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

Coastline:

310 km

Maritime claims:

NA

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