Georgia History Long long ago, when God divided the earth to give every people their own country, the Georgians were late. When they arrived all the land had been distributed and there was no piece left for them. The Georgians explained why they were late: they had paused along the way, to bring out a toast to God. God was so moved by their gesture, that he gave the Georgians the most beautifull piece of the earth as their country, the land he originally had reserved for himself. Georgia has a long history of closely related events. Through its strategic central location between Europe and Asia, it has always been a desirable piece of territory. Throughout the centuries, Georgia has been continually conquered by Romans, Arabs, Mongolians, Turks, Persians, and Russians. Georgia officially became independent on May 26, 1918, which they still celebrate as independence day. The Soviet Union, however, annexed Georgia in 1921. Georgia regained independence in 1991. The current president, Michail Saakasjvili, was elected in 2004 when Eduard Shevarnadze had to resign after a peaceful 'rose revolution'. Georgia has five million inhabitants. Geography, Flora and Fauna Georgia lies in the southern Caucasus. It borders Russia, Azerbajan, Armenia, Turkey, and the Black Sea. Georgia is only about the size of South Carolina. However, the enormous difference in altitudes, from sea level to more than 15,000 ft (5,200 meters), ensure a great variety of landscapes within a relatively small area. In the mountains, the climate is cool and pleasant. Glaciers and permafrost cover the highest peaks, but along the Black Sea, the climate is Mediterranean, and the vegetation sub-tropical. The flora and fauna are just as diverse as the landscapes. Culture and religion Georgia has a rich cultural tradition. Many Georgians are natural poets, and this is also a reflection of their literary traditions. Prose, music, theatre, dance, gold, silver, ceramics, frescos and paintings can all be readily enjoyed in Georgia. The country is also dotted with interesting architectural sights, including many old churches, various in style, and dating back to the 6th century. Georgian Orthodox Christianity became the national religion in 337 AD and is followed by 65% of the population. Minority religions include Islam, Russian Orthodox, and Armenian Apostle. Conservative dress is appreciated when visiting churches in Georgia. For the ladies a head scarf is recommended. Economy Georgia is a rich land, however the economy continues to struggle. The country has natural resources like coal, oil, manganate, copper, marble and granite. The agricultural sector produces many vegetables, fruit, tea and the famous Georgian wines. The Georgian currency is the lari. The lari is divided in 100 tetri. Cash is the preferred method of payment. Larger cities like Tblisi and Batumi have ATM machines at the bigger banks. Although some stores do accept credit cards, this in not generally the case. Tipping is common in restaurants, taxis, etc. Most bills are simply rounded up, so for a 18 lari lunch, you might simply give 20 lari. There are several internet providers in Georgia. So you can send emails to friends and family back home from the larger cities. Tbilisi and Kutaisi have GSM networks, but whether your mobile phone actually works depends on whether your provider has an agreement with the local provider. Since Georgia does not follow daylight savings time, they are 8 hours ahead of New York in the summer and 9 hours ahead in the winter. Language Georgian is the official language, spoken by 80% of the population. Minority languages include Russian, Armenian, and Azeri. Abkhaz is the official language of Abkhazia. Generally speaking, almost everyone speaks and understands Russian and younger people may speak some English. Georgian is a unique language. It belongs to the Kartvelian language family and is not similar to any other European language (including Russian). It has a unique alphabet. Some useful words: yes diakg no ara hello gamarjoba please tu sheidzleba thank you didi madloba excuse me bodishi Georgia Sakartvelo this is beautifull es lamazia