Map of Georgia
Georgia is a country in Europe with its capital at Tbilisi, home to about 3.94 million people across 69,700 km². The interactive map below plots 7 cities and towns, 1 rivers, 3 mountain summits and 3 ports recorded for Georgia in YearMaps.
- Population
- 3.94 million
- Area
- 69,700 km²
- Capital
- Tbilisi
- Continent
- Europe
Interactive Map of Georgia
Centred on Tbilisi at 41.7270° N, 44.7888° E. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Georgia
Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region on the east coast of the Black Sea. It is located at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia and is generally regarded as part of Europe. It is bordered to the north and northeast by Russia; to the west by the Black Sea, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. It has a population of 3.9 million, of which over a third live in Tbilisi, the capital and largest city. Georgians, who are native to the region and constitute the majority of the population, are ethno-linguistically distinct from their neighboring nations and primarily speak Georgian, a Kartvelian language that has no relation to any other language family in the world.
Georgia has been inhabited since prehistory and is known for hosting the world's earliest known sites of winemaking. The classical era saw the emergence of several kingdoms, such as Colchis and Iberia, that formed the nucleus of the modern Georgian state. In the early 4th century, Georgians officially adopted Christianity, which contributed to their unification under the Kingdom of Georgia. Georgia reached its Golden Age during the High Middle Ages under the reigns of King David IV and his great-granddaughter Tamar. Beginning in the 15th century, the kingdom declined and disintegrated under relentless attacks from hostile empires like the Mongols, the Ottoman Empire, and Persia. Georgia requested support from the Russian Empire, which ended up gradually annexing the country starting in 1801.
After the Russian Revolution in 1917, Georgia briefly emerged as an independent republic under German protection. However, the country was invaded and annexed by the Red Army in 1921; it then became a republic of the Soviet Union. In the 1980s, an independence movement grew quickly, leading to Georgia's secession from the Soviet Union in April 1991. For much of the subsequent decade, the country endured economic crises, political instability, and secessionist wars in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Following the peaceful Rose Revolution in 2003, Georgia strongly pursued a pro-Western foreign policy, introducing a series of reforms aimed at integration into the European Union and NATO. This Western orientation led to worsening relations with Russia, culminating in the Russo-Georgian War of 2008 and continued Russian occupation of parts of Georgia.
Georgia is a representative democracy governed as a unitary parliamentary republic. It is a developing country with a very high Human Development Index and an emerging market economy.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Georgia (country) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Georgia
The region of present-day Georgia once contained the ancient kingdoms of Colchis (known as Egrisi locally) and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence in the first centuries A.D., and Christianity became the state religion in the 330s. Persian, Arab, and Turk domination was followed by a Georgian golden age (11th-13th centuries) that was cut short when the Mongols invaded in 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman and Persian empires competed for influence in the region. Georgia was absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Independent for three years (1918-1921) following the Russian revolution, it was forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1921 and regained its independence when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. In 2003, mounting public discontent over rampant corruption, ineffective government services, and a government attempt to manipulate parliamentary elections touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, who had been president since 1995. In the aftermath of this "Rose Revolution," new elections in 2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI and his United National Movement (UNM) party into power. SAAKASHVILI made progress on market reforms and governance, but he faced accusations of abuse of office. Progress was further complicated when Russian support for the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia led to a five-day conflict between Russia and Georgia in August 2008, which included Russia invading large portions of Georgian territory. Russia initially pledged to pull back from most Georgian territory but then unilaterally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and Russian military forces have remained in those regions. Billionaire Bidzina IVANISHVILI's unexpected entry into politics in 2011 brought the divided opposition together under his Georgian Dream coalition, which won a majority of seats in the 2012 parliamentary elections and removed UNM from power. Conceding defeat, SAAKASHVILI named IVANISHVILI as prime minister and left the country after his presidential term ended in 2013. IVANISHVILI voluntarily resigned from office after the presidential succession, and in the years since, the prime minister position has seen frequent turnover. In 2021, SAAKASHVILI returned to Georgia, where he was immediately arrested to serve six years in prison on outstanding abuse-of-office convictions. Popular support for integration with the West is high in Georgia. Joining the EU and NATO are among the country's top foreign policy goals, and Georgia applied for EU membership in 2022, becoming a candidate country in December 2023. Georgia and the EU have a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, and since 2017, Georgian citizens have been able to travel to the Schengen area without a visa.
