A Country at the Crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East
Is Georgia (the country) situated in Europe, the Middle East or Asia? World maps tell me that it is in Asia, but more specifically it’s in the Caucuses. The Middle East is apparently considered to be part of Asia (according to some maps) so there’s overlap, but Georgia is not in the Middle East. Bordering the country in the South is its neighbor Turkey which is in the Middle East (Turkey is therefore also in Asia). In the North Georgia has a border with Russia which is in Asia too. Georgia is located on the Eastern side of the Black Sea. On the other side of it (as the crow flies) is Romania and Bulgaria, and they are in Europe. Maps on the internet tell me that Ukraine and the Eastern part of Russia are geographically in Europe (but politically they are not). I couldn’t find any maps that places Georgia within Europe, although such maps might exist. My conclusion; Georgia is truly situated at the crossroads between various regions making its status somewhat ambiguous, as is often the case with borderlands.
Georgians seem to see themselves as part of Europe though in the sense that they consider themselves to be European. From what I can tell it would seem that there’s a general sense among Georgians that their country is in fact in Europe which would also reflect their aspirations to be unified with it. Wikipedia tells us that Georgia is culturally and geopolitically considered to be European. One thing we do know is that maps have always changed throughout history because borders tend to change and shift as time passes, so countries falling outside of certain geographical areas today, might fall inside of them in the future, or vice versa, and that would also explain the overlapping of geographical regions as recorded on maps, as well as the differing perceptions about them.
A Recommended Travel Destination
The country of Georgia is steeped in ancient history and is definitely worth a visit for a variety of reasons. I’m not going to elaborate too much here so as not give it all away but a few points are worth mentioning. The capital Tbilisi feels like a blend of Europe, Asia and Middle East as one would expect, but culturally it’s very European. It is a very walkable city with an excellent public transport system to boot, which should make it even more appealing for some travelers. There’s a great variety of museums, parks, bridges, restaurants and galleries, not to mention a variety of excursions. I’m a big wine lover and in that sense Tbilisi and Georgia is paradise with many wine-related activities on offer due to it officially having the oldest wine-making sector in the world which dates back 8,000 years (!).
The Georgian countryside is stunning and boasts some of the most spectacular mountains I have seen on my travels with really beautiful lakes too. I have personally enjoyed easily accessible hikes in the urban forest around Tbilisi which provided for a real sense of nature while parts overlook the city from the hills above. There are also day-trips that could be done to other cities and towns by train or bus, so there’s more than enough to explore for those who want to get out of the capital.
Many travel bloggers have already covered Tbilisi and Georgia in finer details (here’s an example) so I will rather share some snapshots that I’ve taken since arriving and let aspirant travelers discover the rest for themselves when they decide to visit, but hopefully these pics will whet some appetites.
Yours in travel,
Jean-Jacques
7 September, 2023
7 Comments
What a beautiful place. I hope that destination stays under the radar. The mountain ranges around it and the river is beautiful. I’m not sure I’d live in that apartment with the balcony that hangs over the rock foundation. LOL Thank you for sharing the awesome photos. Wishing you a good time on your journey there. love, in lak’ech, Debra
Hi Debra. Yes, I agree – it probably should stay under the radar as it’s already borderline too touristic in some parts. There’s lots of balconies here in precarious places and the buildings have a lot of inner courtyards that open into whole ecosystems of apartments and small houses when one enter through sometimes hidden entrances. Very interesting place with diverse architecture. In some ways the city reminds me a bit of Budapest but it’s very different at the same time. It was a good choice for a summer break, but it’s been scorch-in! All good though, great summer-vibe. Thanks for stopping by and for commenting!
In Lak’ech,
Jacques
PS: Glad you like the pics!
Both the architecture and landscape in Georgia are incredible! Honestly, I clicked through every one of the photos in this post, and they were all breathtaking. I also heard on an Anthony Bourdain program that the people in Georgia are exceptionally friendly, charming even, and great people to get to know.
Hey Josh! Much appreciated for your comment – I agree fully with Anthony Bourdain, which is one of the reasons why it’s such a great place to visit (although, of course not every single person would be so nice due so many tourists passing through). However, as soon as one has the opportunity to have a conversation with someone it’s almost always pleasant and warm (not everyone speaks English well though, perhaps 30-40% at a guess, so that’s where there’s a bit of a barrier). People are very natural here, which I really appreciate.
Tbilisi and Georgia have exceeded my expectations and I’m planning for more day trips in the countryside as I’m still here for a while. I might update the photo album by the end of the month. Thanks for clicking through Josh and for the feedback!
JJ, It seems you have already updated this post once. Have you added the map and more pix? The location description is easier to understand, too.
I remember taking some time awhile back trying to find Georgia on a map, because I live in Georgia, US of A, and I do my travelling on-line of late. What is the predominant language there? I think linguistics probably determines cultural proclivities as much as geographical boundaries.
The world comes to me, unfortunately, sometimes, as I’ve showed on my recent blog posts. Hurricanes speak their own language.
Katharine, you probably saw the short version of this longer post over on the other site as I usually publish in two places with the short version directing here.
I’ve had “Georgia on my mind” for a long time and since it’s easier to visit this Georgia than the one in the States, I finally managed to visit this one. The language is Georgian, one of the oldest in the world. Very different from Russian for example, even though Russia is a direct neighbor. They have their own alphabetical script too – you can look it up, it looks quite beautiful – very flowing. English is used as a second language though and many signs, labels and logos are in both languages, but Russian features quite strongly too. It’s very interesting country and very unique – lots to see and do.
It seems the USA has had a very bad year weather-wise. I just saw your picture this morning of the tree that fell onto your house (will comment over on your blog). Thanks for stopping by!
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