Part 78
9 regions (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 1 city (k'alak'i), 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
city: Tbilisi
autonomous republics: Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is Avtonomiuri Respublika (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika (Bat'umi)
note: the administrative centers of the two autonomous republics are shown in parentheses
Independence:
9 April 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 26 May (1918); note - 26 May 1918 was the date of independence from Soviet Russia, 9 April 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union
Constitution:
adopted 24 August 1995
Legal system:
based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25 January 2004); the president is both the chief of state and head of government for the power ministries: state security (includes interior) and defense
head of government: President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25 January 2004); Prime Minister Nikoloz GILAURI (since 6 February 2009); the president is both the chief of state and head of government for the power ministries: state security (includes interior) and defense; the prime minister is head of the remaining ministries of government
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 5 January 2008 (next to be held January 2013)
election results: Mikheil SAAKASHVILI reelected president; percent of vote - Mikheil SAAKASHVILI 53.5%, Levan GACHECHILADZE 25.7%, Badri PATARKATSISHVILI 7.1%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Parlamenti (also known as Supreme Council or Umaghlesi Sabcho) (150 seats; 75 members elected by proportional representation, 75 from single-seat constituencies; to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 21 May 2008 (next to be held in spring 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - United National Movement 59.2%, National Council-New Rights 17.7%, Christian Democratic Movement 8.8%, Labor Party 7.4%, Republican Party 3.8%; seats by party - United National Movement 120, National Council-New Rights 16, Christian Democratic Movement 6, Labor Party 6, Republican Party 2
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges elected by the Supreme Council on the president's or chairman of the Supreme Court's recommendation); Constitutional Court; first and second instance courts
Political parties and leaders:
Christian Democratic Movement [Giorgi TARGAMADZE]; Democratic Movement United Georgia [Nino BURJANADZE]; Georgian People's Front [Nodar NATADZE]; Georgian United Communist Party or UCPG [Panteleimon GIORGADZE]; Georgia's Way Party [Salome ZOURABICHVILI]; Greens [Giorgi GACHECHILADZE]; Industry Will Save Georgia (Industrialists) or IWSG [Georgi TOPADZE]; Labor Party [Shalva NATELASHVILI]; National Council-New Rights (bloc forming joint opposition) [Levan GACHECHILADZE]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Bachuki KARDAVA]; United National Movement [Mikheil SAAKASHVILI]; New Rights [David GAMKRELIDZE]; Republican Party [David USUPASHVILI]; Socialist Party or SPG [Irakli MINDELI]; Traditionalists [Akaki ASATIANI]; Union of National Forces-Conservatives [Koba DAVITASHVILI and Zviad DZIDZIGURI]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
separatists in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
International organization participation:
ACCT (observer), ADB, BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Batu KUTELIA
chancery: 2209 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 387-2390
FAX: [1] (202) 393-4537
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John F. TEFFT
embassy: 11 George Balanchine Street, T'bilisi 0131
mailing address: 7060 T'bilisi Place, Washington, DC 20521-7060
telephone: [995] (32) 27-70-00
FAX: [995] (32) 53-23-10
Flag description:
white rectangle, in its central portion a red cross connecting all four sides of the flag; in each of the four corners is a small red bolnur-katskhuri cross; the five-cross flag appears to date back to the 14th century
Economy ::Georgia
Economy - overview:
Georgia's economy sustained GDP growth of close to 10% in 2006 and 12% in 2007, based on strong inflows of foreign investment and robust government spending. However, growth slowed to less than 3% in 2008 and is expected to slow further in 2009. Georgia's main economic activities include the cultivation of agricultural products such as grapes, citrus fruits, and hazelnuts; mining of manganese and copper; and output of a small industrial sector producing alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, metals, machinery, aircraft and chemicals. Areas of recent improvement include growth in the construction, banking services, and mining sectors, but reduced availability of external investment and the slowing regional economy are emerging risks. The country imports nearly all its needed supplies of natural gas and oil products. It has sizeable hydropower capacity, a growing component of its energy supplies. Georgia has overcome the chronic energy shortages of the past by renovating hydropower plants and by bringing in newly available supplies from Azerbaijan. It also has an increased ability to pay for more expensive gas imports from Russia. The construction on the Baku-T'bilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the Baku-T'bilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline, and the Kars-Akhalkalaki Railroad are part of a strategy to capitalize on Georgia's strategic location between Europe and Asia and develop its role as a transit point for gas, oil and other goods. Georgia has historically suffered from a chronic failure to collect tax revenues; however, the government has made great progress and has reformed the tax code, improved tax administration, increased tax enforcement, and cracked down on corruption since coming to power in 2004. Government revenues have increased nearly four fold since 2003. Due to improvements in customs and tax enforcement, smuggling is a declining problem. The country is pinning its hopes for long-term growth on a determined effort to reduce regulation, taxes, and corruption in order to attract foreign investment, but the economy faces a more difficult investment climate both domestically and internationally.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$21.56 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 119 $21.12 billion (2007 est.)
