The agrarian zones of Georgia according to the map by Ivane Javakhishvili

Abstract

Abstract The Map of Botanical-Agrarian Areas of Georgia compiled by Ivane Javakhishvili in 1930 is much valuable to study not only the ancient economic relations on the territory of our country, but the political history, as well, as the political and economic history are closely interwoven, and it is the natural environment and the style of the economic life of the country having formed Georgia as one body. The article shows the economic links, which, in the opinion of Ivane Javakhishvili, made for the formation of the statehood of Georgia. As the Map shows, there are 6 botanical-agrarian areas in Georgia with different natural environments and agricultural destinations: a Pomelo-and-Bitter Orange, Rice-Cotton, vineyard-and-fruity, non-vineyard-or-fruity, Grass-Flowery and Winter Pastures. In the view of Ivane Javakhishvili, in the ancient times, the demarcation of the mountains and lowland was done both, in the geographical and agricultural respects. Therefore, the identification of the areas of the mountains and plains (and consequently, the nature of some or other plants, animals, settled areas, economic activities, etc.) in the old sources, the ancient practice of drawing hypsometric boundaries between them (however, with some exceptions) must be taken into account.