Abkhazia
Republic of Abkhazia | |
|---|---|
| Anthem:Аиааира(Abkhaz) Aiaaira "Victory" | |
 Abkhazia (green) withinGeorgia(dark grey) | |
| Status | Partially recognised state |
| Capital and largest city | Sukhumi 43°0′0″N41°1′40″E/ 43.00000°N 41.02778°E |
| Official languages | |
| Spoken languages |
|
| Demonym(s) |
|
| Government | Unitarypresidential republic |
| Aslan Bzhania | |
| Badr Gunba | |
| Alexander Ankvab | |
| Legislature | People's Assembly |
| Establishment | |
| 31 March 1921 | |
| 19 February 1931 | |
• Abkhazian declaration of sovereignty | 25 August 1990 |
• Abkhazian declaration of independence | 23 July 1992 |
• Act of state independenceb | 12 October 1999 |
| Area | |
• Total | 8,664.59[1]km2(3,345.42 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2022 estimate | 244,236[2](180th) |
• 2011 census | 240,705 |
• Density | 28.2/km2(73.0/sq mi) (160th) |
| GDP(nominal) | 2021 estimate |
• Total | $270 million[3] |
• Per capita | $1,100 |
| Currency | (RUB) |
| Time zone | UTC+3(MSK) |
| Drives on | right |
| Calling code | +7840 / 940 (formerly,+995 44)[4][5] |
Abkhazia[n 1](/æbˈkɑːziə/ab-KAH-zee-ə),[6]officially theRepublic of Abkhazia,[n 2]is apartially recognised statein theSouth Caucasus,on the eastern coast of theBlack Sea,at the intersection ofEastern EuropeandWest Asia.It covers 8,665 square kilometres (3,346 sq mi) and has a population of around 245,000. Its capital and largest city isSukhumi.
The political status of Abkhazia is a central issue of theAbkhazia conflictandGeorgia–Russia relations.Abkhazia has beenrecognised as an independent statebyRussia,Venezuela,Nicaragua,Nauru,andSyria;however, theGeorgian governmentand nearly allUnited Nationsmember states consider Abkhaziasovereign territoryofGeorgia.[7][8][9][10]Lacking effective control over the Abkhazian territory, Georgia maintains an Abkhazgovernment-in-exile.
The regionhad autonomywithinSoviet Georgiaat the time when theSoviet Union began to disintegratein the late 1980s. Simmering ethnic tensions between theAbkhaz—the region'stitular ethnicity—andGeorgians—the largest single ethnic group at that time—culminated in the1992–1993 War in Abkhazia,which resulted in Georgia's loss of control over most of Abkhazia and theethnic cleansing of Georgians from Abkhazia.Despite a1994 ceasefire agreementand years of negotiations, the dispute remains unresolved. The long-term presence of aUnited Nations Observer Missionand a Russian-ledCommonwealth of Independent Statespeacekeeping force failed to prevent the flare-up of violence on several occasions. In August 2008, Abkhaz and Russian forces foughta waragainst Georgian forces, which led to the formal recognition of Abkhazia by Russia, the annulment of the 1994 ceasefire agreement and the termination of the UN mission. On 23 October 2008, theParliament of Georgiadeclared Abkhazia aRussian-occupied territory,a position shared by most United Nations member states.[11]
Toponymy
[edit]The Russian nameАбхазия(Abkhaziya) is adapted from theGeorgianაფხაზეთი(Apkhazeti). Abkhazia's name in English (/æbˈkɑːziə/[6]ab-KAH-zee-əor/æbˈkeɪziə/ab-KAY-zee-ə[12]) and in most languages is derived directly from the Russian.[citation needed]
The Abkhaz nameApsny(Abkhaz:Аԥсны,IPA[apʰsˈnɨ]) is etymologized asa land of the soul[13]however the literal meaning isa country of mortals.[14]It possibly first appeared in the seventh century in an Armenian text, perhaps referring to the ancientApsilians.[15]
The termApkhazetithat appeared in theGeorgian annalswas sometimes used to denoteAbasgiaspecifically, and at other times the western region of theKingdom of Georgia.[citation needed]
In early Muslim sources, the term "Abkhazia" was generally used to mean the territory of Georgia.[16][17]
Presumably considered as a successor state of Lazica (Egrisiin Georgian sources), this new polity continued to be referred to as Egrisi in some Byzantine era Georgian and Armenian chronicles (e.g.The Vitae of the Georgian KingsbyLeonti MroveliandThe History of ArmeniabyHovannes Draskhanakertsi).[18]
The state is designated as the "Republic of Abkhazia" in its constitution.[19]
On the website of the President of Abkhazia, it says: "The names the Republic of Abkhazia and Apsny are equivalent".[20]
Before the 20th century, the region was sometimes referred to in English language sources as "Abhasia".[21][22]
History
[edit]Early history
[edit]Between the 9th and 6th centuries BC, the territory of modern Abkhazia was part of the ancientKingdom of Colchis.[23][24]Around the 6th century BC, the Greeks established trade colonies along theBlack Seacoast of present-day Abkhazia, in particular atPitiuntandDioscurias.[25]
Classical authorsdescribed various peoples living in the region and the great multitude of languages they spoke.[26]Arrian,PlinyandStrabohave given accounts of theAbasgoi[27]andMoschoi[28]peoples somewhere in modern Abkhazia on the eastern shore of the Black Sea. This region was subsequently absorbed in 63 BC into theKingdom of Lazica.[29][30]
According to an Eastern tradition,Simon the Zealotdied in Abkhazia during a missionary trip and was buried inNicopsis;his mortal remains were later transferred toAnacopia.[31]
Within the Roman / Byzantine Empire
[edit]TheRoman EmpireconqueredLazicain the 1st century AD; however, the Roman presence was confined to the ports.[32]According toArrian,theAbasgoiandApsilaepeoples were nominal Roman subjects, and there was a small Roman outpost inDioscurias.[33]Abasgoi likely served in the Roman army inAlaPrima Abasgorumwhich was stationed inEgypt.[34]After the 4th century Lazica regained a measure of independence, but remained within theByzantine Empire's sphere of influence.[35]Anacopiawas the principality's capital. The country was mostly Christian, with the archbishop's seat inPityus.[36]Stratophilus, the Metropolitan of Pityus, participated in theFirst Council of Nicaeain 325.[37]
Around the middle of the 6th century AD, the Byzantines and the neighbouringSassanid Persiafought for supremacy over Abkhazia, a conflict known as theLazic War.During the war theAbasgiansrevolted against the Byzantine Empire and requested Sasanian assistance; the revolt was suppressed by GeneralBessas.[38][39][38]
An Arab incursion into Abasgia, led byMarwan II,was repelled byPrince Leon Ijointly with his Lazic andIberianallies in 736. Leon I then marriedMirian's daughter and a successor,King Leon IIexploited this dynastic union to acquireLazicain the 770s.[40]
The successful defence against the Arab Caliphate, and new territorial gains in the east gave the Abasgian princes enough power to claim more autonomy from the Byzantine Empire. Circa 778, Prince Leon II, with the help of theKhazars,declared independence from the Byzantine Empire and transferred his residence toKutaisi.During this period the Georgian language replacedGreekas the language of literacy and culture.[41]
Within the Kingdom of Georgia
[edit]TheKingdom of Abkhaziaflourished between 850 and 950 AD, which ended by unification of Abkhazia and eastern Georgian states under a singleGeorgian monarchyruled byKing Bagrat IIIat the end of the 10th century and the beginning of the 11th century.[42]
During the reign ofQueen Tamar,Georgian chronicles mentionOtaghoas theEristaviof Abkhazia.[43]He was one of the first representatives of theHouse of Shervashidze(also known as Chachba) which went on to rule Abkhazia until the 19th century.[44]
In the 1240s,Mongolsdivided Georgia into eight military-administrative sectors (tümens). The territory of contemporary Abkhazia formed part of the tümen administered byTsotne Dadiani.[45]
Ottoman domination
[edit]In the 16th century, after the break-up of the Georgian Kingdom into small kingdoms and principalities, thePrincipality of Abkhazia(nominally a vassal of theKingdom of Imereti) emerged, ruled by theShervashidze dynasty.[1]In 1453, theOttomansfirst attackedSukhumi,and in the 1570s, they had a garrison there. Throughout the 17th century, they continued to launch attacks, leading to the imposition of tribute on Abkhazia.
