Georgia: Introduction

Georgia is situated at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is bordered by Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, and the Black Sea. Strategically located directly east of the Black Sea, Georgia is largely mountainous and controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them. The government system is a republic; the chief of state is the president, and the head of government is the prime minister. Georgia has a mixed economic system which includes a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation.