| Georgia | |
 | |
Location  | |
Coat of arms and flag   | |
| Capital | Tbilisi |
|---|---|
| Government | presidential republic |
| Currency | Georgian Lari (GEL) |
| Surface | 69,700 km² |
| Inhabitants | 3.713.804 (2014 census) |
| Tongue | Georgian |
| Religion | Orthodox (85%), Armenian Christians (2.9%), Muslims (9.9%), Roman Catholics (2.4%) |
| Electricity | 230V / 50Hz (European socket) |
| Prefix | 995 |
| TLD | .ge |
| Time zone | UTC 4 |
| Website | Official tourism website |
Georgia is a state ofEastern Europe, which overlooks the Black Sea. Formerly a republic of the Soviet Union, it is bordered to the north and north-east by the Russia, to the south with the Turkey and theArmenia, south-east with theAzerbaijan, and to the west with the Black Sea.
To know
Without a doubt, Georgia is a country of high tourist potential thanks to its artistic heritage and its magnificent alpine landscapes; the political situation of the country remains, however, unstable after the conflicts that, decades ago, led to the de facto independence ofSouth Ossetia andAbkhazia (both territories are claimed by Georgia which still (2019) refuses to recognize its secession).
For these reasons, those planning a trip to the country for business or simple leisure purposes will have to consult, before buying a plane ticket with a light heart, a government site that makes them aware of the risks they face.
Spoken languages
The Georgian it is a language that has no affinity and is written using an equally particular alphabet. Signage is rarely bilingual, with the exception of the metro Tbilisi.
Territories and tourist destinations
- Kutaisi - Second city of the country for number of inhabitants and economic importance, Kutaisi is located in the territory of ancient Colchis.
How to get
Entry requirements
Citizens of member states ofEuropean Union and of Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belize, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Vatican CITY, Colombia, South Korea, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Jordan, Honduras, Iceland, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, New Zeland, Norway, Oman, Panama, Principality of Monaco, Qatar, Dominican Republic, Russia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, United States of America, South Africa, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine ed Uzbekistan, in addition to those of the overseas territories of the UK they can enter Georgia and remain there for up to one year without a visa; citizens of the member states of the European Union and of Turkey and Ukraine (the latter only if coming directly from there and not from third countries) are allowed to enter even with an identity card only.
Citizens of Chile ed Uruguay can enter without a visa for a maximum period of 90 days (Chileans for a maximum of 90 days in 180 days), while the citizens ofIran can enter without a visa for a maximum period of 45 days; citizens of the Georgian diaspora, if citizens of a state not exempt from the visa requirement, can enter without obtaining it for a maximum period of 30 days.
Citizens of the following states will need to apply for an e-Visa before arriving in Georgian territory:
- Maximum stay of 90 days in a period of 180: Bolivia, Cuba, Grenada, Guatemala, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Micronesia, North Macedonia, Palau, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Suriname, East Timor, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu is Vanuatu
- Maximum stay of 30 days in a period of 120: Angola, Benin, Bhutan, Burma, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, China, Comoros, North Korea, Egypt, Eritrea, eSwatini, Ethiopia, Fiji, Philippines, Jamaica, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Lesotho, Macau, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, Central African Republic, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Togo, Vietnam, Zambia is Zimbabwe
All other citizens will need to obtain a visa through the diplomatic network before entry, except citizens of Taiwan, which is forbidden both entry and transit.
If you plan to visit one of the neighboring countries as well, (presumably Armenia or Azerbaijan - N.B. if the Azerbaijani customs authorities find the entry stamp in the passport Armenia they will not consent to entry into the country.) and then return to Georgia, you will need a double visa (exit and return) which is issued only by the consular authorities.
Customs controls at the airport are less meticulous than at land crossings. Medicines that are not simple aspirins must be accompanied by the relative medical certificate.
By plane
 | To learn more, see: Airports in Georgia. |
The international airport of Tbilisi is 17 km south of the capital. At 2012 Alitalia operated a direct flight from Rome-Fiumicino as well as Fly Georgia [1], a private company founded in 2012.
