2017-12-02
Area: 69.700 km
Population: 4.4 million (as of first of January 2009)
Capital: Tbilisi (population 1.1 million)
National Currency: Georgian Lari (GEL)
Official language is Georgia and in Abkhazia also Abkhazian
Biggest cities: Kutaisi, Batumi, Rustavi, Zugdidi, Gori, Poti, Sukhumi , Tskhinvali
Georgia is a multinational country. On 1 January 2002, the total population was 4 371 535, of which 16.2% were minorities.
Georgia formed part of the Transcaucasian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1922 to 1936 until it was broken into administrative units in order to protect minorities as well as ease efforts to govern the diverse region. Although the Soviets suppressed threatening expressions of ethnicity and nationalism, it nonetheless granted progressive social and cultural rights to minorities. When the Soviet Union dissolved, Georgia was the most diverse of the Caucasus, where ethnic Georgians only constituted 69 percent of the total population, according to the report by Minority Rights Group International. Liberation from the Soviet Union was followed by a period of extreme nationalism where minorities were considered “guests on the Georgian territory,” causing much conflict between minorities and ethnic Georgians. (The South Caucasus: Nationalism, Conflict and Minorities)
Following independence Georgia experienced significant depopulation, with the overall population in 2002 falling by 1 million compared with 1989. In absolute terms all ethnic groups declined; in proportional terms, however, decline was especially dramatic among minority groups (particularly Slavic minorities, Jews, Greeks and Armenians).
Table 1: Distribution of national and ethnic minorities, 2002
Many groups of ethnic minorities have been formed historically – Ossetians, Greeks, Jews, Armenians, Azeri, Yezidi (Kurds), Russians, and Ukrainians.
Various ethnic groups are geographically concentrated throughout Georgia. There are also specific settlements of Azeri, Armenians, Ossetians, Assyrians, Greeks and Russians.
The decrease in Russian language training effectively denies minorities and majorities a lingua franca; this is especially true for the younger generation. Georgian laws are published in Georgian and sometimes translated into English, that makes it hard for minorities to access the laws. The lack of proficiency in the Georgian language among minorities has implications for the civil administration. Lack of knowledge of Georgian language makes it difficult for minority members of the Parliament to participate in work.
Although freedom of religion is guaranteed in the Georgian Constitution, nontraditional religions are often targeted for harassment or are not protected by the authorities. The Church and State are also separate entities according to the Constitution, yet the Georgian Orthodox Church has special privileges such as tax exemption among other benefits. Unlike other Caucus states, there are no laws requiring Churches register with the State, however, a draft bill seeking mandatory registration was introduced in 2002. Such a law would deny those churches not registered the ability to conduct services, rent property, and import literature.
Georgia acceded to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights and ratified the European Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. No action has been taken on the European Charter for Minority Languages.
The Georgian Constitution guarantees equality before the law irrespective of “race, skin colour, language, sex, religion, political and other beliefs, national, ethnic and social origin, property and title status or place of residence” in Article 14. Article 38 addresses minorities specifically. Section one of this Article states that all citizens are “equal in social, economic, cultural and political life regardless of national, ethnic, religious or language origin” and that in conformity with norms of international, all citizens possess “the right to develop their culture freely without any discrimination and interference.” Moreover they are guaranteed to employ “their language in private and public life.”
However, no special law on minorities exists.
In 2008, Order No.282 of the President created a Strategic Vision Project - the National Vision and Action Plan on Civil Integration and Tolerance. The document identified the main objectives of the Concept of Culture and Education. |
