Norfolk Island (2001) | Georgia (2007) | |
Administrative divisions | none (territory of Australia) | 9 regions (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 1 city (k'alak'i), and 2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika)
regions: Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli city: Tbilisi autonomous republics: Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is Avtonomiuri Respublika (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika (Bat'umi) note: the administrative centers of the two autonomous republics are shown in parentheses |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
NA% 15-64 years: NA% 65 years and over: NA% |
0-14 years: 16.7% (male 413,506/female 364,407)
15-64 years: 66.6% (male 1,489,081/female 1,605,021) 65 years and over: 16.7% (male 311,098/female 462,890) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | Norfolk Island pine seed, Kentia palm seed, cereals, vegetables, fruit; cattle, poultry | citrus, grapes, tea, hazelnuts, vegetables; livestock |
Airports | 1 (2000 est.) | 23 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 19
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
Area | total:
34.6 sq km land: 34.6 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 69,700 sq km
land: 69,700 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.2 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than South Carolina |
Background | Two British attempts at establishing the island as a penal colony (1788-1814 and 1825-55) were ultimately abandoned. In 1856, the island was resettled by Pitcairn Islanders, descendants of the Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian companions. | The region of present-day Georgia contained the ancient kingdoms of Colchis and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence in the first centuries A.D. and Christianity became the state religion in the 330s. Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks was followed by a Georgian golden age (11th-13th centuries) that was cut short by the Mongol invasion of 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman and Persian empires competed for influence in the region. Georgia was absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century. Independent for three years (1918-1921) following the Russian revolution, it was forcibly incorporated into the USSR until the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. An attempt by the incumbent Georgian government to manipulate national legislative elections in November 2003 touched off widespread protests that led to the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, president since 1995. New elections in early 2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI into power along with his National Movement party. Progress on market reforms and democratization has been made in the years since independence, but this progress has been complicated by two civil conflicts in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. These two territories remain outside the control of the central government and are ruled by de facto, unrecognized governments, supported by Russia. Russian-led peacekeeping operations continue in both regions. The Georgian Government put forward a new peace initiative for the peaceful resolution of the status of South Ossetia in 2005. |
Birth rate | NA births/1,000 population | 10.54 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$4.6 million expenditures: $4.8 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92/93) |
revenues: $2.331 billion
expenditures: $2.507 billion (2006 est.) |
Capital | Kingston | name: T'bilisi
geographic coordinates: 41 43 N, 44 47 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | subtropical, mild, little seasonal temperature variation | warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast |
Coastline | 32 km | 310 km |
Constitution | Norfolk Island Act of 1979 | adopted 24 August 1995 |
Country name | conventional long form:
Territory of Norfolk Island conventional short form: Norfolk Island |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Georgia local long form: none local short form: Sak'art'velo former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic |
Currency | Australian dollar (AUD) | - |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | 9.37 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $2.04 billion (2004) |
Dependency status | territory of Australia; Canberra administers Commonwealth responsibilities on Norfolk Island through the Department of Environment, Sport, and Territories | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of Australia) | chief of mission: Ambassador John F. TEFFT
embassy: 11 George Balanchine Street, T'bilisi 0131 mailing address: 7060 T'bilisi Place, Washington, DC 20521-7060 telephone: [995] (32) 27-70-00 FAX: [995] (32) 53-23-10 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of Australia) | chief of mission: Ambassador Vasil SIKHARULIDZE
chancery: 1101 15th Street NW, Suite 602, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 387-2390 FAX: [1] (202) 393-4537 |
