Abkhazia Welcomes You

REPUBLIC OF ABKHAZIA

Geography

Abkhazia is situated on the Eastern Bank of the Black Sea, bordering to the West with Russia on the Psou River and to the East with Georgia on the Ingur River. On the North the Grand Caucasian Range. It has six main administrative regions: Gagra, Gudauta, Sukhum, Ochamchira, Tquarchal and Gal. The republic contains three National Parks in Pskhu-Gumista, Pitsunda-Mussera and Ritsa. Furthermore the country is rich in fresh water resources with many lakes and rivers. The climate is subtropical.

People

In the VIII century, the Abkhaz established one of the most influential states of the time - the Abkhaz Kingdom. In the XI century as a result of dynastic marriages, this state fragmented into several minor independent Kingdoms. At this stage until the XIX century, Abkhaz and Georgians coexisted in two separate and independent countries.

In 1810 Abkhazia voluntarily became a protectorate of the Russian Empire. Until 1864 it preserved its statehood and system of self-governance in the form of a sovereign principality. As a result of the Russian-Circassian War in the middle of the XIX Century many Abkhaz like Adyghe, Shapsugh, Ubykh, Abaza and other indigenous nations had to flee to the Ottoman Empire. This period of deportation is called "Makhajyr". Approximately more than 250.000 Abkhaz were deported from Abkhazia to Turkey. Being demographically misbalanced Abkhazia had become a favourable territory for migration of other nations like Georgians to Abkhazia. After the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917, Georgia and Abkhazia took a way of creating two independent states, but in May 1918 the new Georgian Democratic Republic occupied and annexed Abkhazia.

Prior to this occupation the Abkhaz National Council had been formed, actively developing regional state institutions in the Northern Caucasus and Southern Russia (Circassia). As a result of these processes, Abkhazia joined the Union of Mountainous Peoples of the North Caucasus, and then the Mountain Republic and the southeastern Union of Cossack Forces, Caucasian Mountain Peoples and Free Peoples of the Steppe. Hence, following the annexation of Abkhazia by Georgia, the leadership of the Mountain Republic issued a formal protest to the authorities of the Georgian Republic and Germany, whose troops had participated in the operation. Abkhazia led its liberation war against Georgia from 1918 till 1921.

On the 4th of March 1921, the Georgian authorities in Abkhazia were overthrown by Abkhaz rebels; 'Kiaraz' movement. An independent Soviet Socialist Republic of Abkhazia was proclaimed on the 31st of March 1921. On the 21st of May 1921, the Revolutionary Committee of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic recognised the independence of Abkhazia.

In December 1921 the Abkhaz SSR, under pressure from Stalin was forced into a Union Treaty with the Georgian SSR, which created the basis for state-legal relations between Abkhazia and Georgia. According to this treaty, the SSR of Georgia and the SSR of Abkhazia entered into a military, political and economic alliance. State-legal relations between Georgia and Abkhazia were based on the treaty, which provided equal rights. Following this the Abkhaz SSR took part in the establishment of the USSR. Read More...