Tbilisi is an ancient and beautiful city that is definitely worth a visit. And the surrounding mountains of the Caucasus can make the impression of such a trip simply unforgettable.
Tbilisi is the capital of Georgia, located in the very heart of this mountainous country. Until 1936, this city bore the name Tiflis: under this name it can be found in the literary works of that period.
Territory of Tbilisi
The total area occupied by the city is about 350 square kilometers. It, in turn, is divided into six districts: Old Tbilisi, where the main city attractions are located, including areas with characteristic medieval buildings, as well as the Vake-Saburtalo, Abanotubani, Isani-Samgori, Didube-Chugureti, Gldani-Nadzaladevi and Didgori districts.
From a geographical point of view, the city is located in the Tbilisi Basin of the same name - an elongated depression in a mountain range that is 7 kilometers wide and 21 kilometers long. The physical boundaries of the basin are formed by the Trialeti Range, the Saguram Range and the Iori Highlands. The formation of this basin is largely associated with the flow of the Kura River in it, which passes through the territory of the city.
Despite the fact that the city lies in a natural depression, its height above sea level is still significant: in different districts of Tbilisi it ranges from 380 to almost 800 meters above sea level. The nature of the area in which the city is located determines its high seismic activity, and the absence of large reservoirs in the immediate vicinity of Tbilisi - a dry subtropical climate.
Population of Tbilisi
The total population of the city today is quite significant - it is more than 1.1 million people. At the same time, more than 80% of the population in terms of ethnicity belongs to the Georgian nationality. The second largest ethnic group living within the city is the Armenians: their share exceeds 7% of the total population of the city. The share of the Russian population in Tbilisi is about 3%.
During the years of the Soviet Union, the share of the population belonging to the group of ethnic Russians in the city was significantly higher: its maximum value, about 18%, it reached in the 1960s thanks to the industrialization program, within the framework of which a large number of qualified specialists moved to the city. However, later this source of replenishment of the group of the Russian population dried up, and it began to gradually decrease. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, a significant part of the Russian population left Tbilisi, as a result of which the share of this category in the total population of Tbilisi was reduced to 3%.
