One of the countries of Transcaucasia is Georgia. The area of the territory of this state has changed more than once in history. And at present, this country controls far from all the lands it claims to be. Nevertheless, in many directories, data from virtually uncontrolled regions appear as Georgia. The area without Abkhazia and South Ossetia is still more consistent with the real situation. Let's find out what is the area of a country without these republics and how its territory was formed.
The history of the formation of the territory of Georgia
One of the oldest states of Transcaucasia is Georgia. The area of this country was formed over hundreds of years, and even millennia.
The first states in Georgia appeared in antiquity. It was Colchis (covering the Black Sea coast of the country) and Iberia (located in the center). The last state was formed in the III century BC. It was located in the center of the country and was the core from which Georgia was formed in the future.
The area of this state was approximately half of Georgian territory. In later sources, Iberia begins to be referred to as the kingdom of Kartli. In the 1st century BC. the kings of Iberia and Colchis recognize their dependence on Rome. In the first half of the 4th century AD, Christianity became the state religion in Kartli (Iberia).
In subsequent centuries, the territory of Georgia was actually divided into zones of influence of Byzantium (Colchis) and Persia (Iberia). Sometimes even these territories completely lost their independence and were part of the above states. In the middle of the 7th century, Arabs conquered Persia and most of Georgia. Georgians managed to completely free themselves from Arabs only in the 10th century.
But after liberation from the Arabs, Georgia was a multitude of independent states. The rulers of the Bagratid dynasty, which initially ruled in the kingdom of Tao Klarjeti, succeeded in uniting them into one power. The kings of this dynasty managed to expel the Arabs from Tbilisi and make this city their capital. After that, they united the whole territory of modern Georgia and even annexed lands that are not part of the modern Georgian state.
Georgia gained the greatest power under King David the Builder and Queen Tamar (XII – XIII centuries), during which even emperors of the Trebizond Empire recognized vassal dependence. It was the Golden Age of political power and culture that Georgia has ever experienced. The area of its territories went far beyond the limits of modern borders.
But nothing is eternal. After the Golden Age, a series of strife began between representatives of the ruling house. The Mongol invasion in the 1920s was shaken by the power of the Georgian state. In the end, Georgian kings recognized vassal dependence on the Mongols and agreed to pay tribute. Finally, the united Georgian state was crushed by a series of aggressive campaigns of the Central Asian ruler Tamerlane. These campaigns led to the complete depletion of the Georgian economy and its collapse into several independent states. Over time, most of these principalities were forced to recognize vassal dependence on the Ottoman Empire or on the Persian state of the Safavids. On the territory of Georgia there was a struggle between these two great monarchies. In the end, under a peace treaty signed in the middle of the 16th century, the principalities of Kakheti and Kartli were given to Persia, and Imereti to the Ottomans.
In the XVII century, a new powerful state entered the Caucasian arena - the Russian Empire. In a series of wars with the Ottoman Empire and Persia, it establishes control over a significant part of the Caucasus. Meanwhile, the principalities of Kartli and Kakheti are united in one state. The ruler of the united Kartli-Kakheti kingdom, Heraclius II, accepts Russian citizenship in 1783. And in 1801, after the death of the next Georgian king, the Kartli-Kakheti state finally became part of the Russian Empire.
Now, being part of the empire, modern Georgian territories were part of the Tiflis and Kutaisi provinces, roughly corresponding to the territories of the Kartli-Kakheti and Imereti kingdoms, as well as the Batumi region.
The formation of the Georgian state in modern borders
The area of Georgia, roughly coinciding with its current borders, began to form after the fall of the monarchy in the Russian Empire in 1917. In November 1917, the Transcaucasian Commissariat was assembled in Tiflis (modern Tbilisi), which is a coalition government of the provinces of Transcaucasia (Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan).
