Abkhazia

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Аҧсны (Abkhazian)

Абхазия (Russian)
აფხაზეთი (Georgian)
Abkhazia

Flag of Abkhazia
Coat of arms of Abkhazia
flag coat of arms
De facto regime , area
is part of under international law 		Georgia ( Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia )
Official language Abkhazian and Russian
Capital Sukhumi
Form of government Presidential republic with prime minister
head President Aslan Bschania
Head of government Prime Minister Alexander Ankwab
surface 8600 km²
population 240,705
(2011 census)
Population density 28 inhabitants per km²
gross domestic product approx. 500 million dollars (2011)
currency Russian ruble and Abkhazian apsar (low usage)
founding July 23, 1992
National anthem Aiaaira
Time zone UTC + 3
ISO 3166 not allocated
sometimes alternatively: ABC
Telephone code +7
Abchasien Südossetien Georgien Aserbaidschan Armenien Usbekistan Turkmenistan Zypern Griechenland Republik Moldau Syrien Irak Iran Türkei Bulgarien Rumänien Ukraine Russland Kasachstan]]
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Türkei Armenien Aserbaidschan Russland Abchasien Mingrelien und Oberswanetien Gurien Adscharien Imeretien Ratscha-Letschchumi und Niederswanetien Innerkartlien Mzcheta-Mtianeti Samzche-Dschawachetien Niederkartlien Tiflis Kachetien]]
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Abkhazia [ ab'xa: ziən ] ( Abkhazian Аҧсны Aṗsny ; Georgian აფხაზეთი Apchaseti ; Russian Абхазия Abkhazia ) is a region bordering the Black Sea in the southern Caucasus . According to official estimates, the population was 242,862 in 2011 and the area covers 8,600 km².

Abkhazia considers itself under the name "Republic of Abkhazia" as an independent state, but is considered by most of the world as part of Georgia (see Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia ). Since 1993, Abkhazia has had its own state structures that are independent of Georgia. Georgia does not exercise any sovereignty over the area.

Russia , Nicaragua , Venezuela , Nauru and Syria (as of 2020) have been the only generally recognized states to have recognized Abkhazia's independence since 2008 . The Pacific island states of Tuvalu and Vanuatu withdrew the recognition they had given in 2011 a few years later in the course of establishing diplomatic relations with Georgia.

The other de facto regimes of Arzach , Transnistria and South Ossetia form the community of non-recognized states with Abkhazia and support each other in their respective efforts towards sovereignty.

Georgia and almost all other countries in the world regard Abkhazia as a Georgian territory and see the government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia in power as the legitimate government in the region. This government-in-exile has its current seat in the Georgian capital Tbilisi and has no real influence over the region.

Abkhazia, known for its mild climate as well as for its health resorts and beaches, was one of the most popular national tourist destinations during the Soviet Union .

geography

Abkhazia is located south of the Caucasus on the north coast of the Black Sea west of the Enguri River in Georgia. The country is mountainous except for a narrow, agriculturally used coastal strip and reaches heights of over 4000 meters. In Arabika massif are the Werjowkina -Höhle and Voronya River Cave known with over 2000 meters deepest caves of the earth.

Thanks to the protection provided by the mountain ranges, the coastal strip has a subtropical climate, which is why Abkhazia developed into a popular holiday area in the Soviet era. The warm climate also favors the cultivation of tobacco , tea , wine and fruit , so that agriculture as well as the food and luxury goods industry are among the most important economic sectors in the country.

Administrative division

Administrative division
Abkhazian Black Sea coast near Gagra
The city of Gudauta
Architecture in the capital Sukhumi

The de facto independent Republic of Abkhazia consists of seven Rajons and one independent city, the capital Sukhumi . Each Rajon has a district capital.

Rajon (number on card) Abkhazian name Russian name Administrative headquarters
Gagra Raion (1) Гагра араион Гагрский район Gagra
Gali Raion (7) Гал араион Галский район Gali (Gal)
Gudauta Raion (2) Гәдоуҭа араион Гудаутский район Gudauta
Gulrypsch Raion (4) Гәылрыҧшь араион Гулрыпшский район Gulripschi (Gulrypsch)
Otschamtschyra Raion  (5) Очамчыра араион Очамчырский район Otschamtschire (Otschamtschyra)
Sukhumi Raion (3) Аҟәа араион Сухумский район Sochumi (Suchum / Aqwa)
Tkuartschal Raion (6) Тҟәарчал араион Ткуарчальский район Tqwartscheli (Tkuartschal)
City of Sukhumi Аҟәа Город Сухум Sochumi (Suchum / Aqwa)

Cities

In Abkhazia there are (according to the definition of the government in Sukhumi) nine places with urban status, seven of which are Rajon capitals. According to Georgian law, two of the places (marked with *) are not cities, but "small towns" ( daba , corresponding to the earlier urban-type settlements ). In addition to the cities listed below, there are several other localities, some of which have a higher population but do not have a city status, such as Zandrypsch , Dranda , Bsybta or Eschera .

Abkhazian name Russian name Georgian name Residents was standing Rajon
Aqwa (Аҟəа) Sukhum (Сухум) Sukhumi (სოხუმი) 64,478 2011 Sukhumi
Gagra (Гагра) Gagra (Гагра) Gagra (გაგრა) 12,364 2011 Gagra
Gwdouta (Гəдоуҭа) Gudauta (Гудаута) Gudauta (გუდაუთა) 8,514 2009 Gwdouta
Gal (Гал) Gal (Гал) Gali (გალი) 7,605 2011 Gali
Otschamtschyra (Очамчыра) Ochamchyra (Очамчира) Ochamchira (ოჩამჩირე) 5,280 2011 Ochamchyra
Tqwartshal (Тҟәарчал) Tkuarshal (Ткуарчал) Tkwartscheli (ტყვარჩელი) 5.013 2011 Tqwart scarf
Pizunda (Пиҵунда) * Pizunda (Пицунда) Bitschwinta (ბიჭვინთა) 4,198 2011 Gagra
Gwylrypsch (Гәылрыҧшь) * Gulrypsch (Гулрыпш) Gulripschi (გულრიფში) 3,910 2011 Gwylrypsch
Afon Tschyz (Афон Ҿыц) Nowy Afon (Новый Афон) Achali Atoni (ახალი ათონი) 1,518 2011 Gudouta

population

According to official estimates, the country's population was around 241,000 in 2011; the share of the eponymous Abkhazians was 50.8%, that of the Georgians was 19.3%, that of the Armenians 17.4% (see Armenians in Abkhazia ). Other significant minorities were Russians (9.2%), Ukrainians (0.7%) and Greeks (0.6%). Several hundred Turks , Ossetians , Abasins and Estonians also live in Abkhazia . Compared to the 2003 census, the population grew by almost 12.5% ​​until 2011, but it is still well below the value of 1989.

The last Soviet census from 1989 had a population of around 525,000, of which 45.7% were Georgians, 17.8% Abkhazians, 14.3% Russians and 14.6% Armenians.

In 1886 the share of Abkhazians was still over 85%, but in the course of the 20th century the number of Georgians rose so much, due to migration, that by 1926 they made up the largest group of the population. While the number of Georgians rose from just under 4,200 (1886) to almost 240,000 in 1989 and thus almost sixty-fold within almost 100 years, the number of Abkhazians only grew from around 59,000 to around 93,000 in the same period. At the end of the 19th century in particular, numerous, mostly Muslim Abkhazians left the country for the Ottoman Empire . A Georgian migration to the then sparsely populated Abkhazia began as early as the time of the Russian Empire .

