Tbilisi (Georgian: თბილისი) is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari (Kura) River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form Tp'ilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936. The city covers an area of 726 km² (280.3 square miles) and has 1,480,000 inhabitants. Founded in the 5th century AD by Vakhtang Gorgasali, the Georgian King of Kartli (Iberia), and made into a capital in the 6th century, Tbilisi is a significant industrial, social, and cultural center. The city is also emerging as an important transit route for global energy and trade projects. Located strategically at the crossroads between Europe and Asia and lying along the historic Silk Road routes, Tbilisi has often been the point of contention between various rivaling powers and empires. The history of the city can be seen by its architecture, where the Haussmannized Rustaveli Avenue and downtown are blended with the narrower streets of the medieval Narikala district. Tbilisi (in georgiano თბილისი) è la capitale e la maggiore città (1.260.000 abitanti) della Georgia, già capitale della RSS Georgiana e della RSSF Transcaucasica. Il nome è talvolta scritto nelle forme Tiflis, Tiblisi od anche Tbilissi. La città è stata fondata nel V secolo dal Re Georgiano Vakhtang I Gorgasali (452-502) ed è divenuta capitale un secolo dopo. Tbilisi è attraversata dal fiume Mtkvari (meglio noto col nome turco Kura), e conta 1.260.000 abitanti. Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Situated at the juncture of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the east by Azerbaijan. Georgia covers a territory of 69,700 km² and its population is 4.7 million, largely ethnic Georgians. The history of Georgia can be traced back to the ancient kingdoms of Colchis and Iberia, and it was one of the first countries to adopt Christianity as an official religion, early in the 4th century. At the beginning of the 19th century Georgia became a part of the Russian Empire. After a brief period of independence following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Georgia was forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1922. Independence was restored in 1991. Like many post-communist countries Georgia suffered from the economic crisis and civil unrest during the 1990s. After the bloodless Rose Revolution, however, the new leadership has established efficient government institutions, reformed the economy and guided the country through a period of the fastest economic growth in its history. Georgia is a representative democracy.It is currently a member of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the World Trade Organization, the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, and GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development. The country seeks to join NATO and, in the longer term, accession to the European Union La Georgia (georgiano საქართველო, Sakartvelo), è uno stato dell'Asia transcaucasica, ad est del Mar Nero. Già repubblica dell'Unione Sovietica, confina a nord con la Russia, a sud con Turchia, Armenia e a est con Azerbaigian. Ha una popolazione di 4.989.000 abitanti e ha per capitale Tbilisi.Dal punto di vista storico-culturale la Georgia è considerato un paese europeo anche se geograficamente è da considerarsi in Asia. Il clima è di tipo continentale nell'entroterra ma subtropicale lungo la costa, dove la piovosità (molto elevata) raggiunge i 1.800 mm/anno, arrivando a toccare punte di 4.000 mm/anno specialmente nel sud, al confine con la Turchia, con una distribuzione uniforme durante l'anno. Font : Wikipedia