Adjara Fashion Week
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Adjara ( ka, აჭარა ''Ach’ara'' ) or Achara, officially known as the Autonomous Republic of Adjara ( ka, აჭარის ავტონომიური რესპუბლიკა ''Ach’aris Avt’onomiuri Resp’ublik’a'' ), is a political-administrative region of Georgia. Located in the country's southwestern corner, Adjara lies on the coast of the Black Sea near the foot of the
Lesser Caucasus Mountains The Lesser Caucasus, also called Caucasus Minor, is the second of the two main mountain ranges of Caucasus mountains, of length about . The western portion of the Lesser Caucasus overlaps and converges with east Turkey and northwest Iran. It runs ...
, north of Turkey. It is an important tourist destination and includes Georgia's second most populous city of Batumi as its capital. About 350,000 people live on its . Adjara is home to the Adjarians, a regional subgroup of
Georgians The Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and indigenous Caucasian ethnic group native to Georgia and the South Caucasus. Georgian diaspora communities are also present throughout Russia, Turkey, G ...
. The name can be spelled in a number of ways, including ''Ajara'', ''Ajaria'', ''Adjaria'', ''Adzharia'', ''Atchara'' and ''Achara''. Under the Soviet Union, Adjara was part of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic as the Adjarian ASSR. The autonomous status of Adjara is guaranteed under article 6 of the Treaty of Kars.


History

Adjara has been part of Colchis and Caucasian Iberia since ancient times. Colonized by Greeks in the 5th century BC, the region fell under Rome in the 2nd century BC. It became part of the Lazica before being incorporated into the
Kingdom of Abkhazia The Kingdom of Abkhazia ( ka, აფხაზთა სამეფო, tr; lit. "Kingdom of the Abkhazians"), also known as Abasgia or Egrisi-Abkhazia, was a Middle Ages, medieval feudalism, feudal state in the Caucasus which was established i ...
in the 8th century AD, the latter led unification of Georgian monarchy in the 11th century. The
Ottomans The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922). Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...
conquered the area in 1614. The people of Adjara gradually converted to Islam in this period. The Ottomans were forced to cede Adjara to the expanding Russian Empire in 1878. After a temporary occupation by Ottoman and British troops in 1918–1920, Adjara became part of the Democratic Republic of Georgia in 1920, and was granted autonomy under the Georgian constitution adopted in February 1921 when the Red Army invaded Georgia. After a brief military conflict in March 1921, Ankara's government ceded the territory to Georgia under Article VI of Treaty of Kars on the condition that autonomy be provided for the
Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
population, while Turkish commodities were guaranteed free transit through the port of Batumi. The Soviets established in
1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil. ** The Spanish lin ...
the
Adjarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic The Adjarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Adjarian ASSR or Adzhar ASSR; ka, აჭარის ავტონომიური საბჭოთა სოციალისტური რესპუბლიკა; russian: Адж ...
within the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic in accord with this clause, thus Adjara remained part of Georgia. Until 1937 it had the name Ajaristan. The autonomous republic was the only Soviet autonomy based on religion rather than ethnicity.


Independent Georgia

After the
dissolution of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
in 1991, Adjara became part of a newly independent but politically divided Republic of Georgia. It avoided being dragged into the chaos and civil war that afflicted the rest of the country between 1991 and 1993, largely due to the authoritarian rule of Adjara's leader
Aslan Abashidze Aslan Abashidze ( ka, ასლან აბაშიძე; born July 20, 1938) is the former leader of the Ajarian Autonomous Republic in western Georgia. He served in this capacity from 18 August 1991 to May 5, 2004. He resigned under the pres ...
. Although he successfully maintained order in Adjara and made it one of the country's most prosperous regions, he was accused of involvement in organised crime—notably large-scale smuggling to fund his government and enrich himself. The central government in Tbilisi had very little say in what went on in Adjara during the presidency of Eduard Shevardnadze. This changed following the Rose Revolution of 2003 when Shevardnadze was deposed in favour of the reformist opposition leader Mikheil Saakashvili, who pledged to restore the country's territorial integrity and reunite it. Soon after his inauguration as president in January 2004 Saakashvili took aim at Abashidze. In spring 2004, a major crisis in Adjara erupted as the central government sought to reimpose its authority on the region. It threatened to develop into an armed confrontation. However, Saakashvili's ultimata and mass protests against Abashidze's autocratic rule forced the Adjaran leader to resign in May 2004, following which he went into exile in Russia. After Abashidze's ousting, a new law was introduced to redefine the terms of Adjara's autonomy.
Levan Varshalomidze Levan Varshalomidze ( ka, ლევან ვარშალომიძე) (born 17 January 1972) is a Georgian politician and the Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara from 2004 to 2012. He assumed office on 20 July 200 ...
succeeded Abashidze as the chairman of the government. In July 2007, the seat of the Georgian Constitutional Court was moved from Tbilisi to Batumi. In November 2007 Russia ended its two century military presence in Georgia by withdrawing from the
12th Military Base The 89th Infantry Rifle Division (russian: 89-я стрелковая дивизия; ), or the Tamanyan Division, was a distinguished division in the Soviet Red Army during the Second World War. The division was primarily remembered for its second ...
(the former 145th Motor Rifle Division) in Batumi. Turkey is a guarantor of Adjaran autonomy based on Article 6 of the Treaty of Kars, and currently has noticeable influence in Adjara, which can be seen in the region's economy and in the religious life—through the region's Muslim population.


