[225] Historically, the western portion of Georgia was known as Colchis while the eastern plateau was called Iberia.[226]. [306][c] 0.7 per cent of those recorded in the 2014 census declared themselves to be adherents of other religions, 1.2 per cent refused or did not state their religion and 0.5 per cent declared no religion at all. During much of this time (1927-1953), Joseph Stalin was the totalitarian leader. Economic reforms since independence have led to higher levels of economic freedom, as well as reductions in corruption indicators, poverty, and unemployment. "[197] In 2012, the World Bank called Georgia a "unique success" of the world in fighting corruption, noting "Georgia's experience shows that the vicious cycle of endemic corruption can be broken and, with appropriate and decisive reforms, can be turned into a virtuous cycle. [citation needed]. [27] In fact, early metallurgy started in Georgia during the 6th millennium BC, associated with the Shulaveri-Shomu culture. Georgian is the primary language of 87.7 per cent of the population, followed by 6.2 per cent speaking Azerbaijani, 3.9 per cent Armenian, 1.2 per cent Russian, and 1 per cent other languages. Consecutive research estimated the 2002 census to be inflated by 8 to 9 percent,[286] which affected the annually updated population estimates in subsequent years. [77] Stalin was to rise to the highest position, leading the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death on 5 March 1953. [298], The most widespread language group is the Kartvelian family, which includes Georgian, Svan, Mingrelian and Laz. The large cross is the cross of St George, the patron saint of Georgia. This method of cultivation is called maglari. [46] This early Georgian renaissance, which preceded its Western European analogue, was characterized by impressive military victories, territorial expansion, and a cultural renaissance in architecture, literature, philosophy and the sciences. [223][224] The country lies between latitudes 41 and 44 N, and longitudes 40 and 47 E, with an area of 67,900km2 (26,216sqmi). Only those students who have passed the Unified National Examinations may enroll in a state-accredited higher education institution, based on ranking of the scores received at the exams. S. Neil MacFarlane, Centre for International Relations, Queen's University, 1997, "Georgia/Abchasia: Violations of the laws of war and Russia's role in the conflict", "Russia The IngushOssetian conflict in the Prigorodnyi region", "EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight Georgia's Rose Revolution: Momentum and Consolidation", "Russia Hands Over Batumi Military Base to Georgia", Russia's retention of Gudauta base An unfulfilled CFE treaty commitment, "Countdown in the Caucasus: Seven days that brought Russia and Georgia to war", "Georgia calls on EU for independent inquiry into war", "Russia resurgent? [306][c] The Georgian Orthodox Church is one of the world's most ancient Christian Churches, and claims apostolic foundation by Saint Andrew. (1996). The country covers an area of 69,700 square kilometres (26,900sqmi), and has a population of 3.7 million people. [69], In the summer of 1805, Russian troops on the Askerani River near Zagam defeated the Iranian army during the 180413 Russo-Persian War and saved Tbilisi from reconquest now that it was officially part of the Imperial territories. George V was the last great king of the unified Georgian state. [122][123] Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Georgia has topped the list of countries which Russian exiles departed to after the war began; Russians are allowed to stay in Georgia for at least one year without a visa, though many Georgians view the presence of more Russian citizens in Georgia as a security risk.[124]. Thousands of people gathered outside the Central Election Commission to demand a new vote. For example, in its 2017 report, Council of Europe observed that while most day-to-day corruption has been eliminated, there are some indications of a "clientelistic system" whereby the country's leadership may allocate resources in ways that generate the loyalty and support it needs to stay in power. referred to early western Georgians as Colchians and eastern Georgians as Iberians (Iberoi, in some Greek sources). [287] On the basis of that back-projection, Geostat has corrected its data for these years. Access to higher education is given to students who have gained a secondary school certificate. Since the fall of the USSR in 1991, Georgia embarked on a major structural reform designed to transition to a free market economy. Mikheil Saakashvili was elected as President of Georgia in 2004. [31][347][348][349] Local traditions associated with wine are entwined with its national identity. The Five Cross Flag has a white background with a red cross in the middle. The