Alexandre Javakhishvili - the Founder of Modern Geography in Georgia

Abstract

The article describes the contribution of Alexandre Javakhishvili to the geographic, cartographic and anthropologic development of Georgia. The scientific production created under his editorship and management is also described. The scientist contributed much to the study of history of the geographical development, where Vakhushti Bagrationi played a leading role. The article shows the scientist’s merit in the geographical and cartographic development.His studies developed the methodological issues of the different branches of geographical science (principles of geomorphological zoning, definition of the subject of regional geomorphology, classification of the types of relief and their relations to the geology and tectonic structure, etc.), identified the physical-geographical peculiarities of the territory of Georgia (thermal zones, types of precipitations, etc.) and developed zoning plans (geomorphological, climatic, hydrological, etc.), developed a series of thematic maps of Georgia in different scales (general geographic, geomorphological, climatic, etc.) and analyzed the anthropogenic types of different corners of Georgia and identified the Georgians as an individual anthropogenic type.