Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church

Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church
Coat of arms of the Georgian Orthodox Church
Founder	Saint Andrew, Saint Nino, Mirian III
Independence	Antioch from ca. 486, Russia in 1917
Recognition	gradually conferred by the Church of Antioch and recognized by most of the Church ca. 486 - 1010. Autocephaly quashed by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1811 on orders of the Tsar, partially restored in 1917, fully restored in 1943, finally recognized by the Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1990.
Primate	Ilia II of Georgia
Headquarters	Tbilisi, Georgia
Territory	Georgia
Possessions	Western Europe, United States, Russia, Turkey,Azerbaijan, Australia, Armenia
Language	Georgian
Members	3,500,000
Website	www.patriarchate.ge

The Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church (Georgian: საქართველოს სამოციქულო ავტოკეფალური მართლმადიდებელი ეკლესია, sakartvelos samotsikulo avt’ok’epaluri martlmadidebeli ek’lesia) is an Eastern Orthodox Church in full communion with the other churches of Eastern Orthodoxy. It is Georgia's dominant religious institution, and a majority of Georgian people are members. It asserts apostolic foundation, and its historical roots can be traced to the Christianization of Iberia by Saint Nino in the 4th century AD.

As in similar autocephalous Orthodox churches, the Church's highest governing body is the Holy Synod of bishops. The church is headed by the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, currently Ilia II, who was elected in 1977.

Orthodox Christianity was the state religion throughout most of Georgian history until 1921, when it was conquered by the Russian Red Army during the Russian Civil War and became part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.). The current Constitution of Georgia recognizes the special role of the Georgian Orthodox Church in the country's history, but also stipulates the independence of the church from the state. Government relations are further defined and regulated by the Concordat of 2002.