¹ -^[46] Georgian authorities did not acknowledge the results of this census and consider it illegitimate. Several international sources also consider these figures unrealistically high. The International Crisis Group (2006) estimates Abkhazia's total population to be between 157,000 and 190,000 (or between 180,000 and 220,000 as estimated by UNDP in 1998),^[47] while Encyclopædia Britannica puts it at 177,000 (2006 est. The International Crisis Group ( ICG) is an independent international Non-profit, Non-governmental organization whose mission is to prevent and resolve The Encyclopædia Britannica is a general English-language encyclopaedia published by Encyclopædia Britannica Inc ). ^[48] The State Department of Statistics of Georgia estimated, in 2005, Abkhazia's population to be approximately 178,000. ^[49] About 2,000 people (predominantly Svans, a subethnic group of the Georgian people) live in Georgia-controlled Upper Abkhazia. The Svans (სვანები Svanebi) are an ethnographic group of Georgians that mostly live in Svanetia region of Georgia.

History

Main article: History of Abkhazia

Early history

In the 9th–6th centuries BC, the territory of modern Abkhazia became a part of the ancient Georgian kingdom of Colchis (Kolkha), which was absorbed in 63 BC into the Kingdom of Egrisi. The article refers to the history of Republic of Abkhazia (or Abchasia) Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between In ancient Geography, Colchis or Kolchis ( Georgian and Laz: კოლხეთი k'olxeti; Greek:, Kolchís Year 63 BC was a year of the pre-Julian calendar. Events By place Rome Pompey conquers Phonecia, Coele-Syria Egrisi (ეგრისი is a medieval Georgian name for the region and kingdom in the western part of modern-day Georgia, known to the Byzantine Greek traders established ports along the Black Sea shoreline. One of those ports, Dioscurias, eventually developed into modern Sukhumi, Abkhazia's traditional capital. Sukhumi, also spelled as Sukhum ( Abkhaz: Аҟəа Aqwa; სოხუმი Sokhumi, Сухуми/Сухум is the capital

The Roman Empire conquered Egrisi in the 1st century AD and ruled it until the 4th century, following which it regained a measure of independence, but remained within the Byzantine Empire's sphere of influence. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Although the exact time when the population of Abkhazia was converted to Christianity is not determined, it is known that the Metropolitan of Pitius participated in the First Œcumenical Council in 325 in Nicea. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Abkhazia was made an autonomous principality of the Byzantine Empire in the 7th century — a status it retained until the 9th century, when it was united with the province of Imereti and became known as the Abkhazian Kingdom. Imereti Province ( Georgian: იმერეთი მხარე Imereti Mxare) is a province in Georgia situated along the middle and upper reaches The Kingdom of Abkhazia, also known as Kingdom of Apkhazeti-Egrisi or the Kingdom of the Abkhazs (აფხაზთა სამეფო refers to an In 9th–10th centuries the Georgian kings tried to unify all the Georgian provinces and in 1001 King Bagrat III Bagrationi became the first king of the unified Georgian Kingdom. Bagrat III (ბაგრატ III (c 960 – May 7, 1014) of the Georgian Bagrationi dynasty was King of the Abkhazians from

In the 16th century, after the break-up of the united Georgian Kingdom, the area was conquered by the Ottoman Empire, during this time some Abkhazians converted to Islam. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The Ottomans were pushed out by the Georgians, who established an autonomous Principality of Abkhazia (abxazetis samtavro in Georgian), ruled by the Shervashidze dynasty (aka Sharvashidze, or Chachba). The Principality of Abkhazia emerged as a separate feudal entity in the 15th-16th centuries amid the civil wars in the Kingdom of Georgia that concluded with the Shervashidze ( Abkhaz: Chachba) was a noble family in Abkhazia which according to later sources can be traced at least as far back as the twelfth century

