Administrative divisions of Abkhazia
Encyclopedia
In Soviet times, the Abkhazian ASSR was divided into 6 raions (districts) named after their respective capitals: Gagra
, Gudauta
, Sukhumi
, Ochamchira, Gulripsh
and Gali
.
The administrative divisions of the Republic of Abkhazia (international status disputed
) have stayed the same, with one exception: in 1995 a new raion was created around the town of Tkvarcheli
from parts of the Ochamchira and Gali raions.
These are the regions mentioned in the Abkhazian Constitution of 1994. According to the popular (but erroneous) belief the seven stripes of the Abkhazian flag correspond to the seven historical regions of the country, the seventh one being Pskhu-Aibga.
Gagra
Gagra is a town in Abkhazia, Georgia’s breakaway republic, sprawling for 5 km on the northeast coast of the Black Sea, at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains...
, Gudauta
Gudauta
Gudauta is a town in Abkhazia and a centre of the eponymous district. It is situated on the Black Sea, 37 km northwest to Sukhumi, the capital of Abkhazia....
, Sukhumi
Sukhumi
Sukhumi is the capital of Abkhazia, a disputed region on the Black Sea coast. The city suffered heavily during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict in the early 1990s.-Naming:...
, Ochamchira, Gulripsh
Gulripsh
Gulripsh is an urban settlement in Abkhazia. It is located 12 km from the republic's capital, Sukhumi, and is the centre of Gulripsh raion.Nikolay Smetskoy built three sanatoria in Gulripsh between 1902 and 1913 for patients with pulmonary diseases and founded several parks with subtropical...
and Gali
Gali (town)
Gali is a town in Georgia, 77 km southeast to Sukhumi in region Abkhazia. It is the centre of Gali District and was previously in the UN security zone prior to the Russian veto of the UMOMIG Mission in 2009.- References :...
.
The administrative divisions of the Republic of Abkhazia (international status disputed
International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
Abkhazia and South Ossetia are two breakaway republics in the Caucasus with disputed status over whether they are a part of Georgia or sovereign states. The Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of South Ossetia were recognised following the 2008 South Ossetia War between Russia and Georgia, by six...
) have stayed the same, with one exception: in 1995 a new raion was created around the town of Tkvarcheli
Tkvarcheli
Tkvarcheli is a town in Abkhazia. It is situated on the river Ghalidzga and the railroad connects it with Ochamchira.-History:...
from parts of the Ochamchira and Gali raions.
Districts of Abkhazia
- (1) GagraGagra districtGagra District is a district of Abkhazia. It corresponds to the Georgian district by the same name. In medieval times, it was known as the southern part of Sadzen. It is located in the western part of Abkhazia, and the river Psou serves as a border with Krasnodar Kray of Russia. Its capital is...
- (2) GudautaGudauta districtGudauta district is a district of Abkhazia, Georgia’s breakaway republic. It corresponds to the eponymous Georgian district. Its capital is Gudauta, the town by the same name...
- (3) SukhumiSukhumi districtSukhumi district is a district of Abkhazia, Georgia’s breakaway republic. It corresponds to the eponymous Georgian district. Its capital is Sukhumi, the town by the same name, which is also the capital of entire Abkhazia. The population of the district is 11,747 according to the 2003 census...
- (4) GulripshGulripsh districtGulripsh district is a district of Abkhazia, Georgia’s breakaway republic. It corresponds to the eponymous Georgian district. Its capital is Gulripsh, the town by the same name...
- (5) OchamchiraOchamchira districtOchamchira district is a district of the Republic of Abkhazia. Its capital is Ochamchira, the town by the same name. The district is smaller than the Ochamchire district in the de jure subdivision of Georgia, as some of its former territory is now part of Tkvarcheli district, formed by de facto...
- (6) Tquarchal
- (7) Gali
Towns of Abkhazia
- GagraGagraGagra is a town in Abkhazia, Georgia’s breakaway republic, sprawling for 5 km on the northeast coast of the Black Sea, at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains...
- GaliGaliGali may refer to:* Gali , a town in Abkhazia, Georgia* Gali District, Abkhazia* Gali Municipality, Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia* Gali District, Georgia* Toa Gali, a hero in Lego's Bionicle storyline...
- GudautaGudautaGudauta is a town in Abkhazia and a centre of the eponymous district. It is situated on the Black Sea, 37 km northwest to Sukhumi, the capital of Abkhazia....
- New AthosNew AthosNew Athos is a town in the Gudauta raion of Abkhazia, situated some 22 km from Sukhumi by the shores of the Black Sea. The town was previously known under the names Nikopol, Acheisos, Anakopia, Nikopia, Nikofia, Nikopsis, Absara, Psyrtskha...
- Ochamchira
- PitsundaPitsundaPitsunda is a resort town in Gagra district of Abkhazia.The town was founded by the Greeks in the 5th century BC as a trade colony Pityus or Pitiunt. Excavations guided by Andria Apakidze unearthed remains of three 4th-century churches and a bath with superb mosaic floors...
(since 2007) - SukhumiSukhumiSukhumi is the capital of Abkhazia, a disputed region on the Black Sea coast. The city suffered heavily during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict in the early 1990s.-Naming:...
- TkvarcheliTkvarcheliTkvarcheli is a town in Abkhazia. It is situated on the river Ghalidzga and the railroad connects it with Ochamchira.-History:...
Urban settlements of Abkhazia
- BzybBzyb (village)Bzyb is an urban settlement located in the Gagra district of Abkhazia, next to the river Bzyb. There is a 10nth century church, now in ruins and a medieval fortress nearby. The town became less important when the fortress was destroyed and the town passed into the control of the House of Inal-Ipa,...
- GulripshGulripshGulripsh is an urban settlement in Abkhazia. It is located 12 km from the republic's capital, Sukhumi, and is the centre of Gulripsh raion.Nikolay Smetskoy built three sanatoria in Gulripsh between 1902 and 1913 for patients with pulmonary diseases and founded several parks with subtropical...
- Gyachripsh
- MyusseraMyusseraMyussera is an urban settlement located in the Gudauta district of Abkhazia, a disputed region on the Black Sea coast....
- Tsandripsh
Historic regions of Abkhazia
Abkhazia has traditionally been divided into several historical regions (they roughly correspond to modern districts that are given in parentheses):- SadzenSadzenSadzen was an ill-defined region on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, which used to be settled by the Sadz people, hence the name. In the mid-19th century, it came to be known in Russian and Western literature as Lesser Abkhazia....
(Gagra district and SochiSochiSochi is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated just north of Russia's border with the de facto independent republic of Abkhazia, on the Black Sea coast. Greater Sochi sprawls for along the shores of the Black Sea near the Caucasus Mountains...
region which is now in RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
) - Bzyb (Gudauta district)
- Gumaa (Sukhumi district)
- AbzhywaAbzhywaAbzhywa is a historical region in Abkhazia.In Russian Empire it constituted an okrug of Abkhazia....
(Ochamchira and partly Tkvarcheli districts) - Samurzakan (Gali and partly Tkvarcheli district)
- Dal-Tsabal (Gulripsh district)
These are the regions mentioned in the Abkhazian Constitution of 1994. According to the popular (but erroneous) belief the seven stripes of the Abkhazian flag correspond to the seven historical regions of the country, the seventh one being Pskhu-Aibga.