The National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and The Republic of Yemen Cosponsored by The United Nations Development Programme and The Government of Japan In Partnership with the Governments of: The Netherlands The United Kingdom The United States And the: Canadian International Development Agency Friedrich Ebert Stiftung International Labour Organization Irish Aid National Endowment for Democracy United States Agency for International Development Westminster Foundation for Democracy World Bank		Georgia Country Summary english - french - spanish Georgia gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Since 1991, the government has adopted a new constitution, held multiparty parliamentary and presidential elections, and worked to establish the rule of law. The country has sought to maintain and consolidate democracy over the last decade in the face of the instability created by a coup, a civil war, and economic hardship. Economic and Social Indicators Population: GNP: Per Capita GNP: Growth Rate: Illiteracy Rate: Life Expectancy: 5 million $4.6 billion $840 figures unavailable figures unavailable 69-males 77-females The World Bank. World Development Report. Oxford Union Press,1999 Georgia has emerged as the most successful of the former Soviet republics making the transition to democracy. Political parties can freely organize and contest regular elections, and the press operates without constraints. The Georgian parliament enjoys a separation of power from the executive branch and is a genuine forum for opposition voices. Georgia's first post-independence local elections were held in fall 1998. In recognition of its progress, Georgia was admitted this January as a full member of the Council of Europe. Georgia still confronts major obstacles to its political and economic transformation. The challenges include achieving reconciliation with secessionist territories and adequately addressing the resulting refugee crisis. Coup attempts and other efforts to destabilize the country are frequent. Widespread unemployment and wage arrears keep living standards low. Large parts of the country lack electricity. Since independence, Georgia has been engaged in the transition to a market economy. The Parliament has passed laws on privatization, land reform, and tax collection, as well as legislation allowing foreigners to own property in Georgia. The majority of state industries have been privatized, the currency has stabilized, and free market reforms have been aggressively pursued. Georgia has become a trade crossroads as oil, cotton, and other natural resources from the Caspian Basin and Central Asia are transported to Western markets. [ Introduction ] [ Declaration ] [ Conference Transcripts ] [ Discussion Board ] [ Forum Home ] [ NDI Home ]