Abkhazia within the Russian Empire and Soviet Union

The expansion of the Russian Empire into the Caucasus region led to small-scale but regular conflicts between Russian colonists and the indigenous Caucasian tribes. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Eventually the Caucasian War erupted, which ended with Russian conquest of the North and Western Caucasus. The Caucasian War of 1817–1864 also known as the Russian conquest of the Caucasus was an invasion of the Caucasus by the Russian Empire ended with the The North Caucasus, also Ciscaucasus, Ciscaucasia or Forecaucasia, is the northern part of the Caucasus region between Europe This article concerns the World Heritage Site For other meanings see Caucasus (disambiguation and Caucasia (disambiguation. Various Georgian principalities were annexed to the empire between 1801 and 1864. The Russians acquired possession of Abhkazia in a piecemeal fashion between 1829 and 1842; but their power was not firmly established until 1864, when they managed to abolish the local principality which was still under Shervashidze rule. Year 1864 ( MDCCCLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Shervashidze ( Abkhaz: Chachba) was a noble family in Abkhazia which according to later sources can be traced at least as far back as the twelfth century Large numbers of Muslim Abkhazians — said to have constituted as much as 60% of the Abkhazian population, although contemporary census reports were not very trustworthy — emigrated to the Ottoman Empire between 1864 and 1878 together with other Muslim population of Caucasus in the process known as Muhajirism. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Several Indigenous peoples of the northwest of the Caucasus were forced into Exodus at the end of the Caucasian War by victorious Russia

Modern Abkhazian historians maintain that large areas of the region were left uninhabited, and that many Armenians, Georgians and Russians (all Christians) subsequently migrated to Abkhazia, resettling much of the vacated territory. This version of events is strongly contested by some Georgian historians^[50] who argue that Georgian tribes (Mingrelians and Svans) had populated Abkhazia since the time of the Colchis kingdom. According to these scholars, the Abkhaz are the descendants of North Caucasian tribes (Adygey, Apsua), who migrated to Abkhazia from the north of the Caucasus Mountains and merged there with the existing Georgian population. This article is about the terrestrial Eurasian mountain range This theory has little support though among Georgian academics. ^[51][52]

. A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (საქართველოს საბჭოთასოციალისტური რესპუბლიკა

The Russian Revolution of 1917 led to the creation of an independent Georgia (which included Abkhazia) in 1918. See also Russian Revolution (1905 The Russian Revolution of 1916 refers to a series of popular revolutions in Russia, and the events surrounding them Georgia's Menshevik government had problems with the area through most of its existence despite a limited autonomy being granted to the region. The Mensheviks (Minority (Меньшевик) were a faction of the Russian Revolutionary movement that emerged in 1903 after a dispute between Vladimir In 1921, the Bolshevik Red Army invaded Georgia and ended its short-lived independence. Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists ( Большевик Большевист (singular, derived from bolshe, "more" were a faction Abkhazia was made a Soviet republic with the ambiguous status of Union Republic associated with the Georgian SSR. The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (საქართველოს საბჭოთასოციალისტური რესპუბლიკა In 1931, Stalin made it an autonomous republic within Soviet Georgia. Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Despite its nominal autonomy, it was subjected to strong central rule from central Soviet authorities. Georgian became the official language. Purportedly, Lavrenty Beria encouraged Georgian migration to Abkhazia, and many took up the offer and resettled there. Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria (ლავრენტი პავლეს ძე ბერია Lavrenti Pavles dze Beria; Russian: Лаврентий Павлович Russians also moved into Abkhazia in great numbers. Later, in the 1950s and 1960s, Vazgen I and the Armenian church encouraged and funded the migration of Armenians to Abkhazia. His Holiness Vazgen I (Վազգեն Ա born Levon Garabed Baljian; September 20, 1908 &mdash August 18, 1994) was the Catholicos Currently, Armenians are the largest minority group in Abkhazia.

