Georgian people ქართველი ერი
Total population	6 million (est.)
Regions with significant populations	Georgia:    3,906,314 (2006)[1] Turkey:    1,500,000 (est)[2] Russia:    198,000 (2002 census) Azerbaijan:    50,000 (est) Iran:    50,000 (est)[3] Ukraine:    34,200 (2001 census) Western Europe and the United States:    200,000 (est) Image File history File links Georgians. ... A common understanding of Western Europe in modern times. ...
Language	Georgian
Religion	Georgian Orthodox, Islam.
Related ethnic groups	Chechens Ingushs Abkhaz

The Georgians (ქართველი ერი (Kartveli Eri) or ქართველები (Kartvelebi) in the Georgian language) are a nation or an ethnic group, originating in the Caucasus. The Georgian ethnic group (as a single entity) is one of the oldest ethnic groups in the world. Georgians are a part of the Ibero-Caucasian peoples (იბერიელ-კავკასიელი ხალხები) and are classified in the South Caucasian family both linguistically and culturally. The Georgian language has a rich literary tradition and the Georgian Alphabet is one of the fourteen unique alphabets which exist in the world today. The Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church (Saqartvelos Samotsiqulo Avtokepaluri Martlmadidebeli Eklesia in Georgian language) is one of the worlds most ancient Christian Churches, founded in the 1st century by the Apostle Andrew. ... For other uses, including people named Islam, see Islam (disambiguation). ... // Geography The Chechen people are mainly inhabitants of Chechnya, which is internationally recognized as part of Russia. ... The Ingush are a people of the northern Caucasus, mostly inhabiting the Russian republic of Ingushetia. ... Abkhaz is an agglutinative Georgia (in the autonomous republic of Abkhazia) and Turkey. ... Georgian (, kartuli ena) is the official language of Georgia, a republic in the Caucasus. ... One of the most influential doctrines in history is that all humans are divided into groups called nations. ... The Entholinguistic patchwork of the modern Caucasus - CIA map The Caucasus, a region bordering Asia Minor, is located between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea which includes the Caucasus Mountains and surrounding lowlands. ... The term Ibero-Caucasian (or Iberian-Caucasian) was proposed by Georgian linguist Arnold Chikobava for the union of the four language families that are specific to the Caucasus area, namely South Caucasian, also called Georgian or Kartvelian; Northwest Caucasian, also called Abkhaz/Adygh or Circassian; North-central Caucasian or Vaynakh. ... South Caucasus: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan South Caucasus (also referred sometimes as Transcaucasia or Transcaucasus) is a name to the transitional region between Europe and Asia extending from the Greater Caucasus to the Turkish and Iranian borders, between the Black and Caspian seas. ... The fifth century example of the Asomtavruli script from Bolnisi Sioni Church The Georgian alphabet is the script currently used to write the Georgian language and other Kartvelian languages (such as Mingrelian), and occasionally other languages of the Caucasus (such as Ossetic in the 1940s). ...

Origins

Most historians and scholars of Georgia as well as anthropologists, archeologists and linguists tend to agree that the ancestors of modern Georgians inhabited southern Caucasus and northern Asia Minor since Neolithic period. Scholars usually refer to them as Proto-Kartvelian tribes. Some of European historians of the 19th century (eg, Humboldt, Krettschmer) came to the conclusion that Proto-Kartvelians were closely related linguistically and culturally to Pre-Aryan (in thus context “Aryan” means Indo-European) aboriginal peoples of ancient Europe among them Etruscans and Proto-Basques. Anatolia (Greek: ανατολη anatole, rising of the sun or East; compare Orient and Levant, by popular etymology Turkish Anadolu to ana mother and dolu filled), also called by the Latin name of Asia Minor, is a region of Southwest Asia which corresponds today to the Asian portion of Turkey. ... The Neolithic, (Greek neos=new, lithos=stone, or New Stone Age) was a period in the development of human technology that is traditionally the last part of the Stone Age. ...

Population and geographical spread

The total population of Georgians in the world is estimated to be around 6,000,000.

• Around 4 million Georgians live in Georgia (where they comprise 83% of the population),

• In Turkey, Georgians form the majority in parts of Artvin Province east of the Çoruh River in Shavsheti (შავშეთი) region (Upper Machakheli in the north of Borçka district, Imerkhevi in the north of Şavşat district, and Murgul district) and in individual villages along the Çoruh valley of Livana (ლივანა) vicinity in the territory of the ancient Georgian regions of Tao-Klarjeti (Klarjeti (კლარჯეთში) is presently a village renamed officially as Bereket in Ardanuç district), southwards to the district of Yusufeli (Kiskim) in Amier-Tao (ამიერტაო) subregion. They also live as Chveneburi (ჩვენებური) muhajirs in various provinces. The total population of Georgians in Turkey is estimated to be more than 1,500,000.

• Around 200,000 in Russia.

• 50,000-100,000 (numbers are not totally known) in Iran mainly in (Fereydoon Shahr, Najaf Abad, Rahmat Abad, Orji Mahalle, Sadeh)

• More than 50,000 in Azerbaijan especially in the Kakhi, Belokani and Zakatala districts, which are parts of the historical Georgian region Saingilo.

• 200,000 in other countries such as (USA, Germany, the Netherlands, France, etc.).

Artvin Province is a province in north-eastern Turkey next to the Black Sea and Georgia (country). ... The Çoruh River is a river in north-eastern Turkey, which runs through the town of Artvin. ... Şavşat (Shavsheti (შავშეთი) in Georgian) is a district of Artvin Province of Turkey. ... Machakheli (მაჭახელი in Georgian, Macahel in Turkish), is a long valley between Turkey and Georgia. ... Borçka is a district of Artvin Province of Turkey. ... Imerkhevi (იმერხევი in Georgian, İmerhev in Turkish) is a valley in the north of Şavşat district in Artvin Province of Turkey along the border with Georgia. ... Şavşat (Shavsheti (შავშეთი) in Georgian) is a district of Artvin Province of Turkey. ... Murgul is a district of Artvin Province of Turkey. ... Tao-Klarjeti is the term conventionally used in modern history writing to describe the historic south-western Georgian principalities, now forming part of north-eastern Turkey and divided among the provinces of Erzurum, Artvin, Ardahan and Kars. ... Ardanuç is a district of Artvin Province of Turkey. ... Yusufeli is a district of Artvin Province of Turkey. ... Cheveneburi means ours in Georgian, an ethnic identity for Georgian people who live in the territory of the Republic of Turkey. ... Muhajir or Mohajir is a Arabic word meaning refugee or immigrant or emigrant. ... Fereydoonshahr is a city in the western part of the Isfahan province of Iran. ... Najafabad is a city in Isfahan Province, Iran. ... Sadeh is an ancient Iranian tradition celebrated 50 days before nowrouz. ... Qakh (Qax) is a rayon of Azerbaijan. ... Balakan is a rayon of Azerbaijan. ... Municipality: Zaqatala Altitude: 500m Population: 35,000 census Zaqatala is a rayon of Azerbaijan. ... Saingilo (საინგილო in Georgian) was a historic part of Georgia (Kingdom of Iberia) from ancient time. ...

Ethnographic subdivisions

Ethnographic groups of the Georgian people are: Megrels (მეგრელები), Svans (სვანები), Lazs (ლაზები), Imeretians (იმერლები), Guruls (გურულები), Ajarians (აჭარლები), Meskhs (მესხები), Lechkhums (ლეჩხუმელები), Rachvels (რაჭველები), Kartlis (ქართლელები), Kakhetians (კახელები), Khevsurs (ხევსურები), Tushs (თუშები), Pshavs (ფშაველები), Mokhevians (მოხევეები), Ingilos (ინგილოები), Fereydanians (ფერეიდნელები) Samegrelo (Mingrelia) is a historic province in the western part of the republic of Georgia, formerly also known as Odishi. ... Svaneti (სვანეთი. Also known as Svanetia or Svania in Russian and Western languages) is a historic province in Georgia, in the northwestern part of the country. ... The Laz language (Lazuri in Laz, ლაზური (Lazuri) or ჭანური (Chanuri) in Georgian) is spoken by an ethnic group of the same name on the Southeast shore of the Black Sea. ... Imereti is a historic province in Western Georgia, situated along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni river. ... Guria is a region in Georgia (Caucasus), in the western part of the country, bordered by the eastern end of the Black Sea. ... Official language Georgian Capital Batumi ISO code GE.AJ Head of the Government Levan Varshalomidze Area  - Total  - % water 2,900 km² n/a Population  - Total (1989)  - Density 392,432 135. ... 1. ... Lechkhumi, also spelled Lecxumi (Georgian: ლეჩხუმი) is a historic province in northwestern Georgia which comprises the area along the middle basin of the Rioni and Tskhenistskali and also the Lajanuri river valley. ... Racha (Ratcha is a more correct spelling) (Georgian: რაჭა, Rača) is a historic province in Georgia, in the mountainous northwestern part of the country. ... Kartli is the largest and most populated province of Eastern Georgia. ... Categories: Caucasus geography stubs | Georgia (country) ... Khevsureti mountains Fortress village Shatili Khevsureti is a historic province in eastern Georgia, located along both the northern and southern slopes of the Great Caucasus Mountains. ... An ancient tower typical to the Caucasus mountainous regions Tusheti (sometimes spelled as Tushetia in Russian and European resources) is a small historic geographic area in eastern Georgia. ... A fortress village of Shatili Khevsureti mountains Khevsureti is a historic province in eastern Georgia, mainly on the southern slopes of the Great Caucasus Mountains. ... Khevi (Georgian: ხევი) is a small historical-geographic area in northeastern Georgia. ... Saingilo (საინგილო in Georgian) was a historic part of Georgia (Kingdom of Iberia) from ancient time. ... In 1617 AD Persian Shah Abbas occupied Kakheti region and took about 300 000 Georgians to Iran. ...

Gallery of Georgians

Georgian girl in traditional costume Image File history File links 0000233523-004. ...	John M. Shalikashvili Image File history File links Download high resolution version (426x640, 42 KB) Licensing This photo is from my collection and transfering it to Wikipedia. ...	Georgian kid in Tbilisi Image File history File links TL021513. ...	Nino Ananiashvili Image File history File links TL019520. ...
Georgian girl from Ajara Image File history File links 42-15326974. ...	Sukhishvili Dance Company Image File history File links 0000233523-001. ...	Grandma Image File history File links TL022984. ...	Georgian children from Svaneti Image File history File links Georgian_kids. ...
Georgian Priest from Mtskheta Image File history File links Prist. ...	Dancing girl Image File history File links 42-15326958. ...	Svans Image File history File links AAKH001583. ...	Eduard Shevardnadze Image File history File links TL026642. ...

External links

• "The Bagrationi Royal Dynasty of Georgia" by Dr. Levan Z. Urushadze.- Issued by the International Academy for the Promotion of Historical Studies (IAPHS), 2005
• "Kartuli Idea - The Georgian Idea"

See also

• Chveneburi - Georgians in Turkey
• Culture of Georgia
• Demographics of Georgia
• Demographics of Turkey
• Demographics of Russia
• Georgian language
• Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church
• History of Georgia
• List of Georgians
• Peoples of the Caucasus in Turkey
• Republic of Georgia