Is Georgia a Christian country? Yes — more authentically than almost any country in the world. The Republic of Georgia (Sakartvelo) in the South Caucasus is one of the oldest continuously Christian nations on earth, having adopted Christianity as its state religion in 327 AD.
The Republic of Georgia (Sakartvelo) in the South Caucasus adopted Christianity as its state religion in approximately 327 AD under King Mirian III of Iberia — making it the second nation in history to do so, following Armenia (301 AD) and predating the Roman Empire's adoption of Christianity by decades. The conversion is traditionally credited to St. Nino of Cappadocia, a Christian slave woman whose prayer healed the queen and prompted the king's conversion.
Georgia has maintained Christian identity through extraordinary adversity: Arab invasions (7th-8th centuries), Mongol invasions (13th century), repeated Ottoman and Persian conquest, and Soviet atheist suppression (1921-1991). The Georgian Orthodox Church survived all of these — often as the primary institution preserving Georgian language, culture, and national identity when the Georgian state did not exist.
Georgia is not historically Christian in the way England or Germany are — Christianity is not a fading heritage but an active living reality for most Georgians. Approximately 83-84% of Georgians identify as Georgian Orthodox Christian in contemporary surveys, and this represents genuine practice rather than nominal affiliation. Georgian Orthodox churches are full on Sundays. The Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II (patriarch since 1977) is the most trusted public figure in Georgia according to consistent polling. The church's role in Georgian civic life — baptisms, weddings, funerals, feast days, national holidays — is genuinely central rather than ceremonial.
The Georgian language's own script was developed in the 5th century primarily to translate the Bible, and the oldest surviving Georgian literature consists of biblical translations and hagiography. Christianity is not separable from Georgian identity in the way it has become in Western Europe.
Georgia is also notable as the region traditionally associated with the location of the Garden of Eden (some traditions place it in the Caucasus), the resting place of Noah's Ark (Mount Ararat is in adjacent Armenia/Turkey), and the homeland of Jason and the Argonauts in Greek mythology. The ancient kingdom of Colchis — where the Argonauts sought the Golden Fleece — is western Georgia. This extraordinary intersection of biblical geography and Christian history makes Georgia uniquely interesting for Christians. Compare with England and Germany for contrasting models of Christian national identity. See our Theology hub and Pew Research on Orthodox Christianity globally.
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