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Abkhazia
Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It covers 8,665 square kilometres (3,346 sq mi) and has a population of around 245,000. Its capital and largest city is Sukhumi.
The political status of Abkhazia is a central issue of the Abkhazia conflict and Georgia–Russia relations. Abkhazia is recognised as an independent state only by five states: Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria; Georgia and other countries consider Abkhazia as Georgia's sovereign territory. Lacking effective control over the Abkhazian territory, Georgia maintains an Abkhaz government-in-exile.
The region had autonomy within Soviet Georgia at the time when the Soviet Union began to disintegrate in the late 1980s. Simmering ethnic tensions between the Abkhaz—the region's titular ethnicity—and Georgians—the largest single ethnic group at that time—culminated in the 1992–1993 War in Abkhazia, which resulted in Georgia's loss of control over most of Abkhazia and the ethnic cleansing of Georgians from Abkhazia. Despite a 1994 ceasefire agreement and years of negotiations, the dispute remains unresolved. The long-term presence of a United Nations Observer Mission and a Russian-led Commonwealth of Independent States peacekeeping force failed to prevent the flare-up of violence on several occasions. In August 2008, Abkhaz and Russian forces fought a war against Georgian forces, which led to the formal recognition of Abkhazia by Russia, the annulment of the 1994 ceasefire agreement and the termination of the UN mission. On 23 October 2008, the Parliament of Georgia declared Abkhazia a Russian-occupied territory.
The Russian name Абхазия (Abkhaziya) is adapted from the Georgian აფხაზეთი (Apkhazeti). Abkhazia's name in English (/æbˈkɑːziə/ ⓘ; ab-KAH-zee-ə or /æbˈkeɪziə/ ⓘ ab-KAY-zee-ə).
The Abkhaz name Apsny (Abkhaz: Аԥсны, IPA [apʰsˈnɨ]) is etymologised as 'a land of the soul'; however, the literal meaning is 'a country of mortals'. It possibly first appeared in the seventh century in an Armenian text, perhaps referring to the ancient Apsilians.
In early Muslim sources, the term Abkhazia was generally used to mean the territory of Georgia.
Presumably considered as a successor state of Lazica (Egrisi in Georgian sources), this new polity continued to be referred to as Egrisi in some Byzantine era Georgian and Armenian chronicles (e.g. The Vitae of the Georgian Kings by Leonti Mroveli and The History of Armenia by Hovhannes Draskhanakerttsi).
The Constitution of Abkhazia says the names of the "Republic of Abkhazia" and "Apsny" are equivalent and interchangeable.
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Abkhazia
Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It covers 8,665 square kilometres (3,346 sq mi) and has a population of around 245,000. Its capital and largest city is Sukhumi.
The political status of Abkhazia is a central issue of the Abkhazia conflict and Georgia–Russia relations. Abkhazia is recognised as an independent state only by five states: Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria; Georgia and other countries consider Abkhazia as Georgia's sovereign territory. Lacking effective control over the Abkhazian territory, Georgia maintains an Abkhaz government-in-exile.
The region had autonomy within Soviet Georgia at the time when the Soviet Union began to disintegrate in the late 1980s. Simmering ethnic tensions between the Abkhaz—the region's titular ethnicity—and Georgians—the largest single ethnic group at that time—culminated in the 1992–1993 War in Abkhazia, which resulted in Georgia's loss of control over most of Abkhazia and the ethnic cleansing of Georgians from Abkhazia. Despite a 1994 ceasefire agreement and years of negotiations, the dispute remains unresolved. The long-term presence of a United Nations Observer Mission and a Russian-led Commonwealth of Independent States peacekeeping force failed to prevent the flare-up of violence on several occasions. In August 2008, Abkhaz and Russian forces fought a war against Georgian forces, which led to the formal recognition of Abkhazia by Russia, the annulment of the 1994 ceasefire agreement and the termination of the UN mission. On 23 October 2008, the Parliament of Georgia declared Abkhazia a Russian-occupied territory.
The Russian name Абхазия (Abkhaziya) is adapted from the Georgian აფხაზეთი (Apkhazeti). Abkhazia's name in English (/æbˈkɑːziə/ ⓘ; ab-KAH-zee-ə or /æbˈkeɪziə/ ⓘ ab-KAY-zee-ə).
The Abkhaz name Apsny (Abkhaz: Аԥсны, IPA [apʰsˈnɨ]) is etymologised as 'a land of the soul'; however, the literal meaning is 'a country of mortals'. It possibly first appeared in the seventh century in an Armenian text, perhaps referring to the ancient Apsilians.
In early Muslim sources, the term Abkhazia was generally used to mean the territory of Georgia.
Presumably considered as a successor state of Lazica (Egrisi in Georgian sources), this new polity continued to be referred to as Egrisi in some Byzantine era Georgian and Armenian chronicles (e.g. The Vitae of the Georgian Kings by Leonti Mroveli and The History of Armenia by Hovhannes Draskhanakerttsi).
The Constitution of Abkhazia says the names of the "Republic of Abkhazia" and "Apsny" are equivalent and interchangeable.
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