Disputes - international | none | Russia and Georgia agree on delimiting 80% of their common border, leaving certain small, strategic segments and the maritime boundary unresolved; OSCE observers monitor volatile areas such as the Pankisi Gorge in the Akhmeti region and the Argun Gorge in Abkhazia; UN Observer Mission in Georgia has maintained a peacekeeping force in Georgia since 1993; Meshkheti Turks scattered throughout the former Soviet Union seek to return to Georgia; boundary with Armenia remains undemarcated; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy from the Georgian government; Azerbaijan and Georgia continue to discuss the alignment of their boundary at certain crossing areas |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | ODA, $309.8 million (2005 est.) |
Economy - overview | Tourism, the primary economic activity, has steadily increased over the years and has brought a level of prosperity unusual among inhabitants of the Pacific islands. The agricultural sector has become self-sufficient in the production of beef, poultry, and eggs. | Georgia's main economic activities include the cultivation of agricultural products such as grapes, citrus fruits, and hazelnuts; mining of manganese and copper; and output of a small industrial sector producing alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, metals, machinery, and chemicals. The country imports the bulk of its energy needs, including natural gas and oil products. It has sizeable but underdeveloped hydropower capacity. Despite the severe damage the economy has suffered due to civil strife, Georgia, with the help of the IMF and World Bank, has made substantial economic gains since 2000, achieving positive GDP growth and curtailing inflation. Georgia had suffered from a chronic failure to collect tax revenues; however, the new government is making progress and has reformed the tax code, improved tax administration, increased tax enforcement, and cracked down on corruption. Due to concerted reform efforts, collection rates have improved considerably to roughly 60%, both in T'bilisi and throughout the regions. In addition, the reinvigorated privatization process has met with success, supplementing government expenditures on infrastructure, defense, and poverty reduction. Despite customs and financial (tax) enforcement improvements, smuggling remains a drain on the economy. Georgia also suffers from energy shortages due to aging and badly maintained infrastructure, as well as poor management. Continued reform in the management of state-owned power entities is essential to successful privatization and onward sustainability in this sector. The country is pinning its hopes for long-term growth on its role as a transit state for pipelines and trade. The construction on the Baku-T'bilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-T'bilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline have brought much-needed investment and job opportunities. Nevertheless, high energy prices have compounded the pressure on the country's inefficient energy sector. Restructuring the sector and finding energy supply alternatives to Russia remain major challenges. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 7.354 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | - | 122 million kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | - | 1.468 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | NA kWh | 7.142 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Bates 319 m |
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Mt'a Shkhara 5,201 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | 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 |
Ethnic groups | descendants of the Bounty mutineers, Australian, New Zealander, Polynesians | Georgian 83.8%, Azeri 6.5%, Armenian 5.7%, Russian 1.5%, other 2.5% (2002 census) |
Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.7995 (January 2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996) | lari per US dollar - 1.78 (2006), 1.8127 (2005), 1.9167 (2004), 2.1457 (2003), 2.1957 (2002) |
Executive branch | chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); the UK and Australia are represented by Administrator Anthony J. MESSNER (since 4 August 1997) head of government: Assembly President and Chief Minister Ronald Coane NOBBS (since 23 February 2000) cabinet: Executive Council is made up of four of the nine members of the Legislative Assembly; the council devises government policy and acts as an advisor to the Administrator elections: the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia; chief minister elected by the Legislative Assembly for a term of not more than three years; election last held 23 February 2000 (next to be held by March 2003) election results: Ronald Coane NOBBS elected chief minister; percent of Legislative Assembly vote - NA% |
chief of state: Acting President Nino BURJANADZE (since 25 November 2007); note - Mikheil SAAKASHVILI, who had been president since 25 January 2004, resigned the presidency on 25 November 2007 in order to become a candidate in early presidential elections to be held 5 January 2008; the president is both the chief of state and head of government for the power ministries: state security (includes interior) and defense
head of government: Acting President Nino BURJANADZE (since 25 November 2007); Prime Minister Lado GURGENIDZE (since 19 November 2007); note - Mikheil SAAKASHVILI, who had been president since 25 January 2004, resigned the presidency on 25 November 2007 in order to become a candidate in early presidential elections to be held 5 January 2008; the president is both the chief of state and head of government for the power ministries: state security (includes interior) and defense cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 4 January 2004 (next to be held 5 January 2008) election results: Mikheil SAAKASHVILI elected president; percent of vote - Mikheil SAAKASHVILI 96.3%, Temur SHASHIASHVILI 1.9% |