Georgian immigration to Abkhazia was also promoted especially in the early days of the Soviet Union under Lavrenti Beria and Josef Stalin , so that the Georgians became the largest population group in Abkhazia as early as the 1920s, but never reached 50% of the total population. Russians, Armenians, Ukrainians and other population groups also immigrated to Abkhazia in large numbers. Also important was the Greek minority in Abkhazia , which in 1939 made up over 11% of the total population.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, ethnic cleansing and expulsions occurred in the course of the war of civil secession , which, especially towards the end of the conflict, were mainly directed against Georgians. 250,000 residents of Abkhazia, including around 200,000 Georgians, were displaced, had to flee and some were even killed in massacres. Only a relatively small part of the Georgian population has returned since the end of the civil war. However, the number of Georgians in Abkhazia has been growing continuously for several years. Most of the ethnic Georgians live in the southern part of the country, especially in Gali Raion , where they represent the clear majority with a share of 98.2% of the population, as well as in Tkuartschal Raion (62.4%). A significant number of Georgians belong to the Mingrelian sub- ethnic group. According to an estimate by scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder , Mingrelians make up almost half of the Georgian community in Abkhazia.

After the war of 2008, members of the Abkhaz diaspora from Turkey are increasingly returning to Abkhazia.

the Georgian numbers include Mingrelians and other Georgian-speaking groups
year Abkhazians Georgians Russians Armenians Greeks All in all
1886 census 85.2%
(58,963) 		06.0%
(4,166) 		01.6%
(1,090) 		01.6%
(1,106) 		03.1%
(2,149) 		069,230
1897 census 55.3%
(58,697) 		24.4%
(25,873) 		4.8%
(5,135) 		06.2%
(6,552) 		07.0%
(14,045) 		106.179
1926 census 27.8%
(55,918) 		33.5%
(67,494) 		6.2%
(12,553) 		12.8%
(25,677) 		07.0%
(14,045) 		201.016
1939 census 18.0%
(56,197) 		29.5%
(91,967) 		19.3%
(60,201) 		15.9%
(49,705) 		11.1%
(34,621) 		311,885
1959 census 15.1%
(61,193) 		39.1%
(158,221) 		21.4%
(86,715) 		15.9%
(64,425) 		02.2%
(9,101) 		404.738
1970 census 15.9%
(77,276) 		41.0%
(199,596) 		19.1%
(92,889) 		15.4%
(74,850) 		02.7%
(13,114) 		486,959
1979 census 17.1%
(83,087) 		43.9%
(213,322) 		16.4%
(79,730) 		15.1%
(73,350) 		02.8%
(13,642) 		486.082
1989 census 17.8%
(93,267) 		45.7%
(239,872) 		14.3%
(74,913) 		14.6%
(76,541) 		02.8%
(14,664) 		525.061
2003 census 43.8%
(94,606) 		21.3%
(45,953) 		10.8%
(23,420) 		20.8%
(44,870) 		00.7%
(1,486) 		215.972
2011 census 50.8%
(122,069) 		19.3%
(46,367) 		9.2%
(22,077) 		17.4%
(41,864) 		00.6%
(1,380) 		240.705

About 90% of the residents have received Russian Federation passports . The demand for Georgian passports in Abkhazia is relatively low. Due to the very limited international recognition of Abkhazia, citizens of Abkhazia need another citizenship for most trips abroad .

languages

Abkhaz passport - printed in two languages ​​in Abkhazian and Russian

In the de facto independent Republic of Abkhazia, only Abkhazian and Russian are the official languages. Russian dominates public life, even among ethnic Abkhazians. In particular, Russian is also the language of business, education and the media and is spoken by almost the entire population.

Georgian is not recognized as an official language by the Abkhaz government. Since the majority of the international community still regards Abkhazia as part of Georgia, Georgian is at least theoretically an official language. Inquiries to authorities in Georgian are usually ignored and official forms are not printed or processed in this language.

Abkhaz is one of the Northwest Caucasian languages, while Russian is an East Slavic language. Both languages ​​are written in the Cyrillic alphabet, while Georgian, also a Caucasian language, is written in its own Georgian script . Under Stalinism , Abkhazian was also forcibly written in Georgian, the return to the Cyrillic alphabet took place in 1954. Abkhazian did not develop into a written language until the end of the 19th century, but there is now an Abkhazian literature of its own . Due to the prolonged suppression of the language, many Abkhazians no longer speak the language of their ancestors. The UNESCO lists Abkhazian as "endangered" language.

Since the time of Stalinism , it has been compulsory for Abkhazians to learn both Russian and Georgian in the Soviet Union . Georgian has hardly been taught as a foreign language in Abkhazia since independence and is almost only used among ethnic Georgians. However, in the south of the country, where the majority of the population is of Georgian origin, there are numerous Georgian schools. However, these are severely underfunded. Many Georgians in Abkhazia therefore either attend Russian schools or commute to school across the border to Georgia.

A large part of the Georgians living in Abkhazia are Mingrelians , who are considered a sub-ethnic group of Georgians. Their language, Mingrelian , is therefore also widespread in Abkhazia. It differs significantly from Georgian in parts, but is usually not used as a written language. With the magazine Gal , the world's only newspaper in the Mingrelian language appears in Abkhazia.

In addition, numerous minority languages ​​are spoken in Abkhazia, including Armenian in particular . In 2011 there were a total of 32 schools in the country for the Armenian minority. Other minority languages ​​are Pontic Greek , Estonian , Romanian and Ukrainian . The Estonian minority settled in Abkhazia in the second half of the 19th century.

religion

Inside the Nowy Afon Monastery

According to the last census in 2003, 60% of the population are Christians ( Abkhazian Orthodox Church , Russian Orthodox Church , Georgian Orthodox Church ), 16% Muslims , 8% atheists, 8% followers of traditional Abkhazian religions or neopaganists , 2% followers other religions. But only a relatively small number of people who profess a religion actively practice this religion.

In earlier centuries the proportion of Abkhazian Muslims was significantly higher; a large number of them emigrated to the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century.

history

Ruins of ancient Anacopias

Antiquity

The earliest archaeological finds can be traced back to the 4th millennium BC. To date. Since around the 9th century BC The region may have belonged to the empire of Kolcha , but its location is controversial. Later it belonged to Colchis , which did intensive trade with the Greeks . As part of the Greek colonization, the port of Dioskurias was built, today's Sukhumi . Since the year 63 BC Colchis belonged to the ancient Georgian kingdom of Lasika , which in the 1st century AD became dependent on the Roman Empire and, after its division, on East and Byzantium . During the time of Emperor Justinian I in the 6th century, the Abkhazians were converted to Christianity . Since the 7th century the country was an independent principality of the Byzantine Empire. After the incursions of the Arabs , however, it was also temporarily subject to tribute.

Kingdom of Egrisi-Abkhazia

Transcaucasia 1000 AD with Egrisi-Abkhazia

It was part of Byzantium until the 8th century. Around 780 AD, Leon II proclaimed the Kingdom of Abkhazia , renounced Byzantium and declared himself King of Abkhazia. He also drove the last Arabs out of the country. In the 780s, Leon II was able to extend his power to Egrisi and unite both kingdoms. Lasika had become insignificant by this time and was soon part of the kingdom. Egrisi-Abkhazia included Megrelia , Imeretia , Guria , Ajara , Svaneti , Ratscha and Letschchumi (today parts of the province of Ratscha-Letschchumi and Lower Vanetia ) and Aragweti . By the middle of the 9th century, the kingdom was strong enough not to pay tribute to the Arab caliphate .

Egrisi-Abkhazia then tried more and more energetically to win territories in Eastern Georgia as well. In the 860s Inner Kartlien could be occupied, but it was lost again at the end of the century. In the middle of the 10th century it was incorporated into the southern Georgian Dshawakheti and in the north the influence also grew on the Ossetians . Now it threatened the fledgling kingdom of Kakheti . Attempts to conquer parts of Heretia under King Leon were unsuccessful. After disputes over the throne of the successor to Leons, Bagrat III was the compromise . from the Georgian Bagratid dynasty to king Egrisi-Abkhazia and also Tao-Klardschetiens , the union of both created the Kingdom of Georgia .

Principality of Abkhazia and Mongolian-Turkish rule

After the Mongol invasion of Georgia in 1235, Abkhazia was spared Mongol rule. However, with the peace treaty of 1243 it became a tribute to the Mongols . After an uprising by the Georgians against the Mongols, the Georgian King Dawit Narin fled into exile in Abkhazia. An uprising in the following year was also unsuccessful and Dawit Ulu , the leader of the second uprising, also fled to Abkhazia. However, he soon returned and became king of Georgia as a vassal of the Il-Khan Empire of the Mongols. The principality of Abkhazia was established in the 15th century and was independent until the second half of the 16th century.

In 1578 the area between the main ridge of the Caucasus and the Aras River, i.e. Azerbaijan and Georgia as well as Abkhazia, came to the Ottoman Empire , which lost Azerbaijan and eastern Georgia in 1639, but still ruled western Georgia and Abkhazia. In the period that followed, the majority of the Abkhazian population converted to Islam , even if there were still larger sections of the population who clung to Christianity . However, the principality of Abkhazia continued to exist within the Ottoman Empire and was able to retain a certain degree of autonomy.

Numerous medieval Georgian churches and monasteries , which were built after the unification of Abkhazia with Georgia, testify to the political and, above all, cultural ties of the Abkhaz noble class of the Middle Ages to Georgia.

Abkhazia in the Russian Empire

The Novy Afon (New Athos) monastery, built by Russians around 1880

From the end of the 18th century, the Russian tsarist empire advanced towards the Caucasus. The old Kingdom of Georgia became Russian in 1801, and the areas immediately to the west followed in the following years. In 1810 the Principality of Abkhazia also fell to the Russian Empire.

The semi-autonomous principality of Abkhazia initially continued to exist under Russian rule, but was finally eliminated by Russia at the end of the Caucasus War in 1864. The inhabitants of the conquered territories rebelled armed against the Russian occupiers several times, for example in Zugdidi in 1857 and in Sukhumi in 1866. However, the uprisings were put down.

Russian ships at Gagra , painting by Nikanor Tschernezow from the 19th century
Views of the Caucasus Pizunda from

The anti-Muslim policy of the following years led to many Muslim Abkhazians emigrating to the Ottoman Empire . The exact course of the migration movements in the second half of the 19th century has not yet been clarified, but at the same time a point of contention between Georgians and Abkhazians and their respective historiography, which is co-determined by national interests.

The massive emigration of the Abkhazians began in 1867 when 20,000 Muslims left their homeland. In a second wave of resettlement, 31,964 Abkhazians moved to the Ottoman Empire in 1877. As a result, Abkhazia was partially depopulated. During this time, at the instigation of the tsar, the list of the Abkhaz muhajirs , including Muslim Georgians , was drawn up in Russian . This list was over 200 pages and is a unique historical document kept in Russian archives.

The Russian colonization of Abkhazia began in 1878, with numerous Russian families settling in Pizunda , for example . There were also several families of Russian soldiers in other parts of Abkhazia. In addition, colonizers from other parts of the Russian Empire also settled in Abkhazia, including several hundred Estonians and Ukrainians . The Abkhazians were temporarily prohibited from settling near the coast. Expropriated properties were often given to Russian officials and settlers. As a result, the proportion of the non-Abkhaz population in the region increased. Georgians now also moved to Abkhazia in large numbers.

In 1886, Abkhazians made up the clear majority in the region with almost 86% of the population. At that time, about 1.6% of the population of Abkhazia were Russians, Georgians and Mingrelians together made up 6.1%. In addition, the Greek minority made up about 3.1% of the population, other population groups made up the rest.

As early as the end of the 19th century, Abkhazia began to develop into a tourist area, which at that time was mainly frequented by Russian nobles. However, in the course of the First World War and the October Revolution of 1917, the Russian Empire fell apart.

Interwar period and belonging to the Soviet Union

After the Russian October Revolution, there were attempts in Abkhazia to integrate into the short-lived North Caucasian mountain republic , but this failed. On February 9, 1918, the Abkhaz People's Soviet reached an agreement with the national council of the newly established Democratic Republic of Georgia to regulate their relations. The existence of an "indivisible Abkhazia in the borders from the Ingur river to the Msymta river " was also recognized by Georgia. However, as early as June 1918, with the support of the German Empire , the new Georgian state sent troops to Abkhazia, which occupied the region. Abkhazia now became part of the new Georgian state. In the Abkhazian historiography this is understood as the violent annexation of Abkhazia by Georgia. Georgian historians , in contrast, mostly speak of the “restoration of the unity of Georgia”.

After the Georgian parliamentary election in 1919, economic, interethnic and social tensions, but above all the lack of modern agrarian reform , led to armed peasant uprisings and ethnic conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Some of them were specifically supported by Bolshevik forces. The Georgian government at the time cracked down on Bolshevik and separatist movements, which were particularly popular in Abkhazia. Abkhazia was granted certain autonomy rights in 1921, but by March 1921 the 9th Army of the Red Army occupied the entire Democratic Republic of Georgia and with it Abkhazia, which now became part of the Soviet Union .

Abkhaz SSR

50 years ASSR Abkhazia (Soviet postage stamp 1971)

On March 28, 1921, the Abkhaz Soviet Socialist Republic (Abkhaz SSR) was founded at a joint meeting of the Caucasian Office of the CPSU . It was now an independent Soviet republic that was independent of the Georgian Soviet republic and legally equal to all other Soviet republics. The first government of Soviet Abkhazia was led by Nestor Lakoba . Abkhazia was also treated as an integral part of the Union on an equal footing with the other republics when the Transcaucasian Federal Soviet Republic was formed in 1922 .

At that time, Abkhazian literature emerged on a large scale for the first time, the region also increasingly developed into one of the most popular tourist regions of the Soviet Union, in some cases Abkhazia was referred to as the "red Riviera". By 1926, the population of Abkhazia rose to over 200,000.

Abkhazia as part of the Georgian SSR

Flag of the Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1931-1991)

In 1931, by order of Josef Stalin , the Abkhaz SSR was incorporated into the Georgian Union Republic as the Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic .

Officially, this was justified by the lack of success of the Abkhaz leadership in collectivizing agriculture. A few weeks later, in mid-February 1931, there was an uprising among the Abkhazian population, who rebelled against the forced collectivization of agriculture and the curtailment of Abkhazian traditions. The leadership of the Communist Party of Abkhazia under the Abkhazian Nestor Lakoba initially started negotiations and waited. The insurgents also tried, more or less in vain, to get residents of other ethnic groups such as Armenians, Russians and Georgians to their side. Lakoba tried on the one hand to resolve the conflict peacefully and to make concessions to the insurgents, but on the other hand to save face with the Moscow party leadership. The conflict ended with the insurgents being arrested overnight.

After Abkhazia was annexed to the Georgian Union Republic, the cultural rights of the Abkhazians were curtailed and efforts to preserve their national identity were punished as counterrevolutionary . In Abkhazian historiography, it is assumed that during Stalinism there was a deliberate preference for the Georgians, as numerous prominent Soviet politicians, including Stalin and Lavrenti Beria , were of Georgian nationality.

The Abkhazian side suspects that the annexation of Abkhazia to the Georgian Union Republic was related to the Georgian origins of Beria and Stalin, but this is controversial. At Lavrenti Beria's initiative, a repressive “Georgization policy” began, the population situation changed in favor of the Georgians, due to the systematic settlement of Georgian settlers.

