Names: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Georgia local long form: none local short form: Sak'art'velo former: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic

Capital City: T'bilisi

Population: 4,661,473 (July 2006 est.)

GDP Per Capita: $3,800 (2006 est.)

Currency: lari (GEL)

Languages: Georgian 71% (official), Russian 9%, Armenian 7%, Azeri 6%, other 7% note: Abkhaz is the official language in Abkhazia

Total Area: total: 69,700 sq km land: 69,700 sq km water: 0 sq km slightly smaller than South Carolina

Region: Europe

Industries: steel, aircraft, machine tools, electrical appliances, mining (manganese and copper), chemicals, wood products, wine

Agriculture: citrus, grapes, tea, hazelnuts, vegetables; livestock

Resources: forests, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth

Labor Force: 2.04 million (2004 est.)
agriculture: 40% industry: 20% services: 40% (1999 est.)

Exports: $1.761 billion (2006 est.)
scrap metal, machinery, chemicals; fuel reexports; citrus fruits, tea, wine

Imports: $3.32 billion (2006 est.)
fuels, machinery and parts, transport equipment, grain and other foods, pharmaceuticals

Overview: Georgia's main economic activities include the cultivation of agricultural products such as grapes, citrus fruits, and hazelnuts; 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. It has sizeable but underdeveloped hydropower capacity. 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 2000, achieving positive GDP growth and curtailing inflation. Georgia had suffered from a chronic failure to collect tax revenues; however, the new government is making progress and has reformed the tax code, improved tax administration, increased tax enforcement, and cracked down on corruption. In addition, the reinvigorated privatization process has met with success, supplementing government expenditures on infrastructure, defense, and poverty reduction. Despite customs and financial (tax) enforcement improvements, smuggling is a drain on the economy. Georgia also suffers from energy shortages due to aging and badly maintained infrastructure, as well as poor management. Due to concerted reform efforts, collection rates have improved considerably to roughly 60%, both in T'bilisi and throughout the regions. Continued reform in the management of state-owned power entities is essential to successful privatization and onward sustainability in this sector. The country is pinning its hopes for long-term growth on its role as a transit state for pipelines and trade. The construction on the Baku-T'bilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-T'bilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline have brought much-needed investment and job opportunities. Nevertheless, high energy prices have compounded the pressure on the country's inefficient energy sector. Restructuring the sector and finding energy supply alternatives to Russia remain major challenges.

_{CIA World Book}

In 2007 Missouri exported $132,683 in goods to Georgia. This ranks Georgia 133^rd among the 223 international buyers of Missouri goods. Missouri exports to Georgia decreased from the previous year by $460,386 a change of -77.63%. State exports to Georgia have decreased over the last 5 years by $2,822,199 a change of -95.51%. Missouri exports account for .00%. of all 2007 US exports to Georgia.