Sakartvelas

Borrowed from Georgian საქართველო (sakartvelo). Officially approved by the Commission of the Lithuanian Language in 2018 as an alternate name for Georgia upon the country's request, as Gruzija was felt to be too similar to the Russian name.^[1] In exchange, Georgia also changed the official Georgian name of Lithuania from ლიტვა (liṭva) (a Russian borrowing) to ლიეტუვა (lieṭuva) (based on the country's endonym in Lithuanian).^[2]

Sakartvèlas m

1. Georgia (a transcontinental country in the Caucasus region of Europe and Asia, on the coast of the Black Sea, often considered to belong politically to Europe)

   Synonym: Gruzija

• While Sakartvelas is used in official and/or formal settings, such as televised football commentary, colloquially Gruzija and its derived terms are still preferred, even at restaurants serving Georgian cuisine.