Portal:Abkhazia

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Abkhazia (/æbˈkɑːziə/ (listen) ab-KAH-zee-ə or /æbˈkeɪziə/ (listen) ab-KAY-zee-ə), officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, recognised by most countries as part of Georgia, which views the region as an autonomous republic. It lies on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, south of the Greater Caucasus mountains in northwestern Georgia. It covers 8,665 square kilometres (3,346 sq mi) and has a population of around 245,000. Its capital and largest city is Sukhumi.

The status of Abkhazia is a central issue of the Georgian–Abkhazian conflict and Georgia–Russia relations. Abkhazia is recognised as an independent state by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria. While Georgia lacks control over Abkhazia, the Georgian government and most United Nations member states consider Abkhazia legally a part of Georgia, with Georgia maintaining an official government-in-exile.

The region had autonomy within Soviet Georgia at the time when the Soviet Union began to disintegrate in the late 1980s. Simmering ethnic tensions between the Abkhaz—the region's titular ethnicity—and Georgians—the largest single ethnic group at that time—culminated in the 1992–1993 War in Abkhazia, which resulted in Georgia's loss of control over most of Abkhazia and the ethnic cleansing of Georgians from Abkhazia.

Despite a 1994 ceasefire agreement and years of negotiations, the dispute remains unresolved. The long-term presence of a United Nations Observer Mission and a Russian-led Commonwealth of Independent States peacekeeping force failed to prevent the flare-up of violence on several occasions. In August 2008, Abkhaz and Russian forces fought a war against 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 28 August 2008, the Parliament of Georgia declared Abkhazia a Russian-occupied territory, a position shared by most United Nations member states.

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Abrskil Cave or Abrskila (Georgian: აბრსკილის მღვიმე) is a stalactite cave near Otapi village in Abkhazia, Georgia. It is named after the national hero of Abrskil — a parallel folk hero of the Greek Prometheus and Georgian Amiran — known as Abkhaz Prometheus. It is also called the Otap cave. Abrskila is more than 2 km in length out of which about 1.5 to 1.7 km is accessible for viewing. Its beauty and fame is compared favourably with another cave known as the New Athos Cave. (Full article...)

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The Aloisi villa in Sukhumi

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George II (Georgian: გიორგი II, Giorgi II), of the Leonid dynasty was a king of Abkhazia from 923 to 957 AD. His lengthy reign is regarded as a zenith of cultural flowering and political power of his realm. Despite being independent and locally titled as a Mepe (king), he is also regarded as Exousiastes, the title that was addressed to him by Byzantines.

George II continued the expansionist policy of his predecessor, aiming primarily at unification of Georgia. It took him, however, some time to assume full ruling powers as his half-brother Bagrat also claimed the crown. (Full article...)

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Nestor Lakoba Vladislav Ardzinba Bessas (magister militum) Gubazes II of Lazica Justin (consul 540) Gennadi Gagulia Raul Khajimba Beslan Bartsits Viktor Saneyev Sergei Shamba Daur Arshba Sergei Bagapsh Fazil Iskander Valeri Bganba Aslan Bzhania Abrskil Dorotheos Dbar Igor Akhba Beslan Butba

General images

The following are images from various Abkhazia-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Map of modern Abkhazia (from History of Abkhazia)
Image 2Bagrat III of Georgia; of the House of Bagrationi (from History of Abkhazia)
Image 3Map of Sukhumi district (Abkhazia), 1890s (from History of Abkhazia)
Image 4Bridge over the Enguri river border (from Abkhazia–Georgia border)
Image 5Abkhaz delegation in Tbilisi, 1918 (from History of Abkhazia)
Image 6One of the dolmens from Eshera (now at the Sukhumi Museum) (from History of Abkhazia)
Image 7The border bridge over the Enguri river (from Abkhazia–Georgia border)
Image 8Map showing the situation in Georgia at the end of 1993. Abkhaz forces were in control of all of the former Abkhaz ASSR, except the Kodori Gorge which remained in Georgian hands until the 2008 war with Russia. (from Abkhazia–Georgia border)
Image 9Gagra Range (from Geography of Abkhazia)
Image 10Meeting of Circassian Princes in the Valley of the Sochi River by Gregory Gagarin (1841). The print depicts several influential Abkhaz noblemen who played an active role in the politics of Abkhazia and in the regional conflicts (from History of Abkhazia)
Image 11Map of Abkhazia, with Georgia to the east (from Abkhazia–Georgia border)
Image 12Anacopia Fortress (from History of Abkhazia)
Image 13Kingdom of Imereti in the 16th century (from History of Abkhazia)
Image 14Nestor Lakoba, an Abkhaz Bolshevik leader who de facto controlled Abkhazia from 1921 until his murder in 1936 (from History of Abkhazia)

Did you know?

...that the Voronya Cave in the Arabika Massif is currently the world's deepest cave and that its complete depth has not yet been established?
...that Lavrentiy Beria, the feared head of the Soviet NKVD, was born in the village of Merkheuli and that he went to school in Sukhumi?
...that during the Orange Revolution in the Ukraine, Abkhazia witnessed a very similar political crisis following the 2004 presidential election, which lasted twice as long?
...that there is a tiny community of Afro-Abkhazians, descendent from slaves bought centuries ago from the Turks?

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