Abkhazia

Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus. It sits on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It covers 8,665 square kilometres and has a population of around 245,000. Its capital and largest city is Sukhumi.

The region had autonomy within the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic when the Soviet Union began to disintegrate in the late 1980s. Tensions between different groups led to a war in 1992–1993, after which Abkhazia declared itself independent, though most countries still consider it part of Georgia.

Today, Abkhazia is recognised as independent by only a few countries, including Russia. The situation remains disputed, with Georgia claiming Abkhazia as its own and maintaining a government-in-exile. Despite efforts to make peace, the conflict continues to affect the region.

Etymology

The name "Abkhazia" comes from the Georgian word "Apkhazeti." In the Abkhaz language, the region is called "Apsny," which means "a country of mortals." This name may have first appeared in old Armenian writings.

In early Muslim writings, "Abkhazia" often referred to parts of Georgia. Some old Georgian and Armenian records called the area "Egrisi." Today, the Abkhazian constitution says the names "Republic of Abkhazia" and "Apsny" can be used interchangeably. Before the 1900s, the region was sometimes called "Abhasia" in English.

History

Main article: History of Abkhazia

Early history

Between the 9th and 6th centuries BC, the land that is now Abkhazia was part of the ancient Kingdom of Colchis. Around the 6th century BC, the Greeks established trade colonies along the Black Sea coast, especially at Pitiunt and Dioscurias.

Old writers talked about many different groups of people living in this area and the many languages they spoke. Writers like Arrian, Pliny, and Strabo wrote about the Abasgoi and Moschoi people on the eastern shore of the Black Sea. Later, in 63 BC, this region became part of the Kingdom of Laziǩa.

Within the Roman and Byzantine Empires

The Roman Empire took control of Lazica in the 1st century AD, but their rule was mostly in the port cities. According to Arrian, the Abasgoi and Apsilae people were under Roman control, and there was a small Roman military post in Dioscurias. The Abasgoi may have served in the Roman army in Ala Prima Abasgorum, which was stationed in Egypt. After the 4th century, Lazica became more independent but stayed under the influence of the Byzantine Empire. Anacopia was the capital of this area. Most people there followed Christianity, and the leader of the church was based in Pityus. A church leader from Pityus named Stratophilus went to the First Council of Nicaea in 325.

In the middle of the 6th century AD, the Byzantines and the nearby Sassanid Persia fought over control of Abkhazia in a conflict called the Lazic War. During this war, the Abasgians rebelled against the Byzantine Empire and asked for help from the Sassanids, but the rebellion was stopped by a general named Bessas.

An attack by Arab forces led by Marwan II was stopped in 736 by Prince Leon I and his allies from Lazica and Iberia. Leon I then married the daughter of Mirian. Later, his successor, King Leon II, used this family connection to take over Lazica in the 770s.

Defending against the Arab Caliphate and gaining new lands gave the Abasgian princes more power. Around 778, Prince Leon II declared independence from the Byzantine Empire with help from the Khazars and moved his capital to Kutaisi. During this time, the Georgian language became the main language for writing and culture instead of Greek.

Within the Kingdom of Georgia

The Kingdom of Abkhazia grew strong between 850 and 950 AD. This ended when Abkhazia joined with other Georgian areas under one Georgian monarchy ruled by King Bagrat III at the end of the 10th century and the start of the 11th century.

During the rule of Queen Tamar, Georgian records mention Otagho as the leader of Abkhazia. He was one of the first leaders from the House of Shervashidze (also called Chachba), which ruled Abkhazia until the 19th century.

In the 1240s, Mongols split Georgia into eight military areas (tümens). The land that is now Abkhazia was part of the tümen led by Tsotne Dadiani.

Ottoman Influence

In the 16th century, after the Georgian Kingdom split into smaller kingdoms and areas, the Principality of Abkhazia formed. It was officially under the Kingdom of Imereti but ruled by the Shervashidze dynasty. In 1453, the Ottomans attacked Sukhumi for the first time, and by the 1570s, they had soldiers there. During the 17th century, they kept attacking, which led to Abkhazia having to pay taxes to the Ottomans.