By car
If you are staying in a center near the border between Georgia andAzerbaijan you can also choose between taxi and maršrutka as the locals do.
On the train
From Baku (Azerbaijan) there is a night service of sleeper trains for Tiblisi (Compartments with four beds each for less than 40 euros in 2011). You will have to book and be prepared for long lines at the ticket office of the station Baku; you must also already be in possession of a visa if you are not exempt, as this is not issued at the border (Tsodna pass). Border controls can take up to two hours.
It is nearing completion (year 2012) a rail link between Kars (Turkey) is Akhalkalaki (Georgia).
By bus
From Turkey, if you plan to take the strain of a bus trip, maybe from Istanbul, know that it will take you at least 36 hours to reach Tbilisi with the coach buses Luks Karadeniz, double if you have the good fortune to get on a bus where smoking is allowed on board and which stops every two hours at a refreshment post. Upon arrival at the Sarpi border crossing, (about thirty km south of Batumi) customs employees will make you regret bitterly with their slowness of having opted for this solution. At the very least, it is better to take a taxi to the border post, "complete" the formalities and then cross the border on foot and board the minibus (samarshruto taxi) that awaits you across the border. Some of these samarshruto taxebi are allowed to cross the border.
From Azerbaijan alternatively you can use a bus that does not make intermediate stops.
How to get around
By car
What see
.jpg/220px-2014_Kutaisi,_Katedra_Bagrati_(04).jpg)
- Bagrati Cathedral is Gelat'i Monastery in Kutaisi, heritage UNESCO since 1994
- Historic churches of Mtskheta - In the surroundings of Mtskheta, the city seat of the Orthodox-Georgian patriarch, there are numerous and ancient churches, which became part of the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994. Among these the most famous are the 11th century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral and the 6th century AD Jvari Monastery. C. Also in the surroundings of Mtskheta is the Armaztsikhe fortress of the third century BC.
What to do
Currency and purchases
The national currency is the Georgian Lari (GEL) Here are the links to know the current exchange rate with the main world currencies:
| (EN) With Google Finance: | AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD |
| With Yahoo! Finance: | AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD |
| (EN) With XE.com: | AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD |
| (EN) With OANDA.com: | AUDCADCHFEURGBPHKDJPYUSD |
At the table
- kachapuri (adjaruli is the best)
- xinkali
- gomes
- suluguni
Tourist infrastructure
Events and parties
Safety
.jpg/220px-Police_car_in_Tbilisi_(78).jpg)
The majority of the state is safe, the crime rate is among the lowest in Europe; Corruption has also significantly decreased since the Rose Revolution, so tourists can trust the local police, counting on both their widespread presence in the cities and their help in case of road problems.
Seat belts are now mandatory, which is strictly enforced, while radars are present both at intersections and on main roads, including motorways; the accident rate, however, remains higher than that of other Caucasian states (a study by a local NGO estimates that there is one injured every hour and one death every 18, while the World Health Organization indicates that there are 16, 8 accidents per 100,000 inhabitants each year).
The local interior ministry provides useful information for foreigners on a dedicated page.
Women must be careful of the excessive insistence of local men in the approach, it is good that they go out in groups and do not smile or pay attention to local men if they do not want to receive unwanted attention; Georgian men will know how to take care of their friends in the outings but it is still good to keep your eyes open.
Tbilisi and its surroundings have lost the reputation of areas with high petty crime, even muggings are rare and there are almost no more thefts in apartments and cars, while it is still necessary to be very careful in Kutaisi after sunset, given that the rate criminal is significantly higher than the national average; in Adjara the situation has calmed down since the separatist conflict ended and therefore it is also possible to cross the border safely and without corruption (but not quickly, it also takes more than 2 hours due to the long queues), while the situation is more tesa if you want to visit Abkhazia and South Ossetia (the first can be visited with difficulty, the second cannot be visited coming from Georgia and entry from Russia is a crime under Georgian law).
Health situation
Respect the customs
How to keep in touch
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Georgia
Commons contains images or other files on Georgia
Wikiquote contains quotes from or about Georgia
Wikinews contains current news on Georgia
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