Disputes - international West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation

Current issues Beset by ethnic and civil strife since independence in 1991, Georgia began to stabilize in 1994. Separatist conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia have been dormant since spring 1994, although political settlements remain elusive. Russian peacekeepers are deployed in both regions and a UN Observer Mission is operating in Abkhazia. As a result of these conflicts, Georgia still has about 250,000 internally displaced people. In 1995, Georgia adopted a new constitution and conducted generally free and fair nationwide presidential and parliamentary elections. In 1996, the government focused its attention to implementing an ambitious economic reform program and professionalizing its parliament. Violence and organized crime were sharply curtailed in 1995 and 1996, but corruption remains rife. In 1997, SHEVARDNADZE succeeded in bringing international attention to the Abkhazia conflict. The UN sponsored two meetings on the subject, but a resolution is still far off. Georgia also took some steps in 1997 to reduce its dependence on Russia, acquiring coastal patrol boats it hopes to use to replace the current Russian border units on the Black Sea coast. The year 1997 also saw a sharpening of rhetoric - especially from parliament - against Russia's continued military presence on Georgian territory.

NOTE: The information regarding Gaza Strip on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Gaza Strip Transnational Issues 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Gaza Strip Transnational Issues 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.