For the school year 1945/46, all Abkhaz-speaking schools were closed, and Abkhaz pupils had to attend Georgian-speaking schools. The Abkhazian language, if it was still allowed to be used in public, was forcibly converted to the Georgian alphabet. Most of the Abkhazian publications had to stop publishing. A large part of the intelligentsia fell victim to the Stalinist purges in Abkhazia . In 1936, the popular Abkhaz party secretary Nestor Lakoba was poisoned on the instructions of Lavrenti Beria . Until then, Lakoba had had some influence as an advocate for the Abkhazians. Centuries-old Abkhazian villages were renamed and given Georgian names. Family names were also Georgized. The Abkhazians became a minority in their own country. In 1949 the ancient Greek minority of Abkhazia was also deported to Central Asia (around 11% of the population in 1939) and Georgian settlers were brought into the country for this. In 1952, 80% of the leading party members in Abkhazia were ethnic Georgians.

In the Abkhazian public, the repression of the Soviet era is now associated in particular with Georgia and the leadership of the Georgian SSR in Tbilisi and less with the central Soviet power in Moscow.

After Stalin's death and Beria's execution in 1953, a large part of the repressive measures against Abkhazians were lifted in the course of the thaw period , and they were able to participate in political life on a larger scale. Abkhaz schools were reopened and newspapers could appear again. The Greek minority was also allowed to return.

In 1959 Abkhazia had over 400,000 inhabitants, of which only 15.1% were Abkhazians and about 39% were Georgians. The rest of the population consisted mainly of Russians (21%) and Armenians (16%). Economically, the region developed extremely successfully after the Second World War . A last Soviet census in 1989 showed a population distribution of 45% Georgians and 18% Abkhazians in Abkhazia.

Time and again there were tensions in Abkhazia. In 1978, several Abkhazians were arrested on charges of nationalism who had publicly spoken out against repressive policies against the Abkhazian people. Under the influence of Gorbachev's reform policies ( glasnost and perestroika ), nationalist forces grew stronger all over the Soviet Union. This was also the case among Georgians and Abkhazians; the conflict between the two ethnic groups intensified from the end of the 1980s. The Georgian national movement tried more and more openly to achieve its goal of breaking away from the Soviet Union, while the Abkhazians were opposed to this. In return, they demanded a separation from the Georgian Soviet Republic and the restoration of the status as an independent Union republic.

In 1989 in Lychny, Abkhazia, around 30,000 people demonstrated for the separation of Abkhazia and Georgia, which led to counter-protests by ethnic Georgians. Shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union , Abkhazia had around 525,000 inhabitants.

View of the Black Sea near Eschera

Post Soviet time

The Georgian SSR was one of the first union republics to break away from the Soviet Union . The first president was the nationalist Swiad Gamsachurdia , who pursued very anti-minority policies. In regions where the majority of the population lived, especially in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the situation was already tense. Major unrest and mass demonstrations began there.

Under Gamsakhurdia's leadership, the whole of Georgia finally plunged into civil war and several territorial divisions, including in the region of Adjara, which is largely inhabited by ethnic Georgians . In Abkhazia, too, the situation escalated, with calls for state independence growing louder there. In addition to the Abkhazians, large parts of the Armenians, Russians and Ukrainians living in Abkhazia also saw their rights in a new Georgian nation-state as threatened. In protest against Georgian politics, most of the non-Georgian residents of Abkhazia showed solidarity with the Abkhazians.

Civil War

Annunciation Church in the capital
The crisis worsened from 1989 and independence was proclaimed

Shortly before Georgia split from the Soviet Union, July 1989 saw the worst unrest and interethnic conflicts in Abkhazia since the 1920s. The occasion was the planned opening of a branch of the Tbilisi State University in the Abkhazian capital. The subject of the university in Abkhazia was an extremely sensitive problem at the time. There was not a single full-fledged university in the region, but the Sukhumi Pedagogical Institute was a university-like university that taught in three languages ​​(Abkhaz, Russian, Georgian). The Georgian part of the institute was to be separated and transferred to a newly founded branch of the Tbilisi University. At this point Georgia was already clearly heading for an exit from the Soviet Union. The majority of Abkhazians viewed this development with skepticism. In multi-ethnic Abkhazia, public institutions were mostly multilingual. Months before, under pressure from the growing Georgian national movement, a trend had begun in which the Georgian part of existing public institutions was separated and transferred to separate institutions with a specifically Georgian-national character. The aim of these measures was to reduce the influence of the central Soviet power. In the course of 1989, for example, the city theater or sports clubs were divided on the basis of ethnic dividing lines. The fact that the most important and only higher educational institution in Abkhazia should now also be divided and only the Georgian part should in future bear the prestigious title of “university” triggered a wave of indignation among Abkhazians and other non-Georgians. After letters of complaint to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR , the division was forbidden by the supreme Soviet authority. However, the local Georgian leadership ignored instructions from Moscow. 30,000 nationally minded Georgians from all over the country took part in a "March to Sukhumi" under the leadership of Merab Kostava to support the division of the university, while anti-Georgian demonstrations with thousands of participants took place in Sukhumi. Because the situation was already so tense and an outbreak of violence was feared, attempts were made in Abkhazia to confiscate the weapons of private weapon owners. Nonetheless, when Abkhaz demonstrators stormed a Georgian newspaper in Sukhumi on July 12, a spiral of violence began that lasted for over a week until Soviet troops were finally able to restore order. There were street battles between Georgian nationalists on the one hand and Abkhaz nationalists, partly supported by locally based Armenians and Russians, on the other. By the end of July, 18 people had died and 448 were injured. The events in July already hinted at an imminent war in Abkhazia.

Efforts to secession from Georgia became the defining topic of politics in Abkhazia in 1991 at the latest. Georgian President Sviad Gamsakhurdia was overthrown in a military coup in January 1992 , but his supporters were still active throughout Georgia and caused increasing unrest, especially in Abkhazia.

Many Abkhazians feared cultural oppression in an independent Georgia, like in the time of Stalinism. Almost all non-Georgian residents of Abkhazia, including in particular Russians, Armenians, Ukrainians and Greeks, supported staying with the Soviet Union until the end. The Soviet Union, however , finally dissolved with the Declaration of Alma-Ata in December 1991.

After Georgia had previously declared all treaties that had been signed in the Soviet era (1921-1991) null and void, the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Abkhazia, Vladislav Ardsinba , proclaimed Abkhazia's independence from Georgia on July 23, 1992. At the same time he tried to mobilize support from Russia and made contacts with numerous Russian military and politicians, including Ruslan Chasbulatow and Alexander Ruzkoi . Militias of their own have now been formed in Abkhazia, and Georgia lost control of most of Abkhazia within a short period of time.

Open war

Georgia did not want to accept this, however, and tried to reintegrate Abkhazia into its state organization using military force. On August 14, 1992, Georgian units advanced across the Abkhaz-Georgian border under the orders of then Defense Minister Tengis Kitowani . The Abkhazians resisted, while Vladislav Ardsinba spoke on public television about Georgia's aggression against the "independent Abkhazian state" and called on the Abkhazians to fight the Georgians with all possible means.

Front movements in Abkhazia from 1992–1993

The Abkhazian troops were initially poorly equipped and organized, which is why the Georgian troops were able to completely take the capital Sukhumi on August 18 and push the Abkhazians back. Attempts were made in Abkhazia to install a government loyal to Georgia under the leadership of Shiuli Sharpava . By September 1992 Georgia was able to advance via Gagra to the Russian border near Sochi and split the area controlled by Abkhazians into two parts: a larger area around the city of Gudauta and a smaller enclave around Tkwartscheli , a stronghold of the Abkhazians. Tkwartscheli, a city with a large Russian population, was besieged and a humanitarian crisis broke out in the city. Russia then supplied the city via an airlift and flew civilians out. After the Georgian army had brought large parts of Abkhazia under its control, there was looting, the destruction of Abkhaz cultural monuments and serious riots against non-Georgian civilians. According to Human Rights Watch , Georgian troops were said to have been actively involved in ethnic cleansing against Abkhazians during this phase of the war. Paramilitary units such as the Sakartwelos Mchedrioni were particularly involved in crimes. Many Russians, Armenians and members of other minorities living in Abkhazia who had previously sympathized with the Abkhazians now actively sided with Georgia and joined the Abkhazian troops. Armenians in particular fought in large numbers on the Abkhazian side and formed their own battalions . The Abkhazians also received support from the Cossacks and the Confederation of Caucasian Peoples . Volunteers from the North Caucasus and other parts of Russia traveled to Abkhazia to support the Abkhazians' struggle for independence. Chechen guerrillas under the command of the future top terrorist Shamil Basayev , who even briefly rose to the position of Deputy Defense Minister of Abkhazia during this time, are said to have been among the volunteers in Abkhazia .

