Updated: March 2009
Georgia
Overview | World Vision's history in Georgia | World Vision in Georgia today
OverviewBridging the European and Asian continents, the country of Georgia is surrounded by the Greater and Lesser Caucasus Mountains, with the Black Sea sitting to the west. Georgia shares a border with the Russian Federation to the north, Turkey and Armenia to the south, and Azerbaijan to the southeast. The rich soil of the Mtkvari River Basin is located in the east, while the Kolkhida Lowlands, which split the north and south mountain ranges, dominate the western region of the country. Georgia’s climate varies from subtropical in the west to Mediterranean in the east. Natural resources include hydropower, iron ore, copper, citrus products, and a small amount of coal and oil deposits.Ethnic Georgians make up nearly 84 percent of the country’s population. Other groups include the Azeris, Russians, and Armenians, along with a few Greeks, Ossetians, and Abkhazians. The majority of people live along the coast of the Black Sea and in river valleys. Georgian has been the country’s official language since 1918 and is spoken by the majority of the population. However, ethnic minorities speak their own languages and frequently Russian as well. Abkhaz is the official language of the autonomous region of Abkhazia. |  | 
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| After adopting Christianity as its official religion in the early 4th century, Georgia fell under Persian, Arab, Mongol, and eventually Iranian rule. In the early 1800s, Russia began annexing regions of eastern Georgia, and by 1878, the entire country was absorbed into the Russian Empire. Georgia took advantage of Russia’s collapse in 1917, joining Armenia and Azerbaijan to form the anti-Bolshevik Transcaucasian Federation. In 1922, the three countries were seized by the newly formed U.S.S.R. and made separate Soviet republics. For the next seven decades, Georgia was transformed from an agrarian nation to an industrial, urban society. With the fall of communism, the president of Georgia declared national independence from the Soviet Union on April 9, 1991. The country weathered three civil wars and near-economic collapse in its first three years of self-government. More than 240,000 people have been displaced due to the civil wars. Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze resigned in late-2003 amid massive protests of election fraud. Mikhail Saakashvili, the country’s current president, has embarked on a series of reforms, but he continues to battle difficulties with Georgia’s two breakaway regions—South Ossetia and Abkhazia. In August 2008, Georgian forces launched an attack against South Ossetian rebels in an attempt to regain control of the region. The Russian Federation, an ally of the separatists, responded by sending troops not only into South Ossetia but also into Abkhazia and Georgia. Thousands of people lost their lives in the fighting, many of them civilians. A ceasefire was enacted five days after the conflict began, and Russian troops gradually withdrew. Despite a cessation of hostilities, tensions remain high. Following the breakup of the Soviet Union, Georgia experienced a disruption in its trade patterns, energy shortages, and a gross domestic product that decreased more than any other former Soviet republic. By 1995, however, the country had developed its capacity for hydroelectric power, and the economy began to improve. Two oil pipelines commenced operations in 2005 and 2006, further increasing economic growth. Despite these steps forward, nearly a third of the population still lives below the poverty line, and more than half live on less than $2 a day. The national average unemployment is 13 percent, but in urban areas, it is estimated to be twice that. In Tbilisi, where roughly a quarter of the country’s population lives, the total reaches nearly 40 percent. As a result, more than 1 million people have left the country since 1991 to look for work. The continuing conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia have affected access to basic health services, hospitals, and medical supplies. From 1997-2003, only 0.5 percent of the nation’s budget was allocated to healthcare. Consequently, the quality of services declined, mortality rates increased, medical equipment became obsolete, and hospital infrastructure began to crumble. Georgia’s government has developed a strategic plan to not only increase health-care funding over the next four years, but also construct 100 hospitals in compliance with modern medical standards. Back to top World Vision's history in GeorgiaWorld Vision began working with Georgians in 1994 when most of the population experienced severe shortages of electricity and gas. In addition, the Small Enterprise Education and Development Program was established and provided business training and small grants to private businesses in Tbilisi and Rust’avi. World Vision also gave critical gift-in-kind items, such as winter clothing and shoes to vulnerable families and children in the Tbilisi area.In response to a drought in 2000 that affected household food security, World Vision, in collaboration with the World Food Program (WFP), implemented a nine-month emergency relief program serving more than 190,000 people with supplementary food rations throughout the eastern half of the country. The Community Works Program, established in 2002, provided food to 128,000 people who worked on various community projects across eastern and southern Georgia. World Vision also partnered with WFP in 2002 to oversee emergency food distribution and school rehabilitation for victims of an earthquake that struck Tbilisi. World Vision began working in the breakaway region of Abkhazia in 2004, making efforts to improve the economic, educational, and social situations of all populations in need regardless of their ethnic origin. More than 15,000 children—particularly those who are disabled, orphans, and street children—in all districts of Abkhazia have been supplied with clothes, books, sports equipment, and toys. In May 2006, a food-for-work program featured community based projects such as providing food aid management, infrastructure rehabilitation, and emergency preparedness and response efforts. Today, World Vision focuses on the prevention of infant abandonment, microenterprise development for vulnerable families, and disaster relief efforts—all implemented in collaboration with local partners and other nongovernmental organizations throughout the country. Back to top World Vision in Georgia todayWorld Vision is committed to partnering with the people of the Georgia to enhance their lives today and to help enact sustainable solutions for the future of their communities, families, and children. Currently, there are no children registered in the World Vision sponsorship program. World Vision operates several development projects, a few of which are supported by U.S. donors. Highlights of these efforts include the following:
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