is georgia a communist countrymidwest selects hockey
[52] Tamar was given the title "king of kings" (mepe mepeta). Georgia's moderate climate and moist air, influenced by the Black Sea, provide the best conditions for vine cultivation. [27] The earliest evidence of wine to date has been found in Georgia, where 8,000-year old wine jars were uncovered. [344] The Georgian folk song "Chakrulo" was one of 27 musical compositions included on the Voyager Golden Records that were sent into space on Voyager 2 on 20 August 1977. [169] Since 2014, GeorgiaNATO relations are guided by the Substantial NATOGeorgia Package (SNGP), which includes the NATOGeorgia Joint Training and Evaluation Centre and facilitation of multi-national and regional military drills. ", "NDI Poll: Economy Still Top Concern for Georgians; Support for NATO and EU Stable", "Substantial NATO-Georgia Package (SNGP)", "Lavrov: If Georgia Joins NATO, Relations Will Be Spoiled", "Russian FM Lavrov supports resumption of flights to Georgia as Georgians 'realised consequences' of June 20", "Europe | Bush praises Georgian democracy", "Visas: Council confirms agreement on visa liberalisation for Georgia", "Visas: Council adopts regulation on visa liberalisation for Georgians", "Georgia's PM Signs Application to Join the EU", "MoD Releases Details on Georgian Troops Wounded in May 13 Helmand Attack", "Georgia deploying 750 soldiers to Afghanistan", "Why Georgia sends troops to Afghanistan", "Georgian Soldier Succumbs to Injuries Suffered in Afghanistan", "Firing of traffic police force stands as a symbol of hope in Georgia | McClatchy", "Georgia's National Police Corruption Project", Building security in the Republic of Georgia, "Remarks by President Saakashvili at the CIS Summit in Tbilisi", "How Georgia Stamped Out Corruption on Campus", "Lessons from Georgia's fight against graft", "Georgia's Fight Against Corruption in Public Services Wins Praise", "Georgia's anti-corruption reforms stall amid political crisis and allegations of state capture", "Alternative report on the implementation by Georgia of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities in the region of Kvemo Kartli Tbilisi, 2008 p. 5859", "US, Britain, call for probe into May 26 events in Georgia", "Georgia: Police Used Excessive Force on Peaceful Protests | Human Rights Watch", "Tbilisi Mayor's Offers Protesters Alternative Venues for Rally", "Georgian Police Say 2 Killed in Protest Dispersal", "Audio, Video Recordings Implicate Protest Leaders to 'Plotting Violence', "Thousands gather for street protests against Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili", "PM Strongly Against of Marijuana Decriminalization", "Fighting back against Georgia's war on drugs", "Georgian Court Abolishes Fines For Marijuana Consumption", "Human Rights in the Occupied Territories of Georgia", "Abkhazia, S. Ossetia Formally Declared Occupied Territory", "The Law of Georgia on Occupied Territories (431-IIs)", 'Caucasus (region and mountains, Eurasia)', "Dramatic Double Sturgeon Discovery in Georgia", "Cybertruffle's Robigalia Observations of fungi and their associated organisms", "An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm", "Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity Supplementary Material", "U.S. Energy Informationa Administration "World Hydroelectricity Installed Capacity", "World Integrates Trade Solution Country Snapshot Georgia", "Briefing note for countries on the 2020 Human Development Report", "Briefing note for countries on the 2020 Human Development Report": Figure 1: Trends in Georgia's HDI component indices 20002019, Flat taxes could be a flash in the pan, IMF research says, "Frequently Asked Questions: I. As a result of incessant OttomanPersian Wars and deportations, the population of Georgia dwindled to 784,700 inhabitants at the end of the 18th century. Cart; vintage milk bottle caps 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. [82] Supported by Russia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia achieved de facto independence from Georgia, with Georgia retaining control only in small areas of the disputed territories. Boeder; et al. There is also a certified specialist's programme that represents a single-level higher education programme lasting from three to six years. The construction of new highways has been prioritized and, as such, major cities like Tbilisi have seen the quality of their roads improve dramatically; despite this however, the quality of inter-city routes remains poor and to date only one motorway-standard road has been constructed the 1 (S1), the main eastwest highway through the country. [109] Russian forces occupied Georgian cities beyond the disputed territories. [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). [170], In September 2019, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that "NATO approaching our borders is a threat to Russia. In 2018, more than 1.4million tourists