The Abkhazian army had been surprised by the Georgian offensive in the summer and had so far withdrawn rather than facing major fighting. In October 1992, now supported by numerous volunteers, the Abkhazians went on the offensive for the first time. They took the city of Gagra with heavy losses and drove Georgian units from all over northern Abkhazia. Here Abkhazians also committed serious war crimes and ethnic cleansing took place. Thousands of Georgians fled across the Russian border, from where they were transported to Georgia. During 1993, Georgia suffered heavy defeats in Abkhazia. As early as the spring of 1993, the Abkhazians began preparing an offensive to take Sukhumi. By the summer Sukhumi had been circled on two sides. On July 27, however, a ceasefire agreement was negotiated between the two warring parties with Russian mediation , which initially held. In August 1993, an armed uprising broke out in western Georgia by supporters of ex-President Sviad Gamsakhurdia, who returned from exile on September 24th . Starting from Zugdidi , the Gamsakhurdia rebels were able to capture important cities such as Poti and Senaki within a few weeks , penetrate until shortly before Kutaisi and move into the part of Abkhazia still controlled by Georgia, where they conquered the important city of Gali , among other things . The regular Georgian units in Sukhumi were now cut off from supplies by land, could only be supplied by sea and were now encircled: on one side by Abkhazians, on the other by Gamsakhurdia supporters. Georgia relied on the ceasefire with the Abkhazians and withdrew heavy weapons from Sukhumi, partly to comply with the terms of the ceasefire and partly to take action against Gamsakhurdia's forces on the other side of the front.

Georgia was now falling into chaos. In addition to Abkhazia, there was still another war against armed separatists in South Ossetia and now also against the Gamsakhurdia supporters, and the Muslim part of the country Adjara had also effectively split off. The Abkhazians initially adhered to the agreement. However, with the severe crisis in Georgia in September 1993, they saw a completely unexpected opportunity to achieve their previously no longer realistic war goal of the complete conquest of Abkhazia. On September 16, 1993, the Abkhazians broke the armistice and began a major offensive on Sukhumi, which they took after 11 days of intense fighting. With the fall of Sukhumi, the Georgian front in Abkhazia collapsed. Most of the ethnic Georgians fled Abkhazia for fear of revenge. Some of the Georgians who stayed behind were actually victims of further serious attacks. After the defeat in Sukhumi, there was a brutal massacre of the Georgian civilian population. By September 30, the Abkhazians had advanced to the border of the former Soviet Abkhazia on the Inguri River. Georgia was only able to maintain a presence in the sparsely populated Kodori Valley , supported by local warlords . This ended the open fighting.

The war lasted a little over a year and resulted in serious war crimes on both sides. Human Rights Watch estimates 4,000 dead on the Abkhazian side and another 4,000 Georgians dead. In total, around 250,000 people had to flee as a result of the conflict. The majority of the refugees, around 200,000, were of Georgian origin. Most of the Georgian refugees were stranded in Tbilisi , but many of them were later able to return to Abkhazia. Today more than 46,000 Georgians live there again, preferably in the province of Gali, where they make up the majority of the population.

UNOMIG stationed area

On May 14, 1994, after three unsuccessful attempts, an armistice was agreed with the mediation of the United Nations . So far, 1,500 Russian soldiers, as a peacekeeping force of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), have ensured compliance with the 1994 ceasefire between Georgians and Abkhazians. Compliance with the agreement was monitored by a 121-member United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG). Germany also provided a contingent of eleven soldiers for the mission.

Although Russia was allegedly not involved, 46 Russian soldiers died and several planes and helicopters with Russian pilots were shot down.

Peace negotiations

There have been repeated unsuccessful negotiations to end the conflict under the auspices of the United Nations. The aim was to repatriate the refugees and find a political solution based on Georgia's territorial integrity. However, that failed because of the de facto government of Abkhazia, which always insisted on complete independence.

Esplanade in Gagra

In October 2001, the armed conflict between Georgian partisans and Abkhaz security forces flared up again in the Georgian-Abkhaz border region.

Church in Lychny

The Abkhazia resolution passed by the UN Security Council in July 2002 , which provided for the country to remain an autonomous republic in the state of Georgia, is based on proposals by the German diplomat Dieter Boden , who headed UNOMIG from 1999 to 2002. Although regular negotiations to resolve the conflict between Abkhazia and Georgia took place, they did not bring about a breakthrough. Kofi Annan , former Secretary General of the United Nations , called on Abkhazia to use the Georgian Rose Revolution to start negotiations again. In the declaration made by the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on July 24, 2006, the EU expressed its great concern about developments in Abkhazia at the time, welcomed the deployment of a UN police force as soon as possible and declared its readiness to actively contribute to the peace process.

In the south of Abkhazia, which is still mostly inhabited by Georgians, acts of sabotage have occurred and continue to occur, some of which were financed or supported by Georgia.

At the beginning of May 2008 the Russian side increased the troops to 2,500 men. The Russian contingent thus approached the maximum limit of 3,000 men. Georgia criticized the move as being directed against its sovereignty and expressed its wish to withdraw from the joint control body consisting of Russia, Georgia and North and South Ossetia. The other members of the committee rejected this request in 2008.

Caucasus War

Tensions returned in March and April 2008, and on April 20, a Georgian unmanned aerial vehicle ("drone") was shot down over Abkhazia. The drone was shot down by a Russian fighter jet, which was initially denied by the Russian Foreign Ministry , which described the flight of the drone as a "military act" and a violation of the ceasefire agreement. UNOMIG investigators confirmed three further downings of Georgian Elbit Hermes 450 drones from the Israeli company Elbit Systems in March 2008.

The UN Security Council , which also confirmed the downing, stressed that both the downing of the drone by a Russian fighter aircraft and the use of drones by the Georgian side violated the Moscow Agreement of 1994, which only allowed the presence of peacekeeping forces from the Commonwealth of Independent States allowed in Abkhazia.

The Georgian Ambassador to the United Nations , Irakli Alassania , said that the inaction of the UNOMIG peacekeeping force in this regard had forced Georgia to make such reconnaissance flights in order to keep an eye on the movements of Abkhazian and Russian troops in Abkhazia in the interests of its own national security , but want to discontinue this in the future. Alassania accused the peacekeeping force of failing to perform its task sufficiently, with the result that since 1994 more than 2,000 Georgian civilians have been killed and 8,000 Georgian households in Abkhazia have been destroyed. Under the guise of peacekeeping forces, Russia is stationing more and more troops in Georgia, even though they are not carrying out a peacekeeping mission. The number of Georgians living in Abkhazia has not decreased in recent years, it has actually increased. The Abkhaz government has also made efforts in recent years to provide residents of the country of Georgian origin with Abkhazian passports so that they can participate in Abkhaz politics - but on the condition that they give up their Georgian citizenship.