Ottoman influence grew significantly in the 18th century with the construction of a fort in Sukhumi, accompanied by a conversion of the rulers of Abkhazia and many other Abkhaz toIslam.Nonetheless, conflicts between the Abkhaz and Turks persisted.[46]The spread of Islam in Abkhazia was first evidenced by the Ottoman travelerEvliya Çelebiin 1641. Despite this, theIslamizationwas more evident in the higher levels of society rather than the general population.[47][48]In his work, Çelebi also wrote that the principal tribe of Abkhazian principality, Chách, spokeMingrelian language,a subset ofKartvelian(Georgian) languages.[49][50]
Abkhazia sought protection from theRussian Empirein 1801 but was declared "an autonomousprincipality"by the Russians in 1810.[51][52]Russia then annexed Abkhazia in 1864, and Abkhaz resistance was quashed as the Russians deported Muslim Abkhaz to Ottoman territories.[1][53][51]
Within Russia
[edit]
In the beginning of the 19th century, while the Russians andOttomanswere vying for control of the region, the rulers of Abkhazia shifted back and forth across the religious divide.[54]The first attempt to enter into relations with Russia was made byPrince Kelesh-Beyin 1803, shortly after the incorporation of eastern Georgia into the expandingTsarist empirein 1801. However, pro-Ottoman sympathy in Abkhazia prevailed for a short time after Kelesh-Bey was assassinated by his son,Aslan-Bey,in 1801.[55]On 2 July 1810,Russian Marinesstormed Sukhum-Kaleand had Aslan-Bey replaced with his rival and brother,Sefer Ali-Bey,who had converted to Christianity and assumed the name of George. Abkhazia joined the Russian Empire as an autonomous principality, in 1810.[1]However, Sefer-bey's rule was limited and many mountain regions were as independent as before. Sefer-bey ruled from 1810 to 1821.[56]The nextRusso-Turkish war(1828–1829) strongly enhanced the Russian positions, leading to a further split in the Abkhaz elite, mainly along religious divisions. During theCrimean War(1853–1856), Russian forces had to evacuate Abkhazia and PrinceHamud-Bey Sharvashidze-Chachba(Mikhail), who ruled from 1822 to 1864, seemingly switched to the Ottomans.[57]
Later on, the Russian presence strengthened and thehighlanders of Western Caucasia were finally subjugatedby Russia in 1864. The autonomy of Abkhazia, which had functioned as a pro-Russian "buffer zone" in this troublesome region, was no longer needed by the Tsarist government and the rule of the Sharvashidze came to an end; in November 1864, Prince Mikhail (Hamud-Bey) was forced to renounce his rights and resettle inVoronezh, Russia.[58]Later that same year, Abkhazia was incorporated into theRussian Empireas a special military province of Sukhum-Kale which was transformed, in 1883, into anokrugas part of theKutaisi Governorate.Large numbers of Muslim Abkhazians, said to have constituted as much as 40% of the Abkhazian population, emigrated to theOttoman Empirebetween 1864 and 1878 together with other Muslim populations of the Caucasus, a process known asMuhajirism.[1]
Large areas of the region were left uninhabited and manyArmenians,Georgians, Russians and others subsequently migrated to Abkhazia, resettling much of the vacated territory.[59]Some Georgian historians assert that Georgian tribes (SvansandMingrelians) had populated Abkhazia since the time of theColchis kingdom.[60]By official decision of the Russian authorities, the residents of Abkhazia andSamurzakanohad to study and pray in Russian. After the mass deportation of 1878, Abkhazians were left in the minority, officially branded "guilty people", and had no leader capable of mounting serious opposition toRussification.[61]
On 17 March 1898, the synodal department of the Russian Orthodox Church of Georgia-Imereti, by Order 2771, again prohibited teaching and the conduct of religious services in Georgian. Mass protests by the Georgian population of Abkhazia and Samurzakano followed, news of which reached the Russian emperor. On 3 September 1898 theHoly Synodissued Order 4880, which decreed that those parishes where the congregation was Mingrelian (i.e. Georgian), conduct both church services and church education in Georgian, while Abkhazian parishes useold Slavic.In the Sukhumi district, this order was carried out in only three of 42 parishes.[61]Tedo Sakhokiademanded the Russian authorities introduce Abkhazian and Georgian languages in church services and education. The official response was a criminal case brought against Tedo Sakhokia and leaders of his "Georgian Party" active in Abkhazia.[61]
Within Georgian Democratic Republic
[edit]Following theOctober Revolutionin Russia, theTranscaucasian Commissariatwas set up in Southern Caucasus, which gradually took steps towards the independence.[62]Transcaucasia declared its independence from Russia on 9 April 1918 as afederative republic.On 8 May 1918, the Bolsheviks seized power in Abkhazia and disbanded the local Abkhaz People's Council. It requested aid from the Transcausian authorities, which dispatched the Georgian People's Guard anddefeated the rebelson 17 May.[63]
On 26 May 1918, Georgia declared independence from the Transcaucasian Federation, which soon dissolved. On 8 June 1918, the Abkhaz People's Council signed a treaty with the Georgian National Council, which confirmed Abkhazia's status as an autonomy within the Georgian Democratic Republic. Georgian army defeated another Bolshevik rebellion in the region. It remained part of Georgia after another Bolshevik revolt and a Turkish expedition were defeated in 1918.[citation needed]Russian general and a leader ofWhite movementAnton Denikinlaid claims on Abkhazia and capturedGagra,but Georgians counter-attacked in April 1919 and retook the city.[64][65]Denikin'sVolunteer Armywas eventually defeated by theRed Army,andBolshevik Russiasigned an agreement with Georgia in May 1920, recognizing Abkhazia as a part of Georgia.[64]
In 1919, a firstelectionwas held to the Abkhaz People's Council. The Council favored being an autonomous region within Georgia, and it lasted untilRed Army invasion of Georgiain February 1921.[66]
Within the Soviet Union
[edit]
In 1921, the Bolshevik Red Armyinvaded Georgiaand ended its short-lived independence. Abkhazia was made a socialist Soviet republic (SSR Abkhazia) with the ambiguous status of a "treaty republic "associated with theGeorgian SSR.[1][67][68]In 1931,Joseph Stalinmade it an autonomous republic (Abkhaz ASSR) within the Georgian SSR.[53]Despite its nominal autonomy, it was subjected to strong direct rule from central Soviet authorities. The publishing of materials in Abkhazian dwindled and was eventually stopped altogether; Abkhaz schools were closed in 1945–1946, requiring Abkhaz children to study in the Georgian language.[69][70][71][72]This was part of the wider Soviet educational reform launched in allSSRsin 1938.[73]The teaching of Abkhaz language was preserved in the new reorganized Abkhaz schools as a mandatory subject by the decision of theGeorgian Communist Party.[74]In theTerror of 1937–38,the ruling elite was purged of Abkhaz and by 1952 over 80% of the 228 top party and government officials and enterprise managers were ethnic Georgians; there remained 34 Abkhaz, 7 Russians and 3 Armenians in these positions.[75]Georgian Communist PartyleaderKandid Charkvianisupported the Georgianization of Abkhazia.[76]Peasant households from the rest of the Georgian SSR were resettled to Abkhazia, which included the organised settlement of ethnic Georgians.[77][78]About 9,000 peasant households were settled in the underpopulated areas of Abkhazia between 1947 and 1952 and left to fend for themselves.[77]
The policy of repression was eased after Stalin's death and Beria's execution, and the Abkhaz were given a greater role in the governance of the republic.[53]As in most of the smaller autonomous republics, the Soviet government encouraged the development of culture and particularly of literature.[79]The Abkhazian ASSR was the only autonomous republic in the USSR in which the language of the titular nation (in that case Abkhazian) was confirmed in its constitution as one of its official languages.[80]
In thepost-warperiod, the Abkhazian ASSR was dominated by the ethnic Abkhazs, which occupied much more positions in the autonomous republic compared to Georgians. During the late Soviet period, ethnic Abkhazs occupied 41% of the seats in Abkhazian Supreme Soviet, and 67% of the republican ministers were ethnically Abkhaz. Moreover, they held even larger proportion of lower level official posts within the autonomous republic. The first secretary of the communist party in Abkhazia was also ethnically Abkhaz. All of this was despite the fact that Abkhazians made up only 17.8% of the region’s population, while Georgians were 45.7% and other ethnicities (Greeks, Russians, Armenians, etc.) — 36,5%.[81]
Post-Soviet Georgia
[edit]As theSoviet Unionbegan to disintegrate at the end of the 1980s, ethnic tensions grew between the Abkhaz and Georgians over Georgia's moves towards independence. Many Abkhaz opposed this, fearing that an independent Georgia would lead to the elimination of their autonomy, and argued instead for the establishment of Abkhazia as a separate Soviet republic in its own right. With the onset ofperestroika,the agenda of Abkhaz nationalists became more radical and exclusive.[82]In 1988, they began to ask for the reinstatement of Abkhazia's former status ofUnion Republic,as the submission of Abkhazia to another Union Republic was not considered to give enough guarantees of their development.[82]They justified their request by referring to the Leninist tradition of the right of nations to self-determination, which they asserted was violated when Abkhazia's sovereignty was curtailed in 1931.[82]In June 1988, a manifesto defending Abkhaz distinctiveness (known as theAbkhaz Letter) was sent to Soviet leaderMikhail Gorbachev.[citation needed]
The Georgian–Abkhazdispute turned violenton 16 July 1989 in Sukhumi. Numerous Georgians were killed or injured when they tried to enroll in a Georgian university instead of an Abkhaz one. After several days of violence, Soviet troops restored order in the city.[citation needed]
In March 1990, Georgia declared sovereignty, unilaterally nullifying treaties concluded by the Soviet government since 1921 and thereby moving closer to independence. The Republic of Georgia boycotted the 17 March 1991all-Union referendumon the renewal of the Soviet Union called by Gorbachev; however, 52.3% of Abkhazia's population (almost all of the ethnic non-Georgian population) took part in the referendum and voted by an overwhelming majority (98.6%) to preserve the Union.[83][84]Most ethnic non-Georgians in Abkhazia later boycotted a 31 Marchreferendum on Georgia's independence,which was supported by a huge majority of Georgia's population. Within weeks, Georgia declared independence on 9 April 1991, under former Soviet dissidentZviad Gamsakhurdia.Under Gamsakhurdia, the situation was relatively calm in Abkhazia and a power-sharing agreement was soon reached between the Abkhaz and Georgian factions, granting to the Abkhaz a certain over-representation in the local legislature.[85][86]