Ottoman control grew in the 18th century when they built a fort in Sukhumi. This also led many leaders and people in Abkhazia to start following Islam. However, conflicts between the Abkhaz and the Ottomans continued. The spread of Islam in Abkhazia was first noted by the Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi in 1641. Even so, Islam was more common among leaders than among ordinary people. In his writings, Çelebi also noted that the main tribe in Abkhazia, Chách, spoke the Mingrelian language, which is part of the Kartvelian (Georgian) languages.

Abkhazia asked the Russian Empire for protection in 1801 but was declared an "autonomous principality" by Russia in 1810. Russia fully took control of Abkhazia in 1864, and Abkhaz resistance was ended when Russian forces sent Muslim Abkhaz to live in Ottoman lands.

Within Russia

In the early 1800s, while Russia and the Ottomans were both trying to control the area, the leaders of Abkhazia switched between supporting Russia and the Ottomans. In 1803, Prince Kelesh-Bey tried to make an agreement with Russia shortly after eastern Georgia joined the growing Tsarist empire in 1801. But after Kelesh-Bey was killed by his son, Aslan-Bey, in 1801, support for the Ottomans grew for a short time. On July 2, 1810, Russian Marines took control of Sukhum-Kale and replaced Aslan-Bey with his brother, Sefer Ali-Bey, who had become a Christian and changed his name to George. Abkhazia became part of the Russian Empire as an autonomous principality in 1810. However, Sefer-bey's control was limited, and many mountain areas stayed independent. Sefer-bey ruled from 1810 to 1821. The next Russo-Turkish war (1828–1829) strengthened Russia's position, causing more division among Abkhaz leaders based on religion. During the Crimean War (1853–1856), Russian forces had to leave Abkhazia, and Prince Hamud-Bey Sharvashidze-Chachba (Mikhail), who ruled from 1822 to 1864, seemed to support the Ottomans.

Eventually, Russia's control grew stronger, and in 1864, they fully took over the western Caucasus highlands. Abkhazia's autonomy, which had acted as a buffer for Russia in this troubled area, was no longer needed. The rule of the Sharvashidze family ended, and in November 1864, Prince Mikhail (Hamud-Bey) was forced to give up his power and move to Voronezh, Russia. That same year, Abkhazia became part of the Russian Empire as a special military area called Sukhum-Kale. In 1883, this area was changed into an okrug as part of the Kutaisi Governorate. Many Muslim Abkhazians—said to be about 40% of the population—left for the Ottoman Empire between 1864 and 1878 along with other Muslim groups from the Caucasus. This event is known as Muhajirism.

Large parts of the land were empty, and people from Armenia, Georgia, Russia, and other places moved in to live there. Some Georgian historians say that Georgian groups (Svans and Mingrelians) had lived in Abkhazia since the time of the Colchis kingdom. By order of Russian officials, people in Abkhazia and Samurzakano had to study and pray in Russian. After the big move of 1878, Abkhazians became a minority, officially called "guilty people," and had no leader to oppose Russification.

On March 17, 1898, the Russian Orthodox Church of Georgia-Imereti issued an order that allowed churches with Mingrelian (Georgian) congregations to hold services and teach in Georgian, while Abkhazian churches used old Slavic. But in the Sukhumi area, this only happened in three out of 42 churches. Tedo Sakhokia asked Russian leaders to let Abkhazian and Georgian be used in churches and schools. In response, Tedo Sakhokia and leaders of his "Georgian Party" in Abkhazia were put on trial.

Within the Georgian Democratic Republic

After the October Revolution in Russia, the Transcaucasian Commissariat was created in Southern Caucasus and moved toward independence. Transcaucasia declared independence from Russia on April 9, 1918, as a federative republic. On May 8, 1918, Bolsheviks took control of Abkhazia and broke up the local Abkhaz People's Council. They asked for help from the Transcaucasian authorities, who sent the Georgian People's Guard and defeated the rebels on May 17.

On May 26, 1918, Georgia declared independence from the Transcaucasian Federation, which broke up on May 28. On June 8, 1918, the Abkhaz People's Council signed a treaty with the Georgian National Council, confirming Abkhazia's status as autonomous within the Georgian Democratic Republic. The Georgian army defeated another Bolshevik uprising in the area. Abkhazia stayed part of Georgia after another Bolshevik revolt and a Turkish attack were stopped in 1918.^{[citation needed]} A Russian general and leader of the White movement Anton Denikin claimed control of Abkhazia and took Gagra, but the Georgians fought back in April 1919 and took the city back. Denikin's Volunteer Army was finally defeated by the Red Army, and Bolshevik Russia signed an agreement with Georgia in May 1920, recognizing Abkhazia as part of Georgia.

In 1919, the first election was held for the Abkhaz People's Council. The Council wanted to be an autonomous region within Georgia, and this continued until the Red Army invasion of Georgia in February 1921. On March 20, 1919, the new Abkhazian People's Council approved the "Act on Abkhazian Autonomy," which officially set up the Abkhazian Autonomy within the Georgian Democratic Republic.

Within the Soviet Union

Main articles: Socialist Soviet Republic of Abkhazia and Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic

In 1921, the Bolshevik Red Army invaded Georgia and ended its short independence. Abkhazia became a Socialist Soviet Republic (SSR Abkhazia) with a special status linked to the Georgian SSR. Under the Soviet Union's korenizatsiia policy, the Abkhaz people were supported in developing their language and culture. Between 1922 and 1926, the number of Abkhazians grew from 19.8% to 27.8% of the population (possibly due to Abkhaz people coming from Turkey or changing how they identified). Their share of local communist party members grew from 10% to 25%. Meanwhile, the proportion of ethnic Georgians dropped from 42% in 1922 to 36% in 1926, and their share of the local communist party also fell from 40% to 33%. In 1925, a commission led by I. Azatian, an Armenian, was sent by the Transcaucasian central executive committee to look into the situation in Abkhazia. The commission reported that the Abkhaz authorities under Nestor Lakoba were giving special privileges to ethnic Abkhazians and running an oligarchic rule over Georgians, basically following an Abkhaz nationalist policy under the cover of communism. The report said that all important positions were held by Abkhazians, they were overrepresented in local groups like the police, and the local Komsomol only accepted ethnic Abkhazians. In 1931, Joseph Stalin made Abkhazia an autonomous republic (Abkhaz ASSR) within the Georgian SSR. During the Terror of 1937–38, the top leaders were removed, and by 1952 over 80% of the 228 top party and government leaders and business managers were ethnic Georgians; only 34 were Abkhazians, 7 were Russians, and 3 were Armenians. Georgian Communist Party leader Kandid Charkviani supported making Abkhazia more Georgian. Starting in 1939, farms from rest of Georgia were moved to Abkhazia, which greatly changed its population. Publishing in Abkhazian decreased and eventually stopped; Abkhaz schools were closed between 1945 and 1946, so Abkhaz children had to study in Georgian. This was part of a bigger Soviet and Stalinist policy to bring together different groups into one "Soviet people" led by "Russians" as the "older brother" in the "pyramid of assimilation." Teaching the Abkhaz language continued in the new Abkhaz schools as a required subject by decision of the Georgian Communist Party.^{[better source needed]}

After Stalin's death and the execution of Beria, the policy of pressing down on Abkhazians was relaxed, and they were given more control in running the republic. As with most smaller autonomous republics, the Soviet government supported the growth of culture, especially literature. The Abkhazian ASSR was the only autonomous republic in the USSR where the language of the main group (Abkhaz) was named in its constitution as an official language.

In the years after World War II, the Abkhazian ASSR was mostly led by ethnic Abkhazians, who held many more positions in the autonomous republic than Georgians. During the late Soviet time, ethnic Abkhazians held 41% of the seats in the Abkhazian Supreme Soviet, and 67% of republican ministers were ethnic Abkhaz. They also held an even larger share of lower-level government jobs. The first leader of the communist party in Abkhazia was also ethnically Abkhaz. This was even though Abkhazians made up only 17.8% of the region's population, while Georgians made up 45.7%, and other groups (Greeks, Russians, Armenians, etc.) made up 36.5%.