In 2008, an armed conflict broke out in the region of South Ossetia, also breakaway from Georgia , when Georgia tried to use military means to bring the region under its control. Russia intervened on the side of South Ossetia in the conflict. On August 8, 2008, until August 10, fighting broke out on the Abkhaz-Georgian border in the Kodori Gorge , which was held by Georgia at the time. The Abkhaz authorities ordered the army to be mobilized and Russian troops in the area were reinforced. In this context, Russia moved more than 9,000 additional soldiers to Abkhazia, although the 1994 agreement only allows Russian troops up to 3,000 men. On August 12, Russian President Medvedev announced the completion of military operations. Georgia lost all control over Abkhazia and South Ossetia in the conflict. In 2014 at least 5,000 Russian soldiers were in the area and de facto control the area.

International recognition

States that recognize Abkhazia as an independent state
Representation of Abkhazia (and South Ossetia ) in Tiraspol , Transnistria
Beach in Pizunda

On August 26, 2008, the Russian President Medvedev ratified the unanimous decision of the two chambers of the Russian parliament on the previous days to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as an independent state. He described this step as a direct result of the previous military conflict, which had made it impossible for South Ossetians and Abkhazians to continue living in one state with the Georgians. The precedent of Kosovo also mentioned on the part of high Russian civil servant. At the same time, Medvedev called on other states to follow suit.

As the second country after Russia, Nicaragua recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on September 3rd. President Daniel Ortega said this at an official event in front of the army leadership of his country.

On September 10, 2009, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said on a visit to Moscow that his country would recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states with immediate effect. With the end of the UNOMIG mandate in June 2009, after the Russian veto on a renewed extension, the last military observers left the country in October 2009. On December 15, 2009, Abkhazia was recognized by the Pacific state of Nauru , shortly after President Bagapsch was confirmed in office in the presidential election on December 12, 2009 . At the same time, Nauru received Russian financial aid for social and economic projects amounting to 50 million dollars.

Vanuatu initially recognized Abkhazia's independence under Prime Minister Sato Kilman in the spring of 2011. However, after the Supreme Court of the country declared Sato's election to be invalid, his predecessor and successor Edward Natapei withdrew the recognition of Abkhazia on June 19, 2011. At the end of 2011, however, the Vanuatu government reaffirmed that it had recognized Abkhazia. In May 2013, the recognition under Moana Carcasses Kalosil was withdrawn a second time. On May 29, 2018, the Syrian government under Bashar al-Assad recognized the independence of Abkhazia.

This means that only five UN member states recognize the independence of Abkhazia. Abkhazia also maintains diplomatic relations with the post-Soviet republics of Transnistria , Artsakh and South Ossetia , which are also not recognized or only recognized by a few countries .

Recent development

Russia pays high amounts of development aid to Abkhazia every year, and the number of inhabitants is now steadily increasing again. Despite the difficult framework conditions (low international recognition, current trade embargoes), election observers rated the 2011 presidential election as free and in line with democratic principles. Before the election, 9,000 Abkhaz passports were distributed to residents of the Gali region of Georgian origin so that they could also vote.

While tourism in Abkhazia experienced strong growth, economic development stagnated, both due to political isolation and due to mismanagement and corruption . The region is dependent on imports from neighboring Russia, and a large part of the state budget is also financed by Russia.

At the end of May 2014 there were mass protests in Abkhazia against the then government of President Alexander Ankwab . Protesters eventually stormed its seat and demanded his resignation. The opposition declared the president to be deposed, whereupon a power struggle between the political forces threatened. On June 1, Ankwab finally announced his resignation. Parliamentary President Valery Bganba was appointed as his interim successor, and presidential elections have been announced for August 24, 2014. In the subsequent election, Raul Chadschimba finally prevailed as the new president with 50.5% of the vote.

Some politicians in Russia want Abkhazia to join the Eurasian Union in the long term . To do this, however, it would be necessary for all of its member states, including Belarus , Kazakhstan and Armenia , to also recognize the country's independence. This would bring these countries into an open confrontation with Georgia. For the time being, Russia is therefore restricting itself to increased cooperation with Abkhazia, for example in the military field. Georgia continues to oppose this as it would further cement the separation of the region from Georgia. In November 2014, an "Alliance and Strategic Partnership Agreement" was signed in Sochi. The agreement also provides for the formation of joint army forces under the Russian commander-in-chief if necessary.

politics

The Abkhaz parliament, the " People's Assembly ", consists of 35 members . The political landscape is made up of numerous parties and several larger “socio-political movements”. In 2002, 2003 and 2004, the People's Assembly repeatedly unsuccessfully appealed to the Russian legislature to establish associated relations with Abkhazia, to contractually include the republic in the Russian customs and currency system and to grant military protection. As a result of the Caucasus War initiated by Georgia in 2008 , Russia finally recognized the independence of Abkhazia in August 2008.

The US non-governmental organization Freedom House classified Abkhazia in 2012 as a "partially free" state. Georgia was also classified as partially free in this study.

elections

The first President of Abkhazia was the historian Wladislaw Ardsinba from 1994 to 2005 . On February 12, 2005 he was replaced by Sergei Bagapsch , who achieved 91.54% of the vote in the January 12, 2005 election. His opponent, Jakob Lakoba, got 4.5%. The ballot was preceded by a falsified election on October 3, 2004, in which the former Prime Minister Raul Hadschimba was declared the winner. After protracted arguments, the Supreme Court ordered the election to be held again in January. In the second election, Raul Hadschimba did not run. The January election was not entirely correct either. Ethnic Georgians living in the eastern province of Gali were partially prevented from voting, but often did not have Abkhaz citizenship, which is why they are not eligible to vote under Abkhazian law.

Khadjimba also ran in the presidential election in Abkhazia in 2011 , once again clearly defeated by Alexander Ankwab , before he was elected president in the 2014 presidential election in Abkhazia and was re-elected in autumn 2019. On January 13, 2020, Khadjimba signed a letter of resignation after the Supreme Court's Cassation Authority annulled the autumn 2019 election results. The election commission set new elections for March 22, 2020. This was won by Aslan Bschania , who has been the country's president since April 2020.

status

Abkhazia belongs to Georgia under international law . The United Nations has reaffirmed this time and again since 1993. The UN Security Council "reaffirms the commitment of all member states to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders". Some international lawyers consider Abkhazia to be a stabilized de facto regime .

Russia recognized Abkhazia on August 26, 2008, Nicaragua on September 3, 2008, Venezuela on September 10, 2009, Nauru on December 15, 2009, and at the end of May 2018 Syria expanded the short list of recognizing states to five.

External relations

Abkhazia maintains diplomatic contacts with the countries that have recognized its independence and with other states. Abkhazia has so far only had embassies abroad in Russia, Venezuela and South Ossetia, but also operates several representative offices in other countries, has many honorary consuls and cooperates with non-governmental organizations, especially those in the Circassian diaspora .

Abkhazian papers, but also Russian passports issued in Abkhazia, are practically only accepted by Russia. On the anniversary of the beginning of the Caucasus War, August 8, 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Abkhazia and underlined that Moscow would continue to support the province's independence and security. The meeting with the Abkhazian Prime Minister Raul Khadschimba did not take place until a week after the visit of US Vice President Mike Pence to Georgia, which Western observers interpreted as a deliberate provocation against Tbilisi.

Relations with Georgia

Diplomatic relations between Abkhazian and Georgian government agencies do not exist. The Georgian government elected in 2012 under Bidzina Ivanishvili signaled readiness to talk for the first time in mid-2013 and also admitted to some misconduct in the Caucasus War in 2008.

The Georgian government under Mikheil Saakashvili intended to reintegrate Abkhazia into Georgia following the model of a change of power in Adjara. On September 22, 2004, Saakashvili presented a three-stage plan to the UN General Assembly to resolve the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia . A first stage provided for confidence-building measures between non-governmental organizations, students , journalists , doctors , athletes and mothers . In the second stage, the conflict zones should be demilitarized under international supervision. Finally, in the third, Georgia wanted to grant Abkhazia and South Ossetia the greatest possible autonomy. Supporters of the Abkhaz peace process are Germany , France , Great Britain , Russia and the USA .

