The soil layer is remarkably variegated. The presence of almost all types of soil is one of the Country's greatest assets and at the same time the greatest difficulties in selecting crops for cultivation. The population of Georgia widely varied with different periods of history. In the 12th-13th centuries it has a population of up to five million and at the end of the 18th century, a mere 675,000. This catastrophic decline in the population was caused by incessant enemy invasions and the country's devastation by the Kwarismeans, the Arabs, the hordes of Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, and the Persian and Turkish conquerors.
Presently population is about five million.
The Georgian language is one of the old living languages of the world. There are many interesting and impressing sites is georgia, beginning from the stove dolmens and fortress castles on mountain tops and ending with the fairy tale vaults of underground caves. The museums of Georgia contain vast collections of works of art, archaeological finds and ethnographic artifacts. In cultural life and scientific activities, an outstanding part is played by theaters, musical and folklore companies, and meetings of writers and scientists at symposia and congresses. A view from the Narikala Fortress Old Tbilisi.