- Location
- Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia, with a sliver of land north of the Caucasus extending into Europe; note - Georgia views itself as part of Europe; geopolitically, it can be classified as falling within Europe, the Middle East, or both.
- 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; fertile soils in river valley flood plains and foothills of Kolkhida Lowland.
- Highest point
- Mt'a Shkhara 5,193 m.
- Lowest point
- Black Sea 0 m.
- Coastline
- 310 km.
- Land borders
- Total: 1,814 km; border countries: Armenia 219 km; Azerbaijan 428 km; Russia 894 km; Turkey 273 km.
- Natural resources
- Timber, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 34.1% (2023 est.); arable land: 4.4% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 1.8% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 27.9% (2023 est.); forest: 44.6% (2023 est.); other: 21.2% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Earthquakes.
- Geographic note
- Note 1: strategically located east of the Black Sea, Georgia controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them note 2: the world's four deepest caves are all in Georgia, including two that are the only known caves on earth deeper than 2,000 m: Krubera Cave at -2,197 m (-7,208 ft; reached in 2012) and Veryovkina Cave at -2,212 (-7,257 ft; reached in 2018)
- Languages
- Georgian (official) 87.6%, Azeri 6.2%, Armenian 3.9%, Russian 1.2%, other 1% (including Abkhaz, the official language in Abkhazia) (2014 est.)
- Religions
- Eastern Orthodox Christian (official) 83.4%, Muslim 10.7%, Armenian Apostolic Christian 2.9%, other 1.2% (includes Roman Catholic Christian, Jehovah's Witness, Yazidi, Protestant Christian, Jewish), none 0.5%, unspecified/no answer 1.2% (2014 est.)
- Ethnic groups
- Georgian 86.8%, Azeri 6.3%, Armenian 4.5%, other 2.3% (includes Russian, Ossetian, Yazidi, Ukrainian, Kist, Greek) (2014 est.)
- Economy
- Upper-middle income, fast-growing South Caucasus economy; regionally focused exporter of cars, metal ores, and energy; financial and migrant inflows resulting from Ukraine conflict; EU accession talks suspended over disputed election and foreign influence law; low inflation but persistent high unemployment.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Georgia in Numbers
- Population
- 3.94 million
- GDP
- US$38.1 billion
- GDP per person
- US$9,692
- Life expectancy
- 74.7 years
- Population growth
- 3.18% a year
- Population density
- 67 per km²
- Urban population
- 61.2%
- Surface area
- 69,700 km²
- Forest cover
- 44.6%
- Arable land
- 4.0%
- Access to electricity
- 100.0%
- Internet users
- 83.8%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Georgia in Depth
History
The oldest traces of archaic humans date from approximately 1.8 million years ago in the form of the Dmanisi hominins, a subspecies of Homo erectus representing the oldest-known fossils of hominins in Eurasia. Buffered by the Caucasus and benefiting from the Black Sea ecosystem, the region seems to have served as a refugium throughout the Pleistocene, while the first continuous primitive settlements date back to the Middle Paleolithic, close to 200,000 years ago. During the Upper Paleolithic, settlements developed mostly in western Georgia, in the valleys of the Rioni and Qvirila rivers.
Geography
Georgia is a mountainous country situated almost entirely in the South Caucasus, while some slivers of the country are situated north of the Caucasus Watershed in the North Caucasus. The country lies between latitudes 41° and 44° N, and longitudes 40° and 47° E, with an area of 67,900 km2 (26,216 sq mi). The Likhi Range divides the country into eastern and western halves. Historically, the western portion of Georgia was known as Colchis while the eastern plateau was called Iberia.
The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range forms the northern border of Georgia. The main roads through the mountain range into Russian territory lead through the Roki Tunnel between Shida Kartli and North Ossetia and the Darial Gorge (in the Georgian region of Khevi).
Economy
Archaeological research demonstrates that Georgia has been involved in commerce with many lands and empires since ancient times, largely due its location on the Black Sea and later on the historical Silk Road. Gold, silver, copper and iron have been mined in the Caucasus Mountains. Georgian wine making is a very old tradition and a key branch of the country's economy. The country has sizeable hydropower resources. Throughout Georgia's modern history, tourism has played a significant economic role because of the country's climate and topography.
