Georgia is a small, picturesque country roughly the size of South Carolina in the South Caucasus, situated on the east coast of the Black Sea, bordering Turkey to the south and Russia to the north. Georgia declared independence in 1991 at the disintegration of the Soviet Union and is still rebuilding. Since the 2003 Rose Revolution, the Government of Georgia has carried out numerous economic and governance reforms, enabling a rise in the living standards of its citizens.

Despite many significant gains since the Rose Revolution, much remains to be accomplished in Georgia’s transition to a democracy and free market economy. Several factors stand in the way of economic growth including: weak capacity of major job sectors to compete in the export market, badly managed state-owned enterprises including the railway and port, little to no access to finance for small and medium sized enterprises, and a lack of market oriented skills among entrepreneurs.

USAID began operating in Georgia in 1992. Over the last twenty years, the American people have provided over $1.5 billion in assistance to Georgia through USAID. Programs include initiatives to stimulate economic growth, develop democratic institutions, enhance energy security, and improve health and education.