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Location:
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Southwestern Asia, bordering the Black Sea, between Turkey and Russia
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Geographic coordinates:
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42 00 N, 43 30 E
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Map references:
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Asia
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Area:
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total: 69,700 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 69,700 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than South Carolina
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,461 km
border countries: Armenia 164 km, Azerbaijan 322 km, Russia 723 km, Turkey 252 km
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Coastline:
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310 km
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Maritime claims:
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NA
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Climate:
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warm and pleasant; Mediterranean-like on Black Sea coast
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Terrain:
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largely mountainous with Great Caucasus Mountains in the north and Lesser Caucasus Mountains in the south; Kolkhet'is Dablobi (Kolkhida Lowland) opens to the Black Sea in the west; Mtkvari River Basin in the east; good soils in river valley flood plains, foothills of Kolkhida Lowland
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Mt'a Shkhara 5,201 m
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Natural resources:
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forests, hydropower, manganese deposits, iron ore, copper, minor coal and oil deposits; coastal climate and soils allow for important tea and citrus growth
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Land use:
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arable land: 11.21%
permanent crops: 4.09%
other: 84.7% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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4,700 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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earthquakes
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Environment - current issues:
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air pollution, particularly in Rust'avi; heavy pollution of Mtkvari River and the Black Sea; inadequate supplies of potable water; soil pollution from toxic chemicals
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note:
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strategically located east of the Black Sea; Georgia controls much of the Caucasus Mountains and the routes through them
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