Exports | $1.5 million (f.o.b., FY91/92) | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | postage stamps, seeds of the Norfolk Island pine and Kentia palm, small quantities of avocados | scrap metal, machinery, chemicals; fuel reexports; citrus fruits, tea, wine |
Exports - partners | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe | Turkey 12.7%, Azerbaijan 9.4%, Russia 7.7%, Armenia 7.5%, Turkmenistan 7.3%, Bulgaria 6.4%, US 6%, Ukraine 5.8%, Canada 5%, Germany 4.6% (2006) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | calendar year |
Flag description | three vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and green with a large green Norfolk Island pine tree centered in the slightly wider white band | white rectangle, in its central portion a red cross connecting all four sides of the flag; in each of the four corners is a small red bolnur-katskhuri cross; the five-cross flag appears to date back to the 14th century |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $NA | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 15%
industry: 28.3% services: 56.7% (2006 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $NA | - |
GDP - real growth rate | NA% | 9.4% (2006 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 29 02 S, 167 57 E | 42 00 N, 43 30 E |
Geography - note | - | strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them |
Heliports | - | 3 (2007) |
Highways | total:
80 km paved: 53 km unpaved: 27 km (2001) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 30.3% (2003) |
Illicit drugs | - | limited cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy, mostly for domestic consumption; used as transshipment point for opiates via Central Asia to Western Europe and Russia |
Imports | $17.9 million (c.i.f., FY91/92) | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | NA | fuels, machinery and parts, transport equipment, grain and other foods, pharmaceuticals |
Imports - partners | Australia, other Pacific island countries, NZ, Asia, Europe | Russia 15.2%, Turkey 14.2%, Germany 9.5%, Ukraine 8.7%, Azerbaijan 8.7% (2006) |
Independence | none (territory of Australia) | 9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 3% (2000) |
Industries | tourism | steel, aircraft, machine tools, electrical appliances, mining (manganese and copper), chemicals, wood products, wine |
Infant mortality rate | NA deaths/1,000 live births | total: 17.36 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 19.42 deaths/1,000 live births female: 15.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | NA% | 9.2% (2006 est.) |
International organization participation | none | ACCT (observer), BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 2 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 4,690 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Court of Petty Sessions | Supreme Court (judges elected by the Supreme Council on the president's or chairman of the Supreme Court's recommendation); Constitutional Court; first and second instance courts |
Labor force | 1,395 (1991 est.) | 2.04 million (2004 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | tourism NA%, subsistence agriculture NA% | agriculture: 40%
industry: 20% services: 40% (1999 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 1,461 km
border countries: Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km, Turkey 252 km |
Land use | arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 25% forests and woodland: 0% other: 75% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 11.51%
permanent crops: 3.79% other: 84.7% (2005) |
Languages | English (official), Norfolk a mixture of 18th century English and ancient Tahitian | Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, other 7%
note: Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia |
Legal system | based on the laws of Australia, local ordinances and acts; English common law applies in matters not covered by either Australian or Norfolk Island law | based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral Legislative Assembly (9 seats; members elected by electors who have nine equal votes each but only four votes can be given to any one candidate; members serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 23 February 2000 (next to be held by March 2003) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9 |
unicameral Supreme Council (commonly referred to as Parliament) or Umaghlesi Sabcho (235 seats; 150 members elected by proportional representation, 75 from single-seat constituencies, and 10 represent displaced persons from Abkhazia; to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held in spring 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - National Movement-Democratic Front 67.6%, Rightist Opposition 7.6%, other parties 24.8%; seats by party - National Movement-Democratic Front 135, Rightist Opposition 15 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
NA years male: NA years female: NA years |
total population: 76.3 years
male: 73 years female: 80.07 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (2004 est.) |
Location | Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia | Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia |
Map references | Oceania | Asia |