The repression of the Abkhaz was ended after Stalin's death and Beria's execution, and Abkhaz were given a greater role in the governance of the republic. As in most of the smaller autonomous republics, the Soviet government encouraged the development of culture and particularly of literature. Ethnic quotas were established for certain bureaucratic posts, giving the Abkhaz a degree of political power that was disproportionate to their minority status in the republic. This was interpreted by some as a "divide and rule" policy whereby local elites were given a share in power in exchange for support for the Soviet regime. In Abkhazia as elsewhere, it led to other ethnic groups - in this case, the Georgians - resenting what they saw as unfair discrimination, thereby stoking ethnic discord in the republic.

The Abkhazian War

Main article: Georgian-Abkhaz conflict

As the Soviet Union began to disintegrate at the end of the 1980s, ethnic tensions grew between the Abkhaz and Georgians over Georgia's moves towards independence. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 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. The dispute turned violent on July 16, 1989 in Sukhumi. The Sukhumi riot was a Riot in Sukhumi, Abkhaz ASSR, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union, in July 1989 triggered by an increasing inter-ethnic Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) Sixteen Georgians are said to have been killed and another 137 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 and blamed rival nationalist paramilitaries for provoking confrontations.

The republic of Georgia boycotted the March 17, 1991 all-Union referendum on the renewal of the Soviet Union called by Mikhail Gorbachev - but 52. Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev ( Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov;; born 2 March 1931 in Privolnoye Stavropol Krai) is a Russian politician 3% of the Abkhazia's population (virtually all the ethnic non-Georgians) took part in the referendum and voted by an overwhelming majority (98. 6%) to preserve the Union. ^[53][54] Most ethnic non-Georgians later boycotted a March 31 referendum on Georgia’s independence, which was supported by a huge majority of Georgia's population. A Referendum was held in the Republic of Georgia on March 31, 1991, on the question of Georgia's independence from the Soviet Within weeks, Georgia declared independence on 9 April 1991, under former Soviet dissident Zviad Gamsakhurdia. Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Zviad Gamsakhurdia ( Georgian: ზვიად გამსახურდია, ( March 31, 1939 — December 31, 1993

Gamsakhurdia's rule was soon challenged by the armed opposition groups which, under the command of Tengiz Kitovani, forced him to flee the country in a military coup in January 1992. Tengiz Kitovani (თენგიზ კიტოვანი (born June 9 1938) is a retired Georgian politician and military commander with high-profile Former Soviet foreign minister and architect of the disintegration of the USSR Eduard Shevardnadze replaced Gamsakhurdia as president, inheriting a government dominated by hardline Georgian nationalists. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Eduard Amvrosiyevich Shevardnadze (ედუარდ შევარდნაძე ɛduɑrd ʃɛvɑrdnɑdzɛ (born 25 January 1928 in Mamati, Lanchkhuti He was not an ethnic nationalist but did little to avoid being seen as supporting his administration's dominant figures and the leaders of the coup that swept him to power.

On 21 February 1992, Georgia's ruling Military Council announced that it was abolishing the Soviet-era constitution and restoring the 1921 Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Georgia. Events 362 - Athanasius returns to Alexandria. 1245 - Thomas, the first known Bishop of Finland Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) The Democratic Republic of Georgia ( DRG; Georgian: საქართველოს დემოკრატიული რესპუბლიკა Sakartvelos Many Abkhaz interpreted this as an abolition of their autonomous status. On 23 July 1992, the secessionist Abkhazian government declared effective independence from Georgia, although this gesture went unrecognised by any other country. Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) The Georgian government accused Gamsakhurdia's supporters of kidnapping Georgia's interior minister and holding him captive in Abkhazia. The Georgian government dispatched 3,000 troops to the region, ostensibly to restore order. The Abkhaz were relatively unarmed at this time and the Georgian troops were able to march into Sukhumi with relatively little resistance, forcing Abkhaz units to retreat to Gudauta and Tkvarcheli. Gudauta ( Abkhaz: Гəдоуҭа Gwdowtha; გუდაუთა Russian: Гудаута is a town in Georgia ’s breakaway region Abkhazia Tkvarcheli (Тҟəарчал Tqwarchal, ტყვარჩელი is a town in Abkhazia.

