Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/968

 916 GEORGIA

peasants ; the minimum allowance for any one family being 7 dessiatiues (about 17 acres). Wine-growing is extensive. The country is also rich in fruits. Silk production and bee-keeping are old occupations.

There are about 12,000.000 domestic animals, and the country has vast possibilities for cattle-breeding.

A number of minerals are found, viz. , naphtha, copper ore, coal, lead, manganese ore, iron ore, pyrites and sulphur, zinc and antimony. The most important mineral industry is that of manganese, the centre of which is at Tchiaturi.

Commerce. — For the year ending July 1, 1919, the imports of Georgia amounted to 366,897,167 roubles, and the exports to 257,559,000 roubles.

Communications. — The railway system of Georgia extends to 970 miles. The trunk line leading from Batum through Tiflis to Baku on the Caspian Sea has several narrow gauge branches on Georgian territory to the coal mines of Tkhibuli, to the port of Poti, to the manganese mines of Tchiaturi, to the mineral springs of Borjom and the health retort Bakuriani, to the towns Signakh and Telavi, in Kakhetia, and to the Armenian frontier, across the coal mine district of Alverdi. The last branch divides in Armenia, going on the rue side to Tabriz in Persia, and on the other to Erzerum in Anatolia. All the railway lines on the territory of Georgia belong to the State.

A railway line from Akhal-Senaki along the Black Sea coast, through Sukhum to Tuapse, is being constructed.

Currency. — The Transcaucasian Pepublic had been forced to print its own money, and notes were printed in four languages — Georgian, Armenian, Tatar, and Russian — and were called Transcaucasian bonds. These notes, estimated at 2,000,000,000 roubles, were supposed to constitute a lieu against the resources of the Caucasus. When Georgia declared its independence, Azerbaijan withdrew from the financial convention, and Georgia continued to print these Caucasian bonds with Armenia until the latter half ot the year 1919, when each began the issue of its separate money. The Georgian rouble steadily fell in value throughout 1920, and now stands at about 1,100-1,200 to the pound sterling. Other roubles are also in circulation (Imperial, Kerensky, etc.).

Diplomatic Representatives.

1. Of Georgia in Great Britain.

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary. — A. Tchenkeli.

2. Of Great Britain in Georgia.

High Commissioner at Tiflis.— Lt.-Col. C. B. Stokes, C.I.E., D.S.O., I.A.

Books of Reference concerning Georgia.

Georgia and the Georgian Race. London, 1919.

Brossct (M. F.). Histoire de la Georgie. 5 vols. St. Petersburg, 1 s

Ohambashitize (1).), The Caucasus, its People, History, &c. ijondon, 191S.-Miner.il Resources of Georgia and Caucasia. London, 1,919.

Khakhanofl (M.)> Histoire de Georgie. Parte, 1900.

Kuime (Emmanuel), La Georgie Libre, Geneva, 1920.

Xi/ipold (O.), La Georgie du point de vue da droit intci-naiionnl. Bern, 19S0.

Tcherkesoff (V.), La Georgie. Paris, 1919.

Tseretelli (Irakly), Separation de la Traiiscaucasie et de la Kussie et Independence de la Georgie. Paris, 1919.

Villeneuve (M. de), La Georgie. Paris, 1870.

Wardrop (v.). The Kingdom of Georgia. London, 1888.

Woytinsky (W.), La Democratic Georgiennc. Paris, 1921.