Maritime claims | exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | none (2000 est.) | total: 209 ships (1000 GRT or over) 958,504 GRT/1,408,540 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 25, cargo 159, carrier 2, chemical tanker 1, container 5, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 3, vehicle carrier 1 foreign-owned: 180 (Albania 2, Azerbaijan 1, China 4, Cyprus 1, Egypt 14, Germany 2, Greece 7, Lebanon 3, Monaco 10, Romania 15, Russia 17, Slovenia 2, Syria 54, Turkey 23, Ukraine 24, UAE 1) (2007) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia | a CIS peacekeeping force of Russian troops is deployed in the Abkhazia region of Georgia together with a UN military observer group; a Russian peacekeeping battalion is deployed in South Ossetia |
Military branches | - | Georgian Armed Forces: Land Forces (includes National Guard), Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (2006) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 0.59% (2005 est.) |
National holiday | Pitcairners Arrival Day, 8 June (1856) | Independence Day, 26 May (1918); note - 26 May 1918 was the date of independence from Soviet Russia, 9 April 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union |
Nationality | noun:
Norfolk Islander(s) adjective: Norfolk Islander(s) |
noun: Georgian(s)
adjective: Georgian |
Natural hazards | typhoons (especially May to July) | earthquakes |
Natural resources | fish | forests, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth |
Net migration rate | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population | -4.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Pipelines | - | gas 1,349 km; oil 1,010 km (2006) |
Political parties and leaders | none | Burjanadze-Democrats [Nino BURJANADZE]; Georgian People's Front [Nodar NATADZE]; Georgian United Communist Party or UCPG [Panteleimon GIORGADZE]; Georgia's Way Party [Salome ZOURABICHVILI]; Greens [Giorgi GACHECHILADZE]; Industry Will Save Georgia (Industrialists) or IWSG [Georgi TOPADZE]; Labor Party [Shalva NATELASHVILI]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Bachuki KARDAVA]; National Movement Democratic Front [Mikheil SAAKASHVILI] (bloc composed of National Movement and Burjanadze-Democrats); National Movement [Mikheil SAAKASHVILI]; New Rights [David GAMKRELIDZE]; Republican Party [David USUPASHVILI]; Rightist Opposition [David GAMKRELIDZE] (bloc composed of Industrialists and New Right Party); Socialist Party or SPG [Irakli MINDELI]; Traditionalists [Akaki ASATIANI]; Union of National Forces-Conservatives [Koba DAVITASHVILI and Zviad DZIDZIGURI] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | Georgian independent deputies from Abkhaz government in exile; separatists in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia |
Population | 1,879 (July 2001 est.) | 4,646,003 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 54.5% (2003) |
Population growth rate | -0.71% (2001 est.) | -0.329% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none; loading jetties at Kingston and Cascade | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 7, FM 12, shortwave 4 (1998) |
Radios | 2,500 (1996) | - |
Railways | 0 km | total: 1,612 km
broad gauge: 1,575 km 1.520-m gauge (1,575 electrified) narrow gauge: 37 km 0.912-m gauge (37 electrified) (2006) |
Religions | Anglican 39%, Roman Catholic 11.7%, Uniting Church in Australia 16.4%, Seventh-Day Adventist 4.4%, none 9.2%, unknown 16.9%, other 2.4% (1986) | Orthodox Christian 83.9%, Muslim 9.9%, Armenian-Gregorian 3.9%, Catholic 0.8%, other 0.8%, none 0.7% (2002 census) |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.14 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.135 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.928 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.672 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment:
adequate domestic: NA international: radiotelephone service with Sydney (Australia) |
general assessment: fixed-line telecommunications network has only limited coverage outside Tbilisi; multiple mobile-cellular providers provide services to an increasing subscribership
domestic: local - T'bilisi, K'ut'aisi, and Batumi have cellular telephone networks; urban telephone density is about 20 per 100 people; rural telephone density is about 4 per 100 people; intercity facilities include a fiber-optic line between T'bilisi and K'ut'aisi; nationwide pager service is available international: country code - 995; the Georgia-Russia fiber optic submarine cable provides connectivity to Russia; international service is available by microwave, landline, and satellite through the Moscow switch; international electronic mail and telex service are available |
Telephones - main lines in use | 1,087 (1983) | 553,100 (2006) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (1983) | 1.704 million (2006) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (local programming station plus two repeaters that bring in Australian programs by satellite) (1998) | 12 (plus repeaters) (1998) |
Terrain | volcanic formation with mostly rolling plains | 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 |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman | 1.42 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Transportation - note | - | transportation network is in poor condition resulting from ethnic conflict, criminal activities, and fuel shortages; network lacks maintenance and repair |
Unemployment rate | NA% | 12.6% (2004 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |