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Georgia is a beautiful, mountainous country just a little smaller than Austria. It is bound to the north by the Great Caucasus Mountains, where the peaks are permanently covered with snow and ice. Three of those peaks rise above 5,000m and there are t
en higher than 4,000m. The mountains form a barrier against cold northerly winds, allowing warm air from the Black Sea to influence the climate over much of the country. In the south, the Little Caucasus Mountains rise to 3,300m and between the two ranges
lie the warm, humid lowlands of the Kolkheti Plain (known to the ancient Greeks as Colchis - Land of the Golden Fleece) in western Georgia, and the dry Iori Plateau and Alazani Valley in the east.
Some of Geogia's most fascinating species date back to the Tertiary
era more than 60 million years ago
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Georgia's varied landscape, with coastal wetlands, volcanic plateaus and ridges, rugged forest-clad mountains and arid semi-deserts form part of WWF's Global 200 key Ecoregions. More than 85 per cent of the country is mountainous. In the High Caucasus, je
wel-like alpine lakes nestle in ancient glacial cirques while more than 700 glaciers feed the mountain torrents that rush through steep gorges. Some of this water disappears underground, emerging as mineral springs at the base of the foothills.
More than 6,000 species of vascular plants, 8,300 species of ferns, and 1,200 kinds of lichens and mosses have been recorded in the Caucasus. Of the vascular plants, almost 20 per cent are unique to the region. Overall, more than 1,000 varieties of plant
are unique to the Caucusus and 380 species are endemic to Georgia itself. Some of the most fascinating plant species date back to the Tertiary era more than 60 million years ago, and occur at altitudes of about 1,000m, especially in the Kolkheti region. G
eorgia is also home to 100 mammal species and more than 330 bird, 59 reptile and amphibian, and 160 fish species.
There are 152 plants, 21 mammals, 33 birds, and 10 reptiles and amphibians listed as rare, threatened, or endangered in the Georgian Red Data Book. These include:
- Plants:
- Eldari pine (Pinus eldarica); Pitsunda pine (P. pityusa); yew (Taxus baccata); boxwood (Buxus colchica); rhododendron species (Rh. ungernii, Rh. smirnowii); five species of oaks (Quercus spp.); bladdernut (Staphylea colchica) and Azad (Dzelkova carpin
ifolia)
- Mammals:
- Caucasian leopard (Panthera pardus ciscaucasia); lynx (Lynx lynx); striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena); wild goat or Tur (Capra aegagrus); goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) and Caucasian red deer (Cervus elaphus maral)
- Birds:
- White-tailed eagle (Haliaetus albicilla); golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos); bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus); black stork (Ciconia nigra); great white egret (Egretta alba) and white egret (Egretta garzetta)
- Reptiles and amphibians:
- Aesculapian snake (Elaphe longissima); Caucasian viper (Vipera kaznakovi); long-nosed viper (V. ammodytes); Caucasian salamander (Mertensiella caucasica) and spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca).
About a third of Georgia is covered in forest or woodlands. Oak, chestnut and lime trees dominate lowland forests while beech, fir, and spruce clothe the higher elevations. Some of Europe's best-preserved forests are found here: 40 per cent of Georgia's f
orests have escaped serious impact by man, while 5-7 per cent are still considered virgin forests.
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