For much of the 20th century, Georgia's economy was within the Soviet model of command economy. Since the fall of the USSR in 1991, Georgia embarked on a major structural reform designed to transition to a free market economy.
Demographics
Georgians do not fit into any of the main ethno-linguistic categories of Europe or Asia. The Georgian language, the most pervasive of the Kartvelian languages, is not Indo-European, Turkic, or Semitic. The present-day Georgian or Kartvelian nation is thought to have resulted from the fusion of indigenous inhabitants with various immigrants who moved into South Caucasus from Anatolia in remote antiquity.
Preliminary results of 2024 census indicates that the population is approximately 3,914,000 as of November 2024, an increase from 3,713,804 in the previous census in October 2014.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Georgia (country) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Georgia: Key Facts
| Currency | Georgian lari |
|---|---|
| Official language | Georgian |
| Head of state | Mikheil Kavelashvili |
| Head of government | Irakli Kobakhidze |
| Form of government | unitary state, parliamentary republic |
| Calling code | +995 |
| Internet domain | .ge |
| Highest point | Shkhara |
| Lowest point | Black Sea |
| Established | 25 December 1991 |
Facts from Wikidata Q230 (CC0).
History of Georgia: Empires and States
The atlas records 28 polities whose mapped territory included part of Georgia, from Colchis in 301 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| Colchis | 301–231 BCE | A large part |
| Kingdom of Pontus | 91–64 BCE | A large part |
| Caucasian Iberia | 63 BCE – 533 CE | A large part |
| Lazica | 63 BCE – 545 CE | A large part |
| The Sasanian Empire | 260–637 CE | Most |
| Eastern Roman Empire | 561–632 CE | A large part |
| The Byzantine Empire | 561–637 CE | A large part |
| Georgia | 567–2024 CE | Most |
| Kingdom of Lazica | 638–777 CE | A large part |
| Rashidun Caliphate | 647–665 CE | A large part |
| The Umayyad Caliphate | 666–750 CE | A large part |
| Principality of Iberia | 682–740 CE | A large part |
| The Abbasid Caliphate | 751–946 CE | A large part |
| Sajid Dynasty | 911–935 CE | A small part |
| Hamdanid Emirates | 947–1027 CE | A small part |
| Kingdom of Georgia | 1010–1802 CE | Most |
| Great Seljuk Empire | 1085–1125 CE | Most |
| The Mongol Empire | 1236–1332 CE | Most |
| Golden Horde | 1294–1332 CE | A large part |
| Ilkhanate | 1294–1332 CE | A large part |
| Vassalage of Kingdom of Georgia to Timurid Empire | 1395–1406 CE | Most |
| Timurid Empire | 1395–1414 CE | A large part |
| Vassalage of Qara Qoyunlu to Timurid Empire | 1407–1414 CE | A large part |
| The Ottoman Empire | 1572–1787 CE | Most |
| Safavid Dynasty | 1612–1705 CE | A large part |
| Afsharid Iran | 1738–1743 CE | A large part |
| The Russian Empire | 1803–1916 CE | Most |
| Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | 1922–1991 CE | Most |
Historical Maps of Georgia
Georgia on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Georgia
Georgia (Georgian: საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a country in the Caucasus. Sandwiched between Russia in the north and Turkey in the south, it sits along the coast of the Black Sea around where Europe and Asia meet. It is a rather mountainous country and is home to some of Europe’s highest mountain peaks. Despite its modest size, Georgia presents a large mix of other landscapes and micro-climates, ranging from dry wine-growing valleys in the east, to lush Black Sea resorts in the west.
In Greek mythology, Georgia, known as Colchis, was the site of the famous Golden Fleece sought by Jason and the Argonauts. The tales of Georgia's ancient history are not without foundation; modern archaeological evidence suggests that Georgia is the oldest wine-making country in the world, with some wine samples dating back to 6,000 years BC.
