The
region of present-day Georgia contained the ancient kingdoms of Colchis
and Kartli-Iberia. The area came under Roman influence in the first
centuries A.D. and Christianity became the state religion in the 330s.
Domination by Persians, Arabs, and Turks was followed by a Georgian
golden age (11th-13th centuries) that was cut short by the Mongol
invasion of 1236. Subsequently, the Ottoman and Persian empires
competed for influence in the region. Georgia was absorbed into the
Russian Empire in the 19th century. Independent for three years
(1918-1921) following the Russian revolution, it was forcibly
incorporated into the USSR until the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. An
attempt by the incumbent Georgian government to manipulate national
legislative elections in November 2003 touched off widespread protests
that led to the resignation of Eduard SHEVARDNADZE, president since
1995. New elections in early 2004 swept Mikheil SAAKASHVILI into power
along with his National Movement party. Progress on market reforms and
democratization has been made in the years since independence, but this
progress has been complicated by two ethnic conflicts in the breakaway
regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. These two territories remain
outside the control of the central government and are ruled by de
facto, unrecognized governments, supported by Russia. Russian-led
peacekeeping operations continue in both regions
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