Post-Soviet Georgia

Main article: Georgian–Abkhaz conflict

As the Soviet Union broke apart in the late 1980s, tensions grew between Abkhazians and Georgians over Georgia's moves toward independence. Many Abkhazians opposed this, fearing that an independent Georgia would end their autonomy, and instead wanted Abkhazia to be a separate Soviet republic. With the start of perestroika, Abkhazian nationalist goals became more extreme and separate. In 1988, they began asking to bring back Abkhazia's former status of Union Republic, arguing that being under another Union Republic did not protect their development well enough. They based their request on Lenin's idea of the right of nations to self-determination, which they said was broken when Abkhazia's independence was limited in 1931. In June 1988, a letter defending Abkhaz identity (called the Abkhazian Letter) was sent to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The Georgian–Abkhaz dispute turned violent on July 16, 1989, in Sukhumi. Many Georgians were hurt or killed when they tried to enroll in a Georgian university instead of an Abkhaz one. After several days of fighting, Soviet troops brought order to the city.

In March 1990, Georgia declared sovereignty, canceling treaties made by the Soviet government since 1921 and moving closer to independence. The Republic of Georgia did not join the March 17, 1991 all-Union referendum on keeping the Soviet Union called by Gorbachev; however, 52.3% of Abkhazia's population (almost all non-Georgian ethnic groups) took part and voted overwhelmingly (98.6%) to keep the Union. Most non-Georgians in Abkhazia later did not join a March 31 referendum on Georgia's independence, which was supported by most Georgians. Within weeks, Georgia declared independence on April 9, 1991, under former Soviet dissident Zviad Gamsakhurdia. Under Gamsakhurdia, things were relatively calm in Abkhazia, and a power-sharing agreement was made between Abkhazian and Georgian groups, giving Abkhazians more seats in the local government even though they were only 18% of the population. The Georgians, who were 46% of the population, got 26 seats, and the remaining groups got 11 seats. A two-thirds majority was needed to change the constitution, so key decisions needed approval from both Abkhazian and Georgian leaders, giving each side a veto. Elections using this system were held in late 1991.

Gamsakhurdia's rule was challenged by armed groups led by Tengiz Kitovani, who forced him to leave the country in a military coup in January 1992. Gamsakhurdia was replaced by former Soviet Georgian leader and Soviet foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze, who became the country's leader. Abkhazian Supreme Soviet Chairman Vladislav Ardzinba used the instability in Georgia after Gamsakhurdia was overthrown to declare Abkhazia's separation from Georgia. He canceled Georgian laws in Abkhazia, put all local businesses and organizations, including the military and police, under regional control, and created a special regiment of internal troops under the Abkhazian Supreme Soviet. On February 21, 1992, Georgia's ruling military council said it was canceling the Soviet-era constitution and bringing back the 1921 Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Georgia. Many Abkhazians saw this as ending their autonomous status, even though the 1921 constitution included a provision for the region's autonomy. On July 23, 1992, the Abkhazian group in the republic's Supreme Soviet declared effective independence from Georgia, but this session was boycotted by ethnic Georgian deputies and was not recognized by any other country. The Abkhazian leadership began efforts to remove Georgian officials from their positions, which led to violence. Meanwhile, Abkhazian leader Vladislav Ardzinba strengthened ties with hardline Russian politicians and military leaders and said he was ready for war with Georgia. In response, Eduard Shevardnadze, Georgia's new leader, interrupted his trip to western Georgia, where he was visiting cities still supporting the ousted Gamsakhurdia and facing protests, and said the Abkhazian decision was "completely unexpected" and made without considering the majority of people in Abkhazia.

War in Abkhazia

Main article: War in Abkhazia (1992–93)

In August 1992, war began when the National Guard of Georgia, led by Tengiz Kitovani, entered Abkhazia. Their stated goal was to free Georgian officials held captive in Abkhazia and to reopen the railway line through Abkhazia to the rest of Georgia, which had been often robbed. According to Darrell Slider, Abkhazian troops were the first to open fire. The Abkhazian separatist government moved to Gudauta, where a Russian military base was located. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported violence based on ethnicity against Georgians in Gudauta. The Abkhazians were mostly unarmed at the time, and Georgian troops moved into the capital Sukhumi with little resistance and then engaged in attacks, stealing, hurting, and killing based on ethnicity.

