Rustavi, city in southeastern Georgia, about 26 km (about 16 mi) southeast of Tbilisi, the country's capital, and about 20 km (about 12 mi) from the border with Azerbaijan. Rustavi is located on the Kura River, a major source of water for both Georgia and Azerbaijan. A bridge connects the residential section of Rustavi on one side of the Kura River with its industrial center on the other side. Rustavi has a large iron and steel works. Rolled steel and steel tubes, mainly for the oil and gas industry, are sent to all parts of Caucasia. An extensive chemical industry in Rustavi produces synthetic fibers and fertilizers for Georgia's tea, citrus, and wine crops.
Rustavi developed rapidly from 1943 after iron ore was found nearby. Rustavi was built near the site of the ancient town of Rustavi, destroyed in 1400 by the Turkic conqueror Tamerlane, and was the birthplace of Georgia's national poet, Rustaveli, who lived from the late 12th to the early 13th century. Population (1990 estimate) 137,000.
