By Tim Lambert
Ancient Georgia
The first people in what is now Georgia were hunters and gatherers, but about 6,000 BC, they began farming. The Stone Age farmers also made pottery. By 3,000 BC, the people of what is now Georgia made bronze tools. About 1,100 BC, they started making iron tools.
By about 600 BC, the Kingdom of Colchis emerged in Western Georgia. The people of Colchis traded with the Ancient Greeks, who created the legend of Jason and the Golden Fleece. However, after about 550 BC, Colchis was dominated by the Persian Empire. Persian influence lasted until 330 BC when Alexander the Great destroyed the Persian Empire.
At that time, another kingdom arose in Southern Georgia. It was known as Iberia.
In 83 BC, Colchis was conquered by Pontus, an empire in what is now Turkey and the southern coast of the Black Sea. However, Rome conquered Pontus in 63-62 AD. Colchis then became a Roman province. Iberia remained independent. Then in 131 AD, the Romans granted Colchis autonomy. In the 3rd Century AD, it became a semi-independent kingdom known as Lazica.
In the 4th century, both kingdoms were converted to Christianity.
Georgia in the Middle Ages And Early Modern Era
In 735, the Arabs invaded but Lazica and Iberia joined forces to defeat them. In 1008, a man named Bagrat III united the two kingdoms. A king named David the Builder (1089-1125) greatly expanded the territory of Georgia. The kingdom reached its peak under a female ruler called Tamar the Great (1184-1213).
However, in the 13th century, Georgia was devastated by Mongol invasions. Its greatness was restored by King George V the Brilliant in the early 14th century.
However, in the early 15th century, Tamerlane, a Central Asian Ruler, invaded Georgia several times and left the country devastated.
In the late 15th century, Georgia split into several separate states. In the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, Georgia was dominated by the Turks and the Persians.
Modern Georgia
In the 19th century, the different states of Georgia were annexed by Russia. Georgia was united again, but under Russian rule. In 1917, a Communist Revolution occurred in Russia, followed by a civil war. The collapse of central rule allowed Georgia to regain its independence temporarily. The Democratic Republic of Georgia was formed in 1918, but it did not last long. In 1921, the Russians invaded, and Georgia was forced to become part of the Soviet Union.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Georgia regained its independence. However, two regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, wanted independence from Georgia. Russia supported the two, and the result was a short war between Russia and Georgia in August 2008.
In 2014, the EU and Georgia signed an association agreement, and today, Georgia is a prosperous country. Today, the population of Georgia is 3.7 million.
Last Revised 2025