Law and government

The status of the Adjaran Autonomous Republic is defined by Georgia's law on Adjara and the region's new constitution, adopted following the ousting of
Aslan Abashidze Aslan Abashidze ( ka, ასლან აბაშიძე; born July 20, 1938) is the former leader of the Ajarian Autonomous Republic in western Georgia. He served in this capacity from 18 August 1991 to May 5, 2004. He resigned under the pres ...
. The local legislative body is the Parliament. The head of the region's government—the Council of Ministers of Adjara—is nominated by the
President of Georgia President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
who also has powers to dissolve the assembly and government and to overrule local authorities on issues where the constitution of Georgia is contravened. Tornike Rizhvadze is the current head of the Adjaran government.


Administrative divisions

Adjara is subdivided into six administrative units:


Geography and climate

Adjara is located on the south-eastern coast of the Black Sea and extends into the wooded foothills and mountains of the Lesser Caucasus. It has borders with the region of
Guria Guria ( ka, გურია) is a region (''mkhare'') in Georgia, in the western part of the country, bordered by the eastern end of the Black Sea. The region has a population of 113,000 (2016), with Ozurgeti as the regional capital. Geography ...
to the north, Samtskhe-Javakheti to the east and Turkey to the south. Most of Adjara's territory either consists of hills or mountains. The highest mountains rise more than
above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...
. Around 60% of Adjara is covered by forests. Many parts of the
Meskheti Range Meskheti Range ( ka, მესხეთის ქედი) (Meskh/Meskhet/Meskhetian Range, Adzhar-Imereti Range, Achara-Imereti Range Adzhar-Akhaltsikh Range also Moschian Mountains) is a part of the Lesser Caucasus mountain range in Meskheti r ...
(the west-facing slopes) are covered by
temperate rain forests Temperate rainforests are coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rain. Temperate rain forests occur in oceanic moist regions around the world: the Pacific temperate rain forests of North American Pa ...
. Adjara is traversed by the northeasterly line of equal latitude and longitude.


Climate

Adjara is well known for its humid climate (especially along the coastal regions) and prolonged rainy weather, although there is plentiful sunshine during the spring and summer months. Adjara receives the highest amounts of precipitation both in Georgia and in the Caucasus. It is also one of the wettest temperate regions in the
northern hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...
. No region along Adjara's coast receives less than of precipitation per year. The west-facing ( windward) slopes of the
Meskheti Range Meskheti Range ( ka, მესხეთის ქედი) (Meskh/Meskhet/Meskhetian Range, Adzhar-Imereti Range, Achara-Imereti Range Adzhar-Akhaltsikh Range also Moschian Mountains) is a part of the Lesser Caucasus mountain range in Meskheti r ...
receive upwards of of precipitation per year. The coastal lowlands receive most of the precipitation in the form of rain (due to the area's subtropical climate). September and October are usually the wettest months. Batumi's average monthly rainfall for the month of September is . The interior parts of Adjara are considerably drier than the coastal mountains and lowlands. Winter usually brings significant snowfall to the higher regions of Adjara, where snowfall often reaches several meters. Average summer temperatures are between 22–24 degrees Celsius in the lowland areas and 17–21 degrees Celsius in the highlands. The highest areas of Adjara have lower temperatures. Average winter temperatures are between 4–6 degrees Celsius along the coast while the interior areas and mountains average around -3–2 degrees Celsius. Some of the highest mountains of Adjara have average winter temperatures of -8–(-7) degrees Celsius.


