The Enguri ( ka, ენგური, tr, xmf, ინგირი, ingiri, ab, Егры, ''Egry'' russian: Ингури, ''Inguri'') is a river in western
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
. It is long, and has a drainage basin of .
Statistical Yearbook of Georgia: 2020
National Statistics Office of Georgia, Tbilisi, 2020, p. 12. It originates near Ushguli
Ushguli ( ka, უშგული) is a community of five villages located at the head of the Enguri gorge in Svaneti, Georgia. Ushguli is one of the highest continuously inhabited settlements in Europe. Compared to somewhat more developed towns li ...
in northeastern Svaneti
Svaneti or Svanetia (Suania in ancient sources; ka, სვანეთი ) is a historic province in the northwestern part of Georgia (country), Georgia. It is inhabited by the Svans, an ethnic subgroup of Georgians.
Geography
Situated o ...
and plays an important role providing hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...
power to the area.
The river emerges from the high Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have historically ...
near the highest mountain in Georgia, Shkhara
Shkhara ( ka, შხარა) is the highest point in the nation of Georgia It is located near the Russian-Georgian border, in Russia's Kabardino-Balkaria region on the northern side, and the Svaneti region of Georgia in the south. Shkhara lies ...
, and winds through the mountain valleys to the northwest before turning southwest to empty into the Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
near Anaklia
Anaklia () is a town and seaside resort in western Georgia. It is located in the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, at the place where the Enguri River flows into the Black Sea, near the border with Abkhazia.
History
The earliest settlement on A ...
.
Since the Abkhaz–Georgian conflict
The Abkhaz–Georgian conflict involves ethnic conflict between Georgians and the Abkhaz people in Abkhazia, a ''de facto'' independent, partially recognized republic. In a broader sense, one can view the Georgian–Abkhaz conflict as part of ...
, both Georgia and Abkhazia keep troops on the river; 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 ...
also keeps peacekeeping
Peacekeeping comprises activities intended to create conditions that favour lasting peace. Research generally finds that peacekeeping reduces civilian and battlefield deaths, as well as reduces the risk of renewed warfare.
Within the United N ...
troops. The only legal crossing-point is the long Enguri Bridge, which was built by German prisoners of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold priso ...
from 1944 until 1948. There are also a number of illegal connections across the river.
The river plays an important role in the Georgian energy production. In 1988 the Enguri Dam
The Enguri Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Enguri River in Tsalenjikha, Georgia. Currently, it is the world's second highest concrete arch dam with a height of .
It is located north of the town of Jvari. It is part of the Enguri hydroele ...
was built at a height of . At across and high, it is the largest construction in the Caucasus. It has a capacity of of water. The underground water works produce about 40% of the national energy. The capacity is 1,300 megawatts.
See also
*Abkhazia–Georgia border
The Abkhazia–Georgia separation line is a ''de-facto'' boundary set up in aftermath of the War in Abkhazia and Russo-Georgian War, which separates the self-declared Republic of Abkhazia from the territory controlled by the Government of Georgi ...
*Mulkhura
The Mulkhra or Mulkhura ( ka, მულხრა, მულხურა) is a river in Mestia Municipality, Georgia, right tributary of the Enguri. It is located in the region Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, in the northwestern part of the country, nor ...
References
External links
Die Brücke der Deutschen
Eurasian Magazine
{{Rivers of Georgia
Rivers of Abkhazia
Rivers of Georgia (country)
Abkhazia–Georgia (country) border
Tributaries of the Black Sea