Briefly about Georgia

Briefly About Georgia

Long and short tour
The longest route is Tbilisi – Zugdidi – Mestia – Ushguli 525 km and the shortest one is Tbilisi – Mtskheta 22 km. You will stay in hotels, in central part of Tbilisi, as well as in Batumi, Akhaltsikhe and Mestia, but in villages: Shatili and Omalo – in the families.

Caucasus
The Caucasus is an area of great ecological importance. The region is included in the list of 34 world Biodiversity hotspots. It harbors some 6400 species of high plants, 1600 of which are endemic to the region. It wildlife includes: leopards, brown bears, wolves, bison, marals, golden eagles and hooded crows. Among invertebrates, some 1000 spider species are recorded in the Caucasus. The region has a high level of endemism and a number of relict animals and plants, the fact reflecting presence of refugial forests, which survived the Ice Age in the Caucasus Mountains. The Caucasus forest refugium is the largest throughout the Western Asian/near Eastern region The area has multiple representatives of disjunct relict groups of plants with the closest relatives in the Eastern Asia, the Southern Europe, and even the North America. Over 70 species of forest snails of the region are endemic.

Relicts
Some relict species of vertebrates are Caucasian parsley frog, Caucasian Salamander, Robert’s Snow Vole, Caucasian Grouse, and they are almost entirely endemic groups of animals such as lizards of genus Darevskia. In general, species composition of this refugium is quite distinct and differs from that of the other Western Eurasian refugia. The natural landscape is one of mixed forest, with substantial areas of rocky ground above the treeline. The Caucasus Mountains are also noted for a dog breed, the Caucasian Shepherd Dog.

South Caucasus
Georgia, as a part of the South Caucasus is situated on the Eurasia natural border and represents variety of natural landscapes. Here are the following natural zones to 5000 meters above sea level: Subtropical forest of Kolkheti lowland; the forests in the middle and low parts of the mountains; subtropical forest; sub alpine and alpine meadows, subnival zone. Also, half desert and steppe zones in the eastern Georgia and others. Total area of Georgia’s protected territories is 511,123 hectares, which amounts to approximately 7% of the country’s territory. There are 14 Strict Nature Reserves, 9 National Parks, 17 Managed Nature Reserves, 14 Natural Monuments and 2 Protected Landscapes in Georgia. Strict nature reserves comprise 141,473 ha, while national parks cover 270,740 ha. So if you wish to participate in ecological tours in Georgia, you will have to meet many pleasant and unknown novelties.
Saguramo Nature Reserve – located in the Eastern part of Georgia, Mtsketa district.
Kazbegi National Park – located in the historical gorge on the northern slopes of the Caucasus range.
Lagodekhi National Park – great variety of landscapes found in this isolated natural treasure of eastern Georgia.
Shatili – the picturesque nature high on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus.
Tbilisi – Tbilisi botanical garden (founded in 1636).

Briefly About Georgia #