Gamsakhurdia's rule was soon challenged by armed opposition groups, under the command ofTengiz Kitovani,that forced him to flee the country in amilitary coupin January 1992. Gamsakhurdia was replaced by formerSoviet Georgianleader and Soviet foreign ministerEduard Shevardnadze,who became the country's head of state.[87]On 21 February 1992, Georgia's ruling military council announced that it was abolishing the Soviet-era constitution and restoring the 1921 Constitution of theDemocratic Republic of Georgia.Many Abkhaz interpreted this as an abolition of their autonomous status, although the 1921 constitution contained a provision for the region's autonomy.[88]On 23 July 1992, the Abkhaz faction in the republic's Supreme Council declared effective independence from Georgia, although the session was boycotted by ethnic Georgian deputies and the gesture went unrecognised by any other country. The Abkhaz leadership launched a campaign of ousting Georgian officials from their offices, a process which was accompanied by violence. In the meantime, the Abkhaz leaderVladislav Ardzinbaintensified his ties with hard-line Russian politicians and military elite and declared he was ready for a war with Georgia.[89]To respond to this situation,Eduard Shevardnadze,new leader of Georgia, had interrupted his trip to Western Georgia, where theGeorgian Civil Warhad been going on between his government and supporters of former PresidentZviad Gamsakhurdia,ousted during theDecember 1991 Coup.Shevardnadze announced that the Abkhaz faction took the decision without considering the opinion of the majority of population in Abkhazia.[90]
War in Abkhazia
[edit]
In August 1992,war broke outwhen theNational Guard of Georgiaentered Abkhazia to free captive Georgian officials,[91][92][93]and to reopen the railway line.[94][95][96][92][97][98][99]Abkhaz troops were the first to open fire.[91][96]Abkhaz separatist government retreated toGudautawhere the Russian military base was located.[91][92][93][100]United Nations High Commissioner for Refugeesreported the ethnic-based violence against Georgians in Gudauta.[101]The Abkhaz were relatively unarmed at the time and the Georgian troops were able to march into the capital Sukhumi with relatively little resistance[102]and subsequently engaged in ethnically based pillage, looting, assault, and murder.[103]
The Abkhaz military defeat was met with a hostile response by the self-styledConfederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus,anumbrella groupuniting a number of movements in theNorth Caucasus,including elements ofCircassians,Abazins,Chechens,Cossacks,Ossetiansand hundreds of volunteer paramilitaries and mercenaries from Russia, including the then-little-knownShamil Basayev,later a leader of the anti-Moscow Chechen secessionists. They sided with the Abkhaz separatists to fight against the Georgian government. Russian military did not impede the crossing of the Russia-Georgia border by the North Caucasian militants into Abkhazia.[104][93][105][91]In the case of Basayev, it has been suggested that when he and the members of his battalion came to Abkhazia, they received training by the Russian Army (though others dispute this), presenting another possible motive.[106]on September 25, 1992,Russian Supreme Council(parliament) passed a resolution which condemned Georgia, supported Abkhazia and called for the suspension of the delivery of any weapons and equipment to Georgia and the deployment of a Russian peacekeeping force in Abkhazia. It was sponsored by aRussian nationalistpoliticianSergei Baburin,a Russian deputy who metVladislav Ardzinbaand argued that he was not that much sure that Abkhazia was part of Georgia.[107]In October, the Abkhaz and North Caucasian paramilitaries mounted a majoroffensive against Gagraafter breaking a cease-fire, which drove the Georgian forces out of large swathes of the republic. Shevardnadze's government accused Russia of giving covert military support to the rebels with the aim of "detaching from Georgia its native territory and the Georgia-Russian frontier land". 1992 ended with the rebels in control of much of Abkhazia northwest of Sukhumi.[citation needed]
The conflict was in stalemate until July 1993, when Abkhaz separatist militias launched an abortive attack on Georgian-held Sukhumi. They surrounded and heavily shelled the capital, where Shevardnadze was trapped. The warring sidesagreed to a Russian-brokered truce in Sochiat the end of July. But the ceasefire broke down again on 16 September 1993. Abkhaz forces, with armed support from outside Abkhazia, launched attacks on Sukhumi and Ochamchira. Notwithstanding UN Security Council's call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and its condemnation of the violation of the ceasefire by the Abkhaz side, fighting continued.[108]After ten days of heavy fighting, Sukhumi was taken by Abkhazian forces on 27 September 1993. Shevardnadze narrowly escaped death, after vowing to stay in the city no matter what. He changed his mind, however, and decided to flee when separatist snipers fired on the hotel where he was staying. Abkhaz, North Caucasian militants, and their allies committed numerous atrocities[109]against the city's remaining ethnic Georgians, in what has been dubbed theSukhumi Massacre.The mass killings and destruction continued for two weeks, leaving thousands dead and missing.[citation needed]
The Abkhaz forces quickly overran the rest of Abkhazia as the Georgian government faced a second threat; an uprising by the supporters of the deposed Zviad Gamsakhurdia in the region of Mingrelia (Samegrelo). Only a small region of eastern Abkhazia, theupper Kodori gorge,remained under Georgian control (until 2008).[citation needed]
During the war, gross human rights violations were reported on both sides (seeHuman Rights Watchreport).[109]Georgian troops have been accused of having committed looting[102]and murders "for the purpose of terrorising, robbing and driving the Abkhaz population out of their homes"[109]in the first phase of the war (according toHuman Rights Watch), while Georgia blames the Abkhaz forces and their allies for the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia, which has also been recognised by theOrganization for Security and Cooperation in Europe(OSCE) Summits inBudapest(1994),[110]Lisbon(1996)[111]andIstanbul(1999).[112]
Ethnic cleansing of Georgians
[edit]
Before the1992 War in Abkhazia,Georgians made up nearly half of Abkhazia's population, while less than one-fifth of the population wasAbkhaz.[113]As the war progressed, confronted with hundreds of thousands of ethnic Georgians who were unwilling to leave their homes, the Abkhaz separatists implemented the process ofethnic cleansingin order to expel and eliminate the Georgian ethnic population in Abkhazia.[114][115]About 5,000 were killed, 400 went missing[116]and up to 250,000 ethnic Georgians were expelled from their homes.[117]According toInternational Crisis Group,as of 2006 slightly over 200,000 Georgians remained displaced in Georgia proper.[118]
The campaign of ethnic cleansing also included Russians, Armenians, Greeks, moderate Abkhaz and other minor ethnic groups living in Abkhazia. More than 20,000 houses owned by ethnic Georgians were destroyed. Hundreds of schools, kindergartens, churches, hospitals, and historical monuments were pillaged and destroyed.[119][better source needed]Following the process of ethnic cleansing and mass expulsion, the population of Abkhazia has been reduced to 216,000, from 525,000 in 1989.[120]Pogromsagainst ethnic Georgians organized by Abkhaz leaders continued even after the end of war, as far as February 1995.[121]
Of about 250,000 Georgian refugees, some 60,000 subsequently returned to Abkhazia'sGali Districtbetween 1994 and 1998, but tens of thousands were displaced again when fighting resumed in the Gali District in 1998. Nevertheless, between 40,000 and 60,000 refugees have returned to the Gali District since 1998, including persons commuting daily across the ceasefire line and those migrating seasonally in accordance with agricultural cycles.[122]The human rights situation remained precarious for a while in the Georgian-populated areas of the Gali District. The United Nations and other international organisations have been fruitlessly urging the Abkhazde factoauthorities "to refrain from adopting measures incompatible with the right to return and with international human rights standards, such as discriminatory legislation... [and] to cooperate in the establishment of a permanent international human rights office in Gali and to admit United Nations civilian police without further delay."[123]Key officials of the Gali District are virtually all ethnic Abkhaz, though their support staff are ethnic Georgian.[124]
Post-war
[edit]
Presidential elections were held in Abkhazia on 3 October 2004. Russia supportedRaul Khajimba,the prime minister backed by the ailing outgoing separatist PresidentVladislav Ardzinba.[125]Posters of Russia's PresidentVladimir Putintogether with Khajimba, who, like Putin, had worked as aKGBofficial, were everywhere in Sukhumi.[126]Deputies of Russia's parliament and Russian singers, led byJoseph Cobsohn,a State Duma deputy and a popular singer, came to Abkhazia, campaigning for Khajimba.[127]
However, Khajimba lost the elections toSergei Bagapsh.The tense situation in the republic led to the cancellation of the election results by the Supreme Court. After that, a deal was struck between former rivals to run jointly, with Bagapsh as a presidential candidate and Khajimba as a vice-presidential candidate. They received more than 90% of the votes in the new election.[128]
In July 2006, Georgian forces launched a successful police operation against the rebelled administrator of the Georgian-populatedKodori Valley,Emzar Kvitsiani.Kvitsiani had been appointed by the previous president of GeorgiaEduard Shevardnadzeand refused to recognise the authority of presidentMikheil Saakashvili,who succeeded Shevardnadze after theRose Revolution.Although Kvitsiani escaped capture by Georgian police, the Kodori Gorge was brought back under the control of the central government inTbilisi.[129]
Sporadic acts of violence continued throughout the postwar years. Despite the peacekeeping status of the Russian peacekeepers in Abkhazia, Georgian officials routinely claimed that Russian peacekeepers were inciting violence by supplying Abkhaz rebels with arms and financial support. Russian support of Abkhazia became pronounced when theRussian rublebecame thede facto currencyand Russia began issuing passports to the population of Abkhazia.[130]Georgia has also accused Russia of violating its airspace by sending helicopters toattack Georgian-controlled towns in the Kodori Gorge.In April 2008, a Russian MiG – prohibited from Georgian airspace, including Abkhazia – shot down a GeorgianUAV.[131][132]
On 9 August 2008, Abkhazian forces fired on Georgian forces inKodori Gorge.This coincided with the2008 South Ossetia warwhere Russia decided to support the Ossetian separatists who had been attacked by Georgia.[133][134]The conflict escalated into a full-scale war between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Georgia. On 10 August 2008, an estimated 9,000 Russian soldiers entered Abkhazia ostensibly to reinforce the Russian peacekeepers in the republic. About 1,000 Abkhazian soldiers moved to expel the residual Georgian forces within Abkhazia in the Upper Kodori Gorge.[135]By 12 August the Georgian forces and civilians had evacuated the last part of Abkhazia under Georgian government control. Russia recognised theindependence of Abkhaziaon 26 August 2008.[136]This was followed by the annulment of the 1994 ceasefire agreement and the termination ofUNandOSCEmonitoring missions.[137]On 28 August 2008, theParliament of Georgiapassed a resolution declaring Abkhazia a Russian-occupied territory.[138][139]
Since independence was recognised by Russia, a series of controversial agreements were made between the Abkhazian government and the Russian Federation that leased or sold a number of key state assets and relinquished control over the borders. In May 2009 several opposition parties and war veteran groups protested against these deals complaining that they undermined state sovereignty and risked exchanging one colonial power (Georgia) for another (Russia).[140]The vice-president, Raul Khajimba, resigned on 28 May saying he agreed with the criticism the opposition had made.[141]Subsequently, a conference of opposition parties nominated Raul Khajimba as their candidate in the December 2009Abkhazian presidential electionwon bySergei Bagapsh.[citation needed]
Political developments since 2014
[edit]In the spring of 2014, the opposition submitted an ultimatum to PresidentAleksandr Ankvabto dismiss the government and make radical reforms.[142]On 27 May 2014, in the centre ofSukhumi,10,000 supporters of the Abkhaz opposition gathered for a mass demonstration.[143]On the same day, Ankvab's headquarters inSukhumiwas stormed by opposition groups led byRaul Khajimba,forcing him into flight toGudauta.[144]The opposition claimed that the protests were sparked by poverty, but the main point of contention was President Ankvab's liberal policy towards ethnic Georgians in theGali region.The opposition said these policies could endanger Abkhazia's ethnic Abkhazian identity.[142]
After Ankvab fled the capital, on 31 May, thePeople's Assembly of Abkhaziaappointed parliamentary speakerValery Bganbaas acting president, declaring Ankvab unable to serve. It also decided to hold an early presidential election on 24 August 2014.[citation needed]Ankvab soon declared his formal resignation, although he accused his opponents of acting immorally and violating the constitution.[145]Raul Khajimba was laterelected president,taking office in September 2014.[146]
In November 2014, Vladimir Putin moved to formalise the Abkhazian military's relationship as part of the Russian armed forces, signing a treaty with Khajimba.[147][148]The Georgian government denounced the agreement as "a step towards annexation".[149]
In December 2021, there wasunrestin the territory.[150]
Status
[edit]
Abkhazia,Transnistria,andSouth Ossetiaare post-Soviet "frozen conflict"zones.[151]These three states maintain friendly relations with each other and form theCommunity for Democracy and Rights of Nations.[152][153][154]Russia and Nicaragua officially recognised Abkhazia after theRusso-Georgian War.Venezuela recognised Abkhazia in September 2009.[155][156]In December 2009,Naururecognised Abkhazia, reportedly in return for $50 million in humanitarian aid from Russia.[157]The unrecognised republic of Transnistria and the partially recognised republic of South Ossetia have recognised Abkhazia since 2006. Abkhazia is also a member of theUnrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization(UNPO).[citation needed]
A majority of sovereign states recognise Abkhazia as an integral part of Georgia and support itsterritorial integrityaccording to the principles ofinternational law,although Belarus has expressed sympathy toward the recognition of Abkhazia.[158]Some have officially noted Abkhazia as underoccupation by the Russian military.[159][160][161]The United Nations has been urging both sides to settle the dispute through diplomatic dialogue and ratifying the final status of Abkhazia in the Georgian constitution.[109][162]However, the Abkhazde factogovernment considers Abkhazia a sovereign country even if it is recognised by few other countries. In early 2000, then-UN Special Representative of the Secretary General Dieter Boden and the Group of Friends of Georgia, consisting of the representatives of Russia, the United States, Britain, France, and Germany, drafted and informally presented a document to the parties outlining a possible distribution of competencies between the Abkhaz and Georgian authorities, based on core respect for Georgian territorial integrity. The Abkhaz side, however, has never accepted the paper as a basis for negotiations.[163]Eventually, Russia also withdrew its approval of the document.[164]In 2005 and 2008, the Georgian government offered Abkhazia a high degree ofautonomyand possiblefederal structurewithin the borders andjurisdictionof Georgia.[citation needed]
On 18 October 2006, thePeople's Assembly of Abkhaziapassed a resolution, calling upon Russia, international organisations and the rest of the international community to recognise Abkhaz independence on the basis that Abkhazia possesses all the properties of an independent state.[165]The United Nations has reaffirmed "the commitment of all Member States to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders" and outlined the basic principles of conflict resolution which call for immediate return of all displaced persons and for non-resumption of hostilities.[166]
Georgia accuses the Abkhaz secessionists of having conducted a deliberate campaign ofethnic cleansingof up to 250,000 Georgians, a claim supported by theOrganization for Security and Co-operation in Europe(OSCE; Budapest, Lisbon and Istanbul declaration).[167]The UN Security Council has avoided the use of the term "ethnic cleansing" but has affirmed "the unacceptability of the demographic changes resulting from the conflict".[168]On 15 May 2008, theUnited Nations General Assemblyadopted a non-binding resolution recognising the right of all refugees (including victims of reported "ethnic cleansing" ) to return to Abkhazia and to retain or regain their property rights there. It "regretted" the attempts to alter pre-war demographic composition and called for the "rapid development of a timetable to ensure the prompt voluntary return of all refugees and internally displaced persons to their homes."[169]
On 28 March 2008, thePresident of GeorgiaMikheil Saakashviliunveiled his government's new proposals to Abkhazia: the broadest possible autonomy within the framework of a Georgian state, a joint free economic zone, representation in the central authorities including the post of vice-president with the right to veto Abkhaz-related decisions.[170]The Abkhaz leaderSergei Bagapshrejected these new initiatives as "propaganda", leading to Georgia's complaints that this skepticism was "triggered by Russia, rather than by real mood of the Abkhaz people."[171]
On 3 July 2008, theOSCE Parliamentary Assemblypassed a resolution at its annual session inAstana,expressing concern over Russia's recent moves in breakaway Abkhazia. The resolution calls on the Russian authorities to refrain from maintaining ties with the breakaway regions "in any manner that would constitute a challenge to the sovereignty of Georgia" and also urges Russia "to abide by OSCE standards and generally accepted international norms with respect to the threat or use of force to resolve conflicts in relations with other participating States."[172]
On 9 July 2012, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly passed a resolution at its annual session inMonaco,underlining Georgia's territorial integrity and referring to breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia as "occupied territories". The resolution "urges the Government and the Parliament of the Russian Federation, as well as the de facto authorities of Abkhazia, Georgia and South Ossetia, Georgia, to allow the European Union Monitoring Mission unimpeded access to the occupied territories." It also says that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly is "concerned about the humanitarian situation of the displaced persons both in Georgia and in the occupied territories of Abkhazia, Georgia and South Ossetia, Georgia, as well as the denial of the right of return to their places of living." The Assembly is the parliamentary dimension of the OSCE with 320 lawmakers from the organisation's 57 participating states, including Russia.[173]
Law on occupied territories of Georgia
[edit]
In late October 2008 President Saakashvili signed into law legislation on the occupied territories passed by the Georgian Parliament. The law covers the breakaway regions of Abkhazia andTskhinvali(territories of former South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast).[174][175]The law spells out restrictions on free movement and economic activity in the territories. In particular, according to the law, foreign citizens should enter the two breakaway regions only through Georgia proper. Entry into Abkhazia should be carried out from theZugdidi Municipalityand into South Ossetia from theGori Municipality.The major road leading to South Ossetia from the rest of Georgia passes through the Gori District.[176]
The legislation, however, also lists "special" cases in which entry into the breakaway regions will not be regarded as illegal. It stipulates that a special permit on entry into the breakaway regions can be issued if the trip there "serves Georgia's state interests; peaceful resolution of the conflict; de-occupation or humanitarian purposes." The law also bans any type of economic activity – entrepreneurial or non-entrepreneurial, if such activities require permits, licences or registration in accordance with Georgian legislation. It also bans air, sea and railway communications and international transit via the regions, mineral exploration and money transfers. The provision covering economic activities is retroactive, going back to 1990.[176]
The law says that the Russian Federation – the state which has carried out military occupation – is fully responsible for the violation of human rights in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The Russian Federation, according to the document, is also responsible for compensation of material and moral damage inflicted on Georgian citizens, stateless persons and foreign citizens, who are in Georgia and enter the occupied territories with appropriate permits. The law also says that de facto state agencies and officials operating in the occupied territories are regarded by Georgia as illegal. The law will remain in force until "the full restoration of Georgian jurisdiction" over the breakaway regions is realised.[176]
Status-neutral passports
[edit]According to a 2006 report, Georgia considers all residents of Abkhazia its citizens, while they see themselves as Abkhaz citizens.[118]
In the summer of 2011, the Parliament of Georgia adopted a package of legislative amendments providing for the issuance of neutral identification and travel documents to residents of Abkhazia and the former South Ossetian autonomous province of Georgia. The document allows travelling abroad as well as enjoying social benefits existing in Georgia. The new neutral identification and travel documents were called "neutral passports".[177]The status-neutral passports do not carry state symbols of Georgia.[178]Abkhazia's foreign minister,Viacheslav Chirikba,criticised the status-neutral passports and called their introduction "unacceptable".[179]Some Abkhazian residents with Russian passports were being deniedSchengen visas.[178]
As of May 2013, neutral documents have been recognised by Japan, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, the United States, Bulgaria, Poland, Israel, Estonia and Romania.[177]
According to Russian media, the President of the Republic of Abkhazia,Alexander Ankvabthreatened international organisations that accepted neutral passports, saying during a meeting with the leadership of the foreign ministry that "international organizations that suggest the so-called neutral passports, will leave Abkhazia."[180]
Russian involvement
[edit]
During theGeorgian–Abkhaz conflict,the Russian authorities andmilitarysupplied logistical and military aid to the separatist side.[109]Today, Russia still maintains a strong political and military influence over separatist rule in Abkhazia. Russia has also issued passports to the citizens of Abkhazia since 2000 (as Abkhazian passports cannot be used for international travel) and subsequently paid them retirement pensions and other monetary benefits. More than 80% of the Abkhazian population had received Russian passports by 2006. As Russian citizens living abroad, Abkhazians do not pay Russian taxes or serve in the Russian Army.[181][182]About 53,000 Abkhazian passports have been issued as of May 2007.[183]
Moscow, at certain times, hinted that it might recognise Abkhazia and South Ossetia when Western countries recognised the independence ofKosovo,suggesting that they had created aprecedent.Following Kosovo's declaration of independence, the Russian parliament released a joint statement reading: "Now that the situation in Kosovo has become an international precedent, Russia should take into account the Kosovo scenario... when considering ongoing territorial conflicts."[184]Initially Russia continued to delay recognition of both of these republics. However, on 16 April 2008, the outgoing Russian presidentVladimir Putininstructed his government to establish official ties with South Ossetia and Abkhazia, leading to Georgia's condemnation of what it described as an attempt at "de facto annexation"[185]and criticism from theEuropean Union,NATO, and several Western governments.[186]
Later in April 2008, Russia accused Georgia of trying to exploit NATO support in order to control Abkhazia by force and announced it would increase its military presence in the region, pledging to retaliate militarily against Georgia's efforts. The Georgian Prime MinisterLado Gurgenidzesaid Georgia will treat any additional troops in Abkhazia as "aggressors".[187]
In response to theRusso-Georgian War,theFederal Assembly of Russiacalled an extraordinary session for 25 August 2008 to discuss recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.[188]Following a unanimous resolution that was passed by both houses of the parliament calling on the Russian president to recognise independence of the breakaway republics,[189]Russian president,Dmitry Medvedev,officially recognised both on 26 August 2008.[190][191]Russian recognition[192]was condemned byNATOnations, OSCE andEuropean Councilnations[193][194][195][196][197]due to "violation ofterritorial integrityand international law ".[196][198]UN Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moonstated that sovereign states have to decide themselves whether they want to recognise the independence of disputed regions.[199]
Russia has started work on the establishment of a naval base in Ochamchire by dredging the coast to allow the passage of their larger naval vessels.[200]As a response to theGeorgian sea blockade of Abkhazia,in which the Georgian coast guard had been detaining ships heading to and from Abkhazia, Russia warned Georgia against ship seizures and said that a unit of Russian guard boats would provide security for ships bound to Abkhazia.[201]
The extent of Russian influence in Abkhazia has caused some locals to say Abkhazia is under full Russian control, but they still prefer Russian influence over Georgian.[202][203][204][205]
International involvement
[edit]
The UN has played various roles during the conflict and peace process: a military role through its observer mission (UNOMIG); dual diplomatic roles through the Security Council and the appointment of a special envoy, succeeded by a special representative to the secretary-general; a humanitarian role (UNHCRandUNOCHA); a development role (UNDP); a human rights role (UNHCHR); and a low-key capacity and confidence-building role (UNV). The UN's position has been that there will be no forcible change in international borders. Any settlement must be freely negotiated and based on autonomy for Abkhazia legitimised by referendum under international observation once the multi-ethnic population has returned.[206]
The OSCE has increasingly engaged in dialogue with officials and civil society representatives in Abkhazia, especially fromnon-governmental organisations(NGO)s and themedia,regarding human dimension standards in the region and is considering a presence in Gali. The OSCE expressed concern and condemnation over ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia during the 1994BudapestSummit decision[207]and later at the Lisbon Summit Declaration in 1996.[208]
The US rejects the unilateral secession of Abkhazia and urges its integration into Georgia as an autonomous unit. In 1998 the US announced its readiness to allocate up to $15 million for rehabilitation of infrastructure in the Gali region if substantial progress is made in the peace process.USAIDhas already funded some humanitarian initiatives for Abkhazia.[citation needed]
On 22 August 2006, SenatorRichard Lugar,then visiting Georgia's capital Tbilisi, joined Georgian politicians in criticism of the Russian peacekeeping mission, stating that "the U.S. administration supports the Georgian government's insistence on the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from the conflict zones in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali district".[209]
On 5 October 2006,Javier Solana,theHigh Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policyof theEuropean Union,ruled out the possibility of replacing the Russian peacekeepers with the EU force.[210]On 10 October 2006, EU South Caucasus envoyPeter Semnebynoted that "Russia's actions in theGeorgia spy rowhave damaged its credibility as a neutral peacekeeper in the EU's Black Sea neighbourhood. "[211]
On 13 October 2006, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted aresolution,based on a Group of Friends of the Secretary-General draft, extending theUNOMIGmission until 15 April 2007. Acknowledging that the "new and tense situation" resulted, at least in part, from the Georgian special forces' operation in the upper Kodori Valley, the resolution urged the country to ensure that no troops unauthorised by theMoscow ceasefire agreementwere present in that area. It urged the leadership of the Abkhaz side to address seriously the need for a dignified, secure return of refugees and internally displaced persons and to reassure the local population in the Gali district that their residency rights and identity will be respected. The Georgian side is "once again urged to address seriously legitimate Abkhaz security concerns, to avoid steps that could be seen as threatening and to refrain from militant rhetoric and provocative actions, especially in upper Kodori Valley."[212]
Calling on both parties to follow up on dialogue initiatives, it further urged them to comply fully with all previous agreements regarding non-violence and confidence-building, in particular those concerning the separation of forces. Regarding the disputed role of the peacekeepers from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Council stressed the importance of close, effective cooperation between UNOMIG and that force and looked to all sides to continue to extend the necessary cooperation to them. At the same time, the document reaffirmed the "commitment of all Member States to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders".[213]
TheHALO Trust,an international non-profit organisation that specialises in the removal of the debris of war, has been active in Abkhazia since 1999 and has completed the removal of landmines in Sukhumi and Gali districts. It declared Abkhazia "mine free" in 2011.[214]
France-based international NGOPremière-Urgencehas been implementing a food security programme to support the vulnerable populations affected by the frozen conflict for almost 10 years.[215][216]
Russia does not allow theEuropean Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia(EUMM) to enter Abkhazia.[217]
Recognition
[edit]
The following is a list of political entities that formally recognise Abkhazia.
UN member states
Russiarecognised Abkhazia on 26 August 2008 after theRusso-Georgian War.[218]
Nicaraguarecognised Abkhazia on 5 September 2008.[219]
Venezuelarecognised Abkhazia on 10 September 2009.[220]
Naururecognised Abkhazia on 15 December 2009.[221]
Syriarecognised Abkhazia on 29 May 2018.[222]
Partially recognised and unrecognised territories
South Ossetiarecognised Abkhazia on 17 November 2006.[152]
Transnistriarecognised Abkhazia on 17 November 2006.[152]
Former recognition
VanuaturecognisedAbkhazia on 23 May 2011,[223]but withdrew recognition on 20 May 2013.[224]
Tuvalurecognised Abkhazia on 18 September 2011, but withdrew recognition on 31 March 2014.[225]
Artsakhrecognised Abkhazia on 17 November 2006.[226]Self-proclaimedRepublic of Artsakhdissolved in 2023.
Proposals on entry into Russian Federation
[edit]Since the1992-1993 War in Abkhazia,there have been several proposals voiced by theseparatist Abkhaz governmentand theRussian governmentfor Abkhazia to become part of theRussian Federation,which have been opposed by theGeorgian governmentand thegovernment-in-exile of Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia.One of the early proposals was voiced before the war, in March 1989, when the Abkhaz ethno-nationalsit organizationAidgylaraissued the Lykhny Appeal, calling for Abkhazia to become part of theRussian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.This is thought to be a starting point for theAbkhazia conflictbetween the separatists and local Georgian population in Abkhazia. After the war, on 18 November 1993, a month after its ending andethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia,the leader of AbkhaziaVladislav Ardzinbaproposed to hold a referendum to join the Russian Federation.[227]In 2001, a similar desire was voiced by Abkhazia's Prime MinisterAnri Jergenia,who said that Abkhazia was preparing to join Russia and that it was going to hold a referendum on that issue.[228]
In October 2022, in an interview to the Russian TV, President of AbkhaziaAslan Bzhaniadeclared Abkhazia's readiness to host a Russian navy and join the Russia-BelarusUnion State.[229]However, the proposal has been criticized as impractical sinceBelarusdoes not recognizes Abkhazia as a sovereign state and considers it to be part of Georgia.[230]
In August 2023, Deputy Chair ofRussian Security CouncilDmitry Medvedevalso voiced support for these proposals, accusing Georgia of "escalating tensions" by its potential membership to theNATO,and saying that there were "good reasons" for Abkhazia andSouth Ossetiato join Russia.[231]Medvedev also mocked Georgia's desire to restore its territorial integrity, saying that "Georgia can only be united as part of Russia".[232]
Georgia criticized the proposals for Abkhazia's entry into the Russian Federation and Union State. In 2014, Georgia's Foreign Ministry issued a statement, calling the Russia-Abkhazia treaty on integration ade factoannexation.[233]
Geography and climate
[edit]
Abkhazia covers an area of about 8,665 km2(3,346 sq mi) at the western end of Georgia.[1][234][235]TheCaucasus Mountainsto the north and northeast separate Abkhazia and the Russian Federation. To the east and southeast, Abkhazia is bounded by the Georgian region ofSamegrelo-Zemo Svaneti;and on the south and southwest by the Black Sea.[citation needed]
Abkhazia is diverse geographically with lowlands stretching to the extremely mountainous north. The Greater Caucasus Mountain Range runs along the region's northern border, with its spurs – the Gagra,Bzyband Kodori ranges – dividing the area into a number of deep, well-watered valleys. The highest peaks of Abkhazia are in the northeast and east and several exceed 4,000 metres (13,123 ft)above sea level.Abkhazia's landscape ranges from coastal forests and citrus plantations to permanent snows andglaciersin the north of the region. Although Abkhazia's complex topographic setting has spared most of the territory from significant human development, its cultivated fertile lands produce tea, tobacco, wine and fruits, a mainstay of the local agricultural sector.[citation needed]
Abkhazia is richly irrigated by small rivers originating in the Caucasus Mountains. Chief of these are:Kodori,Bzyb,Ghalidzga,andGumista.ThePsou Riverseparates the region from Russia, and theInguriserves as a boundary between Abkhazia and Georgia proper. There are severalperiglacialandcraterlakes in mountainous Abkhazia.Lake Ritsais the most important of them.[citation needed]
Because of Abkhazia's proximity to the Black Sea and the shield of the Caucasus Mountains, the region's climate is very mild. The coastal areas of the republic have a subtropical climate, where the average annual temperature in most regions is around 15 °C (59 °F), and the average January temperature remains above freezing.[1]The climate at higher elevations varies from maritime mountainous to cold and summerless. Also, due to its position on the windward slopes of the Caucasus, Abkhazia receives high amounts ofprecipitation,[1]though humidity decreases further inland. The annual precipitation varies from 1,200–1,400 mm (47.2–55.1 in)[1]along the coast to 1,700–3,500 mm (66.9–137.8 in) in the higher mountainous areas. The mountains of Abkhazia receive significant amounts of snow.[citation needed]
The world's deepest known cave,Veryovkina Cave,is located in Abkhazia's western Caucasus mountains. The latest survey (as of March 2018) has measured the vertical extent of this cave system as 2,212 metres (7,257 ft) between its highest and lowest explored points.[citation needed]
The lowland regions used to be covered by swaths ofoak,beech,andhornbeam,which have since been cleared.[1]
There are two main entrances into Abkhazia. The southern entrance is at theInguribridge, a short distance from the city ofZugdidi.The northern entrance ( "Psou" ) is in the town ofLeselidze.Owing to the situation with a recognition controversy, many foreign governments advise their citizens against travelling to Abkhazia.[236]According to President Raul Khajimba, over the summer of 2015, thousands of tourists visited Abkhazia.[237][unreliable source?]
Politics and government
[edit]Republic of Abkhazia
[edit]Abkhazia is apresidentialrepublic,and the second electedpresident of AbkhaziawasSergei Bagapsh.Bagapsh came to power following the deeply divisiveOctober 2004 presidential election.The next election was held on 12 December 2009. Bagapsh was re-elected as president with 59.4% of the total vote.[238]Alexander Ankvab,his vice-president, was appointed acting president after the former president's death on 29 May 2011[239]until winning election in his own right later on26 August 2011.[citation needed]
Legislative powers are vested in thePeople's Assembly,which consists of 35 elected members. The lastparliamentary electionswere held in March 2017. Ethnicities other than Abkhaz (Armenians, Russians and Georgians) are claimed to be under-represented in the Assembly.[124]
Most refugees from the 1992–1993 war (mainly ethnic Georgians) have not been able to return and have thus been excluded from the political process.[240]
Abkhazian officials have stated that they have given the Russian Federation the responsibility of representing their interests abroad.[241]Russia has a major military and economic presence in Abkhazia, and the relationship between the two has been described as asymmetrical, with Abkhazia being heavily dependent on Russia. Half of Abkhazia's budget comes from Russian funding, much of its state structure is integrated with Russia, it uses theRussian ruble,its foreign policy is coordinated with Russia, and a majority of its citizens have Russian passports as a result of Russia'spassportizationpolicy.[242][243]
According to a 2010 study published by theUniversity of Colorado Boulder,the vast majority of Abkhazia's population supports independence, while a smaller number is in favour of joining the Russian Federation. Support for reunification with Georgia is very low.[244]Even among ethnic Georgians, nearly 50% prefer Abkhazia to remain an independent state and less than 20% of them believe returning to Georgia is necessary, as most of them have adjusted to the current situation. Among ethnic Abkhaz, explicit support for reunification with Georgia is around 1%; a similar figure can be found among ethnic Russians and Armenians as well.[245]
Harmonization of laws with Russia
[edit]In 2014, separatist Republic of Abkhazia and Russian Federation signed the "Treaty of Alliance and Strategic Partnership" with Russia. Based on this treaty, in November 2020, Abkhazia launched a program on the "formation of common social and economic space" with Russia to make Abkhaz laws and administrative measures more similar to Russian ones in social, economic, health and political spheres.[246]On 15 August 2024, the Russian Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dmitry Volvach said that the process of Abkhazia'sharmonization of its lawswith Russia was "almost complete".[247]
Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia
[edit]
The Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia is thegovernment in exilethat Georgia recognises as the legal government of Abkhazia. This pro-Georgian government maintained a foothold on Abkhazian territory, in the upperKodori Valleyfrom July 2006 until it was forced out by fighting in August 2008. This government is also partly responsible for the affairs of some 250,000IDPs,forced to leave Abkhazia following theWar in Abkhaziaandethnic cleansingthat followed.[248][249]The current Head of the Government isVakhtang Kolbaia.[citation needed]
During theWar in Abkhazia,the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia (at the time the Georgian faction of the "Council of Ministers of Abkhazia" ) left Abkhazia after the Abkhaz separatist forces took control of the region's capitalSukhumiand relocated to Georgia's capitalTbilisiwhere it operated as the Government of Abkhazia in exile for almost 13 years. During this period, the Government of Abkhazia in exile, led byTamaz Nadareishvili,was known for a hard-line stance towards the Abkhaz problem and frequently voiced their opinion that the solution to the conflict can be attained only through Georgia's military response to secessionism.[250]Later, Nadareishvili's administration was implicated in some internal controversies and had not taken an active part in the politics of Abkhazia[citation needed]until a new chairman,Irakli Alasania,was appointed byPresident of Georgia,Mikheil Saakashvili,his envoy in the peace talks over Abkhazia.[citation needed]
Administrative divisions
[edit]
The Republic of Abkhazia is divided into sevenraions(districts) named after their primary cities:Gagra,Gudauta,Sukhumi,Ochamchira,Gulripshi,TkvarcheliandGali.These districts remain mostly unchanged since the break-up of the Soviet Union, with the exception of theTkvarcheli District,created in 1995 from parts of the Ochamchira and Gali districts.[251]
The President of the Republic appoints districts' heads from those elected to the districts' assemblies. There are elected village assemblies whose heads are appointed by the districts' heads.[124]
Theadministrative subdivisions under Georgian laware identical to the ones outlined above, except for the new Tkvarcheli district.[citation needed]
Military
[edit]The Abkhazian Armed Forces are the military of the Republic of Abkhazia. The basis of the Abkhazian armed forces was formed by the ethnically Abkhaz National Guard, which was established in early 1992. Most of their weapons come from the former Russian airborne division base in Gudauta.[252][253]The Abkhazian military is primarily a ground force, but includes small sea and air units. Russia deploys its own military units as part of the7th Military Basein Abkhazia.[254]These units are reportedly subordinate to the Russian49th Armyand include both ground elements and air defence assets.[255]
The Abkhazian Armed Forces are composed of:
- The Abkhazian Land Forces with a permanent force of around 5,000, but withreservistsand paramilitary personnel this may increase to up to 50,000 in times of military conflict. The exact numbers and the type of equipment used remain unverifiable.
