In Soviet times, the

Abkhazian ASSR The Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (russian: Абхазская Автономная Советская Социалистическая Республика; ka, აფხაზეთის ავტონომიური ს� ...

was divided into six ''raions'' (districts) named after their respective capitals. The administrative divisions of the

disputed Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of conflicting opinion or point of view. The word was coined from the Latin ''controversia'', as a composite of ''controversus'' – "turned in an opposite d ...

Republic 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 ...

have stayed the same, with one exception: in 1995 the

Tkvarcheli District Tkvarcheli District ( ka, ტყვარჩელის რაიონი, ab, Тҟәарчал араион, russian: Ткварчелский район) is one of the districts of Abkhazia. It has no equivalent Georgian district, as it was ...

was created around the town of

Tkvarcheli Tkvarcheli ( ka, ტყვარჩელი ; ab, Тҟəарчал, ''Tqwarchal''; Ткуарчал (Tkuarchal) russian: Ткварчели, ''Tkvarcheli'') is a town in Abkhazia. It is situated on the river Ghalidzga (Aaldzga) and a railway c ...

from parts of the Ochamchira and Gali raions. The Georgian government, which claims Abkhazia as an Autonomous region but lacks control, has not changed the Soviet divisions.

Districts of Abkhazia

Districts are led by the Head of the Administration, who is simultaneously Mayor of the District's capital, except in the case of Sukhumi. The Head of the Administration is appointed by the President following consultations with the District Assembly. Previously, the Head was appointed from among the District Assembly members, but without consultations, but in practice the President would often appoint an acting Head from without who was subsequently elected to the Assembly. The current procedure was adopted by the

People's Assembly of Abkhazia The People's Assembly — Parliament of the Republic of Abkhazia ( ab, Аҧсны Жәлар Реизара – Апарламент, ka, აფხაზეთის რესპუბლიკის სახალხო კრება, russi ...

on 29 January 2016, over competing proposals to elect the Head directly by the District's population or by Assembly members, and after voting almost unanimously not to change the previous procedure on 30 July 2015. Abkhazia districts map numbered

* (1)

Gagra Gagra ( ka, გაგრა; Abkhaz and Russian: Гагра) is a town in Abkhazia/Georgia, sprawling for 5 km on the northeast coast of the Black Sea, at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains. Its subtropical climate made Gagra a popular hea ...

* (2)

Gudauta Gudauta ( ka, გუდაუთა, ; ab, Гәдоуҭа, ''Gwdowtha''; russian: Гудаута, ''Gudauta'') is a town in Abkhazia, Georgia, and a centre of the eponymous district. It is situated on the Black Sea, 37 km northwest of Sukhu ...

* (3)

Sukhumi Sukhumi (russian: Суху́м(и), ) or Sokhumi ( ka, სოხუმი, ), also known by its Abkhaz name Aqwa ( ab, Аҟәа, ''Aqwa''), is a city in a wide bay on the Black Sea's eastern coast. It is both the capital and largest city of ...

* (4)

Gulripshi Gulripshi ( ab, Гәылрыҧшь, ''Gwylryphsh''; ka, გულრიფში, ; russian: Гульрыпш, ''Gulrypsh'') is an urban settlement in Abkhazia. It is located 12 km from Sukhumi, and is the capital of Gulripshi District. Nik ...

* (5) Ochamchira * (6)

* (7) Gali

Towns of Abkhazia

* Gali *

New Athos New Athos or Akhali Atoni ( ka, ახალი ათონი, ''Akhali Atoni''; ab, Афон Ҿыц, ''Afon Ch'yts''; russian: Новый Афон; ''Novy Afon'', gr, Νέος Άθως, ''Neos Athos'') is a town in the Gudauta ''raion'' of ...

Ochamchire Ochamchire or Ochamchira ( ka, ოჩამჩირე, ; ab, Очамчыра, ''Ochamchyra''; russian: Очамчира, ''Ochamchira'') is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast of Abkhazia, Georgia, and a centre of an eponymous district. Acc ...

Pitsunda Pitsunda ( ab, Пиҵунда, russian: Пицунда) or Bichvinta ( ka, ბიჭვინთა ) is a resort town in the Gagra District of Abkhazia/Georgia (country), Georgia. Founded by Greek colonists in the 5th century BC, Pitsunda became ...

(since 2007) *

Urban settlements of Abkhazia

* Bzyb *

* Leselidze * Myussera *

Gantiadi Gantiadi ( ka, განთიადი ; russian: Гантиади) or Tsandryphsh ( ab, Цандрыҧшь; russian: Цандрыпш), is an urban-type settlement on the Black Sea coast in Georgia, in the Gagra District of Abkhazia, 5 km f ...

Historic regions of Abkhazia

Abkhazia has traditionally been divided into several historical regions (they roughly correspond to modern districts that are given in parentheses): *

Sadzen Lesser Abkhazia (Georgian: ჯიქეთი, Jiqeti) was the term used to refer to those lands of Abkhazia that were not subject to the direct control of the ruling Shervashidze dynasty. History After the Russian-Circassian War, the bulk o ...

(Gagra district and

Sochi Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...

region which is now in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

) * Bzyb (Gudauta district) * Gumaa (Sukhumi district) *

Abzhywa Abzhywa ( ab , Abzhuaa - "middle people" – Абжьыуа, ''Abƶywa''; also transliterates as Abzhua from Russian: Абжуа, Абжива; ka, აბჟუა) is one of the seven historical regions in Abkhazia, and accordingly one of t ...

(Ochamchira and partly Tkvarcheli districts) *

Samurzakano Samurzakano ( ka, სამურზაყანო, ''Samurzak'ano'', ''Samurzaqano'') is a historical region in southeastern Abkhazia, in western Georgia.''Georgian Soviet Encyclopedia'', v. 9, p. 37, Tb., 1985. Populated by Samurzakania ...

(Gali and partly Tkvarcheli district) * Dal-Tsabal (Gulripshi district) These are the regions mentioned in the Abkhazian Constitution of 1994. According to the popular (but erroneousАргун Ю.Г. (''Argun Yu. G.'')
О Государственном флаге
(''On the state flag'' (XLVIII итоговая научная сессия (11-13 мая). тезисы докладов. - Сухум: АбИГИ, 2004, с. 3-4)) belief the seven stripes of the Abkhazian flag correspond to the seven historical regions of the country, the seventh one being Pskhu-Aibga.

References

{{Abkhazia-geo-stub

Districts of Abkhazia

Towns of Abkhazia

Urban settlements of Abkhazia

Historic regions of Abkhazia

See also

References