Location:
Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia, with a sliver of land north of the Caucasus extending into Europe

Geographic coordinates:
42 00 N, 43 30 E

Map references:
Middle East

Area:
total: 69,700 sq km
country comparison to the world: 120
[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 ]

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries:
total: 1,461 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries: Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km, Turkey 252 km

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

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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; good soils in river valley flood plains, foothills of Kolkhida Lowland

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Mt'a Shkhara 5,201 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - highest point country ranks ]

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:
arable land: 11.51%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 3.79%
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
other: 84.7% (2005)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
4,690 sq km (2003)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
63.3 cu km (1997)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 3.61 cu km/yr (20%/21%/59%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 808 cu m/yr (2000)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - per capita country ranks ]

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