The Abkhaz military defeat was met with a hostile response by the self-styled Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus, an umbrella group uniting a number of pro-Russian movements in the North Caucasus, including Circassians, Abazas, Chechens, Cossacks, Ossetians and hundreds of volunteer paramilitaries from Russia, including the little-known Shamil Basayev, later a leader of the anti-Moscow Chechen secession, sided with the Abkhaz separatists to fight the Georgian government. Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus (Конфедерация горских народов Кавказа is a militarized political organization composed of militants from The North Caucasus, also Ciscaucasus, Ciscaucasia or Forecaucasia, is the northern part of the Caucasus region between Europe The Abazins ( Ethnonym: Abaza or Asuwa) are a people who live mostly in Karachay-Cherkessia and Adygeya of Russia. Chechens ( Chechen: Hохчи / Noxçi) constitute the largest native Ethnic group originating in the North Caucasus region The Cossacks (Каза́ки́ Kazaki; Козаки́ Kozaki; Kozacy are a group of martial people living in the southern Steppe regions of Eastern The Ossetians (ирæттæ irættæ are an Iranic Ethnic group indigenous to Ossetia, a region that spans the Caucasus Mountains Shamil Salmanovich Basayev (Шамиль Салманович Басаев (January 14 1965 – July 10 2006 was a Chechen field commander and a leader of the Chechen Regular Russian forces also reportedly sided with the secessionsts. In September, the Abkhaz and Russian paramilitaries mounted a major offensive against Gagra after breaking a cease-fire, which drove the Georgian forces out of large swathes of the republic. The Battle of Gagra was fought between Georgian forces and the Abkhaz secessionists aided by the Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus (CMPC 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". The year 1992 ended with the rebels in control of much of Abkhazia northwest of Sukhumi. The conflict remained stalemated 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 sides declared a truce at the end of July, but it collapsed in mid-September 1993 after a renewed Abkhaz attack. After ten days of heavy fighting, Sukhumi fell on 27 September 1993. Events 489 - Odoacer attacks Theodoric at the Battle of Verona and is defeated again Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Shevardnadze narrowly escaped death, after vowing to stay in the city no matter what. He was forced to flee when separatist snipers fired on the hotel where he was staying. Abkhaz, North Caucasian militants and their allies committed numerous atrocities^[7] against the city's remaining ethnic Georgians, in what has been dubbed the Sukhumi Massacre. The Sukhumi massacre (სოხუმის ტრაგედია took place on September 27, 1993, during the War in Abkhazia and fall of Sukhumi The mass killings and destruction continued for two weeks, leaving thousands dead and missing.

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). In the chaotic aftermath of defeat almost all ethnic Georgians fled the region, escaping an ethnic cleansing initiated by the victors. Ethnic cleansing is a Euphemism referring to the persecution through imprisonment expulsion or killing of members of an ethnic minority by a majority to achieve ethnic homogeneity Many thousands died — it is estimated that between 10,000-30,000 ethnic Georgians and 3,000 ethnic Abkhaz may have perished — and some 250,000 people (mostly Georgians) were forced into exile. ^[7][55][7]

During the war, gross human rights violations were reported on the both sides (see Human Rights Watch report^[7]). Human Rights Watch is a United States -based international Non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on Human rights. In the first phase of the war, Georgian troops have been accused of looting^[56] while Georgia blames the Abkhaz forces and their allies for an intentional ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia, which has also been recognized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Summits in Budapest (1994),^[57] Lisbon (1996)^[58] and Istanbul (1999). The Ethnic Cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia, also known as Genocide of Georgians in Abkhazia (according to the Georgian side and by a number of western scholars Budapest ( also /ˈbʊ-/) is the capital city of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary it serves as the country's principal Political, Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Lisbon (Lisboa liʒˈboɐ is the Capital and largest city of Portugal. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) ^[59]

Politics

Main article: Politics of Abkhazia

Abkhazia

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Abkhazia

Government of the Republic of Abkhazia President Sergei Bagapsh Vice President Raul Khadjimba Prime Minister Alexander Ankvab People's Assembly Public Chamber Political parties Elections Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia Chairman of the Supreme Council Temur Mzhavia Chairman of Cabinet of Ministers Malkhaz Akishbaia UNOMIG See also: Politics of Georgia

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Much of the politics in Abkhazia is dominated by the territorial dispute with Georgia, from which the territory seceded, and by the fight over the presidency in 2004/2005. Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between

On 3 October 2004 presidential elections were held in Abkhazia. Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " In the elections, Russia evidently supported Raul Khajimba, the prime minister backed by the ailing outgoing separatist President Vladislav Ardzinba. Vladislav Ardzinba ( Abkhaz: Владислав Григори-иҧа Арӡынба) (born May 14, 1945) is an Abkhaz politician who Posters of Russia's President Vladimir Putin together with Khajimba, who like Putin had worked as a KGB official, were everywhere in Sukhumi. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (; born 7 October 1952 in Leningrad, USSR; now Saint Petersburg, Russia was the second President of Russia KGB ( Transliteration of "КГБ" is the Russian abbreviation of Committee for State Security ( Komityet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosty Deputies of Russia's parliament and Russian singers, led by Joseph Kobzon, a deputy and a popular singer, came to Abkhazia campaigning for Khajimba. Iosif (Joseph Davydovich Kobzon (Иосиф Давыдович Кобзон born September 11, 1937) is an iconic Soviet Crooner, who

However Raul Khajimba lost the elections to Sergey 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 — Bagapsh as a presidential candidate and Khajimba as a vice presidential candidate. They received more than 90% of the votes in the new election.

The President appoints districts' heads from those elected to the districts assemblies. There are elected village assemblies whose heads are appointed by the districts heads. ^[13]

The People's Assembly, consisting of 35 elected members, is vested with legislative powers. The last parliamentary elections were held on March 4, 2007. Parliamentary elections were held in the unrecognized Republic of Abkhazia on 4 March, 2007; a run-off round was held in seventeen Events 51 - Nero, later to become Roman Emperor, is given the title Princeps iuventutis (head of the youth Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The ethnicities other than Abkhaz (Armenians, Russians and Georgians) are believed to be under-represented in the Assembly as the number of the parliamentarians of these ethnicities is less than their share in the republic population. ^[13]

About 250,000 ethnic Georgian residents of Abkhazia are restricted from settling in the region by the Abkhazian separatist regime and cannot participate in the elections. ^[60]

Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia

Main article: Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia

The Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, formerly known as The Council of Ministers of the Abkhazian Autonomous Republic, is the only government that Georgia recognizes as the legal government of Abkhazia. The Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia is a government in exile that Georgia recognizes as the legal government of Abkhazia, a region that has Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between ^[61] After the Kodori crisis of 2006, the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, along with its ministers, relocated to the north-eastern part of Abkhazia (known as Upper Abkhazia) in Chkhalta. The 2006 Kodori crisis erupted in late July 2006 in Georgia ’s Kodori Gorge, when a local militia leader declared his disobedience to the government Upper Abkhazia (ზემო აფხაზეთი Zemo Apkhazeti; Аҧсны хыхьтəи Apsny khykh'twi) is a term introduced in 2006 to denote the northeastern Chkhalta is a village in the Kodori Valley, Abkhazia. History Prior to August 2008 it was controlled by the Georgian government ^[62]

The Council of Ministers of the autonomous republic was created during the Soviet period which included the Presidium where representatives (elected) from all regions in Abkhazia governed the affairs of the republic. The members of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Presidium included ethnic Georgians, Abkhaz and Armenians.

Zhiuli Shartava was elected as the Chairman of the Council of Ministers just before the outbreak of the war. Zhiuli Shartava (ჟიული შარტავა ( March 7, 1944 – September 27, 1993) was a Georgian Politician When the hostilities reached their climax in 1992, the separatist wing of the government left the Presidium and moved to Gudauta. Gudauta ( Abkhaz: Гəдоуҭа Gwdowtha; გუდაუთა Russian: Гудаута is a town in Georgia ’s breakaway region Abkhazia From Gudauta they started to arm militia groups (allegedly supplied by the Russian military base in Gudauta) which were used during the conflict. ^[63]

The Council of Ministers remaining in Sukhumi still maintained its ethnic Abkhaz representatives, who rejected the separatist call for secession. ^[63] Two of them, leading Abkhaz politician Raul Eshba and Sumbat Saakian, a representative of the ethnic Armenian Diaspora, refused to leave Sukhumi and stayed along with Zhiuli Shartava, Guram Gabiskiria and other members of the government in Sukhumi until the tragic events of September 27th 1993, when Shartava, Eshba, Gabiskiria, Saakian and other members of the government were tortured and killed by the separatists and their allies (see Sukhumi massacre). Raul Eshba (რაულ ეშბა (1944-1993 was an ethnic Abkhaz Politician who was killed in Sukhumi along with Zhiuli Shartava, Sumbat Saakian (1951-1993 was an ethnic Armenian Politician in the Government of Abkhazian Autonomous Republic who was killed in Sukhumi along Guram Gabiskiria (გურამ გაბესკირია ( March 2, 1947 – September 27, 1993) was a Mayor of Sukhumi The Sukhumi massacre (სოხუმის ტრაგედია took place on September 27, 1993, during the War in Abkhazia and fall of Sukhumi The remaining survivors of the government fled to the capital Tbilisi where they organized the headquarters of the Abkhaz government in exile headed by Tamaz Nadareishvili (great grandson of Abkhaz Prince Shervashidze). Tamaz Nadareishvili (თამაზ ნადარეიშვილი (born 19 July 1954 – died 31 August 2004) was a Georgian Shervashidze ( Abkhaz: Chachba) was a noble family in Abkhazia which according to later sources can be traced at least as far back as the twelfth century ^[64] In 1998, Georgians in the Gali district (populated mainly by ethnic Georgians) of Abkhazia launched partisan activities against the de facto authorities in Sukhumi. Gali district is a district of the Republic of Abkhazia. Its capital is Gali, the town by the same name The Abkhaz government in exile allegedly supported the rebel movement known as The White Legion. However, as a result of this insurrection, the Abkhaz separatist authorities launched a full scale attack on the Gali region, killing and expelling its ethnic Georgian inhabitants. ^[65] In 2004, Nadareishvili died leaving the government in a disorganized state. After the Rose Revolution and Kodori events of 2006, the de jure Abkhaz government was revived and reorganized. The "Revolution of Roses quot (often translated into English as the Rose Revolution) (ვარდების რევოლუცია - vardebis The 2006 Kodori crisis erupted in late July 2006 in Georgia ’s Kodori Gorge, when a local militia leader declared his disobedience to the government Malkhaz Akishbaia, a Western-educated Abkhaz politician was elected in April 2006 and is the current head of the de jure Government of Abkhazia. Malkhaz Akishbaia ( Abkhaz Малхас Акышьбаиа Georgian: მალხაზ აკიშბაია born May 6, 1972) is Akishbaia appointed ethnic Abkhaz ministers Temur Mzhavia and Ada Marshania to key positions and included former members of Council of Ministers in his government. Temur Mzhavia is the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the De jure Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia (now in exile Ada Marshania is an ethnic Abkhaz and the Deputy of Supreme Council of the De jure Government of Abkhazia in Kodori since July 2006 The government moved to Upper Abkhazia (within the administrative borders of the autonomous republic) with its headquarters in Chkhalta. Chkhalta is a village in the Kodori Valley, Abkhazia. History Prior to August 2008 it was controlled by the Georgian government On September 27, 2006 President Mikheil Saakashvili, Nino Burjanadze, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II and others members of the central government visited Kodori Valley and officially changed the name and designated the area as "Upper Abkhazia". Events 489 - Odoacer attacks Theodoric at the Battle of Verona and is defeated again Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Mikheil Saakashvili (მიხეილ ნიკოლოზის ძე სააკაშვილი (born 21 December 1967, a Georgian Politician, the Nino Burjanadze (nɪnɔ bʊrdʒanadzɛ Georgian: ნინო ბურჯანაძე (surname sometimes transliterated in English as Burdzhanadze The Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia is the head of the Georgian Orthodox and Apostolic Church. ^[66]