The Abkhazian government had rejected the Georgian plan. Russia , too , rejected the reunification of Abkhazia with Georgia and, in accordance with the agreement concluded with Georgia in Moscow in 1995, did not want to withdraw its peacekeeping forces in order to prevent further bloodshed at its borders.

In July 2006, the Georgian government sent special forces from the Ministry of the Interior to Abkhazia's upper Kodori Gorge , where Emsar Kwitsiani had proclaimed autonomy over the area. Within a few days they defeated the rioters supported by Russia. On September 27, 2006, President Saakashvili ordered the renaming of the upper Kodori Gorge in Upper Abkhazia . At the same time, the Abkhazian government in exile under Malchas Akishbaia took its seat in the town of Chchalta . Diplomats accredited in Tbilisi who wanted to visit Sukhumi had to pay a visit to the government-in-exile in Chchalta. Abkhazia's President Bagapsch was angry. Anyone visiting the government- in- exile in Chchalta will not be received in Sukhumi, he said.

On August 12, 2008, the Georgian army was driven from their last positions in the upper Kodori Gorge by Abkhazian and Russian troops . Thus Georgia has completely lost control of Abkhazia after the defeat in South Ossetia. The central administrative building of the Georgian government in the provincial capital Chchalta was completely destroyed.

Inner problems and attitudes towards independence

While the Abkhazians, Russians and Armenians usually live together smoothly, there are problems with the integration of Georgian residents, who are often suspected of being Georgia's fifth column . Only around every second Georgian in Abkhazia stated that they had never been discriminated against because of their origin. Since the country achieved its de facto independence, there have been and continue to be acts of sabotage and, in isolated cases, attacks against institutions of the Abkhazian state in the southern regions, which are mostly inhabited by Georgians.

The relationship between Abkhazia and its Georgian minority is therefore characterized by mistrust. The Gali district is particularly affected . The Abkhaz police have little influence there, which leads to a significantly higher crime rate. According to a study by the University of Colorado Boulder , most Georgians have come to terms with the situation. Almost 50% of the Georgian minority support the continued existence of the country as a separate state, less than 20% consider a return to Georgia to be necessary. A return to Georgia is rejected almost unanimously by all other population groups. Only 1% of the ethnic Abkhazians and 2% of the Armenians and Russians explicitly supported this. While larger parts of the population among Russians (38%) and Armenians (51%) would be in favor of joining Russia, this is only a smaller proportion among Abkhazians (19%). Almost 80% of them are in favor of permanent country independence.

economy

Gagra - destination for tourists
Abkhazian wine

In 2011, the Abkhazian gross domestic product was estimated at around 15.5 billion rubles , the equivalent of around 500 million dollars. Three-quarters of the budget in the area is provided by Russia.

By far the country's most important economic partner is Russia. Georgia is still trying to implement a trade embargo against Abkhazia, which is hindering the region's economic recovery. Nevertheless, there has been increased investment from abroad, especially since 2008 when Russia recognized Abkhazia's independence. In addition to trade with Russia, economic relations between Abkhazia and Turkey also increased; Turkey, with its Abkhazian diaspora of 500,000 people, is the country's second most important trading partner as of 2011. Almost all food is imported from Russia.

One of the most important economic sectors in Abkhazia is tourism , which was already of great importance before the civil war. By far the largest number of tourists come from Russia. Since Russia recognized Abkhazia's independence, tourism to Abkhazia has increased again. According to the Abkhaz government, the country recorded around 300,000 visitors in 2009, an increase of almost 20% over the previous year.

Important export goods from Abkhazia are in particular fruit and agricultural products, fish products, gravel and metal products. Even the wine-growing has traditionally played a major role in Abkhazia, wine is increasingly developing into a major export commodity.

In the 2010s, Abkhazia became a hotspot for Bitcoin farms as electricity in the country is very cheap because of the Enguri Dam . In 2018, the crypto farms were officially banned, but equipment for these farms was imported on a large scale into 2020.

The country's official and widely used currency is the Russian ruble . In addition, the specially issued currency Apsar has been in existence since 2008 , but it is rarely used in everyday life. The country has its own central bank , the National Bank of the Republic of Abkhazia .

The country also has its own media and press landscape, with numerous newspapers and magazines, including the daily Apsny , the first Abkhaz-language newspaper , which has been published since 1919 . The Russian-language publications Tschegemskaja Pravda and the state Respublika Abkhazia are also important . The trilingual newspaper Gal appears in the south of the country . The Sabchota Apchaseti , the former most important Georgian newspaper in the region, which was discontinued in the 1990s , and Kokinos kapnas , a Greek-language publication, were historically significant . There are also several radio stations and two own television stations, the Abkhaz state television and the private station Abasa TV . Most of the Russian media are also available. Telephony and mobile communications are covered in Abkhazia by the two providers Aquafon and A-Mobile .

traffic

In 2000, a separate railway company for Abkhazia was founded: The Aphsny Aihaamua (Abkhazian Railway). The network consists practically only of the approximately 200 km long route from the Russian Eagle to Senaki in Georgia and an approximately 20 km long branch to Akarmara. Passenger traffic only takes place between Sukhumi and Adler. Since September 10, 2004, rail traffic between Sukhumi and Moscow has been resumed. From May to the end of July 2008, Russian railway troops renewed the network.

Education, culture and sport

The Abkhaz State University is the only university in the country and has about 3,000 students. The Institute of Physics and Technology still exists near the Abkhazian capital. After the Second World War, it was at times one of the most important locations for nuclear research worldwide. As a result of the Abkhaz civil war, however, the institute split up into various successor institutions and almost completely lost its scientific importance.

Among the best-known Abkhazian cultural workers was Fasil Iskander , who lived in Moscow until his death , as well as Samson Tschanba , Dmitri Gulia , Georgi Gulia , Gennadi Alamija and Bagrat Schinkuba .

In terms of sport in Abkhazia, the Abkhaz football championship should be mentioned in particular . The most successful club in the country today is Nart Sukhum , in the past FK Dinamo Sukhum was the most important team in the region. Dinamo Sukhum spent some seasons in the Soviet second division and produced some well-known players. However, since the Abkhazian Football Association is not a member of FIFA , Abkhaz teams have been denied participation in international competitions to this day.