from Russia visited Georgia. [222], Georgia is a mountainous country situated almost entirely in the South Caucasus, while some slivers of the country are situated north of the Caucasus Watershed in the North Caucasus. [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. Out of the deciduous species of trees, beech, oak, and hornbeam dominate. [181] STC Delta now produces a variety of military equipment, including armoured vehicles, artillery systems, aviation systems, personal protection equipment, and small arms. [196] However, following the reforms brought by the peaceful revolution, the level of corruption in the country abated dramatically. Georgia. Macroeconomic Environment", "Services, value added (% of GDP) Georgia", "Georgia Poll Reflects Widespread Concern over Economic Issues", "Georgian National Tourism Administration Researches", "Russian Flight Ban Could Cost Georgia $300M, Experts Say", "Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Line Officially Launched", "Kutaisi's airport: Georgia's opportunity", "ECMI European Centre For Minority Issues Georgia", "Population and Demography Population by cities and boroughs (daba), as of 1 January", "Main Results of the 2014 Census (Publication)", "Retro-projection of main demographic indicators for the period 19942014", Georgia: Ethnic Russians Say, "There's No Place Like Home", "International migrant stock 2019, 'by destination and origin', "Results of the 2010 All-Russian Population Census", "Immigrants by previous country of residence and usual place of residence", Russia: The IngushOssetian Conflict in the Prigorodnyi Region, World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples Uzbekistan: Meskhetian Turks, "Population by region, by native languages and fluently speak Georgian language", "The History of Georgian Orthodox Church", "Memorandum to the U.S. Government on Religious Violence in the Republic of Georgia (Human Rights Watch August 2001)", "Centralized university entrance examinations", "Gross enrollment ratio, primary, both sexes", "New Tbilisi.Gov.Ge ", "The role of cultural paradigms in Georgian foreign policy", "The 'Myth' of the Self: The Georgian National Narrative and Quest for 'Georgianness', "Go West: Georgia's European identity and its role in domestic politics and foreign policy objectives", "Georgia's Unfinished Search for Its Place in Europe", "Niko Pirosmani Short Biographical Information", "Media freedom in Eastern Partnership countries: Georgia tops list, Ukraine improves position", "The Untold Story of How "Chakrulo" Ended Up in Space", "Traditional winemaking in Georgia the oldest wine in the world", "Position Unchanged On Russian WTO Negotiations", Claude Saurel: Georgia's rugby revolution is only just starting, Population Dynamics in Georgia An Overview Based on the 2014 General Population Census Data, Association of Modern Scientific Investigation (AMSI), autonomous country of the Kingdom of Denmark, Commission against Racism and Intolerance, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Georgia_(country)&oldid=1141973874, States and territories established in 1991, Articles with dead external links from July 2022, Articles with dead external links from November 2010, Articles with incomplete citations from June 2022, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from June 2022, Articles with dead external links from July 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles with dead external links from June 2016, Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from March 2012, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Articles containing Georgian-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2023, Articles containing Persian-language text, Articles containing Classical Syriac-language text, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2023, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2016, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2015, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2016, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2016, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2008, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2023, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Pages using Sister project links with default search, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Articles with MusicBrainz area identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Personal Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office on the Conflict Dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 21:09. In Abkhazia, a minority of the Abkhaz population is also Sunni Muslim. One of the most famous late 19th/early 20th century Georgian artists was primitivist painter Niko Pirosmani. Situated at the strategically important crossroads where Europe meets Asia, Georgia has a unique and ancient cultural heritage, and is famed for its traditions of hospitality and cuisine. [71], From 1803 to 1878, as a result of numerous Russian wars now against Ottoman Turkey, several of Georgia's previously lost territories such as Adjara were recovered, and also incorporated into the empire. [12] [13] It is a developing country with a very high Human Development Index. 