The Abkhazian military defeat led to a harsh reaction from the self-named Confederation of Mountain Peoples of the Caucasus, a group that brought together movements from the North Caucasus, including Circassians, Abazins, Chechens, Cossacks, Ossetians, and hundreds of volunteer fighters and mercenaries from Russia, including the then-little-known Shamil Basayev, who later led anti-Moscow Chechen separatists. They joined the Abkhazian separatists to fight the Georgian government. The Russian military did not stop North Caucasian fighters from crossing the Russia-Georgia border into Abkhazia. Some say that when Basayev and his battalion arrived in Abkhazia, they were trained by the Russian Army, though others disagree. On September 25, 1992, the Russian Supreme Council (parliament) passed a resolution condemning Georgia, supporting Abkhazia, and calling for the suspension of weapon deliveries to Georgia and the deployment of a Russian peacekeeping force in Abkhazia. It was sponsored by a Russian nationalist politician Sergei Baburin, a Russian deputy who met Vladislav Ardzinba and said he was not sure Abkhazia was part of Georgia. In October, the Abkhazians and North Caucasian fighters launched a major attack on Gagra after breaking a ceasefire, pushing Georgian forces out of large parts of the republic. The year 1992 ended with the rebels controlling much of Abkhazia northwest of Sukhumi.^{[citation needed]}

The conflict was stuck until July 1993, when Abkhazian separatist fighters launched an unsuccessful attack on Georgian-held Sukhumi. They surrounded and heavily bombarded the capital, where Shevardnadze was staying. The sides agreed to a Russian-brokered truce in Sochi at the end of July. But the ceasefire fell apart again on September 16, 1993. Abkhazian forces, with support from outside Abkhazia, attacked Sukhumi and Ochamchire. Despite the UN Security Council's call for an immediate stop to fighting and its condemnation of the Abkhazian side for breaking the ceasefire, the fighting continued. After ten days of heavy fighting, Sukhumi fell to Abkhazian forces on September 27, 1993. Shevardnadze barely escaped death after saying he would stay in the city no matter what. He changed his mind, however, and decided to flee when separatist snipers shot at the hotel where he was staying. Abkhazian, North Caucasian fighters, and their allies committed many terrible acts against the remaining ethnic Georgians in the city, known as the Sukhumi Massacre. The killings and destruction went on for two weeks, leaving thousands dead and missing.^{[citation needed]}

Abkhazian forces quickly took over the rest of Abkhazia as the Georgian government faced another threat: an uprising by supporters of the removed Zviad Gamsakhurdia in the Mingrelia (Samegrelo) region. Only a small part of eastern Abkhazia, the upper Kodori gorge, stayed under Georgian control (until 2008).

During the war, both sides reported serious human rights violations. Georgian troops were accused of stealing and killing "to scare, rob, and force the Abkhazian population out of their homes" in the first part of the war (according to Human Rights Watch). Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) meetings in Budapest (1994), Lisbon (1996) and Istanbul (1999) recognized the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia in 1992-1993 by Abkhazian forces and their allies. While both sides committed terrible acts, the Abkhazian side was blamed for a planned campaign to force people out as a military, strategic, and political goal.

Ethnic cleansing of Georgians

Main article: Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia

Before the 1992 War in Abkhazia, Georgians made up almost half of Abkhazia's population, while less than one-fifth were Abkhazian. As the war went on, facing hundreds of thousands of ethnic Georgians who would not leave their homes, the Abkhazian separatists began a process of forcing Georgians out to remove and eliminate the Georgian population in Abkhazia. About 5,000 were killed, 400 went missing and up to 250,000 ethnic Georgians were forced from their homes. According to the International Crisis Group, as of 2006, slightly more than 200,000 Georgians were still displaced in Georgia proper.

The campaign to force Georgians out also included Russians, Armenians, Greeks, moderate Abkhazians and other smaller groups living in Abkhazia. More than 20,000 homes owned by ethnic Georgians were destroyed. Hundreds of schools, kindergartens, churches, hospitals, and historical sites were looted and destroyed.^{[better source needed]} After the forced removals and mass expulsions, Abkhazia's population dropped from 525,000 in 1989 to 216,000 in 2012. Pogroms against ethnic Georgians organized by Abkhazian leaders continued even after the war ended, as late as February 1995.

