Most People around the world have never heard about Georgia. Those who have hard they do know really know much about the country. Some mix the country with the US state and some considers that we are Russians or similar to it… None of these are close to reality. In this blog, I will give you brief overview about this country, people, culture.
A brief History Overview
Georgia is a country of ancient civilization. Its territory was populated 1.7-1.8 million years ago. Georgia has very old and rich culture, country has its own, unique alphabet and language, spoken only in Georgia. Literally, this language and alphabet is not similar to any other in the world.
At the height of its power, Kingdom of Georgia, ruled by warrior Queen Tamar, stretched from shores of Black Sea in the west to shores of Caspian Sea in the east and was one cultural and economic hub of the region. Other notable Kings are David IV the Builder and Giorgi V the Great.
The first republic of Georgia (1918-1921) was very progressive and in many way ahead of its time. Georgia was one of the first states in the world which granted women the right to vote. Georgia was occupied by Soviet Russia in 1921, becoming part of the Soviet Union as the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. The current republic of Georgia has been independent since 1991. Since regaining independence the country suffered from the political and economic crisis for a while, but since 2000s has been developing steadily.
Georgia - General Country Information
69,700 Km2
Armenia (224 Km)
Azerbaijan (446 Km)
Russia (894 Km)
Turkey (275 Km)
315 Km
Georgian Lari (GEL)
3,718,200
Tbilisi. Population of Capital 1,114,600
Georgian, Abkhaz (in the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia)
Political System
Georgia declared its independence in 1991. Georgia is a democratic republic. T In 2010 major Constitutional amendments were adopted, shifting many of the President’s executive powers to the Office of Prime Minister. These amendments entered into force in 2013. The Prime Minister is elected by the Parliament and leads the Government’s activities. The Government exercises functions of the executive branch.
Legislative powers are exercised by the Parliament – the supreme
representative body. The Parliament determines principle directions of
domestic and foreign policy and exercises control over Government
activities within the framework determined by the Constitution.
Parliament is elected for a four-year term and consists of 150 members
split between mixed single-seat constituencies (majoritarian) and
proportional seats (party lists).
Judicial authority is exercised by the Common Court System, which
consists of three levels: regional (city) courts, appellate courts and the
Supreme Court of Georgia. The Constitutional Court of Georgia exists
independently, outside of the Common Court System, and exercises the
function of constitutional control.
In the year of 2014 Georgia has signed EU – Georgia Association
Agreement. This Agreement will open wide range of opportunities for
broadening the EU-Georgian relations. The Association Agreement
covers areas related to Political Cooperation, Industrial Cooperation,
Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area – DC FTA, Justice, Freedom
and Security.
People and Language
By tradition, Georgia is an orthodox Christian country. Christianity was spread as early as in the 4th century; however, Georgia has been a homeland to the representatives of Muslim, Jewish, and other religious denominations for many centuries. Freedom of religion and other fundamental human rights are protected by the Georgian Constitution.
State languages in Georgia are Georgian and Abkhaz (in the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia). Georgian is written in its own unique writing system – the Georgian script, which is one of the world’s 14 unique alphabets
Georgian Phrases for Traveling with Ease - A Tourist's Dictionary
- Hello – გამარჯობა (Gamardjoba)
- How Are you? – როგორ ხარ? ( Rogor Khar?)
- What time is It? – რომელი საათია? ( Romeli Saatia?)
- Thanks a lot – დიდი მადლობა (didi madloba)
- Where is the Currency Exchange? – ვალუტის გადაცვლა სად შეიძლება? ( valutis gadatsvla sad sheidzleba?)
- Where is the bus stop? – ავტობუსის გაჩერება სად არის? ( avtobusis gachereba sad aris?)
- How Much is It? – რა ღირს? -Ra girs?
- Do you have any discount? – ფასდაკლება ხომ არ გაქვთ? ( fasdakleba khom ar gakvt?)
- I don’t Understand – ვერ გავიგე ( ver gavige)
- Do you know where this hotel is? – ეს სასტუმრო სად არის ხომ არ იცით? ( Es Sastumro sad aris khom ar itsit?)
- Where is the grocery? – მაღაზია სად არის? ( Magazia sad aris?)
- Where is…. – სად არის…? ( Sad aris….?)
- May I have the bill? – ანგარიში შეიძლება? ( Angarishi Sheidzleba?)
- Where is the Nearest Police Station? – უახლოესი პოლიციის ოფისი სად არის? ( uakhloesi politsiis ofisi sad aris?)
- Help! – დამეხმარეთ! ( damekhmaret)
- Bye! – ნახვამდის ( Nakhvamdis)
Funny Georgian Expressions
1. Georgians are not “undecided”… they have “seven Fridays in a day.” (შვიდი პარასკევი გაქვს დღეში)
2. Georgians don’t say “no pain, no gain”… they say “who has ever plucked the rose without spikes.” (ვარდი უეკლოდ ვის მოუკრიფავს)
3. Georgians don’t “take a nap”… they “lie to their eyes.” (თვალის მოტყუება)
4. Georgians don’t say “fuck it”… they say “to hang it [on your balls].” (დაიკიდე)
5. Georgians are not “sad”… they “have their ears dropped.” (ყურები ჩამოყარა)
6. Georgians don’t say “I’m having a bad day”… they say “I woke up on a left leg.” (მარცხენა ფეხზე ავდექი)
7. Georgians don’t say “I saw something beautiful”… they say “my eyes drank water.” (თვალს წყალი დაალევინა)
8. Georgians are not “stubborn”… they “sit on a donkey.” (ვირზე შეჯდომა)
9. Georgians don’t “stutter”… they have their “tongues tied up.” (ენა დამება)
10. Georgians don’t say “there’s a traffic jam”… they say “there’s a cork.” (საცობი)
11. Georgians don’t say “that’s a fake tear”… they say “that’s the tear of a crocodile.” (ნიანგის ცრემლები)
12. Georgians don’t say “you are lucky”… they say “you were born on a happy star.” (ბედნიერ ვარსკვლავზე ხარ დაბადებული)
Expats.