Portal:Abkhazia

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The Abkhazia Portal

Flag of Abkhazia	Coat of Arms for Abkhazia

Abkhazia (/æbˈkɑːziə/ ^ⓘ ab-KAH-zee-ə), officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a partially recognised state, in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. 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 political status of Abkhazia is a central issue of the Abkhaz–Georgian conflict and Georgia–Russia relations. Abkhazia has been recognised as an independent state by Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria; however, the Georgian government and nearly all United Nations member states consider Abkhazia a sovereign territory of Georgia. Lacking effective control over the Abkhazian territory, Georgia maintains an Abkhaz 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 23 October 2008, the Parliament of Georgia declared Abkhazia a Russian-occupied territory, a position shared by most United Nations member states.

Abkhazia is heavily dependent on Russia: half of its budget comes from Russian aid and much of its state structure is integrated with Russia; it uses the Russian ruble; its foreign policy is coordinated with Russia; and a majority of its citizens have Russian passports.

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The Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia is an administration established by Georgia as the legal and only government of Abkhazia. Abkhazia has been de facto independent of Georgia – though with limited international recognition – since the early 1990s. Ruslan Abashidze, elected in May 2019, is the current head of the government-in-exile.

After the War in Abkhazia (1992–1993) Georgia proposed five-party talks involving the Government of the Autonomous Republic, the government of the de facto authorities of Abkhazia, and the government of Georgia, along with Russia and the UN as interested parties, in order to settle the final status of Abkhazia within the framework of the Georgian state. The Abkhaz side wanted assurances that Georgia would not try to solve the issue by force of arms before being a party to the talks. (Full article...)

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Bessas (Greek: Βέσσας, before 480 – after 554) was an Eastern Roman general of Gothic origin from Thrace, primarily known for his career in the wars of Justinian I (reigned 527–565). He distinguished himself against the Sassanid Persians in the Iberian War and under the command of Belisarius in the Gothic War, but after Belisarius' departure from Italy he failed to confront the resurgent Goths and was largely responsible for the loss of Rome in 546. Returning east in disgrace, despite his advanced age he was appointed as commander in the Lazic War. There he redeemed himself with the recapture of Petra, but his subsequent idleness led Justinian to dismiss him and exile him to Abasgia. (Full article...)

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Nestor Lakoba Vladislav Ardzinba 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 George II of Abkhazia Dorotheos Dbar Igor Akhba Beslan Butba

General images

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

Image 1Map of Sukhumi district (Abkhazia), 1890s (from History of Abkhazia)
Image 2Gagra Range (from Geography of Abkhazia)
Image 3Enguri Bridge [ru] over the Enguri river border (from Abkhazia–Georgia border)
Image 4Meeting 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 5One of the dolmens from Eshera (now at the Sukhumi Museum) (from History of Abkhazia)
Image 6Nestor Lakoba, a Bolshevik leader of Abkhazia from 1921 to 1936 (from History of Abkhazia)
Image 7Bagrat III of Georgia; of the House of Bagrationi (from History of Abkhazia)
Image 8Map of modern Abkhazia (from History of Abkhazia)
Image 9Enguri Bridge [ru] over the Enguri river (from Abkhazia–Georgia border)
Image 10Map of Abkhazia, with Georgia to the east (from Abkhazia–Georgia border)
Image 11Anacopia Fortress (from History of Abkhazia)
Image 12Kingdom of Imereti in the 16th century (from History of Abkhazia)
Image 13Map 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)

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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