Reading Comprehension/Georgia Name: ________________________________ Date: _____________________ Georgia On the eastern edge of the Black Sea, and bordered by Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey, lies the country of Georgia. A relatively small country at 69,700 square km, Georgia has a very rich, diverse and varied landscape. To the north, along the border with Russia, lie the Caucasus Mountains, where Georgia’s highest peak can be found. Mt'a Shkhara is 5,201 m high. In the central region of Georgia are the Likhi Mountains and along the southern edge of Georgia are the Lesser Caucasus Mountains. West of the Likhi mountains is the Kolkhida Lowland. Rivers in the Kolkhida Lowland will flow into the Black Sea, while rivers on the east side of the Likhi mountains eventually flow into the Caspian Sea. The largest river in Georgia is called the Mtkvari River. It starts in Turkey, then flows through Georgia east of the Likhi Mountains and into Azerbaijan before ending up in the Caspian Sea. There are about 4.69 million people living in Georgia, of which 1.7 million live in the capital city of Tbilisi. People have been living in the area of Tbilisi for thousands of years. If you ask any Georgian, they will tell you the legend of how King Gorgasali founded the city while out hunting in the 5th century. King Gorgasali did move his capital to Tbilisi, but he didn’t found the city. Tbilisi had already been an important trade center for the Greeks and Romans, but was under Persian control until King Gorgasali won the town back. Georgia has been under the control of the Mongols, the Ottomans, the Persians, the Russians, and the Soviets. Despite the hardships the Georgians endured during the time of the USSR, and the violence, war and civil problems since their independence, Georgians are warm, hospitable and fun-loving people. There are several festivals and holidays throughout the year, and they are all generally celebrated with feasts and drinking. Georgian food is one of the greatest draws to Georgia. Georgian cuisine changes a little in each of the different regions, but generally Georgian food focuses on herbs, spices, and garlic. Common traditional Georgian dishes include: khachapuri, a thin pie filled with slightly salted cheese; kharcho, spicy rice and lamb soup; chakapuli, cooked lamb in a slightly sour juice of damson, herbs and onions; and lori, a type of ham. The countries surrounding Georgia either use the Cyrillic alphabet, the Latin alphabet or the Arabic alphabet to write their languages. But Georgia is totally different. The Georgian alphabet has 33 symbols (5 vowels and 28 consonants), and it doesn’t look like any other alphabet in the world! The Georgian alphabet developed from an older alphabet in the 11th to 13th centuries. Like the Latin/Roman alphabet used to write English, the Georgian alphabet is written from left to right. What’s really different about the Georgian alphabet, however, is that it doesn’t have any numbers; instead some of the letters also have a number value! Georgia is rich in natural beauty. The people are warm and the food is fabulous. A truly wonderful little country is nestled into the Caucasus Mountains! ©2005abcteach.com Reading Comprehension/Georgia Name: ________________________________ Date: _____________________ Answer the following questions on Georgia. 1. What countries border Georgia? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 2. A lot of Georgian culture involves the mountains. What are the different mountain ranges in Georgia, and where are they found? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 3. What sea do rivers on the west side of Likhi mountains flow into? ___________________________________________________________ 4. How many people live in Georgia? ___________________________________________________________ 5. What is the capital city of Georgia? ___________________________________________________________ 6. Did King Gorgasali found Tbilisi? What did he do? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 7. What are some common traditional Georgian dishes? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 8. How does the Georgian alphabet compare to the Latin or Roman alphabet used to write English? ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ 9. What is the Georgian alphabet missing? ___________________________________________________________ 10. When was the Georgian alphabet developed? ___________________________________________________________ ©2005abcteach.com Reading Comprehension/Georgia Name: ________________________________ Date: _____________________ Answers to Georgia 1. Georgia is bordered by Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Turkey. 2. There are 3 mountain ranges in Georgia. To the north, along the Russian border, are the Greater Caucasus Mountains. In the middle, running in a north-south direction, are the Likhi Mountains, and along the southern edge of Georgia are the Lesser Caucasus Mountains. 3. Rivers on the west side of the Likhi Mountains flow into the Black Sea. 4. About 4.69 million people live in Georgia. 5. The capital city of Georgia is Tbilisi. 6. King Gorgasali did not found the city of Tbilisi. However, he did win the city back from the Persians in the 5th century. 7. Some common traditional Georgian dishes khachapuri, a thin pie filled with slightly salted cheese; kharcho, a spicy rice and lamb soup; chakapuli, cooked lamb in a slightly sour juice of damson, herbs and onions; and lori, a type of ham. 8. Both the Georgian alphabet and the Latin/Roman alphabet have vowels and consonants. They are both written from left to right. The Georgian alphabet has 33 characters, while the Latin/Roman alphabet only has 26 letters. 9. The Georgian alphabet doesn’t have any numbers; instead, some of the characters have a number value. 10. The Georgian alphabet was developed around the 11th to 13th centuries. ©2005abcteach.com .