Eli5 Why is Georgia the country called Georgia instead of its own name saqartvelo? If we call it saqartvelo we shouldn’t be confused with Georgia the state right?

Question

Eli5 Why is Georgia the country called Georgia instead of its own name saqartvelo? If we call it saqartvelo we shouldn’t be confused with Georgia the state right?

In: Other

Answer 1

Most common explanation – an Italian cartographer wrote it as “Jorgia” based on the Persian name of the people of the area, “gurğān”. Some people say it comes from the fact that St. George was popular amongst the Georgian people but that’s less verifiable/more just a fan theory.