Azhara Municipality
ზემო აფხაზეთი | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country |  Georgia |
| Capital | Tbilisi (in-exile) |
| Former seat | Chkhalta (before 2008) |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Mevlud Jachvliani[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,540 km2 (980 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Total | 2,008 |
| • Density | 0.79/km2 (2.0/sq mi) |
Upper Abkhazia (Georgian: ზემო აფხაზეთი, romanized: Zemo Apxazeti; Abkhaz: Аҧсны хыхьтәи, romanized: Apsny xyxjtwj), commonly known by its administrative name, Azhara Municipality is a geographical term and municipality of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia. The term was first introduced in 2006, to denote the northeastern part of the disputed territory of Abkhazia, that had remained under Georgian control after the 1992 War in Abkhazia.[2] From September 2006 to August 2008 its main village, Chkhalta, hosted the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia and was the seat of the Azhara municipal community.[3] This situation came to an end in the Battle of the Kodori Valley in August 2008, when Upper Abkhazia was conquered by the Russo-Abkhazia armies, which had already controlled the rest of Abkhazia.[4] Even though the area was no longer controlled by Georgia, the Georgian Government kept its municipal status as a sign of not recognizing any changes to the Abkhazian administrative divisions made by the breakaway republic. The current seat of the municipal government-in-exile is Tbilisi.
- ^ "UPPER ABKHAZIA". abkhazia.gov.ge. Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
- ^ The political status of Abkhazia is disputed. Having unilaterally declared independence from Georgia in 1992, Abkhazia is formally recognised as an independent state by 5 UN member states (two other states previously recognised it but then withdrew their recognition), while the remainder of the international community recognizes it as de jure Georgian territory. Georgia continues to claim the area as its own territory, designating it as Russian-occupied territory.
- ^ United Nations Resolution on Abkhazia, April 2004, Res #65812
- ^ "Trend News : Abkhazia says it controls most of Kodori Valley". Archived from the original on 2008-08-18. Retrieved 2008-08-22.