In April 1918, the Transcaucasian Democratic Federal Republic was created on its basis. But in May, under pressure from Turkey, this state broke up into three independent republics, one of which was the Democratic Republic of Georgia. The territory of this state covered not only modern Georgia, but also Abkhazia, South Ossetia, as well as parts of Armenia and Turkey. It is from this power that modern Georgia leads its statehood.
However, it did not last long. Already in 1921, the Bolshevik troops captured Georgia. Here the Georgian SSR was formed with its capital in Tbilisi. In the same year, the Adzharian SSR was allocated as a subject of the GSSR. Based on the concluded union agreement, the Abkhaz SSR is part of Georgia, and in a year another autonomy will form - the South Ossetian Autonomous Region. In the same 1922, the GSSR, the Armenian SSR and the Azerbaijan SSR form a federation - the ZSFSR. At the end of 1922, the latter was part of the USSR. However, in 1936 the ZSFSR was disbanded and all three republics that were part of this association, including Georgia, became direct subjects of the USSR.
At the end of the 80s of the last century, Georgia was one of the first republics to set a course for leaving the USSR. This was stated by the Republican Supreme Council in 1989, when Soviet troops dispersed a rally demanding the separation of Georgia from the Soviet Union. In April 1991, Georgia proclaimed a complete separation from the USSR.
But the autonomous territories within the GSSR — the Abkhaz ASSR and the South Ossetian Autonomous Okrug — wished to remain part of the USSR. This led to a conflict between Georgia and the armed forces of these republics. The war was stopped only in 1993, thanks to the mediation of Russia and the introduction of a peacekeeping contingent. In fact, Abkhazia and South Ossetia became independent states, although legally this fact was not recognized by any country in the world. Georgia continued to regard these territories as its own.
Modern stage
In 2008, a new armed conflict broke out between Georgia on the one hand and Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Russia on the other. As a result of this conflict, Georgia completely lost control of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, whose official statehood was recognized by Russia.
On this, the formation of the territory of Georgia in the form as it exists now was completed. That is why now the area of Georgia without Abkhazia and South Ossetia is taken into account in the calculations.
The area of Georgia
Now it's time to still find out what is the area of Georgia in the square. km without Abkhazia and South Ossetia. So, find out the answer to this question.
The total area of Georgia with all the territories for which it claims is 69.7 thousand km 2. According to this indicator, this country occupies 119th place in the world. But we are primarily interested in the area of Georgia in the square. km without South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Given that the territory of Abkhazia is 8.6 thousand km 2, and the territory of South Ossetia is 3.9 thousand km 2, it is not difficult to calculate their total area - 12.5 thousand km 2. Thus, the area of Georgia without these regions is 57.2 thousand km 2. This is the 122nd place among all states of the world.
Population size
We found out on what size plot Georgia is located. The area and population of the country are very interrelated parameters. Therefore, in order to have a complete picture, we will find out the number of inhabitants in this Transcaucasian country.
Currently, the specified state is inhabited by 3729.5 thousand inhabitants. Georgia holds one hundred and thirty place in this indicator among other countries of the world. The area and population of this Transcaucasian state were indicated excluding Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Population density
Knowing these indicators of the population and area of the country, it is not difficult to calculate the population density of Georgia. At the moment, it is 68 people. per 1 sq. km
For comparison, the population density in the neighboring states of Azerbaijan and Armenia is respectively 111 and 101.5 people / sq. km Thus, this indicator in Georgia is less than that of neighboring countries.
Composition of the population
Now let's analyze the ethnic and religious composition of the population that lives on the territory of Georgia, that is, persons occupying the area of this country.
The main ethnic group are Georgians. They make up 83.4% of the total population of Georgia, excluding Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This characterizes her as a country with a significant predominance of one nationality. The second place in number is occupied by Azerbaijanis - 6.7%, followed by Armenians - 5.7%. But the Russians are already significantly behind in numbers from the above ethnic groups. Their specific gravity is only 1.9%. Ossetians in the country are about 1%.
