Georgia

Located in the Caucasus region lies Georgia. It borders Russia to the north, Azerbaijan to the east and south, Armenia and Turkey to the west at the Black Sea. Georgia was part of the Soviet Union. It is a country that has recently gained its independence and is trying to find its way on the world stage. Switching from a state economy to a market economy goes along with many problems.

During the communist Soviet period, religious services were prohibited and priests and religious leaders persecuted. Over a period of seventy years, religion was therefore almost invisible. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, churches and monasteries were built and rebuilt at furious pace. Old traditions seem to bloom once again.

According to tradition, Georgia is the oldest Christian nation in the world after Armenia. The year of 337 AD is considered the official beginning of Christianity in Georgia. The religious heart of the Georgian Orthodox Church in Georgia is the Djwarikerk in Mtskheta. About 65 percent of the Georgian population in Georgia is a member of the Georgian Orthodox Church.

The most fascinating in Georgia may be the contacts with the population. Georgians are known for their hospitality. Before you know it, you have been invited to someone's home. And the party associated with feasting (soepra) may start, as for a Georgian a guest is a gift from God.

The table is at the heart of Georgian life and is always richly layed. Here one meets friends and family to whom one toast with long speeches. This does not happen randomly, but proceeds according to certain rules. First, a leader, the Tamada, is appointed. He brings out the toasts; while he talks no one may not drink. Should someone else wish to bring out a toast he will first have to ask Tamada's permission. After each speech, which fortunately can last very long, the glass must be emptied at once.

Georgia is a wine country par excellence. During the Soviet period, seventy percent of the wine production came from Georgia. Kindschmareuli is a dry white wine. Gurdschani is slightly sweeter in taste. Akascheni (fruity) and teliani (dry) are well-known red wines. Chacha is the traditional grape moonshine (home-distilled alcohol). You should avoind drinking tap water.

Georgia has an area of 69,700 km² (1.7 times the Netherlands) and has about 4.6 million inhabitants of which 1.3 million live in the capital Tbilisi. For a relatively small country, Georgia has a very varied landscape. In the north of the country, lies the Greater Caucasus that forms the border with Russian. This mountain range extends to the Black Sea and has mountain peaks of 5000 meters high. In the south of the country, lies the Little Caucasus. More than half of the country lies above 900 meters and about 40 percent of the surface is covered with forests. Besides numerous rivers there are 2000 mineral resources.

The official language of Georgia is Georgian and is used by over seventy percent of the population. In general, everyone also speaks and understands Russian, but many people refuse on principle to speak Russian. Young people sometimes speak English, but you cannot use it everywhere. Georgian is a language that has no similarities with any European language. It has its own alphabet consisting of 33 letters.