Of the about 250,000 Georgian refugees, some 60,000 returned to Abkhazia's Gali District between 1994 and 1998, but tens of thousands were forced out again when fighting restarted in the Gali District in 1998. Still, between 40,000 and 60,000 refugees have returned to the Gali District since 1998, including people who travel daily across the ceasefire line and those moving with the seasons for farming. The human rights situation remained difficult for a while in the Georgian areas of the Gali District. The United Nations and other international groups have been asking the Abkhazian authorities to stop actions that go against the right to return and international human rights rules, such as unfair laws... [and] to allow the United Nations to set up a permanent human rights office in Gali and let United Nations police come in without delay. Key officials in the Gali District are almost all ethnic Abkhazian, even though their support staff are ethnic Georgians. The ethnic Georgians in Gali do not have the right to vote: during the 2021 local elections, only 900 people who could vote were registered in the Gali district, even though there were 30,259 people living there.

Post-war

Main article: Georgian–Abkhaz conflict

Elections for president were held in Abkhazia on October 3, 2004. Russia supported Raul Khajimba, the prime minister backed by the outgoing separatist President Vladislav Ardzinba. Posters of Russia's President Vladimir Putin with Khajimba, who like Putin had worked as a KGB officer, were everywhere in Sukhumi. Deputies of Russia's parliament and Russian singers, led by Joseph Cobsohn, a State Duma deputy and popular singer, came to Abkhazia to campaign for Khajimba.

However, Khajimba lost to Sergei Bagapsh. The tense situation led to the election results being canceled by the Supreme Court. After that, a deal was made for the two to run together, with Bagapsh as president and Khajimba as vice-president. They won more than 90% of the vote in the new election.

In July 2006, Georgian forces carried out a successful police operation against the rebel administrator of the Georgian-populated Kodori Valley, Emzar Kvitsiani. Kvitsiani had been appointed by the previous president of Georgia, Eduard Shevardnadze, and refused to recognize the authority of president Mikheil Saakashvili, who took office after the Rose Revolution. Although Kvitsiani escaped capture by Georgian police, the Kodori Gorge was brought back under the control of the central government in Tbilisi.

There were still occasional acts of violence in the years after the war. Despite the peacekeeping role of Russian troops in Abkhazia, Georgian officials often said that Russian peacekeepers were causing trouble by giving weapons and money to Abkhazian rebels. Russia started using the Russian ruble as the main money in Abkhazia and began giving passports to people there. Georgia also said Russia broke its airspace by sending helicopters to attack Georgian-controlled towns in the Kodori Gorge. In April 2008, a Russian MiG – not allowed in Georgian airspace, including Abkhazia – shot down a Georgian UAV.

On August 9, 2008, Abkhazian forces attacked Georgian troops in the Kodori Gorge. This happened at the same time as the 2008 South Ossetia war, where Russia decided to support the Ossetian separatists after Georgia attacked them, apparently because Russia had provoked Georgia. The fighting grew into a full war between Russia and Georgia. On August 10, 2008, about 9,000 Russian soldiers entered Abkhazia, supposedly to support the Russian peacekeepers there. About 1,000 Abkhazian soldiers moved to push out the last Georgian forces in the Upper Kodori Gorge. By August 12, Georgian forces and civilians had left the last part of Abkhazia under Georgian government control. Russia said Abkhazia was independent on August 26, 2008. This led to ending the 1994 ceasefire agreement and stopping UN and OSCE monitoring missions. On August 28, 2008, the Parliament of Georgia said Abkhazia was occupied by Russia.

Since Russia said Abkhazia was independent, many agreements were made between the Abkhazian government and Russia that rented or sold important state properties and gave up control of borders. In May 2009, several opposition parties and war veteran groups protested against these deals, saying they hurt state independence and risked "changing one colonial power [Georgia] for another [Russia]". The vice-president, Raul Khajimba, resigned on May 28, saying he agreed with the criticism from the opposition. Later, a meeting of opposition parties chose Raul Khajimba to be their candidate in the December 2009 Abkhazian presidential election, which was won by Sergei Bagapsh.^{[citation needed]}

Political developments since 2014

In the spring of 2014, the opposition gave President Aleksandr Ankvab an ultimatum to dismiss the government and make big changes. On May 27, 2014, in the center of Sukhumi, 10,000 supporters of the Abkhazian opposition gathered for a big protest. That same day, Ankvab's headquarters in Sukhumi were taken over by opposition groups led by Raul Khajimba, forcing him to flee to Gudauta. The opposition said the protests were about poverty, but the main issue was President Ankvab's friendly policies toward ethnic Georgians in the Gali region. The opposition said these policies could danger the Abkhazian people's identity.

