Chkhalta is the largest village in the upper part of the Kodori Valley

Kodori Valley

The Kodori Valley is a river valley in Abkhazia, Georgia's breakaway autonomous republic. The valley's upper part, populated by Svans, was the only corner of the post-1993 Abkhazia, directly controlled by the central Georgian government, which officially styles the area as Upper Abkhazia...

, situated in Gulripsh District

Gulripsh district

Gulripsh 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...

, Abkhazia

Abkhazia

Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...

, a breakaway Republic from Georgia

Georgia (country)

Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...

.

History

Prior to August 2008, Chkhalta was part of 'Upper Abkhazia

Upper Abkhazia

Upper Abkhazia is a term introduced in 2006, to denote the northeastern part of the disputed territory of Abkhazia, that had remained under Georgian control after the 1992 - 1993 War in Abkhazia. From September 2006 until August 2008 its main village, Chkhalta, hosted the Government of the...

', the only part of Abkhazia controlled by the Georgian government. The village was home to the headquarters of Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, recognised by Georgia as the only legitimate government of Abkhazia. The village and the surrounding area were undergoing a major rehabilitation program. During the August 2008 war in South Ossetia

2008 South Ossetia war

The 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other....

, Abkhazian forces gained control of Chkhalta and the rest of Upper Abkhazia. http://news.trendaz.com/index.shtml?show=news&newsid=1268173&lang=EN Most of Chkalta's inhabitants fled the advancing troops and have yet to return.

See also

• 2007 Georgia helicopter incident