Georgia is a country located in the Caucasus, at the intersection of south-east Europe and west Asia. At the same time, it is bounded by
- Russia, from the north.
- Azerbaijan, from the east.
- Armenia and Turkey, from the south.
- Black sea, from the west.
The country covers an area of 69,700 square kilometers and has a population of 3.7 million people, excluding the Russian-occupied Georgian territories. Georgia is a Representative democracy governed as a unitary parliamentary republic. Tbilisi is its capital as well as its largest city and is home to roughly a third of the Georgian population.
During the classical era, several independent kingdoms became established in what is now Georgia, such as Colchis and Iberia. In the early 4th century, ethnic Georgians officially adopted Christianity. In the Middle Ages, the unified Kingdom of Georgia emerged and reached its Golden Age during the reign of King David IV and Queen Tamar in the 12th and early 13th centuries. Thereafter, the kingdom declined and eventually disintegrated under the hegemony of various regional powers, including the Mongols, the Ottoman Empire, and the successive dynasties of Persia. Because of this, in 1783 one of the Georgian kingdoms allied with the Russian Empire. So, Georgia’s biggest trouble starts from this day.
Timeline
Some key dates in Georgia’s modern history
1801-04 – Russian empire annexed most of present-day Georgia territory.
1879 – History’s best-known Georgian, Joseph Stalin, is born in the town of Gori, later he became a Soviet leader.
1918 – Georgia declares independence in wake of the Russian Revolution.
1921 – Red Army invades Georgia, and as a result, absorbs it into the Soviet Union.
1956 – Protests against Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev’s de-Stalinisation policy turn violent and prompted calls for secession from the USSR, but, Soviet forces brutally crushed it.
1989 – Demands for more autonomy in the South Ossetia region lead to violent clashes between Georgians and Ossetians, later Russian – peacekeepers are deployed.
1991 – Independence is overwhelmingly supported in a referendum, after that Georgian parliament declares secession from the Soviet Union.
1993 – The separatists expelled Georgian troops and the population from Abkhazia, so this region was declared an internationally unrecognized separatist state under Russian tutelage.
2008 – Russia starts a war against Georgia and subsequently declares the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
History – Georgian history starts in BC and you already know that Georgians have a unique language and script. Look on the map! This amazing country is 600km in length and 200km in width. It’s too small, but it still exists. The reason you can find in our heroes, kings, queens, and warriors who have preserved our proud history, is that looks like a fairy tale and creates the future in reality.
Nature – There are a lot of amazing places in Georgia. Beautiful waterfalls, mountains, lakes, rivers with shades of blue and green, caves, sea, etc. Shortly, the diversity of Georgia’s nature will leave an indelible impression on you. But… There is always “but, not only the nature…”
Cuisine – There are 11 regions in Georgia, with different cultures and traditions. Therefore Georgian cuisine is diverse. Western and Eastern dishes are also different. One of the distinctive dishes that travelers enjoy is Khachapuri. Did you know that according to the regions there are 9 different ways of making khachapuri? It is impossible not to write about Khinkali, Barbeque, Chakafuli, etc. The tradition of using walnuts is especially noteworthy. I have heard from many tourists that eggplant with nuts is their favorite Georgian dish, as well as Bazhe (A walnut sauce good with chicken) and Ghomi (A cornmeal). If you have traveled to Georgia, write to us, about which dish you liked the most and why.
Wine – Georgia is the birthplace of wine! It’s thought people have been making wine here for at least 8,000 years, using egg-shaped clay jars called Qvevri. Those jars are buried underground where the fermentation process happens naturally. The process gives Georgian wine a distinct amber tint. No family does not have wine at home to meet guests, especially in the villages. So wine is also an integral part of our traditions.
People and hospitality – Before you start your trip to Georgia, first of all, you will probably find information about who we are and what kind of peculiarities we have. For sure you will find a lot of information that we are a guest-loving nation and the hospitality, love, and respect of the guest are instilled in us by our genetic code. Georgians say that a guest is sent from God, so they welcome guests into their homes like they would any friend or family member.
There are plenty of reasons why travel to Georgia. If you want to find more, please check 17 important facts about Georgia. Anyway in my mind, even these 5 reasons are enough for deciding to visit this amazing country. It’s always better to check on your own than to listen to or read narratives.
