Georgia occupies 69,700 square kilometers in the South Caucasus, positioned between latitudes 41° and 44° N and longitudes 40° and 47° E. The country shares borders with Russia to the north across the Greater Caucasus range, Azerbaijan to the southeast, Armenia to the south, Turkey to the southwest, and maintains 310 kilometers of Black Sea coastline to the west. Two territories within internationally recognized Georgian borders—Abkhazia in the northwest and South Ossetia in the north-central region—remain outside Tbilisi's control following military conflicts in the 1990s and 2008.
The Greater Caucasus range defines Georgia's northern boundary, running roughly 1,200 kilometers from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea, with approximately 450 kilometers of this mountain system lying within Georgian territory. Mount Shkhara stands at 5,193 meters, making it Georgia's highest peak and the third highest in the entire Caucasus chain after Elbrus and Dykh-Tau. Mount Kazbek, at 5,047 meters in the Khevi region near the Georgian-Russian border, represents the second tallest peak entirely within Georgian boundaries. The Greater Caucasus watershed forms the natural and political frontier with Russia, though the boundary follows the main ridge rather than the highest peaks in certain sections.
The Lesser Caucasus occupies southern Georgia, running parallel to the Greater Caucasus at lower elevations. This range extends from eastern Turkey through Armenia and into Azerbaijan, with the Georgian segment including the volcanic highlands of Samtskhe-Javakheti where elevations reach 2,000 to 3,000 meters. Between these two mountain systems lies the Likhi Range, a north-south oriented mountain barrier rising to approximately 1,200 meters that divides Georgia into distinct eastern and western drainage basins. The Suram Range, part of the Likhi system, creates a climatic boundary that separates the humid subtropical west from the continental east.
The Kolkheti Lowland extends along the Black Sea coast in western Georgia, encompassing roughly 5,000 square kilometers of alluvial plains formed by sediment deposits from the Rioni, Enguri, and smaller rivers. This flat to gently rolling terrain rarely exceeds 20 meters elevation and historically contained extensive wetlands before Soviet-era drainage projects converted large portions to agricultural land. The Alazani Valley in eastern Georgia stretches approximately 160 kilometers from northwest to southeast in the Kakheti region, bounded by the Greater Caucasus to the north and the Gombori Range to the south. This valley floor ranges from 200 to 450 meters elevation and hosts Georgia's principal grape-growing districts.
The Mtkvari River, known as the Kura in its lower reaches through Azerbaijan, originates in northeastern Turkey and flows 1,364 kilometers total, with 351 kilometers traversing Georgian territory. The river enters Georgia near Akhaltsikhe, flows northeast through Tbilisi, then turns southeast into Azerbaijan before reaching the Caspian Sea. The Rioni River measures 327 kilometers, making it the longest river entirely within Georgia's borders. Rising in the Greater Caucasus near the Racha region, it flows through Kutaisi and empties into the Black Sea at Poti. The Enguri River extends 213 kilometers from glaciers on Mount Shkhara's southern slopes, forming part of the boundary between the Samegrelo region and Abkhazia before reaching the Black Sea. The Enguri Dam, completed in 1987, stands 271.5 meters tall and creates a reservoir extending approximately 30 kilometers upstream.
Georgia's Black Sea coastline runs 310 kilometers from the Turkish border at the Chorokhi River delta to the disputed boundary with Abkhazia near the Psou River. The Adjara region occupies the southernmost coastal section, characterized by steep mountain slopes descending directly to narrow coastal plains. Batumi, Georgia's second-largest city with 204,000 residents as of 2021, sits near the Turkish border where the Lesser Caucasus meets the sea. The coastline north of Batumi through the Guria and Samegrelo regions features broader coastal plains and the deltaic systems of the Rioni and Enguri rivers.
The eastern regions of Kakheti, Kartli, and Mtskheta-Mtianeti experience continental climate patterns due to the Likhi Range blocking moisture from the Black Sea. Tbilisi receives approximately 495 millimeters of annual precipitation, with January mean temperatures around 2°C and July means near 25°C. The Alazani Valley and surrounding Kakheti foothills receive 400 to 800 millimeters annually, sufficient for viticulture but requiring irrigation for many crops. Western Georgia receives substantially higher precipitation, with Batumi recording approximately 2,400 millimeters annually and some mountainous areas of Adjara exceeding 3,000 millimeters. January temperatures in Batumi average 7°C while July means reach 23°C.
Svaneti occupies the northwestern Greater Caucasus, divided administratively into Upper Svaneti (Zemo Svaneti) centered on Mestia and Lower Svaneti (Kvemo Svaneti) near Lentekhi. Upper Svaneti sits at elevations between 1,200 and 2,200 meters in inhabited areas, surrounded by peaks exceeding 4,000 meters. Mestia, the regional center, lies at 1,500 meters elevation and records approximately 900 millimeters of annual precipitation. Ushguli, situated at 2,100 to 2,200 meters elevation approximately 45 kilometers east of Mestia, claims status as the highest continuously inhabited settlement in Europe, though several Alpine villages contest this designation.
Tusheti occupies the extreme northeastern Greater Caucasus, accessible by road only through the 2,927-meter Abano Pass, typically open from late May through October. The region contains roughly 70 permanent residents as of recent counts, though this population swells to several hundred during summer months when families return to traditional highland pastures. Omalo, the principal settlement at approximately 1,880 meters elevation, serves as the administrative center. The Tusheti highlands receive 600 to 800 millimeters of precipitation annually, with snow cover persisting six to seven months. Pshavi and Mtiuleti occupy adjacent mountain valleys south of Tusheti, characterized by similar alpine environments at slightly lower elevations.
Khevi, historically known as Kazbegi after the prominent mountain, encompasses the upper Tergi River valley along the Georgian Military Highway connecting Tbilisi to Russia's North Caucasus. Stepantsminda, formerly called Kazbegi, sits at 1,740 meters elevation approximately 157 kilometers north of Tbilisi. The Gergeti Trinity Church, positioned at 2,170 meters on a ridge above Stepantsminda, was constructed in the 14th century and ranks among Georgia's most photographed structures due to its dramatic setting with Mount Kazbek rising directly behind. The Truso Valley extends northwest from Stepantsminda, containing abandoned Ossetian villages and travertine formations deposited by mineral springs.
Racha occupies the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus in northwestern Georgia, characterized by deeply incised river valleys between 400 and 1,000 meters elevation in populated areas. Oni, the regional center at 820 meters, experiences a transitional climate between western humidity and eastern continentality. Racha produces specific wine varieties including Khvanchkara and Tvishi, both semi-sweet styles made from indigenous grape varieties grown on steep valley slopes. The region remains among Georgia's least accessible, with the main highway from Kutaisi requiring approximately four hours to cover 130 kilometers of mountain road.
Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park encompasses 85,083 hectares across the Borjomi, Kharagauli, Akhaltsikhe, and Baghdati districts, established in 2001 as Georgia's first national park. The park protects elevations from 700 to 2,642 meters, spanning both the Likhi Range and portions of the Lesser Caucasus. Approximately 60 percent of the park area contains forest, dominated by Caucasian spruce, Nordmann fir, and Oriental beech at various elevations. The park contains nine marked trails ranging from 4 to 54 kilometers, with three designated overnight camping sites. Borjomi town, adjacent to the park's northern boundary, sits at 810 meters elevation and has extracted mineral water commercially since 1890.