Georgia
Updated: Sep 15, 2022
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Country Name
Georgia.
Location
Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bordered by the black sea to the west, Russia to the north, Turkey & Armenia to the south, and Azerbaijan to the southeast.
Capital
Tbilisi.
Reason for Naming
Georgians have a different name for their country, the locals call it Sakartvelo and call themselves Kartveli, which most probably derives from a central region in Georgia – Kartli. The ancient Greeks and Romans called the early eastern Georgians Iberians and the early inhabitants of the western section Colchians. The name Georgia and Georgians appeared in Western Europe at the beginning of the Middle Ages. The French historian Jacques de Vitry and the English traveler Sir John Mandeville mentioned that the reason for naming the Georgians after Saint George.
Flag
The flag of Georgia was first adopted in 1004. The current flag was adopted on 14 January 2004. The flag consists of a white background with a large red St. George cross that reaches the edges of the flag and four smaller red crosses placed in the middle of each of the resulting fields. The crosses & each rectangle represent Christian symbols, Jesus Christ the Savior, and the four evangelists.
Language
Georgian is the official and predominant language of Georgia, and the majority of the people speak it as their first language. According to the US Department of State's languages, Georgian is one of the most difficult languages to learn since it lacks prepositions and does not differentiate between genders. Georgian dialects include Imeretian, Kartlian, Adjaran, and Tush. Azerbaijani, Russian, and English are the minority languages spoken in Georgia. Georgia has approximately 14 languages spoken, with Georgian being the most common. English, Russian, Assyrian, Svan, and Urum are among the other common languages.
Religion
The Georgian Constitution formally recognizes Orthodox Christianity, and the majority of the Georgian people practice it. After Christianity, Islam has the second-highest number of adherents in Georgia. Georgia is home to two major Muslim groups, the Sunni Hanafis, who are mostly ethnic Georgian Muslims, and the Shia - Ithna Ashariyah, who are mostly from the country's ethnic Azerbaijani community. The religion first arrived in the country during the rule of Uthman, the third Caliph of Islam, in 645 AD.
Georgia's religious minorities include Muslims, Armenian Christians, Roman Catholics, and around 0.5 percent who do not practice any religion.
Currency
Georgian Lari (₾) (GEL).
Time Zone
There are two timezones in Georgia
+03:00 GMT. (Moscow Standard Time),
+04:00 GMT. (Georgia Standard Time).
Government Regime
Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic.