| Economy - overview: | Georgia's main economic activities include the cultivation of agricultural products such as citrus fruits, tea, hazelnuts, and grapes; mining of manganese and copper; and output of a small industrial sector producing alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, metals, machinery, and chemicals. The country imports the bulk of its energy needs, including natural gas and oil products. Its only sizable internal energy resource is hydropower. Despite the severe damage the economy has suffered due to civil strife, Georgia, with the help of the IMF and World Bank, has made substantial economic gains since 1995, achieving positive GDP growth and curtailing inflation. Georgia had suffered from a chronic failure to collect tax revenues, however, the new government is making progress in reforming the tax code, enforcing taxes, and cracking down on corruption. In addition, the privatisation process has taken off, permitting the government to boost expenditures on infrastructure, defence and poverty reduction. Smuggling is a perennial drain on the economy. Georgia also suffers from energy shortages; it privatized the T'bilisi electricity distribution network in 1998, but payment collection rates remain low, both in T'bilisi and throughout the regions. The country is pinning its hopes for long-term growth on its role as a transit state for pipelines and trade. The construction on the Baku-T'bilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-T'bilisi-Erzerum gas pipeline have brought much-needed investment and job opportunities. Nevertheless, high energy prices in 2006 will compound the pressure on the country's inefficient energy sector. Restructuring the sector and finding energy supply alternatives to Russia remains a major challenge. |
| GDP - per capita | $3,400 (2005 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate (%) | 10% (2005 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | citrus, grapes, tea, hazelnuts, vegetables; livestock |
| GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 16%, industry: 26.8%, services: 57.2% (2005 est.) |
| Industries | steel, aircraft, machine tools, electrical appliances, mining (manganese and copper), chemicals, wood products, wine |
| Economic aid - recipient | ODA $150 million (2000 est.) |
| Debt - external | $1.9 billion (2003) |
| Population below poverty line (%) | 54% (2001 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation (%) | agriculture 40%, industry 20%, services 40% (1999 est.) |
Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005