first attempt to unite the country occurred under King Parnavaz of Kartli at the beginning of the third century B.C.E. According to United Nations data, this totalled 625,000 by 2000, declining to 450,000 by 2019. [329] Georgian culture was influenced by Classical Greece, the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the various Iranian empires (notably the Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanian, Safavid, and Qajar empires),[330][331][332][333] and later, since the 19th century, by the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. In February 1921, during the Russian Civil War, the Red Army advanced into Georgia and brought the local Bolsheviks to power. The coup was instigated by part of the National Guards and a paramilitary organization called "Mkhedrioni" ("horsemen"). Moscow's campaign to 'coerce Georgia to peace', "The Conflict Between Russia and Georgia", "Saakashvili Appeals for Peace in Televised Address", "The Goals Behind Moscow's Proxy Offensive in South Ossetia", "A Two-Sided Descent into Full-Scale War", "The Russian-Georgian War was Preplanned in Moscow", "Georgia Offers Fresh Evidence on War's Start", "Russian Federation: Legal Aspects of War in Georgia", "Abkhaz separatists strike disputed Georgia gorge", "I got my children out minutes before the bombs fell", "Russia opens new front, drives deeper into Georgia", "Amnesty International Satellite Images Reveal Damage to South Ossetian Villages After", "Rights Groups Say South Ossetian Militias Burning Georgian Villages", "Statement by President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev", "Russia Completes 'Most of Withdrawal' EU Monitors", "Moscow Says EU Monitors Fully Control 'Buffer Zones', "Resolution of the Parliament of Georgia on the Occupation of the Georgian Territories by the Russian Federation", "Abkhazia, S.Ossetia Formally Declared Occupied Territory", "Russian exiles get a chilly reception in Georgia VoxEurop", Georgia elects Salome Zurabishvili as first woman president, "Georgia opens new parliament in Kutaisi, far from the capital", "With loss of parliament, Georgia's second city prepares for a downgrade", "Georgia: Freedom in the World 2022 Country Report", "Democracy Index 2021: the China challenge", "Saakashvili Concedes Defeat in Parliamentary Election", "Georgian tycoon Ivanishvili confirmed as prime minister", "Georgia: Conflict Rather than Cohabitation", "Georgia's Historic Transition Faces Crucial Tests In 2013", "Georgia PM ally Giorgi Margvelashvili 'wins presidency', "Irakli Garibashvili Named as Georgia's Next Prime Minister", "Did Georgia's 'Informal Leader' Pressure Prime Minister To Resign? [82], He was soon deposed in a bloody coup d'tat, from 22 December 1991 to 6 January 1992. In the 1992 elections it won four MPs. It was registered at the Ministry of Justice on 27 February 1998. The alphabet probably was created soon afterward to . [27] The earliest evidence of wine to date has been found in Georgia, where 8,000-year old wine jars were uncovered. The Constitution of Georgia guarantees freedom of speech. They never reached Georgia, however, and almost 700,000 Georgians fought in the Red Army to repel the invaders and advance towards Berlin. "[172], George W. Bush became the first sitting US president to visit the country. [268], Today transport in Georgia is provided by rail, road, ferry, and air. Saakashvili believed in 2008 that the country is "on the road to becoming a European democracy. The Kartli line prevailed; in 888 Adarnase IV of Iberia (r. 888923) restored the indigenous royal authority dormant since 580. In 2005, the agreement on the appointment of Partnership for Peace (PfP) liaison officer between Georgia and NATO came into force, whereby a liaison officer for the South Caucasus was assigned to Georgia. [18] Starting with the Persian word gur/gurn, the word was later adopted in numerous other languages, including Slavic and West European languages. [279], The population of Georgia totalled 3,688,647 as of 2022,[280][c] a decrease from a figure of 3,713,804 of the previous census in October 2014. and Romans (Titus Livius, Tacitus, etc.) On 9 April 1991, shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Supreme Council of Georgia declared independence after a referendum held on 31 March. [219] This was used as a justification for Russian invasion of Georgia during the 2008 South Ossetia war after which Russia recognized the region's independence. The climate of the region varies significantly with elevation and while much of the lowland areas of western Georgia are relatively warm throughout the year, the foothills and mountainous areas (including both the Greater and Lesser Caucasus Mountains) experience cool, wet summers and snowy winters (snow cover often exceeds 2 metres or 6feet 7inches in many regions). [226], The