Economy

Adjara has good land for growing tea, citrus fruits and tobacco. Mountainous and forested, the region has a subtropical climate, and there are many health resorts. Tobacco, tea, citrus fruits, and avocados are leading crops; livestock raising is also important. Industries include tea packing, tobacco processing, fruit and fish canning, oil refining, and shipbuilding. The regional capital, Batumi, is an important gateway for the shipment of goods heading into Georgia, Azerbaijan and landlocked Armenia. The port of Batumi is used for the shipment of oil from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Its oil refinery handles
Caspian Caspian can refer to: *The Caspian Sea *The Caspian Depression, surrounding the northern part of the Caspian Sea *The Caspians, the ancient people living near the Caspian Sea *Caspian languages, collection of languages and dialects of Caspian peopl ...
oil from Azerbaijan which arrives by pipeline to Supsa port and is transported from there to Batumi by rail. The Adjaran capital is a centre for shipbuilding and manufacturing. Adjara is the main center of Georgia's coastal tourism industry, having displaced the northwestern province of
Abkhazia Abkhazia, ka, აფხაზეთი, tr, , xmf, აბჟუა, abzhua, or ( or ), officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, recognised by most countries as part of Georgia, which vi ...
since that region's ''de facto'' secession from Georgia in 1993.


Demographics


Population

According to the 2014 census, the population of Adjara is 333,953. The Adjarians (Ajars) are an ethnographic group of the
Georgian people The Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and indigenous Caucasian ethnic group native to Georgia and the South Caucasus. Georgian diaspora communities are also present throughout Russia, Turkey, G ...
who speak a group of local dialects known collectively as Adjarian. The written language is
Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
. The Georgian population of Adjara had been generally known as "Muslim Georgians" until the 1926 Soviet census which listed them as "Ajars" and counted 71,000 of them. Later, they were simply classified under a broader category of Georgians as no official Soviet census asked about religion. Today, calling them "Muslim Georgians" would be a misnomer in any case as Adjarans are nearly 55% Christian and nearly 40% Muslim (see below). Ethnic minorities include Laz, Russians, Armenians, Pontic Greeks, Abkhaz, etc.Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Department of Statistics
/ref>


Religion

The collapse of the Soviet Union and the re-establishment of Georgia's independence accelerated the growth of Christianity in the region, especially among the young. However, there still remains
Sunni Muslim Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word ''Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagree ...
communities in Adjara, mainly in the Khulo district. According to the 2014 Georgian national census, 54.5% were
Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...
Christians, and 39.8% Muslim. The remaining were
Armenian Christians , native_name_lang = hy , icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg , icon_width = 100px , icon_alt = , image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , a ...
(0.3%), and others (5.3%).


Traditional public festivals


Selimoba

Selimoba is held in the village of Bako,
Khulo Municipality Khulo ( ka, ხულოს მუნიციპალიტეტი) is a district of Georgia, in the autonomous republic of Adjara. Its main town is Khulo. Population: 35,520 Area: 710 km2 Politics Khulo Municipal Assembly (Georgian: ...
on July 3 and commemorates the life of
Selim Khimshiashvili Selim Paşa (1755 – 3 June 1815) was a Georgian nobleman of the Khimshiashvili princedom and dukedom and a Beylerbey of Upper Adjara under the Ottoman suzerainty, but with considerable autonomy. His seizure of power in the Pashalik of Akhaltsi ...
. A concert with the participation of local amateur groups of a folk handicraft products exhibition is held during the festival. It is supported by Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of Adjara.


Shuamtoba

Shuamtoba ("inter-mountain festival") is a traditional festival, which is held on the summer mountain pastures of two municipalities (Khulo and Shuakhevi), during the first weekend of every August. Horse racing, a folk handicraft exhibition and a concert involving folk ensembles are held as well.


Machakhloba

Machakhloba is a Machakhela gorge festivity, held in the second half of September. It is a traditional holiday celebrated in Machakhela gorge,
Khelvachauri Khelvachauri ( ka, ხელვაჩაური ) is a village in the Autonomous Republic of Adjara in the southwest of Georgia, southeast of the regional capital Batumi and situated on the right bank of the Chorokhi River. Between 1968 and 2 ...
Municipality. The festival begins at the Machakhela rifle monument (at the point of convergence of the rivers Machakhela and Chorokhi), continues in the village Machakhispiri and ends in the village Zeda Chkhutuneti.


