- Country Information:
Full country name: Georgia
Location: South Caucasus, Southeast Europe, Southwest Asia, in the longitude of 40 o - 47 o E., in the latitude 41 o - 44 o N
Area: 69,700 sq km
Climate: Continental inland, subtropical in the coastal region
Population: 4 million
Capital City: Tbilisi
People: Georgian (70%), Armenian (8%), Russian (6%), Azeri (6%)
State Language: Georgian, in the territory of Abkhazia - Georgian and Abkhazian
Type of Government: Presidential Republic
Head of State: President Mikheil Saakashvili
Head of Government: Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze
Chairwoman of Parliament: Nino Burjanadze
IDP: 400.000 in Georgia (displaced from Abkhazia and South Ossetia)
Religion: Main religion is Christian Orthodoxy (65 %), other confessional groups include Shiite and Sunni, Muslims (11 %),
Armenian Gregorians (8%), Catholics, Baptists, Jews...
Major Industries: Heavy industry (steel, aircraft, machine tools, locomotives, cranes, motors, trucks),
mining of manganese and copper, producing chemicals, textiles, wine, shoes,
wood products, cultivation of citrus fruits, tea and grapes, Black Sea tourism.
Natural Resources: forests, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, marble, gold, minor coal and oil deposits;
citrus, hazel-nuts, wine, mineral waters.
Natural Hazards: earthquakes
Major Trading Partners: Russia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Spain, Greece, Turkmenistan
Member of EU: No
- Power supply: electrical current - 220 volts, 50 Hz; outlets - two -pronged, European standard.
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +4
Dialling Code: 995
Weights & measures: Metric
- National currency: Georgian Lari (GEL).
All payments are made in Laris on the territory of Georgia. Among foreign currencies the most wide-spread are USD, EUR. Cash is the preferred method of payment, and visitors are advised to carry notes in small denominations.
Unit 1 Lari = 100 Tetri
Coins 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 tetri
Bank-notes 1 , 2 , 5 , 10 , 20 , 50 , 100 , 500 Lari
Credit cards : Credit cards are accepted in certain hotels, some restaurants, shops and all Banks in Tbilisi.
ATM machines: are available at city center.
- There are many fine musical concerts in Tbilisi and Georgian musicians routinely win international awards. Be sure to check the programs at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire, the Tbilisi Philharmonic Concert Hall or Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre.
- Georgians are endlessly curious about religion and tend to ask their guests about their beliefs without the sense of intrusion that such questions sometimes bring in the West. While overwhelmingly Orthodox Christian, Georgians are open-minded, and mosques, synagogues and Armenian-Gregorian churches have existed peacefully side by side with orthodox churches for centuries. This is a country where anti-Semitism has never existed.
- If you are in a restaurant where no English is spoken and you don't know what to order try our famous "Khatchaturi" (similar to pizza with cheese), Mtsvadi (Shish kebab, Shashlik), or Khinkali (spicy meat dumplings).... At a breakfast try matsoni (Georgian yougurt).
Traditional Georgian mineral waters ("Borjomi" or "Sairme"), Georgian wines ("Saperavi", "Kindzmarauli", "Mukuzani" or "Khvanchkara") and famous "Lagidze Waters" are worth tasting as well.
Wine and spirits are the only drinks you can toast your friends with according to an old Georgian custom, while with beer the Georgians only toast their enemies or people they don't like.
- If you have to travel abroad a lot and every time when you arrive in a new country you suffer from digestion problems and diarrhea, the best medicine for you is an apple cider vinegar. Put two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of local water, drink one or more times a day, as needed and you will be amazed to see your results. But only home-made apple cider vinegar has a curable effect (at shops you can find commercially made vinegar which is made from pure acid and has no curable effect), so you have to made it yourself at home and take it whenever you need it.
For more information see the book of Dr. D.C. Jarvis, a noted family physician and author of the best-selling Folk Medicine, who created a miracle healing tea from apple cider vinegar and honey.
- Never try to touch or pet any street dog or cat (it may cost your life), because of Rabies. Avoid direct contact with unfamiliar wild or domestic animals, especially dogs and cats. Always keep in mind that even a slight scratch or lick on broken skin may be fatal to you (death occurs during the first 7 days of illness without intensive care). So be careful...
- Never try to eat a raw or a half-raw meat or fish. In a such country as Georgia it can be very dangerous for your health, so in any restaurant it's better to ask for a well-done steak...
- Georgia is a safe country to travel to. You can travel to any place.
Travellers are advised specifically avoid travelling near the Russian border region, especially Chechnya, Dagestan, North Ossetia, Ingushetia, Kabarda-Balkar and Karachay-Cherkessia.
Do not travel to the following areas: 1) to the breakaway region of South Ossetia,
2) the self-proclaimed Republic of Abkhazia (West Georgia),
- There is an open air art show each day in "Sanapiro" park, near the "Dry Bridge" (close to the American Consulate) where a wide range of Georgian paintings and souvenirs are available at reasonable prices (in shops they cost ten-times as much).
- The best places for toilets are Western-style restaurants, cafes and bars in the cities. Public toilets in Tbilisi are in a fairly lamentable state. So best action is to drop into a cafe or restaurant if you need to use the bathroom while out and about. Georgian hospitality is such that staff rarely insist foreigners make a purchase.
- If you plan to go to somewher outside Tbilisi, I have to know about it at least 2-3 days beforehand and we have to talk about all the details beforehand.
 If you would like to go to David Gareja or Uplistsikhe, the ground roads there are not in a good condition, so you will have to rent a four-wheel drive (mostly "Niva"), because no other car can get there. The cost for a full day's rental of a four-wheel drive car "Niva" can be 50 US Dollars plus petrol. If any other car or taxi offers you a cheaper price you will have to to take into consideration some of the risks that such drivers never say anything beforehand, but at the end they may demand more money or the fact that their car simply could get stuck or break down in a remote place where even mobile phone can’t work (which can be very dangerous).
- If you are going to David Gareja semi-desert or Uplistsikhe cave-town take sports shoes, because you will have to climb up steep hills. It is better to go there at 9 am or earlier. You also have to take some water and a little food too.
- Entrance to a Monastery or Nunnery is free, although you should leave a donation.
- On 26 April 2002, Tbilisi was hit by an earthquake. Overall damage was light, and electricity, water, gas and the telephone systems were unaffected, though a number of buildings were damaged.
- You can drive in Georgia using a licence issued by an EU country or by using an International Driving Licence. Driving is on the right. The speed limit is 60 kph in towns and cities. Outside it is 80 kph unless sign-posted. You cannot turn right when the traffic lights are red. In Georgia a blood alcohol level higher than zero is considered to be driving under the influence of alcohol. Care should be taken if driving at night. Many roads are badly lit and are of poor quality. Driving conditions are stressful, and often confusing. The majority of cars are poorly maintained, and the standard of driving is erratic.
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