Government Type: Republic
Capital Name: T'bilisi
Geographic Coordinates: 41 43 N, 44 47 E
Time Difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative Divisions:
9 regions and 2 autonomous republics
Regions: Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Shida Kartli
City: Tbilisi
Autonomous Republics: Abkhazia and Adjara

Independence:
9 April 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National Holidays:
Independence Day, 26 May (1918); note - 26 May 1918 was the date of independence from Imperial Russia, 9 April 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union

Constitution:
Adopted 24 August 1995

Legal system:
Based on civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive Branch:
Head of State: President Mikheil Saakashvili (since 25 January 2004);
Head of Government: President Mikheil Saakashvili (since 25 January 2004); Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili (since 25 October 2012);
Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 5 January 2008 (next to be held in Ocober 2013)

Legislative branch:
Unicameral Parliament (150 seats; 75 members elected by proportional representation, 75 from single-seat constituencies; to serve five-year terms)
Elections: Last held 21 May 2008 (next to be held in spring 2012)

Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges elected by the Supreme Council on the president's or chairman of the Supreme Court's recommendation); Constitutional Court; first and second instance courts

International organization participation:
ACCT (observer), ADB, BSEC, CE, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, and the WTO