In testament to this rich heritage, Georgia's cities and countryside are complete with medieval churches, several of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Georgia (country) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Georgia
7 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tbilisi | 1.10 million | Tbilisi | National capital |
| 2 | Kutaisi | 183,945 | Imereti | Populated place |
| 3 | Rustavi | 157,063 | Kvemo Kartli | Populated place |
| 4 | Batumi | 155,542 | Ajaria | Admin-0 region capital |
| 5 | Sukhumi | 81,546 | Abkhazia | Admin-0 region capital |
| 6 | Poti | 47,149 | Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti | Populated place |
| 7 | Tskhinvali | 38,502 | Shida Kartli | Populated place |
Highest Mountains in Georgia
3 mountains recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gora Shkhara | 5,200 m | 17,060 ft | Europe |
| 2 | Gora Tebulosmta | 4,494 m | 14,744 ft | Europe |
| 3 | Dombai-Ulgen | 4,038 m | 13,248 ft | Europe |
Dombai-Ulgen
Mountain · 4,038 m
Dombai-Ulgen is a mountain rising to 4,038 metres (13,248 ft) in Georgia and Russia, in the Europe region. The summit stands on the border between them. From PeakBagger.com, with kind permission..
Dombai-Ulgen or Dombay-Ulgen (Georgian: დომბაი-ულგენი; Russian: Домбай-Ульген, Karachay-Balkar: Доммай ёлген) is a 4,046-metre-high (13,274 ft) mountain of the Greater Caucasus and the highest point of Abkhazia, a state with limited international recognition otherwise seen to be part of Georgia. It is located on the border with Karachay–Cherkessia, an autonomous republic of Russia.
The mountain is composed of gneiss, crystalline schist, and granite. The top is covered by snow and glaciers at all times of the year.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Dombay-Ulgen (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Elevation
- 4,038 m (13,248 ft)
- Global rank
- #122 of 641 indexed
- Region
- Europe (#9)
- Countries
- Georgia, Russia
- Coordinates
- 43.2300°, 41.7400°
Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Dombai-Ulgen ranks #122 by elevation, below Mont Cameroun (4,040 m) and above Mount Victoria (4,038 m).
- Ranges:
- Pontic Mountains (Asia), Lesser Caucasus (Asia)
More about Dombai-Ulgen
Dombai-Ulgen: Key Facts
| Topographic prominence | 1,237 m |
|---|---|
| Mountain range | Western Caucasus |
Facts from Wikidata Q768409 (CC0).
Rivers in Georgia
1 river recorded. Listed alphabetically. A river is listed where its mapped reach lies, so long rivers appear under more than one country.
| Name | Type | Also Flows Through |
|---|---|---|
| Kura | Lake reach | Azerbaijan, Turkey |
Ports in Georgia
3 ports recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Batumi | 38.4 m | Small | Black Sea & Sea of Azov | medium vessels |
| 2 | Sokhumi | 38.4 m | Very Small | Black Sea & Sea of Azov | medium vessels |
| 3 | Supsa Marine Terminal | 5.5 m | Very Small | Black Sea & Sea of Azov | medium vessels |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Georgia
4 World Heritage Sites recorded. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Historical Monuments of Mtskheta | 1994 | Cultural | (iii) (iv) |
| 2 | Upper Svaneti | 1996 | Cultural | (iv) (v) |
| 3 | Gelati Monastery | 2017 | Cultural | (iv) |
| 4 | Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands | 2021 | Natural | (ix) (x) |
Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Georgia
3 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.
