ian Interim
Agreement-permanent status to be determined through further
negotiation

______________________________________________________________________

GEORGIA

Introduction

Current issues: Beset by ethnic and civil strife since independence in
1991, Georgia began to stabilize in 1994. Separatist conflicts in
Abkhazia and South Ossetia have been dormant since spring 1994,
although political settlements remain elusive. Russian peacekeepers
are deployed in both regions and a UN Observer Mission is operating in
Abkhazia. As a result of these conflicts, Georgia still has about
250,000 internally displaced people. In 1995, Georgia adopted a new
constitution and conducted generally free and fair nationwide
presidential and parliamentary elections. In 1996, the government
focused its attention to implementing an ambitious economic reform
program and professionalizing its parliament. Violence and organized
crime were sharply curtailed in 1995 and 1996, but corruption remains
rife. In 1997, SHEVARDNADZE succeeded in bringing international
attention to the Abkhazia conflict. The UN sponsored two meetings on
the subject, but a resolution is still far off. Georgia also took some
steps in 1997 to reduce its dependence on Russia, acquiring coastal
patrol boats it hopes to use to replace the current Russian border
units on the Black Sea coast. The year 1997 also saw a sharpening of
rhetoric-especially from parliament-against Russia's continued
military presence on Georgian territory.

@Georgia:Geography

Location: Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey
and Russia

Geographic coordinates: 42 00 N, 43 30 E

Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States

Area:
total: 69,700 sq km
land: 69,700 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area-comparative: slightly smaller than South Carolina

Land boundaries:
total: 1,461 km
border countries: Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km,
Turkey 252 km

Coastline: 310 km

Maritime claims: NA

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; 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

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Mt'a Mqinvartsveri (Gora Kazbek) 5,048 m

Natural resources: