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 ]
country comparison to the world: 121

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

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

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: Mean Elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: lowest point: Black Sea 0 m highest point: Mt'a Shkhara 5,201 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