gallery

See also

literature

Web links

Commons : Abkhazia  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files
Wikimedia Atlas: Abkhazia  - geographical and historical maps
Wikivoyage: Abkhazia  - travel guide
Wiktionary: Abkhazia  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Alexander Smoltczyk: The ABC Republic . In: Der Spiegel . No. 35 , 2009, p. 50-54 ( Online - Aug. 24, 2009 ).
  2. ↑ Teimuraz Blumgardt: Население Абхазии - Где истина ?! In: abkhazeti.info. May 17, 2011, Retrieved June 25, 2019 (Russian).
  3. ↑ Article 1 of the Abkhazian constitution ( Memento of May 14, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ a b c Chávez in Russia - Venezuela recognizes South Ossetia and Abkhazia. In: russland.ru. September 11, 2009, archived from the original on July 29, 2013 ; accessed on August 10, 2019 .
  5. ↑ Meike Dülffer: Georgia - Where the borders move. In: zeit.de. April 17, 2016, accessed August 16, 2018 .
  6. ↑ a b Syria recognizes Russian-backed Georgia regions. BBC News, May 29, 2018, accessed May 29, 2018 .
  7. ↑ Tuvalu Retracts Recognition Of Abkhazia, South Ossetia. In: rferl.org. March 31, 2014, accessed March 15, 2020 .
  8. ↑ Abkhazia, S. Ossetia Formally Declared Occupied Territory. In: old.civil.ge. August 28, 2008, accessed November 23, 2019 .
  9. ^ Nato Resolution 382 on the situation in Georgia. ( Memento from March 13, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
  10. ↑ 2003 census
  11. ↑ Stephen D. Shenfield: Origins and Evolutions of the Georgian-Abkhaz Conflict, by Stephen D. Shenfield. In: abkhazworld.com. Retrieved November 8, 2019 .
  12. ↑ The Georgian-Abkhaz-Conflict ( Memento from January 26, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) by Stephen D. Shenfield
  13. ↑ a b c d e f g John O'Loughlin, Vladimir Kolossov, Gerard Toal: Inside Abkhazia: A Survey of Attitudes in a De Facto State. (PDF; 3.8 MB) In: ibs.colorado.edu. 2013, accessed on August 27, 2018 .
  14. ↑ Abkhazia at nytimes.com
  15. ↑ Censuses in Abkhazia: 1886, 1926, 1939, 1959, 1970, 1979, 1989, 2003
  16. ↑ a b Censuses in Abkhazia: 1886, 1926, 1939, 1959, 1970, 1979, 1989, 2003 the figures for Georgians include Mingrelians and other Georgian-speaking groups
  17. ↑ a b c d Abkhazia on freedomhouse.org
  18. ↑ Kosovo on the Caucasus In: Der Spiegel. dated May 11, 2008
  19. ↑ Russia criticises Georgia's new passports for Abkhazia, S. Ossetia. In: english.ruvr.ru. The Voice of Russia , February 8, 2012; archived from the original on April 17, 2013 ; accessed on August 13, 2018 .
  20. ↑ Виталий Шария: Исчезающий язык. In: ekhokavkaza.com. October 24, 2011, accessed September 10, 2018 (Russian).
  21. ↑ Endangered languages: the full list. In: theguardian.com. April 15, 2011, accessed October 24, 2018 .
  22. ^ Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Europa Publications Limited, London 1999, ISBN 978-1-85743-058-5 , p. 36.
  23. ↑ minorityrights.org
  24. ↑ Paul Rimple, Temo Bardzimashvili: Abkhazia: Gali Students Dodge Russian Border Guards for Education in Georgian. In: eurasianet.org. December 22, 2010, accessed February 26, 2019 .
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  26. ↑ Особенности религиозного сознания в современной Абхазии About Religion in Abkhazia, accessed December 8, 2012
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  28. ↑ a b c d Heinz Fähnrich: History of Georgia from its beginnings to Mongol rule. Shaker, Aachen 1993.
  29. ↑ Eva-Maria Auch : The conflict in Abkhazia from a historical perspective (PDF; 126 kB), p. 6.
  30. ↑ Alexander Kokejew / Georgi Otyrba: The way in the Abkhazian war. In: Investigations of the FKKS 13/1997. See also: Bruno Coppieters: Western Security Policy and the Conflict between Georgia and Abkhazia. Federal Institute for Eastern and International Studies, Cologne 1999.
  31. ↑ Georgia. In: Munzinger archive . Archive for journalistic work. Time archive sub-series. Ravensburg 1994, 15, p. 3.
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  53. ^ Svante E. Cornell: Small Nations and Great Powers. A Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict in the Caucasus. Routledge, 2001, ISBN 978-0-7007-1162-8 , pp. 345-349.
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  55. ↑ a b c Georgia / Abkhazia: Violations of the Laws of War and Russia's Role in the Conflict . In: HRW Arms Project Reports . tape 7 , no. 7 . HRW Arms Project, HRW Helsinki, March 1995 (English, hrw.org [PDF; 446 kB ; accessed on April 21, 2020]).
  56. ↑ Кубанские казаки берут Сухуми - Губернатор Александр Ткачев взялся за решение абхаызской проблемызской проблемым. In: abkhaziainfo.f2o.org. 2004, archived from the original on December 15, 2004 ; Retrieved August 14, 2018 (Russian).
  57. ↑ Lukas F. Streiff: Death of a terror prince . In: spiegel.de . July 10, 2006, accessed September 30, 2019.
  58. ↑ Gisbert Mrozek: Practiced in hopeless combat. In: berliner-zeitung.de . August 18, 1999, accessed August 22, 2020 .
  59. ↑ Sabine Klein: Interview on the recognition of breakaway regions - Two Kosovars in the Caucasus? Interview with Otto Luchterhandt. In: tagesschau.de. August 26, 2008. Retrieved August 18, 2019 .
  60. ^ Robert Nalbandov: Foreign Interventions in Ethnic Conflicts Global security in a changing world , Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2009 ISBN 9780754678625 , page 88
  61. ↑ Georgia will view the relocation of peacekeepers to South Ossetia as a violation of its sovereignty. (No longer available online.) In: de.rian.ru. May 15, 2008, archived from the original on May 19, 2008 ; accessed on August 9, 2020 .
  62. ↑ UN Probe Says Russian Jet Downed Georgian Drone. In: old.civil.ge. May 26, 2008, accessed August 13, 2018 .
  63. ↑ Saakashvili Says Drones, Bought from Israel, were Compromised. In: old.civil.ge. July 6, 2013, accessed August 13, 2018 .
  64. ↑ UN News Center: Georgia: UN says Russian air force shot down aircraft over Abkhazia , message of May 27, 2008, accessed on May 30, 2008
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  66. ^ Abkhaz rebels mobilize , Focus , August 10, 2008.
  67. ↑ Georgia is relocating its troops . In: Spiegel Online , August 10, 2008.
  68. ↑ a b c d e The Kremlin is tightening its grip on Abkhazia , NZZ, November 26, 2014
  69. ↑ Dimitry Cookingov, Elena Basheska: Good Neighborliness in the European Legal Context , BRILL, 2015, ISBN 9789004299788 ; Russian troops are stationed in Abkhazia and South Ossetia and de facto control their terretories.
  70. ↑ Barbara Nazarewska: Kremlin holds up the Kosovo mirror to the West. Interview with Mirela Isic. In: cap-lmu.de . August 28, 2008, accessed June 18, 2020.
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  72. ↑ The Earth Times: Nicaragua joins Russia in recognizing South Ossetia, Abkhazia (September 3, 2008)
  73. ↑ a b Recognition decree ( Memento from September 10, 2008 on WebCite ) (PDF; 230 kB) (Spanish)
  74. ↑ Russia News, December 15, 2009, tiny Nauru recognizes Abkhazia's independence
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  76. ↑ Natapei v Korman [2011 VUSC 72; Constitutional Case 5 of 2011]
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  80. ^ Dpa: Abkhazia conflict region: Prorusse Ankwab elected president . "Three years after the South Caucasus War between Russia and Georgia, the small conflict area of ​​Abkhazia has a new leadership. Despite the protests from Georgia, the presidential election in the disputed region on the Black Sea was calm - and democratic." - Stern, August 28, 2011
  81. ↑ Russia Today: New head for young state - Abkhazia votes : "Representatives from 27 countries have come to monitor the polling from around the region and from the EU."
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  85. ↑ “Turn away from Russia” , BAZ, October 18, 2014
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  89. ↑ RIA Novosti: Russia officially recognizes independence from Abkhazia and South Ossetia , August 26, 2008.
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  107. ↑ Abkhazia - the mandarin republic in the Caucasus
  108. ↑ georgiatimes.info: interview / 61534.html ( Memento of the original from February 22, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.georgiatimes.info
  109. ↑ John CK Daly: Despite Illegality, Crypto-Currency Mining Flourishes in Abkhazia , jamestown.org August 14, 2020.
  110. ^ Neil Robinson: The Middle East and Caucasus (=  World ail Atlas . Volume 8 ). 2006, ISBN 954-12-0128-8 , pp. 14 .
  111. ^ RIA Novosti: Abkhazia: Thanks to Russian railway troops, the railway line is operational again. In: Sputnik News. Rossiya Sevodnya, July 30, 2008, accessed February 7, 2017 .

Coordinates: 43 ° 0 '  N , 40 ° 59'  E