Georgia

Located between Russia and Turkey, Georgia was incorporated into the USSR in 1921, and remained there until the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Russia has continued to support and assist the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which has challenged democratization. In 2008, after a series of Russian provocations, Georgian military action lead to the Russian military occupying large regions of the country, not only the breakaway areas. While Georgia's economy had been growing steadily in 2006 and 2007, the conflicts in 2008 caused growth to slow considerably. Counterpart International's (Counterpart) reconstruction and renovation work targets the most vulnerable populations, aiming to improve the quality of life and service provision for the elderly, disabled, orphaned, displaced and ill. 

Map and country information, The World Factbook 2009. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2009.