The NGO the International Crisis Group has urged Georgia to lower the Abkhaz government in exile’s profile in the Kodori Gorge significantly and refrain from holding alternative elections for local government or parliamentary representatives in Abkhazia. The International Crisis Group ( ICG) is an independent international Non-profit, Non-governmental organization whose mission is to prevent and resolve ^[67]

International involvement

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 (UNHCR and UNOCHA); a development role (UNDP); a human rights role (UNCHR); and a low-key capacity and confidence-building role (UNV). Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR (established December 14, 1950) is a "OCHA" redirects there See Ocha for other possible meanings The United Nations Commission on Human Rights ( UNCHR) was a functional commission within the overall framework of the United Nations. UNV may refer to United Nations Volunteers UNV, an R&B group 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 legitimized by referendum under international observation once the multi-ethnic population has returned. ^[68] According to Western interpretations the intervention did not contravene international law since Georgia, as a sovereign state, had the right to secure order on its territory and protect its territorial integrity.

OSCE has increasingly engaged in dialogue with officials and civil society representatives in Abkhazia, especially from NGOs and the media, regarding human dimension standards and is considering a presence in Gali. OSCE expressed concern and condemnation over ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia during the 1994 Budapest Summit Decision^[69] and later at the Lisbon Summit Declaration in 1996. Budapest ( also /ˈbʊ-/) is the capital city of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary it serves as the country's principal Political, ^[70]

The USA rejects the unilateral secession of Abkhazia and urges its integration into Georgia as an autonomous unit. In 1998 the USA 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. USAID has already funded some humanitarian initiatives for Abkhazia. The United States Agency for International Development (or USAID) is the United States federal government organization responsible for most non- military The USA has in recent years significantly increased its military support to the Georgian armed forces but has stated that it would not condone any moves towards peace enforcement in Abkhazia.

On August 22, 2006, Senator Richard Lugar, then visiting Georgia's capital Tbilisi, joined the Georgian politicians in criticism of the Russian peacekeeping mission, stating that "the U. Events 392 - Arbogast has Eugenius elected Western Roman Emperor. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Richard Green "Dick" Lugar (born April 4, 1932) is the senior United States Senator from Indiana. S. administration supports the Georgian government’s insistence on the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from the conflict zones in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali district. "^[71]

On October 5, 2006, Javier Solana, the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union, ruled out the possibility of replacing the Russian peacekeepers with the EU force. Events 869 - The Fourth Council of Constantinople is convened to decide about what to do about Patriarch Photius of Constantinople Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Francisco Javier Solana de Madariaga, PhD (born 14 July 1942 in Madrid, Spain is the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP The High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (HR is the main co-ordinator of the Common Foreign and Security Policy within the European Union The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in "^[72] On October 10, 2006, EU South Caucasus envoy Peter Semneby noted that "Russia's actions in the Georgia spy row have damaged its credibility as a neutral peacekeeper in the EU's Black Sea neighbourhood. Events 680 - Battle of Karbala: Shia Imam Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is decapitated Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The 2006 Georgian-Russian espionage controversy began when the Government of Georgia arrested four Russian officers on charges of Espionage, "^[73]

