1. Benedict (Viktor) Gombocz

2.  Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the
Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia
 Area
• Total: 69,700 sq km
• Country comparison to the world: 121
• Land: 69,700 sq km
• Water: 0 sq km
 Area – comparative: Slightly smaller than
South Carolina
 Land boundaries
• Total: 1,461 sq km
• Border countries: Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322
km, Russia 723 km, Turkey 252 km
 Coastline: 310 km

4.  The abundant diversity of peoples living in Georgia has meant a
correspondingly rich assortment of existing religions.
 Today, the majority of Georgia’s inhabitants follow Orthodox
Christianity, chiefly the Georgian Orthodox Church (83.9%).
 About 2% follows the Russian Orthodox Church; approximately 3.9%
of the population follows the Armenian Apostolic Church (of whom
most are ethnic Armenians).
 According to the CIA Factbook, Muslims account for 9.9% of the
population; they primarily live in the Adjara and Kvemo Kartli
regions, and in Tbilisi (as a sizable minority).
 Roman Catholics comprise almost 0.8% of the population; they chiefly
live in the south of Georgia and a small population in Tbilisi.
 Tbilisi is also home to a sizable Jewish community, served by two
synagogues; the other major community is in Kutaisi.
 The Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church is one of the
world’s most prehistoric Christian churches, established in the first
century by the Apostle Saint Andrew.
 Christianity was adopted as Georgia’s state religion in the first half of
the fourth century; this adoption has presented a strong sense of
national identity that has contributed to defend a national Georgian
identity, in spite of recurring periods of foreign occupations and
attempted assimilation.
 Georgia has a long history of religious harmony within its
boundaries, despite the past clashes with its neighbors.
 For thousands of years, various religious minorities have lived
in Georgia; religious bigotry is all but unknown there.
 For centuries, Azerbaijanis have practiced Islam in Georgia, as
have Ajarians and some of the Abkhazians concentrated in
their own self-governing republics.
 The Armenian Apostolic Church, whose doctrine, to an
extent, differs from Georgian Orthodoxy’s, has autocephalous
standing.

5.  Orthodox Christian (official) 83.9%
 Muslim 9.9%
 Armenian-Gregorian 3.9%
 Catholic 0.8%
 Other 0.8%
 None 0.7% (2002 census)

6.  The Politics of Georgia is modeled off a presidential representative democratic republic
with a multi-party structure; the President is the head of state and the PM is the head of the
Georgian Government.
 The government exercises executive power; legislative power is vested in both the
government and the parliament.
 The party structure has been ruled by the National Movement – Democrats since the Rose
Revolution.
 Since the first multiparty, democratic parliamentary elections of 28 October 1990, Georgia
has been a democratic republic.
 Excluding the self-governing regions of Abkhazia and Adjara, and the once self-governing
region of South Ossetia, the Georgian state is vastly centralized.
 Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which were autonomous within the Georgian SSR under
Soviet rule, have unilaterally split from Georgia.
 Whereas Georgia’s government currently recognizes Abkhazia as self-governing within
Georgia, they do not in any way recognize South Ossetia.

7.  Deliberation of replacing Georgia’s republic form of government with some type of
constitutional monarchy has become a subject of the Georgian political debate since the
Georgian Orthodox primate and other leading Georgians proposed that idea in 2007.

8.  Capital: Tbilisi (official), Kutaisi
(legislative)
 Largest city: Tbilisi
 Official language(s): Georgian
 Spoken languages: 71% Georgian, 9%
Russian, 7% Armenian, 6% Azeri, 7%
other
 Demonym: Georgian
 Government: Unitary semi-presidential
republic
 President: Mikheil Saakashvili
 Prime Minister: Bidzina Ivanishvili
 Legislature: Parliament

9. THE PRESIDENT’S ROLE MAIN OFFICE HOLDERS
 The President, who is elected for a
five-year term, is the head of state.
 The Chairman of the Parliament is
his legal successor.
 A PM, who serves as the head of
government, is nominated by the
president.
 Office: President
• Name: Mikheil Saakashvili
• Party: United National
Movement
• Since: 20 January 2008
 Office: Prime Minister
• Name: Bidzina Ivanishvili
• Party: Georgian Dream
• Since: 25 October 2012

10.  The Parliament of Georgia (Sak'art'velos
Parlamenti), also called the Umaghlesi
Sabcho (Supreme Council), consists of 235
members, elected to a four-year term; 150
seats through proportional representation, 75
in single-seat constituencies, and 10 given to
the delegates of the shifted people from the
separatist region of Abkhazia.
 According to the constitutional revisions
made in 2003, the parliament will be made
up of only 150 members elected through the
proportional representation structure and will
be completely renovated.
 David Usupashvili is the current Speaker of
Parliament.

11.  Georgian Dream (ქართული ოცნება,
Kartuli Otsneba)
• Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia
(ქართული ოცნება – დემოკრატიული
საქართველო, Kartuli Otsneba - Demokratiuli
Sakartvelo)
• Our Georgia – Free Democrats (ჩვენი
საქართველო - თავისუფალი დემოკრატები,
Chveni Sakartvelo - Tavisupali Demokratebi)
• Republican Party of Georgia (საქართველოს
რესპუბლიკური პარტია, Respublikuri Partia)
• National Forum (ეროვნული ფორუმი, Erovnuli
Forumi)
• Industry Will Save Georgia (მრეწველობა
გადაარჩენს საქართველოს, Mretsveloba
Gadaarchens Sak'art'velos)
 United National Movement (ერთიანი
ნაციონალური მოძრაობა, Ertiani
Nazionaluri Modzraoba)

12.  Georgia has a Supreme Court, with judges elected by the Parliament
on the suggestion of the president; it also has a Constitutional Court.

13.  Born 21 December 1967 in Tbilisi.
 Third and current President of Georgia, since 20 January
2008; also the current leader of the United National
Movement Party.
 Has participated in national politics since 1995; became
president on 25 January 2004 following President Eduard
Shevardnadze’s resignation in the November 2003
bloodless “Rose Revolution” led by Saakashvili and his
political allies, Nino Burjanadze and Zurab Zhvania.
 Was subsequently re-elected in the Georgian presidential
election held on 5 January 2008.
 Is commonly seen as a pro-NATO and pro-West leader
who presided over a series of political and economic
changes.
 Had a 67% approval rating in 2010, in spite of criticism
from the domestic opposition for his suspected dictatorial
tendencies and electoral fraud.
 Some non-Georgian sources spell his first name as the
Russian version of the name Mikhail.
 Is frequently called Misha, a hypocorism for Mikheil, in
Georgia.
 Admitted defeat in the Georgian parliamentary election
against Bidzina Ivanishvili the day after it was held (2
October 2012).

14.  Born 18 February 1956 in Chorvila.
 10th and current PM of Georgia.
 Leads the coalition Georgian Dream, which won
the October 2012 parliamentary election; was
confirmed as PM on 25 October 2012.
 Was given French citizenship in March 2010
and lost his Georgian citizenship in October
2011 “according to Article 32 of the Georgian
Law on Citizenship”, not long after he declared
his intent to form a political party to oppose
President Mikheil Saakashvili.
 Was reinstated as a Georgian citizen after
terminating his French citizenship before he
could become PM later in October.
 Was ranked #153 in Forbes magazine’s yearly
list of the world’s billionaires with a guesstimated
worth of USD 6.4 billion, in March 2012; this
makes him the richest person in Georgia.