Minerals of Georgia
Caucasus is one of the rich regions from the metallogenic point of view. Georgia, the Caucasus, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea region are part of the global belt of Tethysian and Eurasian mineral deposits.
In addition to deposits of copper, iron, lead, zinc and other basic metals in Georgia, there are several areas of precious metals smelting in the Caucasus and Lesser Caucasus. Both primary and alluvial gold occurrences have been formed in the various geologic eras recorded here.
The largest deposits of non-ferrous metals in Georgia, with their separate ore manifestations, are located on the main ridge of the Caucasus – in Svaneti and Racha, and on the Lesser Caucasus – in the ore district of Bolnisi.
The territory of Georgia is heterogeneous in its structure and history of geological development. This is what determines the variety of mineral deposits. Among them, oil, coal, manganese, non-ferrous and rare metals, mining-chemical raw materials, inert materials and other deposits are of special industrial importance. The fund of solid mineral resources of Georgia includes 960 deposits, of which a number of particularly important deposits belong to metal deposits – Chiaturi manganese and Madneuli polymetallic deposits (Bolnisi ore district).