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. Since the early 21st century visible positive developments have been observed in the economy of Georgia. [148], In February 2021, Irakli Garibashvili became Prime Minister of Georgia, following the resignation of Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia. [21] Ancient Greeks (Strabo, Herodotus, Plutarch, Homer, etc.) There is an independent human rights public defender elected by the Parliament of Georgia to ensure such rights are enforced. [citation needed], Georgian ecclesiastic art is one of the most notable aspects of Georgian Christian architecture, which combines the classical dome style with the original basilica style, forming what is known as the Georgian cross-dome style. [118] In response to Russia's recognition, the Georgian government severed diplomatic relations with Russia. Salome Zurabishvili is the current President of Georgia after winning 59.52% of the vote in the 2018 Georgian presidential election. Georgia was incorporated into the Soviet Union as the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic after 25 February 1921 when the Red Army entered its capital Tbilisi and installed a communist government led by Georgian Bolshevik Filipp Makharadze. One explanation put forward by UNFPA is that families of emigrants continued to list them in 2002 as residents for fear of losing certain rights or benefits. The head of supra is known as tamada. Economic reforms since independence have led to higher levels of economic freedom, as well as reductions in corruption indicators, poverty, and unemployment. [225] The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range is much higher in elevation than the Lesser Caucasus Mountains, with the highest peaks rising more than 5,000 metres (16,404ft) above sea level. Located on the crossroads of protracted RomanPersian wars, the early Georgian kingdoms disintegrated into various feudal regions by the early Middle Ages. Cross-dome architecture developed in Georgia during the 9th century; before that, most Georgian churches were basilicas. [189][190], In Georgia, law enforcement is conducted and provided for by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. [93][96][97][98][99], On 7 August 2008, Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili announced a unilateral ceasefire and called for peace talks. [100] However, escalating assaults against Georgian villages (located in the South Ossetian conflict zone) were soon matched with gunfire from Georgian troops,[101][102] who then proceeded to move in the direction of the capital of the self-proclaimed Republic of South Ossetia (Tskhinvali) on the night of 8 August, reaching its centre in the morning of 8 August. Georgia . [346], Georgia is one of the oldest wine-producing countries in the world. [289] The population of Georgia, including the breakaway regions, has declined by more than 1 million due to net emigration in the period 19902010. [60], However, despite this commitment to defend Georgia, Russia rendered no assistance when the Iranians invaded in 1795, capturing and sacking Tbilisi while massacring its inhabitants, as the new heir to the throne sought to reassert Iranian hegemony over Georgia. The spider checklist of Georgia, for example, includes 501 species. [182], During later periods of the Iraq War Georgia had up to 2,000 soldiers serving in the Multi-National Force. 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? The USSR was also the largest communist country. [112] The war displaced 192,000 people,[113] and while many were able to return to their homes after the war, a year later around 30,000 ethnic Georgians remained displaced. 1000 of all 4000 higher plants of Georgia are endemic to this country. The southern portion of the country is bounded by the Lesser Caucasus Mountains. [269] Positioned in the Caucasus and on the coast of the Black Sea, Georgia is a key country through which energy imports to the European Union from neighbouring Azerbaijan pass. Document No. Despite the revitalization of the Iberian monarchy, remaining Georgian lands were divided among rival authorities, with Tbilisi remaining in Arab hands. In turn, this has allowed them to benefit in recent years from increased energy exports from neighbouring Azerbaijan to the European Union, Ukraine, and Turkey. [234] Although the amount of available information is still very small, a first effort has been made to estimate the number of fungal species endemic to Georgia, and 2,595 species have been tentatively identified as possible endemics of the country. The country encompasses an area of 69,700 square km. On 13 April 2006, the discussion of