- Country name
- conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Georgia
local long form: Republic of Georgia
local short form: Sak'art'velo
former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
etymology: the Western name probably derives from the name of the local people, the Gurz, whose name origin is uncertain; the native name "Sak'art'velo" means "Land of the Kartvelians" and refers to the core central Georgian region of Kartli - Government type
- semi-presidential republic
- Capital
- name: Tbilisi
geographic coordinates: 41 41 N, 44 50 E
time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: the name comes from the Georgian word tbili, meaning "warm" and referring to the hot sulfur springs in the area - Administrative divisions
- 9 regions (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 1 city (kalaki), and 2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika) regions: Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta Mtianeti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli; note - the breakaway region of South Ossetia consists of the northern part of Shida Kartli, eastern slivers of the Imereti region and Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, and part of western Mtskheta-Mtianeti city: Tbilisi autonomous republics: Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is Avtonomiuri Respublika (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika (Bat'umi)
- Legal system
- civil law system
- Constitution
- history: previous 1921, 1978 (based on 1977 Soviet Union constitution); latest approved 24 August 1995, effective 17 October 1995
amendment process: proposed as a draft law supported by more than one half of the Parliament membership or by petition of at least 200,000 voters; passage requires support by at least three fourths of the Parliament membership in two successive sessions three months apart and the signature and promulgation by the president of Georgia - International law organization participation
- accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
- Citizenship
- citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Georgia
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years - Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
- Executive branch
- chief of state: President Mikheil KAVELASHVILI (since 29 December 2024)
head of government: Prime Minister Irakli KOBAKHIDZE (since 8 February 2024)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers
election/appointment process: president elected by a 300-member College of Electors; prime minister nominated by Parliament, appointed by the president
most recent election date: 14 December 2024
election results: 2024: Mikheil KAVELASHVILI (Georgian Dream Party) was formally inaugurated on 29 December 20242024: Irakli KOBAKHIDZE approved as prime minister by Parliamentary vote 84-102018: Salome ZOURABICHVILI elected president in second round; percent of vote in second round - Salome ZOURABICHVILI (independent, backed by Georgian Dream) 59.5%, Grigol VASHADZE (UNM) 40.5%; Irakli GARIBASHVILI approved as prime minister by Parliamentary vote 89-2
expected date of next election: 2029 - Legislative branch
- legislature name: Parliament (Sakartvelos Parlamenti)
legislative structure: unicameral
number of seats: 150 (all directly elected)
electoral system: proportional representation
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 4 years
most recent election date: 10/26/2024
parties elected and seats per party: Georgian Dream (89); Coalition for Changes (19); Unity - National Movement (16); Strong Georgia – Lelo, For people, For Liberty! (14); For Georgia (12)
percentage of women in chamber: 16.8%
expected date of next election: October 2028 - Judicial branch
- highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 28 judges organized into several specialized judicial chambers; number of judges determined by the president of Georgia); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)
judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by the High Council of Justice (a 14-member body consisting of the Supreme Court chairperson, common court judges, and appointees of the president of Georgia) and appointed by Parliament; judges appointed for life; Constitutional Court judges appointed 3 each by the president, by Parliament, and by the Supreme Court judges; judges appointed for 10-year terms
subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; regional (town) and district courts - Political parties
- AhaliCitizensConservative PartyDroaEuropean Georgia - Movement for LibertyFor GeorgiaFor the PeopleFreedom SquareGeorgian DreamGirchi - More FreedomLaw and JusticeLelo for GeorgiaNational Democratic PartyPeople's PowerProgress and FreedomRepublican PartyState for the PeopleStrategy AghmashenebeliUnited National Movement or UNM
- Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador Tamar TALIASHVILI (since 24 July 2025)
chancery: 1824 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 387-2390
FAX: [1] (202) 387-0864
email address and website: embgeo.usa@mfa.gov.gehttps://georgiaembassyusa.org/contact/
consulate(s) general: New York, San Francisco - Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Alan S. PURCELL (since 16 July 2025)
embassy: 29 Georgian-American Friendship Avenue, Didi Dighomi, Tbilisi, 0131
mailing address: 7060 Tbilisi Place, Washington, DC 20521-7060
telephone: [995] (32) 227-70-00
FAX: [995] (32) 253-23-10
email address and website: askconsultbilisi@state.govhttps://ge.usembassy.gov/ - International organization participation
- ADB, BSEC, CD, CE, CPLP (associate), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, G-11, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SELEC (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
- Independence
- 9 April 1991 (from the Soviet Union); notable earlier date: A.D. 1008 (Georgia unified under King BAGRAT III)
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 26 May (1918)
- Flag
- description: white rectangle with a central red cross extending to all four sides of the flag; each of the four quadrants displays a small red bolnur-katskhuri cross (also known as Bolnisi cross), which has equal-length arms that are slightly wider at the end than in the centerhistory: sometimes referred to as the Five-Cross Flag, the design is based on a 14th-century banner of the Kingdom of Georgia
- National symbol(s)
- Saint George, lion
- National color(s)
- red, white
- National anthem(s)
- title: "Tavisupleba" (Liberty)
lyrics/music: Davit MAGRADSE/Zakaria PALIASHVILI (adapted by Joseb KETSCHAKMADSE)
history: adopted 2004, after the Rose Revolution; based on music from the operas "Abesalom da Eteri" and "Daisi" - National heritage
- total World Heritage Sites: 4 (3 cultural, 1 natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Gelati Monastery (c); Historical Monuments of Mtskheta (c); Upper Svaneti (c); Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands (n)