Location:
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia, with a sliver of land north of the Caucasus extending into Europe; note - Georgia views itself as part of Europe; geopolitically, it can be classified as falling within Europe, the Middle East, or both

Geographic coordinates:
42 00 N, 43 30 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 69,700 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 69,700 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
note: approximately 12,560 sq km, or about 18% of Georgia's area, is Russian occupied; the seized area includes all of Abkhazia and the breakaway region of South Ossetia, which 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
country comparison to the world: 122

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Carolina; slightly larger than West Virginia
Area comparison map: slightly smaller than South Carolina; slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries:
total: 1,814 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (4): Armenia 219 km, Azerbaijan 428 km, Russia 894 km, Turkey 273 km

Coastline:
310 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - exclusive economic zone country ranks ]

Climate:
warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast
More Climate Details

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; fertile soils in river valley flood plains and foothills of Kolkhida Lowland

Elevation:
mean elevation: 1,432 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Mt'a Shkhara 5,193 m

Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth

Land use:
agricultural land: 35.5% arable land 5.8%; permanent crops 1.8%; permanent pasture 27.9%
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
forest: 39.4%
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 25.1% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
4,330 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population - distribution:
settlement coincides closely to the central valley, with emphasis on the capital city of Tbilisi in the east; smaller urban agglomerations dot the Black Sea coast, with Bat'umi being the largest

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; Krubera Cave in the western part of the country is the deepest-known cave in the world; at -2,197 m it is the only known cave on earth deeper than 2,000 m