Background



No, we’re not talking about the Peachtree State here. Situated in southwestern Asia just north of Turkey and south of Russia on the shores of the Black Sea, the Republic of Georgia is home to almost five million people. Based on the archaeological evidence unearthed in 2001, the Republic of Georgia has been home to people for a very long time – a 1.75 million-year-old human-like skull was found beneath the ruins of a medieval town called Dmanisi.

Legend has it that a grandson of Noah (yes, of the famous ark), settled Georgia. It seems that Noah’s son Thargamos settled the land of Japhet (located somewhere between Ararat (the mountain where Noah’s ark was said to have landed) and the Caucasus mountains (located in Georgia). Thargamos had two sons, Karthlos whose descendents are said to be Georgians, and Haik whose descendents are said to be Armenians. Is this true? Maybe, maybe not – who really knows? But here is an interesting coincidence: in the Georgian language, the word for “Georgian” is Kartveli and the word for “Georgia” is Sakartvelo. Very interesting indeed!


Although Georgia was annexed by Russia in 1801, Georgians never gave up their fight for independence. Georgia regained its sovereignty in 1918 and was an independent democracy until 1921. After 70 years of communist suppression, Georgia once again reclaimed its independence in 1991.

Credits: The International Adoption Guidebook, © Mary M. Strickert