I know what your first question is and no, this is not about the U.S. stat but a small country that's located in Eurasia. Some people haven't even heard about that country, others know that It exists but they don't know where it is.
I want to introduce my country to the ones who doesn't know about It.
Here are a few of the most confusing questions about Georgia and my answers to them. I hope you will enjoy reading it.
Is Georgia Eastern Europe or Western Asia?
The problem is that the boundaries of Europe are not strictly defined. That's why there exists different definitions of Europe and thus, Georgia.
But it's no matter how we define Europe because either way, Georgia is partially located in it. Thus, considering Georgia as a part of Europe, it's totally subjective.
"A commonly accepted division between Asia and Europe ... is formed by the Ural Mountains, Ural River, Caspian Sea, Caucasus Mountains, and the Black Sea with its outlets, the Bosporus and Dardanelles."
According to that division, Georgia is fully a European country.
On the following map you can see that Europe's Highest Point, Mt. Elbrus, is on the Caucasus Mountains and it is just several miles away from the highest peak of Georgia, Shkhara.
Personally I think that Georgia is a gate of Europe. When Arabs, Mongolians and Ottomans wanted to invade in Europe, firstly they came in Caucasia.
Historically and culturally we have much in common with both Europe and Asia, though if/when you visit Georgia you'll find out that It is more of Europe than Asia.
At last "Europe is a state of the mind" and Georgians refer to themselves as Europeans.
Why is Georgia named Georgia?
I've read some people of Georgia (U.S. state) were kind of irritated because there exists a country with a same name. The truth is that we do not call ourselves "Georgians"' originally Georgia was called "Sakartvelo" and Georgians - "Kartvelians".
Though, of course, there is a story behind our name.
According to the 1st version, Greeks referred us as "Georgians" because in my country Saint.George was perceived to be main patron from Muslim invaders.
Some scholars say that root of word "Georgia" comes from Persians. In Persian language the word gurg/gorg/gurgan translates as wolf, and gorgan means "Land of the wolves".
To be honest, the second version is more appealing for me. It is said that they called Georgians "gorgans" because we fought fearlessly in battles. And It can be proved with our dances, that have fighting elements in it.
What race do Georgian people belong to?
Georgia is an ethnically diverse country, though It is still possible to find out a pattern of our appearance. Georgians are tanned white people and foreigners say that we look like Italians, Spanish people and Balkans.
Usually, Western Georgians, who reside near Black Sea, are more light-colored. I mean most of them have blue/green eyes. Some of them are blonds or redheads.
Eastern Georgia is populated with thousands of migrated Middle Easterners (they are our Southern neighbors as you see on the first map), and that's why some people think Georgians look like them. Though that's far from true. Of course some Georgians mixed with them but most of them try to continue the Georgian line. We are only 4 million and our light colours soon may be wiped out by those darker people who live here.
You can find many Georgians with relatively dark features in Eastern Georgia, but they are still more light in color than Middle Easterners.
Georgian men are some of the most handsome men in the world for me. Caucasian is a term that mostly suits Georgian people in terms of race.
Caucasian variety—I have taken the name of this variety from Mount Caucasus, both because its neighborhood, and especially its southern slope, produces the most beautiful race of men, I mean the Georgian; and because all physiological reasons converge to this, that in that region, if anywhere, it seems we ought with the greatest probability to place the autochthones (original members) of mankind - Johann Friedrich Blumenbach
Here's video of beautiful Georgian women. You can decide, are they Europeans or Asians? Are they white or Middle Easterners?
That's all for today. If you are interested in any other details please, ask me.
I am going to write next My Take about the nature of Georgia and I will definitely consider your recommendations.
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