climate of Georgia is extremely diverse, considering the nation's small size. In 1921, communist Russia launched a new military campaign against Georgia and conquered the country in fierce battles, annexing it to the Soviet Union. According to the 1926 census there were 27,728 Jews in Georgia. Much of eastern Georgia experiences hot summers (especially in the low-lying areas) and relatively cold winters. This law prohibits communist symbolism and ideology along with fascist symbolism and ideology. "[24] Before the 1995 constitution came into force, the country's official name was the Republic of Georgia (Georgian: , romanized: Sakartvelos Resp'ublik'a) and it is still sometimes referred to by that name. [254] Georgia's economy is becoming more devoted to services (as of 2016[update], representing 59.4 per cent of GDP), moving away from the agricultural sector (6.1 per cent). Ever since its turbulent founding in 1918, Georgia has been highly dependent on the German Empire, the primary nation guaranteeing Georgian independence. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic was established with Nikolay Chkheidze acting as its president. [93][94] A bomb explosion on 1 August 2008 targeted a car transporting Georgian peacekeepers. Prominent features of the area include the Javakheti Volcanic Plateau, lakes, including Tabatskuri and Paravani, as well as mineral water and hot springs. In emerging Europe's wealthiest nation, Slovenia, GDP per-capita in 2019 was 23,170 euros. [47] The Golden age of Georgia left a legacy of great cathedrals, romantic poetry and literature, and the epic poem The Knight in the Panther's Skin, the latter which is considered a national epic. [57] Eastern Georgia (Safavid Georgia), composed of the regions of Kartli and Kakheti, had been under Iranian suzerainty since 1555 following the Peace of Amasya signed with neighbouring rivalling Ottoman Turkey. Sport is regaining its popularity in the country in recent years. When the era of Communist rule began in Russia in 1917, religion was seen as a hindrance to a thriving socialist society. [119] Russian forces left the buffer areas bordering Abkhazia and South Ossetia on 8 October, and the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia was dispatched to the buffer areas. [242][243] The World Bank dubbed Georgia "the number one economic reformer in the world" because it has in one year improved from rank 112th to 18th in terms of ease of doing business,[244] and by 2020 further improved its position to 6th in the world. An Arab incursion into western Georgia led by Marwan II, was repelled by Leon I (r. 720740) jointly with his Lazic and Iberian allies in 736. [255] Since 2014, unemployment has been gradually decreasing each year but remained in double digits and worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. [226], Much of the natural habitat in the low-lying areas of western Georgia has disappeared during the past 100 years because of the agricultural development of the land and urbanization. About 86.8% of the population of Georgia comprises of ethnic Georgians. The opposition made accusations of fraud, which the Georgian Dream denied. [345], Georgian cuisine and wine have evolved through the centuries, adapting traditions in each era. [343], Georgia has an ancient musical tradition, which is primarily known for its early development of polyphony. [120][121] Since the war, Georgia has maintained that Abkhazia and South Ossetia are occupied Georgian territories. Western Georgia's forests consist mainly of deciduous trees below 600 metres (1,969ft) above sea level and contain species such as oak, hornbeam, beech, elm, ash, and chestnut. The Likhi Range divides the country into eastern and western halves. [citation needed] The general landscape of eastern Georgia comprises numerous valleys and gorges that are separated by mountains. 1000 of all 4000 higher plants of Georgia are endemic to this country. Notable painters from the 20th century include Niko Pirosmani, Lado Gudiashvili, Elene Akhvlediani; notable ballet choreographers include George Balanchine, Vakhtang Chabukiani, and Nino Ananiashvili; notable poets include Galaktion Tabidze, Lado Asatiani, and Mukhran Machavariani; and notable theatre and film directors include Robert Sturua, Tengiz Abuladze, Giorgi Danelia, and Otar Ioseliani. Throughout the remainder of the Soviet period, Georgia's economy continued to grow and experience significant improvement, though it increasingly exhibited blatant corruption and alienation of the government from the people. Based on this law, 300 medals were confiscated by the Georgian Customs. In 2010, Transparency International (TI) named Georgia "the best corruption-buster in the world. [282][d] Georgia was also once home to significant ethnic German communities, numbering 11,394 according to the 1926 census. The civil war and military conflicts in South Ossetia and Abkhazia aggravated the crisis. It was the last direct election of a Georgian president, as additional constitutional reforms removed the popular vote. The region between Kazbek and Shkhara (a distance of about 200km (124mi) along the Main Caucasus Range) is dominated by numerous glaciers. [346], Georgia is one of the oldest wine-producing countries in the world. According to the 2014 census, Ethnic Georgians form about 86.8 per cent of the population, while the remainder includes ethnic groups such as Abkhazians, Armenians, Assyrians, Azerbaijanis, Greeks, Jews, Kists, Ossetians, Russians, Ukrainians, Yezidis and others. For the U.S. state, see. It was one of the first countries in the world to legalize cannabis, becoming the only former-socialist state to do so. 1955 - Nikolay Bulganin replaces Malenkov as prime minister. [225] The main roads through the mountain range into Russian territory lead through the Roki Tunnel between Shida Kartli and North Ossetia and the Darial Gorge (in the Georgian region of Khevi). Georgia had five players in the NBA: Vladimir Stepania, Jake Tsakalidis, Nikoloz Tskitishvili, Tornike Shengelia and current Golden State Warriors centre Zaza Pachulia. The U.S. Capitol building in Washington on Dec. 21, 2022. (2002). [328] Georgian culture enjoyed a renaissance and golden age of classical literature, arts, philosophy, architecture and science in the 11th century. [281][c] The population declined by 40,000 in 2021, a reversal of the trend towards stabilisation of the last decade and, for the first time since independence, the population was recorded to be below 3.7 million. On 26 May 2012, Saakashvili inaugurated a new Parliament building in the western city of Kutaisi, in an effort to decentralize power and shift some political control closer to Abkhazia. At its peak, its population was a little less than 4.5 million. [252] In 2015, the average monthly income of a household was 1,022.3 (about $426). In August 2004, the Individual Partnership Action Plan of Georgia was submitted officially to NATO. [14] At the early stage of its appearance in the Latin world, it was not always written in the same transliteration, and the first consonant was being spelt with J as Jorgia. There are also smaller communities of Greek Muslims (of Pontic Greek origin) and Armenian Muslims, both of whom are descended from Ottoman-era converts to Turkish Islam from Eastern Anatolia who settled in Georgia following the Lala Mustafa Pasha's Caucasian campaign that led to the Ottoman conquest of the country in 1578. There were a number of other styles in the past that are not as widely used today. It is part of the Caucasus region, bounded by the Black Sea to the west, by Russia to the north and northeast, by Turkey to the southwest, by Armenia to the south, and by Azerbaijan to the southeast. 1955 - Warsaw Treaty Organisation, or Warsaw Pact, set up. At present, the forest cover generally remains outside of the low-lying areas and is mainly located along the foothills and the mountains. Georgia ranked number 58 overall in the 2016 NRI ranking,[258] up from 60 in 2015. This period also brought social and economic change to Georgia, with new social classes emerging: the emancipation of the serfs freed many peasants but did little to alleviate their poverty; the growth of capitalism created an urban working class in Georgia. The country encompasses an area of 69,700 square km. Russian suzerainty over eastern Georgia was officially finalized with Iran in 1813 following the Treaty of Gulistan. The country then became embroiled in a bitter civil war, which lasted until nearly 1994. [110], During the conflict, there was a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Georgians in South Ossetia,[111] including destruction of Georgian settlements after the war had ended. [25][26], The territory of modern-day Georgia was inhabited by Homo erectus since the Paleolithic Era. [226], At higher elevations above 1,000 metres (3,281ft) above sea level (particularly in the Tusheti, Khevsureti, and Khevi regions), pine and birch forests dominate. [18] The name Sakartvelo () consists of two parts. [318][320] As of 2016[update], 75 higher education institutions are accredited by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia. South Ossetians were responsible for instigating this incident, which marked the opening of hostilities and injured five Georgian servicemen. [11] As the Ottomans advanced into the Caucasian territories of the crumbling Russian Empire, Georgia declared independence on 26 May 1918. In contrast with western Georgia, nearly 85 per cent of the forests of the region are deciduous. [352] Historically, Georgia has been famous for its physical education; the Romans were fascinated with Georgians' physical qualities after