Short facts about the geography of Georgia
| Location: |
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black
Sea, between Turkey and Russia |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
42 00 N, 43 30
E |
| Map
references: |
Commonwealth of Independent
States |
| Area: |
total: 69,700 sq km
land: 69,700 sq km
water: 0 sq
km |
| Area -
comparative: |
slightly smaller than South
Carolina |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 1,461 km
border countries: Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322
km, Russia 723 km, Turkey 252 km |
| 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; Kolkhet'is
Dablobi (Kolkhida Lowland) opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari River
Basin in the east; good soils in river valley flood plains, foothills of
Kolkhida Lowland |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Mt'a Mqinvartsveri
(Gora Kazbek) 5,048 m |
| Natural
resources: |
forests, hydropower, manganese
deposits, iron ore, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and
soils allow for important tea and citrus growth |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 9%
permanent crops: 4%
permanent pastures:
25%
forests and woodland: 34%
other: 28% (1993
est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
4,000 sq km (1993
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
earthquakes |
| Environment
- current issues: |
air pollution, particularly in
Rust'avi; heavy pollution of Mtkvari River and the Black Sea; inadequate
supplies of potable water; soil pollution from toxic
chemicals |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not
ratified: none of the selected agreements | Source: World Factbook |