A country in the Caucasus on the Black Sea. It developed as a kingdom around the 4th century B.C. and reached the height of its prosperity in the 12th and 13th centuries. Ruled by both Turkey and Persia at various times, Georgia was acquired by Russia between 1801 and 1829. The region was briefly independent (1918-1921), but was invaded by the Red Army in 1921 and proclaimed a Soviet republic. It was joined with Armenia and Azerbaijan to form the Transcaucasian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic from 1922 to 1936, when it became a separate republic, known as the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic until declaring its independence in 1991. The capital and largest city is Tbilisi. Population: 4,650,000.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.