seeing the training techniques of ancient Iberia. With the completed transfer of power, Prime Minister Ivanishvili stepped aside and named one of his close business associates as next Prime Minister. [109] Russian forces occupied Georgian cities beyond the disputed territories. [228], Much of western Georgia lies within the northern periphery of the humid subtropical zone with annual precipitation ranging from 1,0002,500mm (3998in), reaching a maximum during the Autumn months. [290][289] Other factors in the population decline include birth-death deficits for the period 19952010 and the exclusion of Abkhazia and South Ossetia from the statistics. [335] These cultural, religious, and later political attributes are associated with a European and Western identity, based on a national perception of these attributes that contrasts with surrounding powers. Meanwhile in Georgia, the communists terrorized dissidents, abolished democratic freedoms and persecuted the Church. Georgia's decision to boost its presence in the coalition forces in Iraq was an important initiative. In a letter on Monday, Raffensperger called on the GOP's congressional leadership to . Members of parliament are elected for four-year terms. Additionally, Eastern European countries, especially former communist countries, have become the target of state-sponsored disinformation and propaganda, seeking to exploit societal and cultural wedge issues and strengthen extremist groups. [308][309] The Church gained autocephaly during the early Middle Ages; it was abolished during the Russian domination of the country, restored in 1917 and fully recognized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1989. Gold, silver, copper and iron have been mined in the Caucasus Mountains. On the other hand, Georgia, the country in the Caucasus region between Europe and Asia, is a sovereign state. For example, the Khevsureti region of Georgia has three styles of wrestling. [104] According to Georgian intelligence,[105] and several Russian media reports, parts of the regular (non-peacekeeping) Russian Army had already moved to South Ossetian territory through the Roki Tunnel before the Georgian military action. The medals depict the famous statue "Motherland" Calls, which was . As with all other post-Soviet states, Georgia faced a severe economic collapse. [337], The Georgian language, and the Classical Georgian literature of the poet Shota Rustaveli, were revived in the 19th century after a long period of turmoil, laying the foundations of the romantics and novelists of the modern era such as Grigol Orbeliani, Nikoloz Baratashvili, Ilia Chavchavadze, Akaki Tsereteli, and Vazha-Pshavela. [12] [13] It is a developing country with a very high Human Development Index. Its economy is growing at 5 percent per year, and the country ranks ahead of the United States in economic . With the support of the UNFPA, the demographic data for the period 19942014 has been retro-projected. Georgia's government should take urgent steps to protect the life of imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili, including releasing him on health grounds, Human Rights Watch (HRW) and . [226], The term Lesser Caucasus Mountains is often used to describe the mountainous (highland) areas of southern Georgia that are connected to the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range by the Likhi Range. Its autonomous status was revoked in 1990. [299][300][301][302][303][304] The official languages of Georgia are Georgian, with Abkhaz having official status within the autonomous region of Abkhazia. [62], On 22 December 1800, Tsar Paul I of Russia, at the alleged request of the Georgian King George XII, signed the proclamation on the incorporation of Georgia (Kartli-Kakheti) within the Russian Empire, which was finalized by a decree on 8 January 1801,[63][64] and confirmed by Tsar Alexander I on 12 September 1801. By the 1980s, an independence movement emerged and grew quickly, leading to Georgia's secession from the Soviet Union in April 1991. Lake Paliastomi area). Formerly Communist countries (by current name): Formerly part of the Soviet Union: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. 'Kartvelians'), first attested in the Umm Leisun inscription found in the Old City of Jerusalem. The USSR was also the largest communist country. [218] It was called South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast when Georgia was part of Soviet Union. By 1994 the gross domestic product had shrunk to a quarter of that of 1989.