Kolkhoba

Kolkhoba is an ancient Laz festival. It is held at the end of August or at the beginning of September in Sarpi village,
Khelvachauri District Khelvachauri ( ka, ხელვაჩაურის მუნიციპალიტეტი, ''Khelvachauris Municiṕaliťeťi'') is a municipality in Georgia's southwestern autonomous republic of Adjara with a population of 52,737 people (2 ...
. The story of the
Argonauts The Argonauts (; Ancient Greek: ) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology, who in the years before the Trojan War (around 1300 BC) accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, '' Argo'', ...
is performed on stage during the festival.


People

* Tbeli Abuserisdze (1190–1240), a Georgian writer and scientist. * Fyodor Yurchikhin (born 3 January 1959), cosmonaut. *
Sopho Khalvashi Sopho Khalvashi ( ka, სოფო ხალვაში ; born 31 May 1986 in Batumi, Adjara, Georgia), also sometimes known as simply Sopho, is a Georgian musician of Laz heritage. Biography She claimed third prize at the commercial song co ...
(born 31 May 1986), Georgian singer. *
Selim Khimshiashvili Selim Paşa (1755 – 3 June 1815) was a Georgian nobleman of the Khimshiashvili princedom and dukedom and a Beylerbey of Upper Adjara under the Ottoman suzerainty, but with considerable autonomy. His seizure of power in the Pashalik of Akhaltsi ...
(3 June 1815), as Pasha (Minister) of Ottoman and Russia Political Affairs on 1802. *
Ahmed-Pasha Khimshiashvili Ahmed Bey, subsequently Ahmed Paşa (1781 – October 1836) was a Islam in Georgia (country), Muslim Georgians, Georgian nobleman of the Khimshiashvili clan from Adjara, which he ruled as an autonomous ruler (''bey'') under the Ottoman Empire afte ...
(died 1836), Great Ottoman Pasha. *
Memed Abashidze Memed Abashidze ( ka, მემედ აბაშიძე; January 18, 1873 – 1937) was a Georgian politician, writer and public benefactor. An eminent leader of Muslim Georgian community of Adjarians, he was a major proponent of pro-Georgian ...
(1873–1941), a prominent political leader of Muslim Georgians. *
Aslan Abashidze Aslan Abashidze ( ka, ასლან აბაშიძე; born July 20, 1938) is the former leader of the Ajarian Autonomous Republic in western Georgia. He served in this capacity from 18 August 1991 to May 5, 2004. He resigned under the pres ...
(born 1938), an ousted regional leader. *
Zurab Nogaideli Zurab Nogaideli ( ka, ზურაბ ნოღაიდელი) (born 22 October 1964) is a Georgian businessman and a politician who served as the Prime Minister of Georgia from February 2005 until he resigned, citing health problems, on 16 N ...
(born 1964), former Prime Minister of Georgia (3 February 2005 – 16 November 2007). *
Levan Varshalomidze Levan Varshalomidze ( ka, ლევან ვარშალომიძე) (born 17 January 1972) is a Georgian politician and the Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara from 2004 to 2012. He assumed office on 20 July 200 ...
(born 1972), Head of the Adjarian Government, 2004–2012.


See also

*
Former countries in Europe after 1815 This article gives a detailed listing of all the countries, including puppet states, that have existed in Europe since the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to the present day. Each country has information separated into columns: name of the distinct cou ...
* Laz people *
Merisi Mining District The Merisi Mining District is situated in Adjara region in close vicinity to the Georgian-Turkish border. It is the part of Lesser Caucasus which occurs in the hinterland of the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone, in the broad Alpine- Himalayan orogenic ...
*
Subdivisions of Georgia The subdivisions of Georgia are autonomous republics ( ka, ავტონომიური რესპუბლიკა, ''avtonomiuri respublika''), regions (მხარე, ''mkhare''), and municipalities (მუნიციპალი ...


References


External links


Government of AdjaraSupreme Council of AdjaraTourism & Resorts Department of AdjaraGeorgian territories: Ajaria - BBC profileIslam and Islamic Practices in GeorgiaIn pictures: Ajaria's 'velvet revolution' 2004
{{Authority control Former provinces of Georgia (country) Historical regions of Georgia (country) Autonomous republics of Georgia (country) States and territories established in 1991