Georgia is a country with the smallest territory in Southeastern Europe, with an area of about 69.7 thousand sq. m. It bounds upon the Black Sea in the west and has borders with Azerbaijan in the east, Russia in the north, and Turkey and Armenia in the south. The Greater Caucasus Range separates Georgia from Russia, whereas the border with Armenia goes across ranges and plateaus of the Smaller Caucasus Mountains. Mountains occupy about 85% of the country’s area, with the highest peak of the Georgian part of the Caucasus being over 5000 m above sea level.

Nature has created a unique diversity of climatic conditions and landscapes on this small piece of land. Humid subtropics alternate with semi-deserts, peatbogs covered with moss and canyons covered with thick forests, sandy coast of the Black Sea and mountain peaks capped with never melting snow. Unlike many other countries of the world, Georgia still has areas with almost intact wildlife, no wonder then that it has 18 reserves, 4 national parks (one of them being member of PAN Parks network), 11 sanctuaries, 3 natural heritage sites and 1 protected landscapes that altogether cover about 7% of the country’s total area. Another protected area, the Mtirala National Park, has been now added on the Georgia’s protected areas list.
The Adjarian Autonomous Republic that is located in the southwest part of Georgia at the Black Sea coast has a particular diversity of plant and animal species. Its landscapes include almost a full range of zones typical for mountainous areas in the temperate zone, starting from sandy beaches up to subalpine and alpine rangelands. About 65.5% of the Adjarian area is covered with forests having high conservation value.
Yet the unique beauty of the Adjarian nature is first of all determined by its relict Colchic flora, Colchic mountains covered with evergreen shrubs and humid submountain forests. During the Glacial Age, Colchis represented a shelter for thermophytes and mesofloral forests have been continuously growing there ever since. The area at the Adjarian-Turkish border is rich in ancient endemic species, this making the Mtirala National Park an area of global importance.
The Mtirala National Park is established on the Kobuleti-Chakvi Ridge in the westernmost part of the Adjara-Imereti Range of the Smaller Caucasus Mountains. Geographic coordinates of the Park’s central zone are 41.50º E in longitude and 41.40º N in latitude. The Park covers an area of 16000 ha and includes a well-preserved ecosystem of forests and shrubs. Creation of the national park opens opportunities for conserving the biodiversity of relict forests in South Colchis.
The core zone (so-called strict protection zone) of the Park includes the entire area covered with almost intact Colchic forests represented by unique woody plants. This region is a top priority protected area in Europe. Complex relief, isolated location and difficulty in access ensured the intact vegetation preserved there. The park area has been a home to many species of Colchic animals and plants, some of them rare, endangered, endemic, and relict ones.
Another important function of the park is promoting the natural balance of ecosystems of the Kobuleti-Chakvi Ridge, which would prevent erosion, landslides and floods both in the mountains and in the plain. Clean environment is a perfect prerequisite for sustainable resources of clean fresh water.

Geologically, the area of the park is somewhat different from the rest of the Adjarian territory. It is primarily built by Tertiary andesite and tuffogens.
The Kobuleti-Chakvi Ridge that represents the area of the National Park divides Adjara into the coastal Adjara and internal Adjara. The park area mainly includes the coastal part and includes the submountain hilly zone (500-600 m above sea level), the lower mountain zone (1000-1200 m above sea level), middle mountain zone (1500-1600 m above sea level), and the upper mountain zone (over 1500-1600 m above sea level).
The highest peaks of the Morvili Ridge going along the eastern border of the park are about 1700 m above sea level. The height of Mount Morvili is 1773 m above sea level, and the highest peak within the park is 1761 m. Mountains Didi Mtirala, Terati and others are over 1300 meters above sea level. Narrow gorges and canyons form the dissected relief of the area.
Average annual precipitation in the area is over 2000mm, exceeding 4000 mm on seaside slopes of Mount Didi Mtirala, which accounts for the unique nature of local biota. Humidity is 80-85%, and frequent foggy days add to the special image of the impenetrable Colchic forests with evergreen undergrowth. Mean annual air temperature depends on the elevation and ranges from 10-12 ºC (at 500-600 m above sea level) to 5-6 ºC (at 1000-1200 m above sea level).
In the hottest month –August – mean temperature in the lower mountain zone is 20 ºC, dropping to -2 ºC in the coldest month (January). The absolute minimum (-13.6 ºC) is registered at 1000-1200 m above sea level. There are 274 days without frost on average per year. Snow depth in the middle and upper mountain zones often exceeds 3-4 meters.
The Park’s main watercourses are the Chakvistskali and Korolistskali rivers that flow into the Black Sea and the Acharistskali tributaries: the Dologani, the Zundagistskali and others flowing on the southern slopes of the Ridge. Many of them flow in wonderful gorges, forming rapids and waterfalls. There are a lot of mineral and fresh water springs in the area that have high medicinal value.