Georgia, one of the most ancient countries in the world, is situated at the cross-roads of Europe and Asia. It occupies 69,700 sq. km between the Black and Caspian Seas. In the north it borders with Russia, in the South with Turkey and Armenia, in the East it shares border with Azerbaijan, in the West it is washed by the Black Sea.
The Likhi Range divides the country into eastern and western halves. The Surami mountain range effectively divides Georgia into two climatic zones, the Sub-tropical West and the higher, cooler East.
Georgia has a very diverse landscape and lies for the most part between the Greater and Lesser Caucasus mountains. Across the fertile landscape two large rivers cut a powerful presence the Mtkvari, in the East and the Rioni, in the West. With sources high in the mountains, the Mtkvari empties into the Caspian Sea and the Rioni into the Black Sea at the Georgian port of Poti. The largest lakes are Paravani and Paliastomi. The highest mountains are Mount Shkhara at 5,201 meters (17,059 feet), and Mount Kazbegi at 5,047 meters (16,554 feet) which is of volcanic origin. Georgia is famous for its healing mineral waters, thermal springs and medical mud.
The Georgians call themselves Kartvelebi and their country Sakartvelo. These names are derived from Kartlos, the legendary establisher and eponymous father of Georgia.
The Georgian language belongs to the Kartvelian group of Iberian-Caucasian languages. It is one of the oldest living languages in the world. Its alphabet, one of the fourteen alphabets in the world, was created in the 4-th –3d centuries B.C. The samples of ancient Georgian written language are discovered not only in Georgia, but in 13 churches and monasteries of Jerusalem, Palestine and Egypt. The first findings of Georgian book date to 5th century A.D.
About Tbilisi
The capital of Georgia, Tbilisi stands on the banks of the River Mtkvari. Tbilisi is a major economic and cultural center, the hub of the Southern Caucasus.
For those who know the city, Tbilisi generates a warm, welcoming image.The quaint old town, with its higgledy-piggledy wooden houses, climb the hill towards the Narikala fortress, the pepper-pot roofed churches blend with a colourful mix of Russian classicism, Art Nouveau, Socialist monumentalism and the recent Post Modern. In “Old Tbilisi” visitors find a Mediterranean atmosphere and harmonious architectural mélange which reflects different nationalities that over the centuries made their homes in Tbilisi. Georgian Orthodox, Armenian Gregorian and Roman Catholic churches, a synagogue, a mosque, all sited within a few minutes walk. Tbilisi has been a striking example of the unity of various cultures and traditions.
Tbilisi became the capital city in the 5th century A.D. One version of the legend states that King Vakhtang I Gorgasali of Georgia went hunting with falcon to the forests which covered the area of the present Tbilisi. The falcon injured a pheasant and it fell into a hot spring and was healed. The king was so impressed with the power of the healing spring that he decided to found a city on the location and move the capital there. The name Tbilisi derives from the Georgian word "tpili", meaning warm.
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