the assessment report on implementation of the Individual Partnership Action Plan was held at NATO Headquarters, within 26+1 format. Georgia national basketball team qualified to EuroBasket during the last three tournaments since 2011. [28][29] Archaeological finds and references in ancient sources also reveal elements of early political and state formations characterized by advanced metallurgy and goldsmith techniques that date back to the 7th century BC and beyond. Alexander Mikaberidze wrote that these century-old explanations for the word Georgia/Georgians are rejected by the scholarly community, who point to the Persian word gur/gurn (, 'wolf'[17]) as the root of the word. In politics, communist parties have absolute power over governance, and elections are single-party affairs. [67], In May 1801, under the oversight of General Carl Heinrich von Knorring, Imperial Russia transferred power in eastern Georgia to the government headed by General Ivan Petrovich Lazarev. Philology, typology and language structure. [98] Abkhaz forces opened a second front on 9 August by attacking the Kodori Gorge held by Georgia. [85], In 2003, Shevardnadze (who won re-election in 2000) was deposed by the Rose Revolution, after Georgian opposition and international monitors asserted that 2 November parliamentary elections were marred by fraud. [226], Because of its high landscape diversity and low latitude, Georgia is home to about 5,601 species of animals, including 648 species of vertebrates (more than 1% of the species found worldwide) and many of these species are endemics. Russia received by far the most migrants from Georgia. Ca. [174] On 2 October 2006, Georgia and the European Union signed a joint statement on the agreed text of the GeorgiaEuropean Union Action Plan within the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). [82], He was soon deposed in a bloody coup d'tat, from 22 December 1991 to 6 January 1992. [239] Throughout Georgia's modern history agriculture and tourism have been principal economic sectors, because of the country's climate and topography. Christianity and the Georgian language are particularly important national identifiers. 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 . "[213] With this ruling, Georgia became one of the first countries in the world to legalize cannabis, although using the drug in the presence of children is still illegal and punishable by fines or imprisonment. The extinction of the Iberian royal dynasties, such as Guaramids and the Chosroids,[42] and also the Abbasid preoccupation with their own civil wars and conflict with the Byzantine Empire, led to the Bagrationi family's growth in prominence. With the support of the UNFPA, the demographic data for the period 19942014 has been retro-projected. Over. [78] The Georgian uprising on Texel against the Germans was the last battle of the Second World War in Europe. [233] According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, there are 4,300 species of vascular plants in Georgia. The Global Coalition To Defeat ISIS U.S. Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority Arms Control and International Security Arms Control and International Security Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation Its name stemmed from the term 'Gorn', which was a designation given by Persians to Georgian people. Relations between the countries of Georgia and the United States continue to be very close and encompass multiple areas of bilateral cooperation. [260][261][262][263], Tourism is an increasingly significant part of the Georgian economy. [273][274], Air and maritime transport is developing in Georgia, with the former mainly used by passengers and the latter for transport of freight. At its peak, its population was a little less than 4.5 million. On 29 October 2004, the North Atlantic Council of NATO approved the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) of Georgia, and Georgia moved on to the second stage of Euro-Atlantic Integration. [207][209], Since independence, Georgia maintained harsh policies against drugs, handing out lengthy sentences even for marijuana use. It is bounded on the north and northeast by Russia, on the east and southeast by Azerbaijan, on the south by Armenia and Turkey, and on the west by the Black Sea. This came under criticism from human rights activists[210] and led to protests. [27] In fact, early metallurgy started in Georgia during the 6th millennium BC, associated with the Shulaveri-Shomu culture. "[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. According to CPUSA records, by 1932 only a small number of party members were active in Atlanta, and the statewide apparatus was in disarray. [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. The Cabinet is composed of ministers, headed by the Prime Minister, and appointed by the Parliament. Combined population of urban (23,433 in 1922) and rural (2,326 in 1917) communities. [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. Brief on Georgia. [33] In the 4th century BC, a kingdom of Iberia an early example of advanced state organization under one king and an aristocratic hierarchy was established. Its economy is growing at 5 percent per year, and the country ranks ahead of the United States in economic . [108] Tskhinvali was seized by the Russian military by 10 August. [226], The climate of Georgia is extremely diverse, considering the nation's small size. Between 2000 and 2019, Georgia's HDI score improved by 17.7%. 