia
Travel from Tbilisi to Baku 580 KM 7.5 hrs
Travel from Tbilisi to Yerevan 300 KM 5 hrs

Interesting facts of the country Georgia

Not really. People in Georgia call their country Sakartvelo. The name ‘Georgia’ comes from other languages, like Persian or Greek, and may be linked to St. George, who is very important in Georgian culture. Even though the world knows it as Georgia, the real name used by locals is Sakartvelo.
The total size of the country Georgia is: 69,700 sq km divided in 35.5% agricultural land, 39.4% forest and 25.1% other.
The lowest point is the Black Sea with 0 meters and the highest point is mountain Shkhara 5,193 meters.
Georgia ranks 14th among the top 25 countries with the highest average elevation, just above Switzerland, which ranks 15th. Located at the intersection of Europe and Asia, Georgia has an average elevation of 4,698 feet (1,432 meters) above sea level.
The world’s deepest caves are all located in Georgia, specifically in the western part of the country. There are four such caves, and two of them, Krubera Cave (−2,197 meters) and Veryovkina Cave (−2,212 meters), are the only known caves on earth deeper than 2,000 meters. These remarkable natural wonders are often referred to as the Abkhazian caves.
The total population 4 million (2020) and Tbilisi, the capital, has a population of 1.1 million (2020).
Georgian (official) 87.6%, Azeri 6.2%, Armenian 3.9%, Russian 1.2%, other 1%.
Orthodox (official) 83.4%, Muslim 10.7%, Armenian Apostolic 2.9%, other 1.2% (includes Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Yazidi, Protestant, Jewish).
Home to Europe’s oldest humans. Fossils found in Dmanisi, Georgia, are about 1.8 million years old, making them the oldest known human remains outside of Africa.
Yes! A traditional Georgian polyphonic folk song called ‘Chakrulo’ was included on the Voyager Golden Record, which was launched into space in 1977. The record was designed to represent the diverse cultures of Earth, and ‘Chakrulo’ was chosen for its powerful harmonies and deep cultural significance.