City (pop., 2006 est.: 1,103,300), capital of the Republic of Georgia, on the Mtkvari (Kura) River. Founded &circa; &AD; 458 as the capital of the Georgian kingdom, its strategic position on trade routes between Europe and Asia led to its frequent capture. It endured under successive Persian, Byzantine, Arab, Mongol, and Turkish rulers and came under the control of the Russian Empire &circa; 1801.
It was made the capital of the Transcaucasian S.F.S.R. by 1922, of the Georgian S.S.R. in 1936, and of independent Georgia in 1991. Some ancient structures still exist in the city, which is now a major cultural, educational, research, and industrial centre.
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