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 because it has an exuberant nature and an exceptionally diverse climate, linked to ancient cities and places declared World Heritage. Join us to discover 30 curiosities of Georgia , the unknown country of the Black Sea halfway between Asia and Europe .
30 Curiosities of Georgia
We will divide the curiosities of Georgia in sections to facilitate reading. We hope you like to know them!
Georgia's geographical and political curiosities
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 "Which are the inhabitants of the central zone of the country" Karli-Iberia ". The capital of Georgia is Tbilisi.
2. The name of Georgia, of English origin, could possibly have been placed when the Crusaders passed by on the way to the Holy Land, as their patron Saint George.
3. Its size, 57,215 km2, is similar to that of Croatia, and has a population of 3.7 million inhabitants.
4. Much of the country sits on the Caucasus mountains that are the border between Europe and Asia.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Georgia became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. In 2015 it lost definitively South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
8. The Silk Road, which linked Europe and China , it crossed some areas of Georgia.
9. Georgia is one of the most ecologically diverse countries in the world. It has 12 climatic zones and 49 different soil types.
10. In your forests you can find animals as different as lynxes, leopards and bears.
Georgian language
11. The Georgian language He is the Georgian. It belongs to the group of Kartvelian languages and they are unique in the world.
12. The Georgian language It has its own alphabet with 33 letters.
13. 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.
14. The second most spoken language is Russian due to the "Russification" that they suffered for decades.
Georgia food
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. Here you have some of the most important dishes of the Georgia food .
15. Khachapuri is a stuffed bread, mainly cheese, to which other ingredients can be added.
16. The "jinkali" are huge and juicy ravioli that are sprinkled with black pepper.
17. In the Georgian kitchen many dishes are prepared in a special oven called "Bujari"
18. 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.
19. Georgian wine is very popular and has been produced for at least 8,000 years.
Georgian traditions
20. Among the traditions of Georgia There is wine making in clay jars called "Qvevri". This type of traditional elaboration was named Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
21. Choral music is another of the traditions of Georgia which has also been named by the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
22. Georgians are a traditionally religious people. More than 80% of the population say they belong to the Church. His patriarch, the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, is the most respected person in Georgia with an acceptance of more than 90%. In the country you will find numerous churches of great beauty, such as Tsminda Sameba .
Customs of Georgia
23. 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. 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.
24. 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".
25. Georgians are an extremely welcoming people. A saying of the country says: "A guest is a gift from God."
26. 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.
Curiosities about the Capital of Georgia
27. 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. Tbili in Georgian means "warm" and Tbilisi could be translated as "warm place".
28. 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.
29.San Jorge 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.
30. The last of the curiosities of Georgia 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.
We hope you liked these 30 curiosities of Georgia . We really want to visit the country and its capital is also among the 6 safest in the world!
Images: Tschurtschchela , Marcin Konsek ,