sin in the east;
good soils in river valley flood plains, foothills of Kolkhida
Lowland
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Mt'a Mqinvartsveri (Gora Kazbek) 5,048 m

Natural resources: forests, 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%
permanent crops: 4%
meadows and pastures: 29%
forest and woodland: 38%
other: 18%

Irrigated land: 4,660 sq km (1990)

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
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Desertification

People
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Population: 5,219,810 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (male 595,524; female 571,207)
15-64 years: 66% (male 1,643,506; female 1,784,286)
65 years and over: 12% (male 229,910; female 395,377) (July 1996
est.)

Population growth rate: -1.02% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 12.81 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 12.21 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -10.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.58 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.9 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 22.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.09 years
male: 63.43 years
female: 72.98 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.69 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Georgian(s)
adjective: Georgian

Ethnic divisions: Georgian 70.1%, Armenian 8.1%, Russian 6.3%,
Azeri 5.7%, Ossetian 3%, Abkhaz 1.8%, other 5%

Religions: Christian Orthodox 75% (Georgian Orthodox 65%, Russian
Orthodox 10%), Muslim 11%, Armenian Apostolic 8%, unknown 6%

Languages: Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, Georgian 71% (official), Russian
9%, other 7%

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989 est.)
total population: 99%
male: 100%
female: 98%

Government
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Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of Georgia
conventional short form: Georgia
local