Tkibuli, Georgia

Capital City

With a population of just 8,562, Tkibuli is a small coal mining town in west-central Georgia that has seen better days. Once a thriving center of industry under Soviet rule, the collapse of the 1990s triggered an exodus that halved the city's population. While mining has resumed in recent years, it remains a dangerous occupation - a series of fatal accidents in 2018 even forced a temporary shutdown of the mines.

The town's economy is now almost entirely dependent on the mines, providing income for around 2,000 families. But outdated equipment and lax safety standards make this a risky proposition. Tkibuli is hardly the picture-perfect Georgian getaway, plagued by persistent bureaucratic headaches and a grim industrial past.

Unless you're drawn to the prospect of manual labor in hazardous conditions, Tkibuli is not the most appealing place for foreigners to settle down.