Administrative division of Georgia

The administration of Georgia is highly centralized. It is divided at the upper level into nine regions (Georgian მხარეები, mchareebi , singular mchare ), two autonomous republics (Georgian ავტონომიური რესპუბლიკა, awtonomiuri respublika ) and the capital Tbilisi , which also enjoys regional status. At the middle level there are 73 municipalities ( Rajons , districts ) and at the municipal level there are approx. 1000 small towns and rural communities.

The two autonomous republics: Adjara and Abkhazia

Location of the two autonomous republics in Georgia

There are two autonomous republics within Georgia: Adjara (აჭარა, capital Batumi , ბათუმი) and Abkhazia (აფხაზეთი, capital Sukhumi , სოხუმი). Abkhazia is not under the control of the central government, but is controlled by a separatist government backed by Russia and not recognized internationally. In practice there is an ongoing state of emergency there . The political instability of Abkhazia and the anti-Georgian stance of the regional government have resulted in more than 250,000 Georgians fleeing the area, significantly changing the ethnic composition and total population of the region. For these reasons, no reliable statistics on the population of Abkhazia are available.

In Adjara, too, there were separatist tendencies after the collapse of the Soviet Union . However, the Georgian central government managed to largely reintegrate the region into the Georgian state. Ajaria has the status of an Autonomous Republic of Georgia.

The nine regions

The nine regions of Georgia and the capital Tbilisi

The regions were introduced between 1994 and 1996 by a presidential decree. They are seen as a temporary measure until the secessionist problems with Abkhazia and South Ossetia are resolved. The head of the administration is formed by a state commissioner (Georgian სახელმწიფო რწმუნებული, sachelmzipo rzmunebuli ), informally known as the governor . He is appointed and recalled by the President. The regions are divided into several municipalities (Georgian მუნიციპალიტეტი). In administrative terms , South Ossetia mainly belongs to the Inner Cartilia region , but like Abkhazia is largely outside the control of the central government and under the control of an internationally unrecognized but Russian-backed separatist government.

No.	region	Capital	ISO 3166-2: GE
1	Mingrelia and Upper Svaneti (სამეგრელოს და ზემო სვანეთის მხარე)	Zugdidi (ზუგდიდი)	GE-SZ
2	Guria (გურიის მხარე)	Osurgeti (ოზურგეთი)	GE-GU
3	Ratscha-Letschchumi and Lower Vanetia (რაჭა-ლეჩხუმის და ქვემო სვანეთის მხარე)	Ambrolauri (ამბროლაური)	GE-RL
4th	Imeretien (იმერეთის მხარე)	Kutaisi (ქუთაისი)	GE-IM
5	Samtskhe Javakheti (სამცხე-ჯავახეთის მხარე)	Akhaltsikhe (ახალციხე)	GE-SJ
6th	Mtskheta-Mtianeti (მცხეთა-მთიანეთის მხარე)	Mtskheta (მცხეთა)	GE-MM
7th	Inner Kartlien ("Schida-Kartlien") (შიდა ქართლის მხარე)	Gori (გორი)	GE-SK
8th	Niederkartlien ("Kwemo-Kartlien") (ქვემო ქართლის მხარე)	Rustawi (რუსთავი)	GE-KK
9	Kakheti (კახეთის მხარე)	Telawi (თელავი)	GE-KA
10	Tbilisi (საქართველოს დედაქალაქის - თბილისი)	Tbilisi (თბილისი)	GE-TB

The middle administrative level: cities and municipalities

Administrative division of Georgia (cities and municipalities)

The regions and autonomous republics are divided into a total of 67 municipalities ( Rajons , districts ) and six independent cities (დამოუკიდებელი ქალაქი; Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Rustawi, Poti, Batumi, Sukhumi).

