Georgia is known for the abundance and variety of mineral waters and is one of the leading countries in this respect. There are 2400 mineral springs and about 500 popular mineral waters such as Borjomi, Sairme, Nabeglavi, Likani, Bakuriani etc.
The territory of Georgia is rich in deposits and occurrence of mineral resources (oil, coal, iron ore, manganum, copper, lead and zink ore, mercury, antimony, non-ore minerals - agate deposits and quartz field spar sands). Andesite, barytes, bentonite clay, diatomite, talc and serpentine are also available.
Georgia is also rich in valuable materials used for facing (basalt, granite, lime stone, marble, etc.).
Borjomi mineral water and the mining of manganese have traditionally been the "trademarks" of Georgia 's mineral resources. These and many other resources were utilized in the country to "feed" the giant industrial machine of the Soviet economy.
There are more then a hundred perspective quarries and sites, which allow extracting:
Fossils: oil, gas, coal, peat
Metals: manganese, arsenic, copper, lead, zinc, iron, silver, gold, etc.
Mining of barite, andesite, bentonite clay, diatomite, talc, calcite, basalt, etc.
For metallurgy: diatomite, limestone, moulds sands.
Ceramics: kaolin, clays, trachyte, rhyolite, pegmatite.
Gem stones: tuff, quips, agate, onyx, obsidian, gagat, jasper.
Construction and materials: limestone, tuff, marble, basalt, teshenite, granite, diorite, porpirite, gabro, sand, gravel, cement, gypsum,, etc.
Subsurface waters: fresh water, mineral water, thermal water, medical mud.
Mining of new and perspective raw materials, like lithographic stone and zeolite is worth of mentioning.