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Georgia is rich in monuments of nature, the most popular of which
for tourist are included in tourist programs: Sataplia and
Dmanisi. Sataplia is located in 9 km to the north-west of Kutaisi
in a reserved zone, where on a 354 hectare area there are
well-preserved natural floristic complex, rich in plantations of
Colkhetian box-trees and chestnut. Here there are also limestone
caves, footprints of dinosaurs, located on a 300-m height above
sea level. In Dmanisi, 60-km to the south of Tbilisi on the
territory of a medieval town there were found two skulls of human
beings dated 1.7 million years. With this discovery the antiquity
of a man's origin was increased two times on the European
continent.
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Finding of the first European in Dmanisi gives
evidence that Georgia was located on a crossroads of migration routes and a man
from Africa got to Europe exactly via Georgia. After this discovery it is
without any doubt that Georgia is a motherland of the first European.
Nature of Georgia is rich and diverse showing perspectives for its
utilization with the purpose of rest and recreation. For a wide use of nature
it is necessary to be careful towards her. In this connection problem of
nature presevation gains in a significant importance. About 20% of Georgian
territory are declared as zone subject to protection. In the country at the
modern stage an issue is being considered on what kind of forms should be
applied relative to these territories.
In Georgia an idea on preservation necessity has been generated already in
distant past, creating appropriate legal regulations step-by-step. Since Queen
Tamar (12th century) interesting information concerning announcing zones of
strict protection of separate territories has been found in royal decrees. In
the 19th century first nature reserves were formed, and during Soviet power
15 nature
reserves were founded in Georgia.
At present intense works are carried out on establishing national parks in
Georgia. The above mentioned nature reserves are included in the list of
national parks as well. It is planned to establish seven national parks. One
of them Borjomi-Kharagouli has already been created and operated; it is in the
process of completion creation of Colkhetian national park in western Georgia.
Borjomi-Kharagouli national park was founded in 1995 opened for visiting
since 1999. Park area - 863300 hectares. It has five entrances: Atskuri,
Panavi, Nunisi, Borjomi and Marelisi. Three camps for tourists and a centre
for Borjomi visitors are built on the territory of the park. Tourists are
offered eight tours, the easiest and the shortest of them is 5 km long, the
hardest and longest - 42 km. Borjomi-Kharagouli national park is becoming the
real centre of ecotourism.
| No |
Name of a reserve |
Conserved objects |
height above sea level |
area
in thousand hectares |
| 1 |
Vashlovani |
Flora:
arid sparse growth of trees. Composition - pistachio-tree, carecass, etc.
Fauna : wild boar, stripy hyena, badger, fox, hare, partridge,
giurza. |
350-700 |
4.7 |
| 2 |
Lagodekhi |
Flora:
mountain deciduous forests and alpine meadows. Fauna :
Caucasian goat, chamois, deer, roe deer, wild boar, bear, wolf, lynx, otter,
marten, lammergeier, ulan, heath-cock, trout. |
500-3500 |
17.7 |
| 3 |
Babaneuri |
Flora:
dzelkva plantations. |
400-800 |
0.75 |
| 4 |
Batsara |
Flora:
untouched virgin yew-tree forest in beech-wood zone. Fauna :
chamois, roe deer, bear, marten, trout. |
700-1800 |
3.0 |
| 5 |
Mariamjvari |
Flora:
breeding ground for forming Caucasian pine-tree. Fauna :
roe deer, marten, hare. |
700-1000 |
1.0 |
| 6 |
Algeti |
Flora:
Eastern border of fir extension in the South of Georgia. Fauna :
roe deer, bear, fox, hare. |
800-1300 |
6.1 |
| 7 |
Saguramo |
Flora:
Colkhid type relic plant in Eastern Georgia: box-tree, etc. Fauna :
deer, roe deer, marten, forest-cat, hare, pheasant. |
600-1300 |
5.1 |
| 8 |
Borjomi |
Flora:
conifer and deciduous forests, alpine meadows, etc. Fauna :
deer, roe deer, bear, lynx, marten, hare, squirrel, heath-cock, trout.
|
800-1900 |
18.1 |
| 9 |
Ajameti |
Flora:
stand of Imeretian oak, gartvisi and dzelkva in Colkheti lowland forests.
Fauna : roe deer, fox, hare, woodcock. |
120-200 |
4.8 |
| 10 |
Sataplia |
Flora:
floristic natural complex (limestone caves, footstep of a dinosaur).
plantations of Colkhetian box-trees and chestnut. Fauna :
fox, badger. |
200-500 |
0.3 |
| 11 |
Colkheti |
Flora: Natural complex of Colkhetian elements. Lake
paliastomi. Colkheti marsh. Fauna : roe deer, wild
boar, pheasant. On wintering water-fowl. |
0 |
0.5 |
| 12 |
Kintrishi |
Flora: Colkhetian relic forests (poti oak-tree, etc.)
Fauna : chamois, roe deer, bear, marten, otter, trout.
|
500-1500 |
6.9 |
| 13 |
Myusera |
Flora:
Colkhetian forest with Mediterranean elements, strawberry, treelike heather,
etc. Fauna : roe deer, marten, fox. |
0-100 |
2.5 |
| 14 |
pitsunda |
Flora:
pistundian pine-tree relic forest. Resort, coast. Fauna :
hare, squirrel, pheasant. |
0-100 |
1.6 |
| 15 |
Ritsa |
Flora:
Colkhetian mountain forest, lake Ritsa. Fauna :
chamois, roe deer, squirrel, bear, lynx. |
900-1800 |
16.1 |
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