Georgia Geography
LocationSouthwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia
Geographic coordinates
42 00 N, 43 30 E
Area
total: 69,700 sq km
land: 69,700 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than South Carolina
Land boundaries
total: 1,461 km
border countries: Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km, Turkey 252 km
Coastline
310 km
Maritime claims
No data available
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; good soils in river valley flood plains, foothills of Kolkhida Lowland
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Mt'a Shkhara 5,201 m
Natural resources
forests, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth
Land use
arable land: 11.44%
permanent crops: 3.86%
other: 84.7% (2001)
Irrigated land
4,700 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards
earthquakes
Environment - current issues
air pollution, particularly in Rust'avi; heavy pollution of Mtkvari River and the Black Sea; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil pollution from toxic chemicals
Environment - international agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them