After Ankvab left the capital, on May 31, the People's Assembly of Abkhazia chose parliamentary speaker Valery Bganba as acting president, saying Ankvab could not serve. They also decided to hold an early presidential election on August 24, 2014. Ankvab later officially stepped down, but accused his opponents of acting unethically and breaking the constitution. Raul Khajimba was later elected president, taking office in September 2014.

In November 2014, Vladimir Putin formalized the Abkhazian military's place within the Russian armed forces by signing a treaty with Khajimba. The Georgian government criticized this as "a step toward annexation".

Khajimba was re-elected with less than 2% margin in 2019. In January 2020 the Abkhazian Supreme Court canceled the results after protests against Khajimba. Khajimba resigned on January 12, and new elections were scheduled for March 22. Aslan Bzhania won the later elections with around 59% of the vote.

In December 2021, there was unrest. Protests happened in November 2024 after the arrest of five opposition activists who opposed an investment deal with Russia, leading to the resignation of then-President Aslan Bzhania and a new presidential election in February 2025. Acting president Badra Gunba was elected with 56% of the vote.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Abkhazia

Abkhazia is a small country that covers about 8,665 km² (3,346 sq mi). It is located at the western end of Georgia. The Caucasus Mountains are to the north and northeast, separating Abkhazia from Russia. To the east and southeast, it borders the Georgian region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, and to the south and southwest lies the Black Sea.

The land in Abkhazia changes a lot from place to place. In the north, there are very tall mountains, while closer to the coast, the land is lower and flatter. The mountains have deep valleys and some peaks rise higher than 4,000 metres above sea level. The landscape includes forests along the coast, farms growing tea, tobacco, wine, and fruits, and even snow and glaciers in the high mountains.

Abkhazia has many rivers that start in the Caucasus Mountains, such as the Kodori, Bzyb, and Gumista. The Psou River forms a border with Russia, and the Inguri River separates Abkhazia from Georgia. There are also beautiful lakes in the mountains, with Lake Ritsa being the most famous.

Because it is near the Black Sea and protected by mountains, Abkhazia has a mild climate. Coastal areas are warm, with average temperatures around 15 °C (59 °F) throughout the year. In the mountains, the climate is colder. The region gets a lot of rain, especially in the mountains, where heavy snow also falls in winter.

Government and politics

Republic of Abkhazia

Main articles: Government of the Republic of Abkhazia, Politics of Abkhazia, and Elections in Abkhazia

Abkhazia is a presidential republic. It has a People's Assembly with 35 elected members. The last parliamentary elections were in March 2022. Some groups, like Armenians, Russians, and Georgians, feel they do not have enough representation in the Assembly. Many people who left during a war in the early 1990s, mostly Georgians, have not been able to return and cannot take part in politics. Some have returned, especially in the Gali area, but they face limits on their rights.

Russia plays a big role in Abkhazia. Much of Abkhazia’s money comes from Russia, and it uses the Russian ruble. Many people in Abkhazia have Russian passports. Abkhazia’s laws and ways of doing things are very similar to Russia’s. In 2024, a Russian official said this process of making laws similar was nearly finished.

Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia

Main article: Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia

Georgia sees a different government as the true leader of Abkhazia. This government, called the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, works from Georgia because it could not stay in Abkhazia. It helps people who had to leave their homes during past conflicts.

Administrative divisions

Main article: Subdivisions of Abkhazia

Abkhazia is split into seven areas, or districts, named after their main towns: Gagra, Gudauta, Sukhumi, Ochamchira, Gulripshi, Tkvarcheli and Gali. These areas have been mostly the same since before the Soviet Union broke apart.

Military

Abkhazia has its own military forces. They began with a guard made up of ethnic Abkhaz in 1992. Most of their weapons came from a old Russian base. The military mainly has ground troops, but also small sea and air units. Russia also has its own military bases in Abkhazia. The Abkhazian Army can have around 5,000 regular soldiers, but with extra people, it could grow much larger in a conflict. The Abkhazian Navy has three groups, and the Abkhazian Air Force has a few fighter aircraft and helicopters.