- The Abkhazian Navy that consists of three divisions based inSukhumi,OchamchireandPitsunda,but the Russian coast guard patrols their waters.[citation needed]
- TheAbkhazian Air Force,a small unit consisting of a fewfighter aircraftandhelicopters.
Economy
[edit]The economy of Abkhazia is integrated with Russia as outlined in a bilateral agreement published in November 2014. The country uses the Russianrubleas its currency, and the two countries share a common economic andcustoms union.[256]Abkhazia has experienced a modest economic upswing since the2008 South Ossetia warand Russia's subsequent recognition of Abkhazia's independence. About half of Abkhazia's state budget is financed with aid money from Russia.[257]
Tourismis a key industry and, according to Abkhazia's authorities, almost a million tourists (mainly from Russia) came to Abkhazia in 2007.[258]Abkhazia exports wine and fruits, especiallytangerinesandhazelnuts.[259]Electricity is largely supplied by theInguri hydroelectric power stationlocated on the Inguri River between Abkhazia and Georgia (proper) and operated jointly by both parties.[260]
In the first half of 2012, the principal trading partners of Abkhazia were Russia (64%) and Turkey (18%).[261]TheCISeconomic sanctions imposed on Abkhazia in 1996 are still formally in force, but Russia announced on 6 March 2008 that it would no longer participate in them, declaring them "outdated, impeding the socio-economic development of the region, and causing unjustified hardship for the people of Abkhazia". Russia also called on other CIS members to undertake similar steps,[262]but met with protests from Tbilisi and lack of support from the other CIS countries.[263]
Despite the controversial status of the territory and its damaged infrastructure,tourism in Abkhaziagrew following the Russian recognition of Abkhazian independence in 2008 due to the arrival of Russian tourists. In 2009 the number of Russian tourists in Abkhazia increased by 20% and the total number of Russian tourists reached 1 million.[264][265]After the tourist boom many Russian businesses began to invest money in Abkhazian tourist infrastructure. With the main highway of the country being rebuilt in 2014 many damaged hotels in Gagra are either being restored or demolished. In 2014, 1.16 million Russian tourists visited Abkhazia.[266]
Demographics
[edit]According to the last census in 2011 Abkhazia had 240,705 inhabitants.[267]The Department of Statistics of Georgia estimated Abkhazia's population to be approximately 179,000 in 2003, and 178,000 in 2005 (the last year when such estimates were published in Georgia).[268]Encyclopædia Britannicaestimates the population in 2007 at 180,000[269]and theInternational Crisis Groupestimated Abkhazia's total population in 2006 to be between 157,000 and 190,000 (or between 180,000 and 220,000 as estimated byUNDPin 1998).[270]
Ethnicity
[edit]The ethnic composition of Abkhazia has played a central role in theGeorgian-Abkhazian conflict.The1992–1993 war with Georgiaresulted in the expulsion and flight of over half of the republic's population, which had numbered 525,061 in the 1989 census.[113]The population of Abkhazia remains ethnically very diverse, even after the 1992–1993 war. At present the population of Abkhazia is mainly made up of ethnicAbkhaz(50.7% according to the 2011 census),Russians,Armenians,Georgians(mostlyMingrelians), andGreeks.[267]Other ethnicities includeUkrainians,Belarusians,Ossetians,Tatars,Turks,RomaandEstonians.[271]
Greeks constituted a significant minority in the area in the early 1920s (50,000), and remained a major ethnic group until 1945, when they were deported to Central Asia.[272]Under the Soviet Union, the Russian, Armenian, and Georgian populations grew faster than the Abkhaz population, due to large-scale enforced migration, especially under the rule ofJoseph StalinandLavrenty Beria.[71]
At the time of the 1989 census, Abkhazia's Georgian population numbered 239,872, forming around 45.7% of the population, and the Armenian population was 77,000.[113][273]Due toethnic cleansingand displacement due to people fleeing the 1992–1993 war, the Georgian population, and to a lesser extent the Russian and Armenian populations, has greatly declined.[269]In 2003 Armenians formed the second-largest minority group in Abkhazia (closely matching the Georgians), numbering 44,869.[113]By the time of the 2011 census,Georgiansformed the second-largest minority group with a population of 46,455.[273]Despite the official numbers, unofficial sources estimate that the Abkhaz and Armenian communities are roughly equal in number.[274]
In the wake of theSyrian civil warAbkhazia granted refugee status to a few hundred Syrians with Abkhaz,AbazinandCircassianancestry.[274]Facing a growing Armenian community, this move has been linked with the wish of the ruling Abkhaz —who have often been in the minority on their territory— to tilt the demographic balance in favour of the titular nation.[274]
Diaspora
[edit]Thousands of Abkhaz, known asmuhajirun,were exiled to theOttoman Empirein the mid-19th century after resisting theRussianconquest of the Caucasus. Today, Turkey is home to the world's largest Abkhaz diaspora community. Size estimates vary – diaspora leaders say 1 million people; Abkhaz estimates range from 150,000 to 500,000.[275][276]
Religion
[edit]
A majority of inhabitants of Abkhazia are Christian (Eastern Orthodox(see also:Abkhazian Orthodox Church) andArmenian Apostolic) while a significant minority areSunni Muslim.[278]TheAbkhaz Native Religionhas undergone a strong revival in recent decades.[279]There is a very small number of adherents of Judaism,Jehovah's Witnessesandnew religious movements.[277]The Jehovah's Witnesses organisation has officially been banned since 1995, though the decree is not currently enforced.[280]
According to the constitutions of both Abkhazia and Georgia, the adherents of all religions have equal rights before the law.[281]
According to a survey held in 2003, 60% of respondents identified themselves as Christian, 16% as Muslim, 8% as atheist or irreligious, 8% as adhering to the traditional Abkhazian religion or as Pagan, 2% as follower of other religions and 6% as undecided.[277]
Language
[edit]Article 6 of the Constitution of Abkhazia states:
The official language of the Republic of Abkhazia shall be the Abkhazian language. The Russian language, equally with the Abkhazian language, shall be recognized as a language of State and other institutions. The State shall guarantee the right to freely use the mother language for all the ethnic groups residing in Abkhazia.[282]
The languages spoken in Abkhazia areAbkhaz,Russian,Mingrelian,Svan,Armenian,andGreek.[283]The Autonomous Republic passed a law in 2007 defining the Abkhaz language as the only state language of Abkhazia.[284]As such, Abkhaz is the required language for legislative and executive council debates (with translation from and to Russian) and at least half of the text of all magazines and newspapers must be in Abkhaz.[284]
Despite the official status of Abkhaz, the dominance of other languages within Abkhazia, especially Russian, is so great that experts called it an "endangered language"in 2004.[285]During the Soviet era, language instruction would begin in schools in Abkhaz, only to switch to Russian for the majority of required schooling.[285]The government of the Republic is attempting to institute Abkhaz-only primary education but there has been limited success due to a lack of facilities and educational materials.[284]The primary schools in Georgian-speaking areas switched from Georgian to Russian in 2016.[286]
Nationality issues
[edit]Adoption of Russian nationality
[edit]
After the break-up of the Soviet Union, many Abkhazians kept theirSoviet passports,even after a decade, and used them to eventually apply for Russian citizenship.[287]
Before 2002, Russian law allowed residents of former Soviet Union to apply for citizenship if they had not become citizens of their newly independent states. The procedure was extremely complex. The newcitizenship law of Russiaadopted on 31 May 2002 introduced a simplified procedure of citizenship acquisition for former citizens of the Soviet Union regardless of their place of residence. In Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the application process was simplified even further, and people could apply even without leaving their homes. Russian non-governmental organisations with close ties to Russian officialdom simply took their papers to a nearby Russian city for processing.[288]
Abkhazians began mass acquisition of Russian passports in 2002. It is reported that the public organisation the Congress of Russian Communities of Abkhazia started collecting Abkhazians' Soviet-era travel documents. It then sent them to a consular department specially set up byRussian Foreign Ministryofficials in the city ofSochi.After they were checked, Abkhazian applicants were granted Russian citizenship. By 25 June 2002, an estimated 150,000 people in Abkhazia had acquired the new passports, joining 50,000 who already possessed Russian citizenship. The Sukhum authorities, although officially not involved in the registration for Russian nationality process, openly encouraged it. Government officials said privately that President Putin's administration agreed with the passport acquisition during Abkhazia's prime ministerDjergenia's visit to Moscow in May 2002.[287]
The"passportisation"caused outrage in Tbilisi, worsening its already shaky relations with Russia. TheGeorgian Foreign Ministryissued a statement insisting that Abkhazians were citizens of Georgia and calling the passport allocation an "unprecedented illegal campaign". PresidentEduard Shevardnadzesaid that he would be asking his Russian counterpart,Vladimir Putin,for an explanation. The speaker of parliamentNino Burjanadzesaid that she would raise the matter at the forthcoming OSCE parliamentary assembly.[287]
1 February 2011 was the last day in the post-Soviet era when a passport ofUSSRwas valid for crossing the Russian-Abkhaz border. According to the staff of Abkhazia's passport and visa service, there were about two to three thousand mostly elderly people left with Soviet passports who had no chance of acquiring new documents. These people were not able to get Russian citizenship. But they can first get an internal Abkhaz passport and then a travelling passport to visit Russia.[289]
