Abkhazia is a region in the Caucasus that is under the effective control of the partially recognised self-declared
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 ...
. The ''de jure'' majority
internationally recognized Autonomous 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 ...
claims to be its legitimate government.
Republic of Abkhazia
The flag of the Republic of Abkhazia was created in 1991 by Valeri Gamgia.
[Аргун 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) It was officially adopted on 23 July 1992.
The design of the red
canton is based on the banner of the medieval
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 ...
. The open right hand means "''Hello to friends! Stop to Enemies!''". The seven stars in the canton have since been reinterpreted to correspond to the seven historical regions of the country:
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 ...
, Bzyp, Gumaa,
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 ...
, Samurzaqan, Dal-Tsabal and Pskhuy-Aibga.
[Государственные символы]
Seven is a number sacred to the Abkhaz and the green and white stripes represent the tolerance that allows
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
and
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
to coexist.
File:Apsua Childs waving Apsny Flag.jpg, Abkhazian children waving miniature flags of Abkhazia
File:Apsny Flag With Helicopter.jpg, Helicopter towing the Abkhazian flag
File:Apsua Holding Apsny Flag.jpg, Parade exhibiting Abkhazian flags
File:Republic of Abkhazia flag.jpg, Flag of Abkhazia on flagpole
Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia
As no official flag has been adopted for use by the
Autonomous 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 ...
, the
flag of Georgia
Flag of Georgia may refer to:
*Flag of Georgia (country)
** Flag of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
*Flag of Georgia (U.S. state)
The current flag of Georgia was adopted on February 19, 2003. The flag bears three horizontal stripes ( ...
is used by the Government of Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia.
A flag has been proposed by the Georgian State Council of Heraldry for the region that combines the flag of Georgia with green and white stripes of the Abkazhian flag.
File:Flag of Georgia.svg, Flag of Georgia
File:Flag of Abkhazia (GE).svg, Proposed flag of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia
Historical flags
Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus
The
Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus
The Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus (MRNC; also known as the United Republics of the North Caucasus, Mountain Republic or the Republic of the Mountaineers) was a country in the North Caucasus formed by the unification of Circassians ...
was a state that declared independence in 1917 from both the
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...
and
White Russian forces during the
Russian Civil War
, date = October Revolution, 7 November 1917 – Yakut revolt, 16 June 1923{{Efn, The main phase ended on 25 October 1922. Revolt against the Bolsheviks continued Basmachi movement, in Central Asia and Tungus Republic, the Far East th ...
. It claimed Abkhazia as its territory, but Abkhazia was also claimed and occupied by the
Democratic Republic of Georgia
The Democratic Republic of Georgia (DRG; ka, საქართველოს დემოკრატიული რესპუბლიკა ') was the first modern establishment of a republic of Georgia, which existed from May 1918 to ...
. The purported flag of the Mountain Republic contains several elements that would later be included in the Abkhazian flag, including seven green and white horizontal stripes and a canton with seven stars. In the North Caucasian flag, the seven stars and stripes represented the regions of
Dagestan
Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North C ...
,
Chechen-
Ingushia,
Ossetia
Ossetia ( , ; os, Ирыстон or , or ; russian: Осетия, Osetiya; ka, ოსეთი, translit. ''Oseti'') is an ethnolinguistic region located on both sides of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, largely inhabited by the Ossetians. ...
, Abkhazia,
Karbadia,
Adygea
The Republic of Adygea (; russian: Республика Адыгея, Respublika Adygeya, p=ɐdɨˈɡʲejə; ady, Адыгэ Республик, ''Adıgə Respublik''), also known as the Adyghe Republic, is a republic of Russia. It is situated ...
, and
Karachay
The Karachays ( krc, Къарачайлыла, Qaraçaylıla or таулула, , 'Mountaineers') are an indigenous Caucasian Turkic ethnic group in the North Caucasus. They speak Karachay-Balkar, a Turkic language. They are mostly situat ...
-
Balkaria.
File:Flag of the Mountain Republic.svg,
Flag of the Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus (c. 1917)
Socialist Soviet Republic of Abkhazia
The flag of the SSR Abkhazia was adopted in 1925 when the
SSR Abkhazia ratified its constitution. It was used until 1931, when the SSR Abkhazia was transformed into the
Abkhaz ASSR
The Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (russian: Абхазская Автономная Советская Социалистическая Республика; ka, აფხაზეთის ავტონომიური ს ...
with a different flag.
File:Flag of Abkhazian SSR.svg,
Flag of the Socialist Soviet Republic Abkhazia (1925–31)
Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
The
flag of the Abkhaz ASSR was introduced in 1978 and used until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The previous flag used between 1931 and 1978 was identical to the flag of the Georgian SSR, and in 1978 the name of the Abkhaz ASSR was added written in the Abkhaz
language
Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of met ...
and
script
Script may refer to:
Writing systems
* Script, a distinctive writing system, based on a repertoire of specific elements or symbols, or that repertoire
* Script (styles of handwriting)
** Script typeface, a typeface with characteristics of handw ...
.
File:Flag of Abkhazian ASSR.svg,
Flag of the Abkhaz ASSR introduced in 1978
Flag on stamps
File:Flag of the SSR of Abkhazia, 1925.jpg, The flag of the SSR of Abkhazia on an Abkhazian stamp. The flag on the stamp does not match with the description on the constitution.
File:StampRepublicOfAbkhaziaFlag.jpg, The flag of the Republic of Abkhazia on an Abkhazian stamp.
File:StampRepublicOfAbkhaziaGamgia.gif, Another Abkhazian flag on a stamp
See also
*
Emblem of Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a region in the Caucuses that is under the effective control of the partially recognised self-declared Republic of Abkhazia. The ''de jure'' majority internationally recognized Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia claims to be its legiti ...
*
Coat of arms of the Socialist Soviet Republic of Abkhazia
*
Flag of the Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
References
External links
Flag of Abkhazia at FOTW*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abkhazia, Flag of
National flags
Flag
A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...
Flags of states with limited recognition
Flag of the Socialist Soviet Republic
Flags introduced in 1992
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 ...