Georgia’s competitiveness is said to hinge on its strategic location between East and West. The latest data on border crossings (by people and trucks) allow to shed light on progress to date and take a glimpse into the future.
The efforts to develop Georgia as a major touristic destination in recent years seem to have paid off. The number of international arrivals to Georgia has been growing rapidly, reaching 2,822,363 in 2011. In the first 11 months of 2012, the number of visitors exceeded 4mln, which is 58% more than in the same period of 2011.
Interna...
ISET Economist Blog
A blog about economics in the South Caucasus.
Dec
17
Dec
14
“Don’t rush to judgment on Georgia” was the title of a recent article by Michael Cecire in Foreign Policy (FP). Written in an apparent reaction to “Georgian Dream shows its dark side” (FP, November 29), and “Georgia’s government takes a wrong turn” (Washington Post, November 28), Cecire’s piece attempts to provide a more objective account of the situation. According to Cecire, “the Western outcry has been much too hasty. Ultimately, it's not the arrests [of senior UNM officials] themselves that will test the new government's commitment to democratic idea...
Dec
12
Below are Google Maps images of two rural communities (A and B) in Georgia. Please click image to enlarge.
Readers of this blog are welcome to propose their answers to the following multiple choice questions:
Q1. East or West?
a) A is in Eastern Georgia, B in Western Georgia b) A is in Western Georgia, B is in Eastern Georgia c) Both are in the same part of Georgia
Q2. Land distribution among households
a) Land is more equally distributed among household...
Dec
10
Poverty and income inequality are two of the top concerns for the newly elected Georgian government. Indeed, despite impressive growth performance (annual growth rates have averaged more than 6% since 2005), Georgia remains a poor country. Once the wealthiest Soviet republic, Georgia fell far behind others (except, perhaps, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Moldova) on almost any parameter of wellbeing. Adjusted for purchasing power parity, Georgia’s annual income per capita in 2011 was in the $5,400-5,800 ballpark (very similar to the resource-poor Armenia). M...
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