Common Pheasant - Georgia

Three scripts are used for writing in Georgian: Asomtavruli, Nuskhuri, and Mkhedruli with the latter script reserved for everyday usage. Asomtavruli and Nuskhuri are primarily used in ceremonial writings; Asomtavruli is the oldest of the scripts. The three scripts make no distinction between upper and lower case lettering.

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Phasianus colchicus - The adult male common pheasant is approximately 60 to 86 centimeters in length, with a long tail accounting for 50 centimeters of the total length. The male’s plumage is gold with black or brown dabbing. The neck and head contain purple, green, and white covering and feature a bright red wattle hanging underneath each eye. Females are more drab in appearance; a mottled brown color and they are much smaller than males. Male juveniles do not show their flashier side until about 10 weeks after hatching.

Broadnosed Pipefish - Georgia

Syngnathus typhle - The broadnosed pipefish is found from the Eastern Atlantic to the Sea of Azov and from the British Isles to Morocco. It prefers shallow waters along reef areas. The pipefish ranges from 15 to 20 centimeters in size. It feeds on plankton while hanging in a vertical position to blend in with the grasses and seaweeds. The female deposits a clutch of approximately 20 eggs into the male’s brood pouch. The male fertilizes these eggs and cares for the young when they hatch.

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Bagat III founded the Kingdom of Georgia in 975; the state flourished until 1490. During its “Golden Age,” the kingdom stretched from the Northern Caucasus Mountains to Iran and from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea. The kingdom fell under foreign domination during the Mongol invasion beginning in 1220. By the 1340’s, the Kingdom of Georgia was able to re-establish its sovereignty, but another Mongol invasion in 1396 pushed the kingdom into extended anarchy and complete collapse.