Georgia - History, Culture and Geography. Fabled as the Land of the Golden Fleece, Georgia entered the historical record as an Ionian colony around 500 BC. Excavations of ancient tombs have revealed finely wrought pieces in bronze, gold, and silver and a rich archaeological history, testimony to ancient Hellenic, Roman, Indo-Persian, and Mongol presence. Christianity was introduced in the early 4th century, and the Persian and Byzantine empires vied for control of Georgia until the 7th century when the rise of Islam extended to the South Caucasus. Seljuk Turk control ended when the Emir was expelled in 1122 by Georgian King David II. For two centuries thereafter, Georgian influence expanded in the South Caucasus, especially under Queen Tamar, only to be again fractured by successive waves of Mongol invasions. After the Mongol withdrawal, Iranian and Ottoman Empires again sought control in the 1500s and both were eventually driven out as successive Georgian royal leaders sought assistance from Russia whose rule persisted until the Revolution of 1917-18. Still, centuries of foreign domination did not prevent Georgia from retaining a distinct culture expressed through the Georgian language and its unique Eurasian script, by various architectural styles, and through its art, exemplified by a long tradition of skilled metalwork. Georgia falls within the Asian landmass, occupying its southwest corner, with two other nations of the South Caucasus, Armenia and Azerbaijan. It has a lengthy Black Sea coast and borders Russia to its north, Turkey to its south, and Armenia and Azerbaijan to its south-east. Georgia's land area is almost 70,000 square kilometers and is home to approximately five million people. Georgia is surrounded by the Great Caucasus Mountains in the North (rising to 4,500 meters and above); it shares the Lesser Caucasus Mountains (rising to 3,000 meters) in the South with Turkey and Armenia. The Kolkhida Lowland opens to the Black Sea in the west, with a Mediterranean, sub-tropical climate, while the Mtkvari River Basin in the east forms a drier, less forested valley connecting Georgia with Azerbaijan... (read more)