$18.81 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$12.86 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
2.1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 156 12.3% (2007 est.)
9.4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$4,700 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 142 $4,500 (2007 est.)
$4,000 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 12.5%
industry: 27.9%
services: 59.6% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
2.317 million (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 112
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 55.6%
industry: 8.9%
services: 35.5% (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate:
13.6% (2006 est.) country comparison to the world: 145
Population below poverty line:
31% (2006)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.4%
highest 10%: 27% (2005)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
40.8 (2005) country comparison to the world: 58 37.1 (1996)
Investment (gross fixed):
22.5% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 75
Budget:
revenues: $4.596 billion
expenditures: $5.345 billion (2008 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
10% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 145 9.3% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
8% (25 December 2008)
NA% (31 December 2007)
note: this is the Refinancing Rate, the key monetary policy rate of the Georgian National Bank
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
21.24% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 15 20.41% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$972.4 million (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 88 $1.154 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$1.606 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 88 $1.379 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$3.754 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 85 $3.374 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 99 $1.389 billion (31 December 2007)
$668.3 million (31 December 2006)
Agriculture - products:
citrus, grapes, tea, hazelnuts, vegetables; livestock
Industries:
steel, aircraft, machine tools, electrical appliances, mining (manganese and copper), chemicals, wood products, wine
Industrial production growth rate:
-1% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 142
Electricity - production:
8.17 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 99
Electricity - consumption:
6.902 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
Electricity - exports:
628 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
430 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
977.4 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 105
Oil - consumption:
14,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 139
Oil - exports:
1,486 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 119
Oil - imports:
16,590 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Oil - proved reserves:
35 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 80
Natural gas - production:
8 million cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
Natural gas - consumption:
1.73 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 82
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 174
Natural gas - imports:
1.72 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 47
Natural gas - proved reserves:
8.495 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 81
Current account balance:
-$2.915 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 147 -$2.119 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$2.428 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 128 $2.088 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
scrap metal, wine, mineral water, ores, vehicles, fruits and nuts
Exports - partners:
Turkey 16.9%, Azerbaijan 12.4%, Ukraine 8.5%, Canada 8.4%, Bulgaria 8.2%, Armenia 7.7%, US 7.1%, UK 4.2% (2008)
Imports:
$6.261 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 109 $4.984 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
fuels, vehicles, machinery and parts, grain and other foods, pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners:
Turkey 14.9%, Ukraine 10.4%, Azerbaijan 9.6%, Germany 7.9%, Russia 6.8%, US 5.7%, China 4.7%, UAE 4.4% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$1.48 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 117 $1.361 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$7.711 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 93 $5.343 billion (31 December 2007)
Exchange rates:
laris (GEL) per US dollar - 1.47 (2008 est.), 1.7 (2007), 1.78 (2006), 1.8127 (2005), 1.9167 (2004)
Communications ::Georgia
Telephones - main lines in use:
618,000 (2008) country comparison to the world: 93
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.755 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 111
Telephone system:
general assessment: fixed-line telecommunications network has only limited coverage outside Tbilisi; long list of people waiting for fixed line connections; multiple mobile-cellular providers provide services to an increasing subscribership throughout the country
domestic: cellular telephone networks now cover the entire country; mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 75 per 100 people; urban fixed-line telephone density is about 20 per 100 people; rural telephone density is about 4 per 100 people; intercity facilities include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi; nationwide pager service is available
international: country code - 995; the Georgia-Russia fiber optic submarine cable provides connectivity to Russia; international service is available by microwave, landline, and satellite through the Moscow switch; international electronic mail and telex service are available
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 7, FM 12, shortwave 4 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
12 (plus repeaters) (1998)
Internet country code:
.ge
Internet hosts:
104,243 (2009) country comparison to the world: 72
Internet users:
1.024 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 85
Transportation ::Georgia
Airports:
22 (2009) country comparison to the world: 133
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 18
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 2 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2009)
Heliports:
3 (2009)
Pipelines:
gas 1,591 km; oil 1,253 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 1,612 km country comparison to the world: 80 broad gauge: 1,575 km 1.520-m gauge (1,575 electrified)
narrow gauge: 37 km 0.912-m gauge (37 electrified) (2008)
Roadways:
total: 20,329 km country comparison to the world: 109 paved: 7,854 km (includes 13 km of expressways)
unpaved: 12,475 km (2006)
Merchant marine:
total: 191 country comparison to the world: 35 by type: bulk carrier 18, cargo 148, carrier 2, chemical tanker 1, container 4, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 4, vehicle carrier 2
