The 2004 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25 January
2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government for the power ministries: state security (includes
interior) and defense
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 4 January 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)
election results: Mikheil SAAKASHVILI elected president; percent of
vote - Mikheil SAAKASHVILI 96.3%, Temur SHASHIASHVILI 1.9%
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers
head of government: President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25 January
2004); Prime Minister Zurab ZHVANIA (since 9 February 2004); note -
the president is the chief of state and head of government for the
power ministries: state security (includes interior) and defense;
the prime minister is head of the remaining ministries of government
Legislative branch:
unicameral Supreme Council (commonly referred to as Parliament) or
Umaghiesi Sabcho (235 seats - 150 elected by party lists); members
are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held spring 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - National
Movement-Democrats 67.6%, Rightist Opposition 7.6%, all other
parties received less than 7% each; seats by party - National
Movement-Democrats 135, Rightist Opposition 15
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges elected by the Supreme Council on the
president's recommendation); Constitutional Court; first and second
instance courts
Political parties and leaders:
Burjanadze-Democrats [Nino BURJANADZE]; Georgian People's Front
[Nodar NATADZE]; Georgian United Communist Party or UCPG
[Panteleimon GIORGADZE]; 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
Right [Levaii GACHECHILADZE]; Republican Party [David
BERDZENISHVILI]; Rightist Opposition [Davit 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:
Georgian independent deputies from Abkhaz government in exile;
separatists in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia;
supporters of the late ousted President Zviad GAMSAKHURDYA
International organization participation:
BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GUUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt,
ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ITU, MIGA, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Levan MIKELADZE
FAX: [1] (202) 393–4537
telephone: [1] (202) 387–4537
chancery: Suite 602, 1101 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard M. MILES embassy: #25 Atoneli Street, T'bilisi 0105 mailing address: 7060 Tbilisi Place, Washington, DC 20521–7060 telephone: [995] (32) 989–967/68 FAX: [995] (32) 933–759
Flag description:
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
Economy Georgia
Economy - overview:
Georgia's main economic activities include the cultivation of
agricultural products such as citrus fruits, tea, hazelnuts, and
grapes; 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. Its only
sizable internal energy resource is hydropower. 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 1995, achieving positive GDP growth and curtailing
inflation. However, the Georgian Government suffers from limited
resources due to a chronic failure to collect tax revenues. Georgia
also suffers from energy shortages; it privatized the T'bilisi
distribution network in 1998, but collection rates are low, making
the venture unprofitable. The country is pinning its hopes for
long-term growth on its role as a transit state for pipelines and
trade. The start of construction on the Baku-T'bilisi-Ceyhan oil
pipeline and the Baku-T'bilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline will bring
much-needed investment and job opportunities.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $12.18 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
5.5% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 20.5% industry: 22.6% services: 56.9% (2003 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
18% of GDP (2003)
Population below poverty line:
54% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 27.9% (1996)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
37.1 (1996)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
4.8% (2003 est.)
Labor force:
2.1 million (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: