Georgia:
Georgia, one of the first Soviet republics to become independent (in 1991), is in a bit of a mess. First there was a civil war between the ex-president Gamsakhurida, and troops loyal to the government. Then the ethnic Abkazians decided to try to secede from Georgia. There is now a truce in place, and UN observers and Russian paratroopers are stationed in Abkazia to ensure the peace sticks. But they are occaisonally kidknapped and shot at. It's an unstable truce, in other words.
Prior to all this upheaval, Georgia was a much-visited country, as it's got some spectacular scenery and some interesting old cities. Tbilisi, the capital, is scenically built on terraced hills. The beaches on the Black Sea used to be the vacation spots of vacationing Russians, and most of the country is covered in high mountains. Organized crime is now rampant, and the health and education systems are suffering from the war and economic problems. Most Georgians are poor, and getting poorer, and there is a small, wealthy elite that seems to be getting wealthier.
This page last updated October 28, 1999.