foreign-owned: 153 (China 10, Cyprus 1, Egypt 12, Germany 2, Greece 5, Hong Kong 2, Israel 2, Lebanon 4, Monaco 4, Nigeria 1, Romania 16, Russia 12, Syria 49, Turkey 14, Ukraine 18, UAE 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Bat'umi, P'ot'i
Transportation - note:
large parts of transportation network are in poor condition because of lack of maintenance and repair
Military ::Georgia
Military branches:
Georgian Armed Forces: Land Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces
note: naval forces have been incorporated into the coast guard (2009)
Military service age and obligation:
18 to 34 years of age for compulsory and voluntary active duty military service; conscript service obligation - 18 months (2005)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,113,251
females age 16-49: 1,168,021 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 908,282
females age 16-49: 959,290 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 32,355
female: 30,809 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.59% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 158
Military - note:
a CIS peacekeeping force of Russian troops is deployed in the Abkhazia region of Georgia together with a UN military observer group; a Russian peacekeeping battalion is deployed in South Ossetia
Transnational Issues ::Georgia
Disputes - international:
Russia and Georgia agree on delimiting 80% of their common border, leaving certain small, strategic segments and the maritime boundary unresolved; OSCE observers monitor volatile areas such as the Pankisi Gorge in the Akhmeti region and the Argun Gorge in Abkhazia; UN Observer Mission in Georgia has maintained a peacekeeping force in Georgia since 1993; Meshkheti Turks scattered throughout the former Soviet Union seek to return to Georgia; boundary with Armenia remains undemarcated; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy from the Georgian government; Azerbaijan and Georgia continue to discuss the alignment of their boundary at certain crossing areas
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 1,100 (Russia)
IDPs: 220,000-240,000 (displaced from Abkhazia and South Ossetia) (2007)
Illicit drugs:
limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for opiates via Central Asia to Western Europe and Russia
page last updated on November 11, 2009
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@Germany (Europe)
Introduction ::Germany
Background:
As Europe's largest economy and second most populous nation (after Russia), Germany is a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic and security organizations, the EC, which became the EU, and NATO, while the Communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War allowed for German unification in 1990. Since then, Germany has expended considerable funds to bring Eastern productivity and wages up to Western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries introduced a common European exchange currency, the euro.
Geography ::Germany
Location:
Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark
Geographic coordinates:
51 00 N, 9 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 357,022 sq km country comparison to the world: 62 land: 348,672 sq km
water: 8,350 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Montana
Land boundaries:
total: 3,621 km
border countries: Austria 784 km, Belgium 167 km, Czech Republic 646 km, Denmark 68 km, France 451 km, Luxembourg 138 km, Netherlands 577 km, Poland 456 km, Switzerland 334 km
Coastline:
2,389 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) wind
Terrain:
lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in south
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Neuendorf bei Wilster -3.54 m
highest point: Zugspitze 2,963 m
Natural resources:
coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 33.13%
permanent crops: 0.6%
other: 66.27% (2005)
Irrigated land:
4,850 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
188 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 38.01 cu km/yr (12%/68%/20%)
per capita: 460 cu m/yr (2001)
Natural hazards:
flooding
Environment - current issues:
emissions from coal-burning utilities and industries contribute to air pollution; acid rain, resulting from sulfur dioxide emissions, is damaging forests; pollution in the Baltic Sea from raw sewage and industrial effluents from rivers in eastern Germany; hazardous waste disposal; government established a mechanism for ending the use of nuclear power over the next 15 years; government working to meet EU commitment to identify nature preservation areas in line with the EU's Flora, Fauna, and Habitat directive
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location on North European Plain and along the entrance to the Baltic Sea
People ::Germany
Population:
82,329,758 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 16
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.7% (male 5,768,366/female 5,470,516)
15-64 years: 66.1% (male 27,707,761/female 26,676,759)
65 years and over: 20.3% (male 7,004,805/female 9,701,551) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 43.8 years
male: 42.6 years
female: 45.2 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.053% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 211
Birth rate:
8.18 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 220
Death rate:
10.9 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 47
Net migration rate:
2.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 40
Urbanization:
urban population: 74% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 3.99 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 210 male: 4.41 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.26 years country comparison to the world: 32 male: 76.26 years
female: 82.42 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.41 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 195
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 123
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
53,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 64
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 85
Nationality:
noun: German(s)
adjective: German
Ethnic groups:
German 91.5%, Turkish 2.4%, other 6.1% (made up largely of Greek, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish)
Religions:
Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3%
Languages:
German
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 16 years
male: 16 years
female: 16 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
4.6% of GDP (2004) country comparison to the world: 82
People - note:
second most populous country in Europe after Russia
Government ::Germany
Country name:
conventional long form: Federal Republic of Germany
conventional short form: Germany
local long form: Bundesrepublik Deutschland
local short form: Deutschland
former: German Empire, German Republic, German Reich
Government type:
federal republic
Capital:
name: Berlin
geographic coordinates: 52 31 N, 13 24 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions: