Portal:Abkhazia

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The Abkhazia Portal

Flag of Abkhazia	Coat of Arms for Abkhazia

Abkhazia, 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 West 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 Abkhazia 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 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.

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Abkhazia and South Ossetia are separatist regions of Georgia in the Caucasus. Most countries recognise them as part of Georgia, while Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria regard them as independent. Russia's initial recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia occurred in the aftermath of the Russo-Georgian War in 2008. The government of Georgia considers the republics to be Russian-occupied territories.

Abkhazia and South Ossetia were once recognised by up to seven UN member states, until Tuvalu withdrew its recognition of both in 2014, and Vanuatu clarified the status of their recognitions. Vanuatu reconfirmed in 2019 it supports Georgian territorial integrity including the two disputed territories. Abkhazia and South Ossetia recognise each other, and also have some recognition from non-UN member states. (Full article...)

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Gubazes II (Georgian: გუბაზ II, Greek: Γουβάζης) was king of Lazica (modern western Georgia) from circa 541 until his assassination in 555. He was one of the central personalities of the Lazic War (541–562). He originally ascended the throne as a vassal of the Byzantine Empire, but the heavy-handed actions of the Byzantine authorities led him to seek the assistance of Byzantium's main rival, Sassanid Persia. The Byzantines were evicted from Lazica with the aid of a Persian army in 541, but the Persian occupation of the country turned out to be worse, and by 548, Gubazes was requesting assistance from Byzantium. Gubazes remained a Byzantine ally during the next few years, as the two empires fought for control of Lazica, with the fortress of Petra as the focal point of the struggle. Gubazes eventually quarrelled with the Byzantine generals over the fruitless continuation of the war, and was assassinated by them. (Full article...)

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