About Georgia

Georgia is situated on the eastern shore of the Black Sea. It is a transcontinental country in south-eastern Europe and a sociopolitical and cultural part of Europe.

Christianity was adopted as the state religion in the 4th century. In the year 1008, the country became a united monarchy. There have been several periods of decline and revival in the history of Georgia. The Russian annexation of Georgia, which began in 1801, ended in 1866. Georgia regained its independence in 1918-1921. It was declared a Democratic Republic and was officially recognized by the League of Nations. From 1921 to 1991, Georgia was a part of the Soviet Union. Once again in 1991, Georgia achieved independence from Russia. The country has implemented a series of important reforms. Today Georgia is an associate member of the EU and aspires to become a full-fledged member of both the EU and NATO communities.

The Georgian Alphabet

Georgian is the official language of Georgia. It belongs to the family of Iberian-Caucasian languages.

The Georgian alphabet is one of the oldest in the world. The earliest known Georgian script dates to inscriptions from the 4th century. The Georgian alphabet evolved throughout the centuries, undergoing three stages of development. Georgian displays some Greek influence in its letter ordering. The modern Georgian alphabet consists of 33 letters.

The Golden Fleece

Georgia is the land of the Golden Fleece. In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece was the fleece of the winged ram with golden wool. Jason and his crew of Argonauts set out to the Caucasus in search of the fleece. He accomplished his task after Medea, the kings daughter, came to his aid.

The myth of the Golden Fleece has been reflected in numerous literary works. To some extent, the Golden Fleece has come to symbolize Georgia.

The Earliest Human

At the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, a team of archaeologists unearthed the remains of hominids in the Dmanisi region in Georgia, which scientists have classified as Homo Georgicus. The fossil skull is about 1.8 million years old. The Dmanisi discovery has significantly contributed to the history of human development.