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Georgia PM death: five facts on the country

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  • Georgia PM death: five facts on the country

    FACTBOX-Georgia PM death: five facts on the country


    TBILISI, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Here are five basic facts on ex-Soviet
    Georgia, whose Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania was found dead on
    Thursday, apparently from accidental gas poisoning:

    - Georgia toppled long standing leader Eduard Shevardnadze in a
    bloodless "Rose Revolution" in November 2003 and replaced him with
    West-leaning president Mikhail Saakashvili. Saakashvili wants to pilot
    his poor country into the Europe mainstream.

    - Zhvania, 41, was one of the fathers of the revolution and as prime
    minister was seen as a moderating influence on Saakashvili, a volatile
    37-year-old U.S.-trained lawyer.

    - The Georgian model of mass street protests over rigged elections was
    emulated by another ex-Soviet state, Ukraine, a year later in an
    "Orange Revolution" that brought Viktor Yushchenko to power.

    - A mountainous republic of about 5 million in the Caucasus, Georgia
    is one of the poorest ex-Soviet states. It has a ramshackle economy
    with a small industrial base and limited natural resources. The new
    government has pledged to implement liberal reforms to attract
    investment.

    - Though small, Georgia is riven by separatist tensions. The
    Saakashvili leadership has pledged to re-assert control by peaceful
    means over two breakaway regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which
    say they want to join Russia.



    02/03/05 12:41 ET
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