[240]. Combined population of urban (23,433 in 1922) and rural (2,326 in 1917) communities. Georgia, or officially called the Democratic Republic of Georgia, is a country in the Southern Caucasus. [15] Georgia probably stems from the Persian designation of the Georgians gurn, in the 11th and 12th centuries adapted via Syriac gurz-n/gurz-iyn and Arabic uran/urzan. Total length of roads in Georgia, excluding the occupied territories, is 21,110 kilometres (13,120mi) and railways 1,576km (979mi). The present day Georgian or Kartvelian nation is thought to have resulted from the fusion of aboriginal, autochthonous inhabitants with immigrants who moved into South Caucasus from the direction of Anatolia in remote antiquity. In 2018, more than 1.4million tourists from Russia visited Georgia. Political tensions with Russia have contributed to the 2006 Russian embargo of Georgian wine, Russia claimed Georgia produced counterfeit wine. [59], In 1783, Russia and the eastern Georgian Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti signed the Treaty of Georgievsk, by which Georgia abjured any dependence on Persia or another power, and made the kingdom a protectorate of Russia, which guaranteed Georgia's territorial integrity and the continuation of its reigning Bagrationi dynasty in return for prerogatives in the conduct of Georgian foreign affairs. The country plans to host 11 million visitors by 2025 with annual revenues reaching US$6.6 billion. Relations between the countries of Georgia and the United States continue to be very close and encompass multiple areas of bilateral cooperation. [214], Georgia is administratively divided into 9 regions, 1 capital region, and 2 autonomous republics. [51] She succeeded in neutralizing opposition and embarked on an energetic foreign policy aided by the downfall of the rival powers of the Seljuks and Byzantium. [237] It had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 7.79/10, ranking it 31st globally out of 172 countries.[238]. South Ossetia is officially known by Georgia as the Tskinvali region, as it views "South Ossetia" as implying political bonds with Russian North Ossetia. [167] The majority of Georgians and politicians in Georgia support the push for NATO membership. [341], Television, magazines, and newspapers in Georgia are all operated by both state-owned and for-profit corporations which depend on advertising, subscription, and other sales-related revenues. Georgia, Georgian Sakartvelo, country of Transcaucasia located at the eastern end of the Black Sea on the southern flanks of the main crest of the Greater Caucasus Mountains. Top 10 Georgia country facts. Announces New Military Assistance Program for Georgia", "Why was Georgia not granted EU candidate status? [310], The special status of the Georgian Orthodox Church is officially recognized in the Constitution of Georgia and the Concordat of 2002, although religious institutions are separate from the state. The Kingdom of Georgia reached its zenith in the 12th to early 13th centuries. The 2010 Russian census recorded about 158,000 ethnic Georgians living in Russia,[293] with approximately 40,000 living in Moscow by 2014. Joseph Stalin, an ethnic Georgian born Iosif Vissarionovich Jugashvili ( ) in Gori, was prominent among the Bolsheviks. Evergreen species such as box may also be found in many areas. The Democratic Republic of Georgia and its territorial losses after the Soviet invasion After occupation of Georgia by Lenin Russia, Communists began to depress the rival forces and to. Dinamo Tbilisi won the prestigious Euroleague competition in 1962. Coniferous forests only dominate in the Borjomi Gorge and in the extreme western areas. [281][c] The Georgian Jews are one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world. [307] In the first half of the 4th century, Christianity was adopted as the state religion of Iberia (present-day Kartli, or eastern Georgia), following the missionary work of Saint Nino of Cappadocia. De facto separate since Georgian independence, offers were made to give South Ossetia autonomy again, but in 2006 an unrecognized referendum in the area resulted in a vote for independence. [114] In an interview published in Kommersant, South Ossetian leader Eduard Kokoity said he would not allow Georgians to return. The penetration of humid air masses from the Black Sea is often blocked by mountain ranges (Likhi and Meskheti) that separate the eastern and western parts of the nation. And that is who Joe Biden is," the Georgia Republican said during an interview on. [134] Due to the incomplete transition to parliamentary democracy, a year of uneasy cohabitation between rivals Ivanishvili and Saakashvili followed until the October 2013 presidential elections. [319], Most of these institutions offer three levels of study: a bachelor's programme (three to four years); a master's programme (two years), and a doctoral programme (three years). One of the key U.S. allies in Eastern Europe, Georgia was the third largest troop contributor in the Iraq War and the largest per-capita contributor to the U.S. led mission in Afghanistan.The United States for its part is actively assisting Georgia .