View from Narikala Fortress, below 
The United States and other western nations have close ties with Georgia, for a number of reasons. The current Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili, received an LLM from Columbia Law School in 1994 and Doctor of Laws degree from The George Washington University Law School the following year. The western-educated Saakashvili is working to align Georgia more closely with Europe and the west.
An oil pipeline runs through Georgia; it is anticipated that the pipeline will reduce the west’s dependence on oil in the volatile Middle East.
The Mother of Georgia statue stands above the capital city, below 
As Georgia’s western alliances grow, its relationship with Russia suffers. Several regions of Georgia seek independence, among them Abkhazia on the border with Russia. Abkhazia is considered by the international community to be an autonomous republic of Georgia, not an independent nation. Some Georgians accuse Russia of fomenting unrest in Abkhazia.
For these and many other reasons, news of Georgian politics regularly reaches European and American citizens. EurasiaNet is arguably the best source of current Georgian news. The Georgian Times is an English-language daily newspaper published in Tbilisi. Civil Georgia is an excellent online magazine. Radio Free Europe’s Georgia section is an excellent source of expanded news.
The 2003 Rose Revolution was a pivotal moment in modern Georgian history. EurasiaNet’s site Georgia: Revolution in the Regions is a fabulous look at both the uprising and its current ramifications. You can click on each area of Georgia on a map (Ajaria, Imereti, etc.) and it will take you to photo essays, audio clips, stories, facts and data about each region and the effects of the Rose Revolution.
For official news and government information go to the Parliament of Georgia site.
Fascinating Fast Fact: In January 2005, U.S. Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and John McCain nominated Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko for the Nobel peace prize.
The historic section of T'blisi, below left and right