All other ethnic groups that inhabit Georgia make up less than 1% of the total population. These include the Yezidis (Kurds), Ukrainians, Greeks, Chechens, Avars, Kistins, Abkhazians, Assyrians and some other nationalities.
The vast majority of Georgian citizens profess Orthodox Christianity - 83.4%. Quite a lot are also Muslims, mainly in Adjara - 10.7%. Among other religious groups, it is worth highlighting the parishioners of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholics, Protestants, Yezidis, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Jews.
Administrative division
Now let's find out what territorial units modern Georgia is divided into. This state actually consists of 9 territories (mkhara), one autonomous republic (Adjara), as well as one city of national importance (Tbilisi). In addition, legally, Georgia, according to its legislation, includes the Republic of Abkhazia, but in fact Georgia does not control this territory.
The list of nine territories is as follows: Samtskhe-Javakheti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Lower Svaneti, Imereti, Guria, Samegrelo-Upper Svaneti, Kakheti, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Shida-Kartli, Kvemo-Kartli.
In addition, administrative units of a higher order (territories and autonomous republics) are divided into administrative units of a lower order (municipalities and cities of republican (regional) significance). At present, the presence of 67 municipalities and fourteen cities of regional significance is enshrined in law in Georgia. But in fact, only 59 municipalities and 11 regional settlements are under the control of Georgia.
It should be noted that until 2006 the administrative units, which are now called municipalities, were called, as in the Soviet Union, districts.
Area of selected regions of Georgia
Now let's find out what territory is occupied by the hotel regions that are part of such a state entity as Georgia. The area of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara with its capital in Batumi, which is located in the extreme south-west of Georgia, is 2.9 thousand km 2.
The region of Samegrelo-Upper Svaneti is located in the northwestern part of Georgia on the border with Abkhazia on the territory of 7.4 thousand km 2. The main city of this region is Zugdidi.
The administrative center of the region of Guria is the city of Ozurgeti. This territorial unit has an area of 2.0 thousand km 2 and is located in the south-west of the country.
The region of Racha-Lechkhumi and Lower Svaneti is located in the north of the country in an area of 4.6 thousand km 2. The main settlement here is the city of Ambrolauri.
The land, whose name corresponds to the name of the ancient kingdom of Imereti, has an area of 6.6 thousand km 2 and is located in the central part of Georgia with an offset to the west. The administrative center of this region is the city of Kutaisi.
The region with the complex name Samtskhe-Javakheti has an area of 6.4 thousand km 2. This region is located in the south of the country. The main city here is Akhaltsikhe.
The Shida-Kartli region has an area of 4.8 thousand km 2. The main city in this region is Gori. The region is located in the north-central part of Georgia on the border with South Ossetia. According to the laws of Georgia, about half of the territory of this region is just South Ossetian land, and most of South Ossetia is part of the territory of Shida-Kartli. But when calculating the area of this region, we took into account only the territory that the Georgian authorities actually control.
The region with the poetic name Mtskheta-Mtianeti has a territory of 6.8 thousand km 2 located in the north-east of Georgia, but actually controls 5.8 thousand km 2, since the rest is located in South Ossetia. The main city of the region is Mtskheta.
Kvemo Kartli region is located in the south-east of Georgia. It has an area of 6.5 thousand km 2. The administrative center is Rustavi.
The Kakheti region is located in the easternmost part of the country. It has dimensions equal to 11.3 thousand km 2. The administrative center here is the city of Telavi.
The city of state significance Tbilisi also has its territory. Of course, it is much smaller than the territory of the territories and is only 720 km 2. The total population in the Georgian capital is 1.1 million. The city is located in the central part of the state with a shift to the southeast.
Thus, as we see, the largest regions of Georgia by area are the Kakheti region (11.3 thousand km 2) and the Samegrelo-Upper Svaneti region (7.4 thousand km 2). The smallest regions of Georgia, not including the city of state significance, Tbilisi, the territory of Guria (2.0 thousand km 2) and the Autonomous Republic of Adjara (2.9 thousand km 2).