Status

Main article: International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia

Abkhazia, Transnistria, and South Ossetia are areas where peace has not been fully restored after conflicts. These places keep friendly ties with each other and work together in a group called the Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations. Russia and Nicaragua recognize Abkhazia as its own country, after a war between Russia and Georgia. Venezuela recognized Abkhazia in 2009, and Nauru did so the same year, reportedly because Russia gave them aid. The unrecognised area of Transnistria and the partly recognised area of South Ossetia have recognized Abkhazia since 2006. Abkhazia is part of a group called the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO).

Most countries think Abkhazia should be part of Georgia and support Georgia’s control over the area. Some think Russia’s military is in Abkhazia. The United Nations wants both sides to talk and agree on Abkhazia’s future. Georgia has offered Abkhazia more self-control, but Abkhazia’s leaders want to be fully independent.

Law on the occupied territories of Georgia

Main article: Occupied territories of Georgia

In 2008, Georgia made a law about the areas of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali. The law says that people from other countries must enter these areas through Georgia. There are some special cases where entry is allowed for certain reasons. The law also stops many kinds of business activities in these areas and says Russia is responsible for problems there.

Status-neutral passports

See also: Abkhazian passport

Georgia says everyone in Abkhazia is its citizen, but people there see themselves as Abkhaz. In 2011, Georgia started giving out special travel papers to people in Abkhazia. These papers do not show Georgia’s symbols. Some people with Russian papers could not get visas to travel in Europe.

Russian involvement

During a conflict between Georgia and Abkhazia, Russia helped Abkhazia with supplies and soldiers. Russia still has strong control over Abkhazia. Russia gives out passports to people in Abkhazia and gives them money for retirement and other help. By 2006, most people in Abkhazia had Russian papers. Russia has talked about recognizing Abkhazia fully, especially after other countries recognized Kosovo. In 2008, Russia officially said Abkhazia was independent, which many countries did not agree with.

International involvement

The United Nations has helped with peace talks, helping people, and watching over the area. The United States does not agree with Abkhazia being separate and wants it to be part of Georgia with self-control. Some aid has been given to help the people there.

Recognition

Main article: Foreign relations of Abkhazia

Only a few countries recognize Abkhazia as independent. These include Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria. Most countries, including Georgia, think Abkhazia should be part of Georgia. Russia was the first to recognize Abkhazia in 2008 after a war with Georgia. Some other places also recognize Abkhazia, but many have changed their minds over time.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Abkhazia

Abkhazia's economy works closely with Russia. Since 2014, the two countries have shared agreements that help each other. Abkhazia uses the Russian ruble for money, and the two countries work together on trade rules. After a war in 2008, Abkhazia saw some growth in its economy, with help from Russia paying for about half of the government's spending.

Tourism is very important to Abkhazia. Before 2008, almost a million visitors, mostly from Russia, came each year. Abkhazia also sells wine, fruits like tangerines, and hazelnuts. Most of its electricity comes from a big power station on the Inguri River, which both Abkhazia and Georgia use together.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Abkhazia

Abkhazia had about 240,000 people as of the last census in 2011. The people of Abkhazia come from many different backgrounds. The main groups are ethnic Abkhaz, along with Russians, Armenians, Georgians, and Greeks. There are also smaller groups like Ukrainians, Belarusians, Ossetians, Tatars, Turks, Roma, and Estonians.

The area has seen many changes in its people over time, especially after wars in the early 1990s. Today, Abkhazia is working to keep its languages alive, including Abkhaz, Russian, and others. Most people in Abkhazia are Christian, but there are also Muslims and followers of other religions. The government tries to make sure everyone’s beliefs are respected.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Abkhazia

Abkhazia has a strong tradition of welcoming guests, no matter what they may have done. This idea is part of the apsuara, the Abkhaz code of honor.

Abkhaz literature began in the early 1900s, but the people have shared stories called Nart sagas for much longer. These tales feature brave heroes and are enjoyed by many groups in the Caucasus region. The first newspaper in Abkhaz was published in 1917.

Some well-known writers from Abkhazia include Fazil Iskander and Bagrat Shinkuba.

Media

Main article: Media of Abkhazia

Sports

Football is the most popular sport in Abkhazia. Other favorite sports include basketball, boxing, and wrestling. Abkhazia also has its own amateur football league, though it is not part of the bigger international football groups.

Tennis has grown popular with children in Abkhazia since the early 2000s. Some young players have competed in Russia and other countries, achieving great results.