Culture Smart! Georgia: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

Georgia lies between Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East, on the southeastern shore of the Black Sea. This small Caucasian country is used to playing a significant role in global geopolitics, and its strategic location at the crossroads of different civilizations has been a curse as well as a blessing. Once a battlefield of the Christian and Muslim worlds, today it is caught between its NATO aspirations and its location in Russia's backyard. The Silk Road brought the best of the world to Georgia. Its ancient Christian culture shows the influence of Arab, Persian, and Ottoman conquerors. Combined with this is a southern, "Mediterranean" feel, traces of the Soviet legacy, and a strong Western influence. What awaits the visitor is a unique culture that goes back thousands of years. Georgia has a rich historical heritage, wonderful food and wines, unforgettable scenery, authentic folk music and dances, an attractive business climate, and an educated and hospitable people for whom indulging a guest is more a religion than a duty. Culture Smart Georgia offers invaluable insights and practical tips for tourists and business people alike. The author, Natia Abramia, guides you through the past and present-day realities of her motherland, explaining what makes people tick, how they live and feel, and how to get on with them. You will discover that the Georgians will not let you down. Learn how to reach their hearts, and they will charm you back.

Natia Abramia is a Georgian journalist based in London. Before joining the BBC she worked in Tbilisi as a TV presenter and reporter covering news and current affairs. She also taught Conflict Reporting at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs, and worked as an interpreter for high-profile negotiations and top-level meetings. After completing an MA in International Journalism at Cardiff University, Natia went on to produce TV documentaries, including films in the Balkans and Kashmir, an interview with the Dalai Lama, and features on multiculturalism and diversity. Currently she trains journalists in multi-platform production and works as a producer on flagship programs at the BBC World Service.