Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi (ტფილისი) and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936. The city covers an area of 726 km² (280.3 square miles) and has 1 480 000 inhabitants. Founded in the 5th century by Vakhtang Gorgasali the Georgian King of Iberia and made into a capital in the 6th century Tbilisi is a significant industrial social and cultural centre.
