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Young Reporter's Story Ideas
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Trouble in Georgia
by Valarie Potell
Whoever is elected as the next president of the United States will certainly be paying attention to the country of Georgia.
Georgia, a former Soviet-bloc country in southwestern Asia, is bordered by Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Black Sea. It has a complicated relationship with the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Both regions are outside the Georgian government’s control and are ruled by unrecognized governments—governments supported by Russia.
Open war between Georgia and Russia broke out this August when Russian President Dmitry Medvedev officially recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent nations, rather than as a part of Georgia. The United States, along with some other Western nations, condemned Russia’s declaration.
On Aug. 7—at the same time the Summer Olympics were going on—Georgia sent troops to claim South Ossetia. In response, Russian forces pushed back Georgia’s military and took control of swaths of land four miles within Georgia’s border.
Occupation of this “security zone” has created huge tension between Russia and the West (the United States and Europe)—it has been called the worst conflict between these world powers since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Russia began pulling its forces out of Georgia this month, a step toward honoring a cease-fire it signed with the European Union. But Russian leaders say they will keep troops in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
People have been living in Georgia for a very long time. The area was under Roman influence in the first centuries A.D. Later, it was dominated by Persians, Arabs and Turks. In the 19th century, Georgia was part of the Russian Empire; later it became part of the Soviet Union.
Georgia gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and adopted a constitution in 1995.
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