Georgia is a Eurasian country, that is, geographically it belongs to Asia, but politically, culturally and historically it is considered a European country. It is a small nation full of attractions as it has an exuberant nature, an exceptionally diverse climate, ancient cities and places declared a World Heritage Site. Join us to discover fifty curiosities of Georgia , the unknown country of the Black Sea halfway between Asia and Europe .
Georgia is a presidential republic with a population close to 3.8 million inhabitants famous for its hospitality and excellent cuisine. Throughout history it was the object of rivalry between Persia, Turkey and Russia, which annexed it in the 19th century. In 1991 the country gained independence.
50 Curiosities of Georgia
1. As the first of the curiosities of Georgia you have to know that the Georgians call their country Sakartvelo which means "the land where the Kartveli " The capital of Georgia is Tbilisi.
2. One of the historical curiosities of Georgia is that the ancient Greek historians referred to the inhabitants of the eastern part of the country as "Iberians" and to the area in which they lived they called it "Iberia".
3. The name of Georgia, of English root, possibly was put to them when the crusaders passed by way to the Holy Land, for being their patron Saint George.
Four. Its size, 57,215 km2, is similar to that of Croatia, and has a population of 3.8 million inhabitants.
5. Much of the country sits on the Caucasus mountains that are the border between Europe and Asia.
6. This mountainous settlement and the lack of road infrastructure means that many mountain villages remain isolated during most of the winter due to snow.
7. Another of the curiosities of Georgia It is related to its mountains. It has the two highest permanently inhabited settlements in Europe at 2,345 and 2,100 meters above sea level. They are Bochorna and Ushguli.
8. Thanks to these same mountains, in Georgia there are magnificent ski resorts where you can practice off-piste skiing or skiing. heliskí .
9. It is believed that the first Europeans came from Georgia to where they had arrived from Africa. In the excavations of Dmanisi were found the skulls of a couple who were more than 1.8 million years old.
10. The dictator Joseph Stalin was a native of Georgia and today in the markets you can still buy portraits of the dictator, which some consider the most famous son of Georgia.
11. Georgia became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. In 2015 it lost definitively South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
12. The Silk Road, which linked Europe and China , it crossed some areas of Georgia.
13. Georgia is one of the countries in the world with the greatest ecological diversity. It has 12 climatic zones and 49 different soil types.
14. In your forests you can find animals as different as lynxes, leopards and bears.
15. The Georgian language He is the Georgian. It belongs to the group of Kartvelian languages and they are unique in the world.
16. The Georgian language It has its own alphabet with 33 letters.
17. In some regions of Georgia, in addition to Georgian, other languages of Kartvelian origin are spoken, such as Megreliano, Laz and Esvano and their speakers are bilingual.
18. One of the curiosities of Georgia is that the Georgian language has no genres. Whether you talk about him or her, gender will be neutral.
19. The second most spoken language is Russian due to the "Russification" that they suffered for decades.
20. Many different ethnic groups live in Georgia, including the Georgian Jews who make up one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world.
21. The Georgian coin is called "lari".
22. The "Chakrulo", a Georgian folk song, was sent to space on the Voyager spacecraft it has contains samples of human culture and a welcome recording to greet potential extraterrestrial civilizations.
23. The Georgia food It is succulent, rich and varied. Each region has its own specialties and is a cuisine that has been exported very well to neighboring countries.
24. Khachapuri is a stuffed bread, mainly cheese, to which other ingredients can be added.
25. The "jinkali" are huge and juicy ravioli that are sprinkled with black pepper.
26. In the country's kitchen many dishes are prepared in a special oven called "Bujari".
27. One of the most typical desserts of the Georgia food They are the "churchjelas" a kind of candles that are made with nuts dipped in concentrated fruit juice.
28. Georgian wine is very popular and has been produced for at least 8,000 years.
29. Among the curiosities of Georgia There is wine making in clay jars called "Qvevri". This type of traditional elaboration was named Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
30. Choral music is another of the traditions of Georgia which has also been named by the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
31. Georgians are a traditionally religious people. More than 80% of the population say they belong to the Church.
32. His patriarch, the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, is the most respected person in Georgia with an acceptance of more than 90%.
33. In the country you will find numerous churches of great beauty, such as Tsminda Sameba or the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral of the 4th century.
34. The monastery of Vardzia with its more than 6,000 rooms excavated in the rock, including the church is one of the curiosities of Georgia .
35. If you travel to the country you can surprise yourself with one of the customs of Georgia more deeply rooted, especially among the elderly: men tend to walk arm in arm.
36. This does not mean that they are tolerant of homosexuality, it is simply one of the customs of Georgia, since statistically it is one of the most homophobic countries in the world.
37. When two Georgians greet each other they shake hands and say "Gamarjoba", which would be like saying "hello", but in reality you are saying: "that you succeed".
38. Georgians are an extremely welcoming people. A saying of the country says: "A guest is a gift from God."
39. If you arrive to the town of Chazhashi you will see another of the curiosities of Georgia more tourist. It is an example of extremely well preserved medieval architecture. In him there are more than 200 houses with a tower of defense. They were used as protection during the invasions between the 9th and 12th centuries.
40. The flag of Georgia is known as the "flag of the 5 crosses" and has its origin in the Middle Ages.
41. One of the customs of Georgia More curious is the trust in the extended family to solve problems. There's always some uncle or cousin who can fix anything.
42. The capital of Georgia It is Tbilisi, for them Tbilisi. The name comes from the thermal waters that were discovered in the place in the 5th century.
43. Tbili in Georgian means "warm" and Tbilisi could be translated as "warm place".
44. The most important river that crosses Georgia, the Mtkvari, crosses the capital of the country.
45. Another of the curiosities of Georgia is that despite being a magnificent place was declared in 2017 the 10th cheapest country to live. Renting a one-bedroom apartment in the capital Tbilisi does not reach 150 euros and a bus ticket is around 20 cents.
46. Formerly there were other capitals in Georgia : Mtskheta and Kutaisi. Both are among the 16 oldest cities in Europe. Mtskheta was founded about 3,000 years ago. In both cities there are monuments declared World Heritage by UNESCO.
47. Traditional Georgian architecture is a mixture of European and Asian styles.
48. Saint George is the patron of the country and at the center of the capital of Georgia There is a giant golden statue of the saint killing the dragon.
49. However, do not think that everything is tradition in Georgia, they also feel passion for futuristic architecture as evidenced by the Parliament building in Kutaisai.
50. The last of these curiosities we dedicate it to athletes: four Georgian basketball players have played or played in the NBA, Vladimir Stepania, Nikoloz Tskitishvili, Tornike Shengelia and Zaza Pachulia.
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Have you been impressed by all these interesting curiosities of Georgia ? If the country of hospitality and gastronomy is so surprising, you may want to asómbrarte knowing other nations. Do not miss the following articles with curiosities of Asia gathered by countries! We are sure you will be excited!
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Did you know this curious data of Georgia, the country straddling Europe and Asia ? Were you surprised to learn that Georgians are so hospitable and that it is one of the countries in the world with the greatest ecological diversity? We really want to visit the country and its capital is also among the 6 safest in the world! If you know something curious about Georgia that we have not mentioned, share it with us and we can expand the list!
Images: Tschurtschchela , Marcin Konsek , Georgian States Colchis and Iberia , Lidia Ilona , George Kvizhinadze