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. The country has sizeable hydropower resources. Gold, silver, copper and iron have been mined in the Caucasus Mountains. The self-designation used by ethnic Georgians is Kartvelebi (, i.e. Georgia is a representative democratic parliamentary republic, with the President as the largely ceremonial[125] head of state, and Prime Minister as the head of government. [126] Saakashvili's rivals, who came to power later in 2012, never truly accepted the move to Kutaisi and six years later Parliament returned to its old location in Tbilisi after adapting the constitutional clause. Phoenix: The Peoples of the Hills: Ancient Ararat and Caucasus by Charles Burney, David Marshall Lang, Phoenix Press; New edition (31 December 2001), Thomas Stllner, Irina Gambaschidze (2014). The Constitution of Georgia guarantees freedom of speech. [299][300][301][302][303][304] The official languages of Georgia are Georgian, with Abkhaz having official status within the autonomous region of Abkhazia. However, even if Berlin is excluded, the five former East German states still have a higher GDP per capita than any emerging European country, ranging from 27,000 to 32,000 euros in 2018, according to the Pew Research Center. [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. [270] Passenger services are operated by the state-owned Georgian Railway whilst freight operations are carried out by a number of licensed operators. [96] South Ossetian separatists began shelling Georgian villages on 1 August. 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. [50], The 29-year reign of Tamar, the first female ruler of Georgia, is considered the most successful in Georgian history. [316][317] Education in Georgia is mandatory for all children aged 614. [153] Georgia also maintains political, economic, and military relations with France,[154] Germany,[155] Israel,[156] Japan,[157] South Korea,[158] Sri Lanka,[159] Turkey,[160] Ukraine,[161] the United States,[162] and many other countries. [88], The country's newly pro-Western stance, along with accusations of Georgian involvement in the Second Chechen War,[89] resulted in a severe deterioration of relations with Russia, fuelled also by Russia's open assistance and support to the two secessionist areas. Joseph Stalin, an ethnic Georgian born Iosif Vissarionovich Jugashvili ( ) in Gori, was prominent among the Bolsheviks. On 2 March 2005, the agreement was signed on the provision of the host nation support to and transit of NATO forces and NATO personnel. [195], Prior to the Rose Revolution, Georgia was among the most corrupt countries in the world. Georgia adopted Christianity in 334, when King Mirian III of Kartli-Iberia, following the instructions of Saint Nino of Cappadocia, declared it the state religion. In 2021, Trkiye remained a transit point for FTFs departing Syria and Iraq. Meanwhile in Georgia, the communists terrorized dissidents, abolished democratic freedoms and persecuted the Church. [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. [217] In addition, another territory not officially autonomous has also declared independence. The stage of feudalism's development and struggle against common invaders as much as common belief of various Georgian states had an enormous importance for spiritual and political unification of Georgia feudal monarchy under the Bagrationi dynasty in the 11th century. As Karl Marx, coauthor of the The Communist Manifesto, declared,. Top 10 Georgia country facts. [183] Georgia also participated in the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan; with 1,560 troops in 2013, it was at that time the largest contributor among non-NATO countries[184] and in per capita terms. South Ossetia is officially known by Georgia as the Tskinvali region, as it views "South Ossetia" as implying political bonds with Russian North Ossetia. . Political tensions with Russia have contributed to the 2006 Russian embargo of Georgian wine, Russia claimed Georgia produced counterfeit wine. The zone is made up mainly of beech, spruce, and fir forests. Tbilisi is home to several major institutions of higher education in Georgia, notably the Tbilisi State Medical University, which was founded as Tbilisi Medical Institute in 1918, and the Tbilisi State University (TSU), which was established in 1918 and remains the oldest university in the entire Caucasus region.