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Administrative divisions 9 regions (mkharebi, singular - mkhare), 1 city (k'alak'i), and 2 autonomous republics (avtomnoy respubliki, singular - avtom respublika) regions: Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli city: Tbilisi autonomous republics: Abkhazia or Ap'khazet'is Avtonomiuri Respublika (Sokhumi), Ajaria or Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika (Bat'umi) note: the administrative centers of the two autonomous republics are shown in parentheses
Administrative divisions > A note the administrative centers of the 2 autonomous republics are shown in parentheses
Administrative divisions > Note the administrative centers of the two autonomous republics are shown in parentheses
Ambassadors from Finland > Current Finnish Ambassadors > Ambassador	Terhi Hakala
Ambassadors from Israel > Current Israeli Ambassadors > Embassy > Website	Tbilisi
Ambassadors from Israel > Current Israeli Ambassadors > Israeli Ambassador	Shabtai Zur
Capital city	T'bilisi
Capital city > Geographic coordinates	41 43 N, 44 47 E
Capital city > Name	T'bilisi
Capital city > Time difference UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Constitution	adopted 24 August 1995
Copyright > Reference	Art. 31,
Corruption	2.3		[134th of 160]
countries' copyright length > Usual term of copyright protection	70 pma
CPIA equity of public resource use rating	4		[18th of 75]
CPIA quality of public administration rating	3.5		[23rd of 75]
date of transition to republican system of government > Republic since	March 15, 1917
Diplomatic representation from the US > Chief of mission	Ambassador John F. TEFFT
Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy 11 George Balanchine Street, T'bilisi 0131
Diplomatic representation from the US > FAX	[995] (32) 53-23-10
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address 7060 T'bilisi Place, Washington, DC 20521-7060
Diplomatic representation from the US > Telephone	[995] (32) 27-70-00
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chancery 2209 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation in the US > Chief of mission Ambassador Vasil SIKHARULIDZE
Diplomatic representation in the US > FAX	[1] (202) 393-4537
Diplomatic representation in the US > Telephone	[1] (202) 387-2390
Elections > Head of state	Direct election
Executive branch > Cabinet	Cabinet of Ministers
Executive branch > Chief of state President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25 January 2004); the president is both the chief of state and head of government for the power ministries: state security (includes interior) and defense
Executive branch > Election results Mikheil SAAKASHVILI reelected president; percent of vote - Mikheil SAAKASHVILI 53.5%, Levan GACHECHILADZE 25.7%, Badri PATARKATSISHVILI 7.1%
Executive branch > Elections president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 5 January 2008 (next to be held January 2013)
Executive branch > Head of government President Mikheil SAAKASHVILI (since 25 January 2004); Prime Minister Grigol MGALOBLISHVILI (since 1 November 2008); the president is both 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
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
Flag modification	14		[115th of 197]
Foreign relations > Croatia > Date of Establishment	February 1, 1993
Foreign relations > Nepal > Date of Establishment	September 22, 2005
General government final consumption expenditure > annual % growth	2.14 %		[71st of 147]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant 2000 US$	257,727,200 constant 2000 US$		[102nd of 145]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant 2000 US$ (per capita)	57.6 constant 2000 US$ per c		[91st of 146]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant LCU	162844300
General government final consumption expenditure > current LCU	2138667000
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$	1,179,836,000 $		[94th of 169]
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per $ GDP)	0.184 $ per $1 of GDP		[46th of 184]
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per capita)	263.686 $ per capita		[79th of 184]
Government type	republic
Heads of Missions from the United Kingdom Donald MacLaren
Heads of Missions from the United Kingdom > Resident Heads of Missions > Type	Embassy
Independence 9 April 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Independence Day > Date	May 26
International organization participation ACCT (observer), ADB, BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges elected by the Supreme Council on the president's or chairman of the Supreme Court's recommendation); Constitutional Court; first and second instance courts
Legal origin	Socialist
Legal system based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch unicameral Parliament or Parlamenti (also known as Supreme Council or Umaghlesi Sabcho) (235 seats; 150 members elected by proportional representation, 75 from single-seat constituencies, and 10 represent displaced persons from Abkhazia; to serve five-year terms)
Legislative branch > Election results percent of vote by party - National Movement-Democratic Front 59.2%, National Council-New Rights 17.7%, other parties 23.1%; seats by party - National Movement-Democratic Front 120, National Council-New Rights 16
Legislative branch > Elections last held 21 May 2008 (next to be held in spring 2012)
Management time dealing with officials > % of management time	3.05 %		[27th of 38]
National holiday Independence Day, 26 May (1918); note - 26 May 1918 was the date of independence from Soviet Russia, 9 April 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union
Parliamentary seats > Female	7%		[97th of 143]
Policy uncertainty > % of managers surveyed ranking this as a major business constraint	44.72 %		[1st of 38]
political parties > Dominant party	•
Political parties and leaders Burjanadze-Democrats [Nino BURJANADZE]; Georgian People's Front [Nodar NATADZE]; Georgian United Communist Party or UCPG [Panteleimon GIORGADZE]; Georgia's Way Party [Salome ZOURABICHVILI]; Greens [Giorgi GACHECHILADZE]; Industry Will Save Georgia (Industrialists) or IWSG [Georgi TOPADZE]; Labor Party [Shalva NATELASHVILI]; National Council-New Rights (a bloc uniting a nine-party alliance with New Rights); 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 Rights [David GAMKRELIDZE]; Republican Party [David USUPASHVILI]; 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
Political pressure groups and leaders > Other Georgian independent deputies from Abkhaz government in exile; separatists in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
Post-Soviet states > Political problems > Government and Tax > Average	70.88		[2nd of 15]
Prime minister	Zurab Nogaideli
Procedures to build a warehouse > number	17		[83rd of 168]
Procedures to build a warehouse > number (per capita)	6.481 per 1 million people		[47th of 170]
Procedures to enforce a contract > number	24		[135th of 170]
Procedures to enforce a contract > number (per capita)	5.364 per 1 million people		[74th of 171]
Procedures to register property > number	6		[77th of 167]
Procedures to register property > number (per capita)	1,340.961 per 1 billion people		[57th of 167]
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament > %	9.4 %		[126th of 174]
Start-up procedures to register a business > number	7		[131st of 171]
Start-up procedures to register a business > number (per capita)	1.788 per 1 million people		[69th of 171]
Status democracy
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal
Time required to build a warehouse > days	137 days		[127th of 168]
Time required to enforce a contract > days	285 days		[142nd of 171]
Time required to register property > days	9 days		[150th of 167]
Time required to start a business > days	16 days		[145th of 171]
Time to prepare and pay taxes > hours	423 hours		[37th of 169]
Time to resolve insolvency > years	3.3 years		[57th of 151]
Total businesses registered > number	95,671		[48th of 71]
Total businesses registered > number (per capita)	20.959 per 1 million people		[42nd of 83]
Trademarks, nonresidents	132		[51st of 99]
Trademarks, nonresidents (per capita)	0.029 per 1 million people		[50th of 146]
Trademarks, residents	148		[49th of 98]
Trademarks, residents (per capita)	0.033 per 1 million people		[45th of 142]
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International Russia and Georgia agree on delimiting 80% of their common border, leaving certain small, strategic segments and the maritime boundary unresolved; OSCE observers monitor volatile areas such as the Pankisi Gorge in the Akhmeti region and the Argun Gorge in Abkhazia; UN Observer Mission in Georgia has maintained a peacekeeping force in Georgia since 1993; Meshkheti Turks scattered throughout the former Soviet Union seek to return to Georgia; boundary with Armenia remains undemarcated; ethnic Armenian groups in Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy from the Georgian government; Azerbaijan and Georgia continue to discuss the alignment of their boundary at certain crossing areas
UN membership date	31 Jul. 1992
United Nations mission http://www.un.int/georgia/index.html
Washington, D.C. embassies > Neighborhood	Embassy Row

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