| # | Name | Area | Type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Europe | 11.24M km² | Continent | Europe |
| 2 | Lesser Caucasus | 62,526 km² | Range/mtn | Asia |
| 3 | Pontic Mountains | 1,812 km² | Range/mtn | Asia |
Lesser Caucasus
Range/mtn · 62,526 km²
Lesser Caucasus is a range/mtn in Asia, covering an estimated 62,526 km². It extends across Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The Lesser Caucasus or Lesser Caucasus Mountains, also called Caucasus Minor, is the second of the two main ranges of the Caucasus Mountains, of length about 600 km (370 mi). The western portion of the Lesser Caucasus overlaps and converges with east Turkey and northwest Iran. It runs parallel to the Greater Caucasus, traversing through the Armenian highlands, at a distance averaging about 100 km (62 mi) south from the Likhi Range (Georgia), and limits east Turkey from the north and north-east. It is connected with the Pontic range and separated from it by the Kolkhida Lowland (Georgia) in the west and Kura-Aras Lowland (Azerbaijan) (by the Kura River) in the east.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Lesser Caucasus (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Feature class
- Range/mtn
- Mapped extent
- 62,526 km²
- Size rank
- #68 of 216 mountain ranges
- Region
- Asia
- Countries
- Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan
- Coordinates
- 40.1900°, 45.8569°
- Summits:
- Dombai-Ulgen (4,038 m)
- Adjacent ranges:
- Pontic Mountains (Asia), Taurus Mountains (Asia)
- Settlements:
- Tskhinvali (76 km), Kutaisi (86 km), Tbilisi (113 km)
More about Lesser Caucasus
Description
The borders between Georgia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran run through the range, although its crest does not usually define the border. The range was historically called Anticaucasus or Anti-Caucasus (Greek: Αντι-Καύκασος, Russian: Антикавка́з, Анти-Кавка́з). This usage is commonly found in older sources. Current usage tends towards using the name Lesser Caucasus, but Anti-caucasus can still be found in modern texts.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Lesser Caucasus (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Lesser Caucasus: Key Facts
| Length | 600 km |
|---|---|
| Highest point | Mount Aragats |
| Part of | Caucasus Mountains |
Facts from Wikidata Q216593 (CC0).
Pontic Mountains
Range/mtn · 1,812 km²
Pontic Mountains is a range/mtn in Asia, covering an estimated 1,812 km². It extends across Turkey and Georgia.
The Pontic Mountains, Pontic Alps or Parhar Mountains form a mountain range stretching along the southern Pontic coast of the Black Sea (once known as the "Euxine Sea") in northern Anatolia, Turkey.
In ancient Roman times, the mountains were called the Paryadres or Parihedri Mountains.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Pontic Mountains (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Feature class
- Range/mtn
- Mapped extent
- 1,812 km²
- Size rank
- #172 of 216 mountain ranges
- Region
- Asia
- Countries
- Turkey, Georgia
- Coordinates
- 41.4682°, 41.7609°
- Summits:
- Dombai-Ulgen (4,038 m)
- Adjacent ranges:
- Lesser Caucasus (Asia), Taurus Mountains (Asia)
More about Pontic Mountains
Geography
The range runs roughly east–west, parallel and close to the southern coast of the Black Sea. It extends northeast into Georgia, and west into the Sea of Marmara, with the northwestern spur of the Küre Mountains (and their western extension the Akçakoca Mountains) and the Bolu Mountains, following the coast. The highest peak in the range is Kaçkar Dağı, which rises to 3,937 m (12,917 ft). The North Anatolian Fault and the Northeast Anatolian Fault, which are east–west-running strike-slip faults, run along the length of the range.
Ecology
The mountains are generally covered by dense forests, predominantly of conifers. Archaeological findings of pine pollen deposits in lake beds indicated a wide spread of pine forests across the mountains from 15th century BCE after a period of human settlement and agricultural activity to around 8th-9th centuries CE.
The Northern Anatolian conifer and deciduous forests is an ecoregion which covers most of the range, while the Caucasus mixed forests extend across the far-eastern end of the range, known as the Kaçkar Mountains. The narrow coastal strip between the mountains and the Black Sea, known as Pontus, is home to the Euxine-Colchic deciduous forests, which contain some of the world's few temperate rainforests.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Pontic Mountains (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Pontic Mountains: Key Facts
| Length | 1,000 km |
|---|---|
| Highest point | Kaçkar Dağı |
Facts from Wikidata Q519263 (CC0).
Countries Bordering Georgia
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in Europe
Georgia: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Georgia?
- The capital of Georgia is Tbilisi.
- What is the population of Georgia?
- Georgia has a population of about 3.94 million, the #130 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Georgia?
- Georgia covers 69,700 km², ranking #123 by area, with about 56 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Georgia in?
- Georgia is in Europe.
- Which countries border Georgia?
- Georgia shares a land or maritime border with Turkey, Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia.
- What is the largest city in Georgia?
- Tbilisi is the largest city in Georgia, with a metropolitan population of about 1.10 million.
- What is the highest mountain in Georgia?
- The highest summit recorded for Georgia in YearMaps is Gora Shkhara at 5,200 m (17,060 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.