On October 13, 2006, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution, based on a Group of Friends of the Secretary-General draft, extending the UNOMIG mission until April 15, 2007. Events 54 - Nero ascends to the Roman throne 409 - Vandals and Alans crossed the Pyrenees Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Acknowledging that the "new and tense situation" resulted, at least in part, from the Georgian special forces operation in the upper Kodori Valley, urged the country to ensure that no troops unauthorized by the Moscow ceasefire agreement were 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 which could be seen as threatening and to refrain from militant rhetoric and provocative actions, especially in upper Kodori Valley". 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 recognized borders. "^[74]

The HALO Trust, an international non-profit organisation that specialises in the removal of the debris of war, has been active in Abkhazia for a long time and has completed the removal of land-mines in Sukhumi and Gali districts. The HALO Trust is a registered British charity and American Non-profit organization whose purpose is to remove the debris left behind by war It plans to finish its operations in 2007/2008 and to declare Abkhazia a "mine impact free" territory. ^[75]

Religion

Main article: Religion in Abkhazia

The population (including all ethnic groups) of Abkhazia are majority Orthodox Christians (approx. The population (including all ethnic groups of Abkhazia is in majority Orthodox Christians and Sunni Muslims. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world 75%) and Sunni Muslims (approx. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic 10%). ^[76] Most of the ethnic Armenians living in Abkhazia belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. The Armenians (Հայեր Hayer) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus and in the Armenian Highlands A large The Armenian Apostolic Church (Հայաստանեայց Առաքելական Եկեղեցի Hayasdaneaytz Arakelagan However, most of the people who declare themselves Christian or Muslim do not attend religious services. There is also a very small number of Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses and the followers of new religions. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination A new religious movement or NRM is a term used to refer to a religious faith or an ethical spiritual or philosophical movement of recent origin that is not part ^[77] The Jehovah's Witnesses organization has officially been banned since 1995, though the decree is not currently enforced. ^[78]

According to the constitutions of Georgia, Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia and de facto Republic of Abkhazia the adherents of all religions (as well as atheists) have equal rights before the law. ^[79]

Abkhazia is recognized by the Eastern Orthodox world as a canonical territory of the Georgian Orthodox Church, which has been unable to operate in the region since the War in Abkhazia. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Canonical territories are geographical subdivisions that mark the boundaries of the jurisdiction of local Orthodox churches on the one hand and the Roman Catholic Church Christianity in ancient and feudal Georgia According to tradition when the Apostles were sent out to preach the Gospel to the nations of the world the Apostle Currently, the religious affairs of local Orthodox Christian community is run by the self-imposed "Eparchy of Abkhazia" under significant influence of the Russian Orthodox Church. See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure

Gallery of Abkhazia

New Athos monastery	Gagra	Geg waterfall	View of Sukhumi 1
View of Sukhumi 2	Sukhumi quay	Sukhumi botanical garden front entrance	Chanba Dramatic theatre in Sukhumi

See also

• Law enforcement in Abkhazia
• Military of Abkhazia
• Sport in Abkhazia
• Abkhaz literature
• South Ossetia

References

External links

• Wikimedia Atlas of Abkhazia

• (English)/(Russian)/(Georgian) Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia. Official web-page
• (English)/(Russian)/(Turkish)/(Abkhaz) President of the Republic of Abkhazia. Official site
• (English)/(Russian)/(Turkish) Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Abkhazia. Official Site
• (English) BBC Regions and territories: Abkhazia
• (English) The Autonomous Republic of Abkhazeti - from Georgian National Parliamentary Library
• (English) Abkhazia.com Official website of the refugees from Abkhazia
• (Russian) State Information Agency of the Abkhaz Republic
• (English) Abkhazia Provisional Paper Money
• (Russian) Orthodox Churches of Abkhazia
• (English) Abkhazia and South Ossetia: Georgia's rebel regions news portal
• (Russian) Archaeology and ethnography of Abkhazia. Abkhaz Institute of Social Studies. Abkhaz State Museum