Regions and local authorities of Georgia

Surname	Residents	Administrative center
GEORGIA	4,394,700	Tbilisi
Capital Tbilisi	1.101.100	Tbilisi
Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia	k. A. *	Sukhumi
1. Gagra Municipality	k. A. *	Gagra
2. Gali Municipality	k. A. *	Gali
3. Gudauta Municipality	k. A. *	Gudauta
4. Gulripschi Municipality	k. A. *	Gulripschi
5. Ochamtschiri Municipality	k. A. *	Ochamtschire
6. Sukhumi city	k. A. *	Sukhumi
7. Tqwartscheli Raion ***	k. A. *	Tqwartscheli
Autonomous Republic of Adjara	378,800	Batumi
1. City of Batumi	122,200	Batumi
2. Keda Municipality	19,800	Keda
3. Kobuleti Municipality	89,200	Kobuleti
4. Shuachewi municipality	21,800	Shuachewi
5. Chelvachauri Municipality	91,800	Chelvachauri
6. Chulo Municipality	34,000	Chulo
Guria region	139,000	Osurgeti
1. Lanchuti Municipality	38,800	Lanchuti
2. Osurgeti Municipality	77,400	Osurgeti
3. Chochatauri municipality	22,800	Chochatauri
Imereti region	697,600	Kutaisi
1. City of Kutaisi	189,700	Kutaisi
2. Baghdati Municipality	28,800	Baghdati
3. Wani Municipality	33,900	Wani
4. Sestaponi municipality	75,400	Sestaponi
5. Terdschola Municipality	45,100	Terdschola
6. Samtredia Municipality	60,200	Samtredia
7. Satschchere municipality	46,500	Punch scissors
8. Tqibuli Municipality	30,400	Tqibuli
9. Zqaltubo Municipality	73,600	Zqaltubo
10. Chiatura municipality	55,300	Chiatura
11. Kharagauli Municipality	27,500	Charagauli
12. Choni Municipality	31,200	Choni
Kakheti region	403,600	Telavi
1. Akhmeta municipality	41,600	Akhmeta
2. Gurjaani Municipality	70,500	Gurjaani
3. Dedopliszqaro Municipality	30,600	Dedopliszqaro
4. Telavi Municipality	70,400	Telavi
5. Lagodechi Municipality	51,000	Lagodechi
6. Sagaredscho municipality	58,800	Sagaredscho
7. Sighnaghi Municipality	43,600	Sighnaghi
8. Qvareli Municipality	37,100	Qwareli
Mtskheta-Mtianeti region	124,100	Mtskheta
1. Akhalgori Municipality	7,600	Akhalgori
2. Dusheti Municipality	33,300	Showereti
3. Tianeti Municipality	13,300	Tianeti
4. Mtskheta Municipality	65,000	Mtskheta
5. Qasbegi Municipality	4,900	Stepantsminda
Ratscha-Letschchumi and Kvemo-Svaneti region	48,600	Ambrolauri
1. Ambrolauri Municipality	15,100	Ambrolauri
2. Lentechi Municipality	8,900	Lentechi
3. Municipality of Oni	8,800	Oni
4. Zageri Municipality	15,800	Zageri
Mingrelia and Semo-Svaneti region	471,700	Zugdidi
1. City of Poti	47,300	Potentiometer
2. Abasha Municipality	28,100	Abasha
3. Zugdidi municipality	172,100	Zugdidi
4. Martvili municipality	44,600	Martvili
5. Mestia Municipality	14,200	Mestia
6. Senaki Municipality	52,000	Senaki
7. Chchorozqu municipality	30,000	Chchorozqu
8. Zalendzhikha Municipality	40,300	Zalendjikha
9. Chobi Municipality	41,200	Chobi
Samtskhe-Javakheti region	208,300	Akhaltsikhe
1. Adigeni Municipality	20,400	Adigeni
2. Aspindsa Municipality	12,700	Aspindsa
3. Akhalkalaki municipality	62,500	Akhalkalaki
4. Akhaltsikhe Municipality	46,900	Akhaltsikhe
5. Borjomi Municipality	31,900	Borjomi
6. Ninozminda Municipality	33,900	Ninozminda
Niederkartlien region	508,300	Rustavi
1. City of Rustavi	117,900	Rustavi
2. Bolnissi Municipality	75,600	Bolnissi
3. Gardabani Municipality	116,500	Gardabani
4. Dmanissi Municipality	28,300	Dmanissi
5. Tetrizqaro Municipality	26,200	Tetrizqaro
6. Marneuli Municipality	121,800	Marneuli
7. Zalka Municipality	22,000	Zalka
Inner Kartlien region	313,600	Gori
1. Tskhinvali city	k. A. **	Tskhinvali
2. Gori Municipality	148,800	Gori
3. Kaspi municipality	52,000	Kaspi
4. Kareli Municipality	51,200	Kareli
5. Chaschuri municipality	61,600	Chashuri
6. Java Municipality	k. A. **	Java

Remarks:

^* - Reliable statistical data are not available for Abkhazia .

^** - Reliable statistical data are not available for South Ossetia .

^*** - The municipality Tqvarcheli was newly formed by the separatist government of Abkhazia and therefore has no official status recognized by Georgia.

The lower (“communal”) administrative level

At this level there are:

• 55 cities (ქალაქი - "kalaki") that belong to a Rajon
• 50 small towns (დაბა - "daba"), comparable to urban-type settlements of the Soviet period
• 842 municipalities (თემი - "temi")
• 165 villages (სოფელი - "sopeli")

Individual evidence

1. ^ UN report on refugees from Abkhazia
2. ^ Department of Statistics of the Ministry of Economic Development of Georgia ( Memento of November 18, 2008 in the Internet Archive ); January 1, 2007 estimate