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Tbilisi Metro Line - 2 VAGZAL LINE NEW TRAINS from 2006
  Georgia lies just to the south of the Great Caucasus mountain range, bordering the easternmost coast of the Black Sea. To the north the republic adjoins Russia; to the south it shares borders with Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Turkey. Most of the country is mountainous, except for the Kolkhida Plain around the delta of the Rioni River. The Lesser Caucasus mountain system stretches to the south, and the country is divided into its eastern and western parts by the Surami Range. The Georgians, a proud and temperamental people, can be very charming but very fierce. They call themselves Kartvelians. Georgians are known for their quick-witted resourcefulness, their ability to negotiate, their hospitality, and their enjoyment of food and drink. Under the old Soviet regime, many Georgian farmers even managed to travel to Moscow to sell fresh produce. Georgians love social gatherings and celebrations. One traditional feast is called tamada; its main purpose is the reconciliation of enemies. Georgian food is spicy, with lots of herbs and garlic. Chicken and mutton are the favorites. Some Georgian specialties, such as shashlik and chicken tabaka, are served in restaurants worldwide. Georgians belong to a separate ethnic branch of Caucasian peoples, different from the Indo-European and Turkic stock of their neighbors. It is likely that their ancestors lived in the region from prehistoric times. Georgians tend to be tall, wiry, and long-lived, and the women are known for their beauty. The Georgian tongue is part of the Caucasian language family. It is written in a distinct alphabet created in the early 5th century a.d. that is somewhat similar to Armenian script. Two different forms of the Georgian alphabet exist today: one, called khutsuri, is reserved for liturgical purposes; the modern version, known as mkhedruli, is used in all other communication. Georgians constitute only about 70 percent of the republic's population; minorities include Armenians, Russians, Azerbaijani, Ossetians, and Abkhazians, with the latter two having autonomous regions within Georgia. The Ossetians, who live in central-north Georgia, speak an Indo-European language of the Iranian branch and are thought to be the descendants of Sarmatians, who were pushed into the Caucasus by the Huns in the 6th century a.d. The Abkhazians, a Caucasian people, have their autonomous region in the northwestern corner of Georgia. The Adzhar autonomous region in the southwest, around Batumi, is inhabited byTurkicized Georgians, Russians, and Armenians. Most Georgians belong to the national Orthodox Church, which is close to the Russian Orthodox Church. Many inhabitants of Adzharia and Abkhazia are Muslims. The road connecting Tbilisi, the capital, and Vladikavkaz (formerly Ordzhonikidze) in Russia, built in 1799 and known since then as the Georgian Military Highway, passes through one of the most spectacular regions of the former Soviet Union. Only 130 mi. (208 km.) long, it is the shortest route crossing the Caucasus. The famous novel by the great Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov, A Hero of Our Times (first published in 1840), opens at Krestovy Pass, one of the landmarks of this route. Climate Georgia's climate ranges from subtropical along the Black Sea coast to more continental in the east, but it is generally very pleasant, with few extremes. About one-third of the country is covered by forests; the higher reaches of the mountains are capped by snow year-round. Fruit and nut trees abound, and vineyards exist that have had their beginnings traced to prehistory. | |
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Article Contributors Anonymous user updated 1 year ago |
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