Racha
რაჭა | |
|---|---|
 Map highlighting the historical region of Racha in Georgia | |
| Country |  Georgia |
| Mkhare | Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti |
| Capital | Oni |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,893 km2 (1,117 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 15,000 |
| • Density | 5.2/km2 (13/sq mi) |
Racha (also Račha, Georgian: რაჭა, Račʼa, Ossetian: Рацъ, romanized: Rach) is a highland area in western Georgia, located in the upper Rioni river valley and hemmed in by the Greater Caucasus mountains. Under Georgia's current subdivision, Racha is included in the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region (mkhare) as the municipalities of Oni and Ambrolauri.
Racha occupies 2,854 km2 in the north-eastern corner of western Georgia. Spurs of the Greater Caucasus crest separates Racha from the Georgian historical regions of Svaneti and Lechkhumi on the north-west and from Imereti on the south, while the main Caucasus ridge forms a boundary with Russia’s North Ossetia. On the east, Racha is bordered by breakaway South Ossetia, officially part of Georgia's Shida Kartli region.