Issue of ethnic Georgians
[edit]In 2005, citing the need to integrate ethnic Georgian residents of eastern districts of Abkhazia, the then leadership of Abkhazia showed signs of a softening stance towards granting of citizenship to the residents of Gali, Ochamchire and Tkvarcheli districts.[290]
According to the Abkhazian law on citizenship,ethnic Abkhazians,regardless of place of residence, can become Abkhaz citizens. Those who are not ethnic Abkhazians are eligible for citizenship if they lived in Abkhazia for at least five years prior to adoption of act of independence in October 1999. This provision aimed at creating a legal hurdle in obtaining Abkhaz passports for those ethnic Georgians who fled Abkhazia as a result of 1992–1993 armed conflict and who then returned to the Gali district. Abkhazian legislation forbids citizens of Abkhazia from holdingdual citizenshipwith any other state apart from Russia.[291]
Ethnic Georgians who have returned to the Gali district and want to obtain Abkhaz passports, according to Abkhazian law, should undergo lengthy procedures which also include a requirement to submit documented proof that they renounced their Georgian citizenship.[291]President Bagapsh was inclined to regard Georgians in Gali as "Georgianised Abkhazians." According to Bagapsh, these were actually ethnic Abkhaz people who were "Georgianised" during the long process of the Georgianisation of Abkhazia that culminated during the rule of Joseph Stalin and Lavrenti Beria. So in his official speeches, Bagapsh often added the Gali Georgians to population estimates of the Abkhaz, disregarding the fact that they still thought of themselves as ethnic Georgians rather than Abkhaz.[292]
In early 2013 the process of passportisation of ethnic Georgians came under the scrutiny of Abkhaz opposition groups who turned this issue into one of the central topics of the breakaway region's internal politics, and issuing of passports was suspended in May. Opposition claimed that "massive" passportisation involving granting citizenship to ethnic Georgians in eastern districts was fraught with risk of "losing sovereignty and territorial integrity." According to Apsnypress,Stanislav Lakoba,secretary of Abkhaz security council, said that "We are facing the process of the total Georgianization of Abkhazia."[291]
Pressures have been placed upon teachers in areas of Abkhazia which retain large Georgian populations to abandon the use of theGeorgian languagein education and adopt Russian textbooks.[293][294][295]
On 18 September 2013, the Parliament of Republic of Abkhazia adopted a resolution instructing the prosecutor's office to carry out a "sweeping" probe into passport offices of the interior ministry and where wrongdoings were found in the distribution of passports to refer those violations to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for "annulment of illegally issued passports." Abkhaz officials announced that a significant number of residents of Gali, Ochamchire and Tkvarcheli districts received Abkhaz passports while at the same time retaining their Georgian citizenship, which constituted a "violation of the law on Abkhaz citizenship". According to the Abkhaz officials, more than 26,000 passports were distributed in Gali, Tkvarcheli and Ochamchire districts, including about 23,000 of which were given out since Russian recognition of Abkhazia's independence in August 2008. These political debates have caused concerns in the ethnic Georgian population of Abkhazia, who reside mainly in Gali district, that they would be stripped of Abkhazian citizenship and thus forced to leave Abkhazia again.[290]
In October 2013 Alexander Ankvab signed a document ordering the firing of Stanislav Lakoba. The document did not state any reason for the decision but Lakoba saw it as related to his political position on granting citizenship to Georgians living in Gali. Lakoba claimed that, according to data from the Abkhaz Security Council, 129 local people in Gali fought against Abkhazia. Local political parties and the coordination council of civil organisations expressed concern about Lakoba's dismissal. They claimed that, by dismissing him, the president "made an illegal process legal" – giving Abkhazian passports to Georgian citizens.[296]
Education
[edit]Until the 19th century, young people from Abkhazia usually received their education mainly at religious schools (Muslims at madrasas and Christians at seminaries), although a small number of children from wealthy families had opportunity to travel to foreign countries for education. The first modern educational institutions (both schools and colleges) in Abkhazia were established in the late 19th-early 20th centuries and rapidly grew until the second half of the 20th century. By the middle of the 20th century, Sukhumi had become a home for large educational institutions (both higher education institutions and technical vocational education and training (TVET) colleges) and largest students' community in Abkhazia. For example, the number of college students grew from few dozens in the 1920s to several thousands in the 1980s.[citation needed]
According to the official statistical data, Abkhazia has 12 TVET colleges (as of 2019, est.) providing education and vocational training to youth mostly in the capital city, though there are several colleges in all major district centers.[297]Independent international assessments suggest that these colleges train in about 20 different specialties attracting between 1000 and 1300 young people annually (aged between 16 and 29) (as of 2019, est.).[citation needed]The largest colleges are as follows:[citation needed]
- Abkhaz State University(1979), has its own campus which is a home for 42 departments organised into 8 faculties providing education to about 3300 students (as of 2019, est.).[297]
- Abkhaz Multiindustrial College (1959) (from 1959 to 1999 – Sukhumi Trade and Culinary School),
- Sukhumi State College (1904) (from 1904 to 1921 – Sukhumi Real School; from 1921 to 1999 – Sukhumi Industrial Technical School),
- Sukhumi Art College (1935)
- Sukhum Medical College (1931)
Culture
[edit]The apsuara, the Abkhaz code of honor, is very stringent regarding hospitality. One of its principles is to respect guests even if they have committed crimes against the host.[10]
The writtenAbkhazliterature appeared relatively recently, in the beginning of the 20th century. However, Abkhaz share theNart sagas,a series of tales about mythical heroes, with other Caucasian peoples. TheAbkhaz alphabetwas created in the 19th century. The first newspaper in Abkhaz, calledAbkhaziaand edited byDmitry Gulia,appeared in 1917.[298]
Arguably the most famous Abkhaz writers areFazil Iskander,who wrote mostly in Russian, andBagrat Shinkuba,a poet and writer.[299]
Media
[edit]Sports
[edit]
Footballremains the most popularsport in Abkhazia.Other popular sports include basketball, boxing and wrestling.[citation needed]The National Basketball Team of Abkhazia played its first game with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Basketball team on 27 May 2015, which Abkhaz team won by 76–59.[300]Abkhaz basketball team "Apsny" also plays in the Russian Basketball League's Third-Tier in Krasnodar Krai. Abkhazia has had its own amateur football league called theAbkhazian Premier League,but it has no international football union membership.[citation needed]In total, there are nineteen Abkhazian Football Clubs across the two leagues. In 2016 it hosted and won theConIFA World Football Cup.[301][302]
Since the early 2000s, tennis has become increasingly popular among school age children in Abkhazia. Several tennis players from Sukhumi participated as the national competitions in Russia and played at major international competitions under the Russian flag. For example, tennis player Alen Avidzba participated at the Davis Cup in 2016[303]and Amina Anshba won a silver medal at an international tournament in Turkey in 2017.[citation needed]In fact, according to the official information from the Tennis portal.ru the highest career achievement of Amina Anshba was 278th place in the ranking among women in 2021[304][305]
See also
[edit]
- Outline of Abkhazia
- Bibliography of Abkhazia
- Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations
- Land of Darkness
- South Ossetia,another region of Georgia which is also a disputed territory
- List of states with limited recognition
Notes
[edit]- ^
- Abkhaz:Аԥсны,romanized:Apsny,IPA[apʰsˈnɨ]
- Russian:Абха́зия,romanized:Abkhaziya,IPA:[ɐˈpxazʲɪjə]
- Georgian:აფხაზეთი,romanized:apkhazetiIPA:[ˈapʰχazetʰi]
- Mingrelian:აბჟუა,romanized:abzhua,orსააფხაზოsaapkhazo
- ^
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Sources
[edit]- de Waal, Thomas (2010).The Caucasus: an Introduction.Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-975043-6.
- Coene, Frederik (2010).The Caucasus: an Introduction.Routledge.ISBN978-1-135-20302-3.
- Hille, Charlotte (2010).State Building and Conflict Resolution in the Caucasus.Brill.ISBN978-90-04-17901-1.
- Cornell, Svante E. (2001).Small Nations and Great Powers(PDF).RoutledgeCurzon.
- George, Julie A (2009).The Politics of Ethnic Separatism in Russia and Georgia.Palgrave Macmillan.ISBN978-0-230-10232-3.
Further reading
[edit]- Odisheli, Manana (2018)."Abasgia".In Nicholson, Oliver (ed.).The Oxford Dictionary of Late Antiquity.Oxford: Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-866277-8.
External links
[edit]
Definitionsfrom Wiktionary
Mediafrom Commons
Newsfrom Wikinews
Quotationsfrom Wikiquote
Textsfrom Wikisource
Textbooksfrom Wikibooks
Resourcesfrom Wikiversity
Travel informationfrom Wikivoyage
Wikimedia Atlas of Abkhazia- (in English, Russian, and Georgian)Официальный сайт Президента Республики Абхазия(official webpage of the President of Abkhazia).
- (in English, Russian, and Abkhaz)Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia(official site).
- BBC Regions and territories: Abkhazia
- (in Russian)State Information Agency of the Abkhaz Republic
- UN Documents for Georgia
- Reza, Enayatollah; Qasemi, Jawad (2008)."Abkhazia (Abkhāz)".InMadelung, Wilferd;Daftary, Farhad(eds.).Encyclopaedia Islamica Online.Brill Online.ISSN1875-9831.
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