ABSTRACT
A Georgian kingdom has existed since at least the third Century BC but, like its neighbouring Caucasus republics (Azerbaijan and Armenia), it has long been a battleground for powers in the region. Georgia’s last king abdicated in 1801 and the region became, first, part of Russia and, from 1917, part of the Soviet Union. In the early years of the USSR, the three republics were united into what was called the Transcaucasian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic. In 1936, each of the three became a separate constituent republic. In 1990, following the dissolution of the USSR, Georgia became an independent nation once again.
