აჭარის ავტონომიური რესპუბლიკა Acharis Avtonomiuri Respublika Autonomous Republic of Adjara
Flag Coat of arms
Ajaria (gray) within Georgia
Detailed map of Adjara
Capital		Batumi
Official languages		Georgian
Ethnic groups (2002)		93. The flag of Adjara displays seven dark blue and white stripes with the national flag of Georgia shown in canton. Georgia 's coat of arms was adopted on 1 October 2004. It is partially based on the medieval arms of the Georgian royal house of Bagrationi Batumi (ბათუმი formerly Batum or Batoum) is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and Capital of Adjara, an Autonomous An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Georgian (ka ქართული ენა kartuli ena) is the Official language of Georgia, a country in the Caucasus. 4% Georgians   2. The Georgians (ქართველები kartvelebi) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus, the oldest group of the 4% Russians   2. The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries 3% Armenians   0. The Armenians (Հայեր Hayer) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus and in the Armenian Highlands A large 6% Greeks   0. The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions 4% Abkhazians   0. The Abkhazians or Abkhaz ( Abkhaz: Аҧсуа Apswa; Georgian: აფხაზი Aphkhazi) are a Caucasian 2% Ukrainians   0. Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens 2% others
Government
-	Chairman of the Government	Levan Varshalomidze
Autonomous republic
-	Part of unified Georgian Kingdom	9th century
-	Conquered by Ottoman Empire	1614
-	Ceded to Russian Empire	1878
-	Adjar ASSR	1921
-	Autonomous republic of Georgia	1991
Area
-	Total	2,900 km²  1,120 sq mi
-	Water (%)	negligible
Population
-	2002 census	376,016
-	Density	135. For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Levan Varshalomidze (born 17 January 1972, Batumi, Georgia) is a Georgian politician An autonomous republic is a type of Administrative division similar to a Province. The history of Georgia began with the rise of the early Georgian states of Colchis and Iberia, which in c The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The Adjar ASSR, Adzhar ASSR or Adjarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was an autonomous republic of the Soviet Union within the Georgian SSR Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. M^2 redirects here For other uses see M². CM2 redirects here The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 32/km²  350. 5/sq mi
Currency		Georgian lari (GEL)
Time zone		MSK (UTC+3)

Adjara (Georgian: აჭარა — ach'ara), officially the Autonomous Republic of Adjara (აჭარის ავტონომიური რესპუბლიკა — ach'aris avtonomiuri respublika), (also known as Ajaria, Ajara, Adjaria, Adzharia, Adzhara, and Achara) is an autonomous republic of Georgia, in the southwestern corner of the country, bordered by Turkey to the south and the eastern end of the Black Sea. A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The lari ( Georgian: ლარი; ISO 4217:GEL is the Currency of Georgia. ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Moscow Time (Моско́вское вре́мя is the Time zone for the city of Moscow, Russia and most of western Russia including Saint Petersburg Georgian (ka ქართული ენა kartuli ena) is the Official language of Georgia, a country in the Caucasus. This system adopted in February 2002 by the State Department of Geodesy and Cartography of Georgia and the Institute of Linguistics Georgian Academy of Sciences establishes a Transliteration An autonomous republic is a type of Administrative division similar to a Province. Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey Formerly it was known as Acara under the Ottoman rule and Adjarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Adjar ASSR) under the Soviet Union. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Adjar ASSR, Adzhar ASSR or Adjarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was an autonomous republic of the Soviet Union within the Georgian SSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991

History

Main article: History of Adjara

Adjara has been part of Colchis and Caucasian Iberia since ancient times. The article refers to the history of Georgia ’s autonomous province of Adjara. In ancient Geography, Colchis or Kolchis ( Georgian and Laz: კოლხეთი k'olxeti; Greek:, Kolchís This article is about the people of ancient Georgia For the Iberians of ancient Iberian Peninsula see Iberians. Colonized by Greeks in the 5th century BC, the region fell under Rome in the 2nd century BC. The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 It became part of the region of Egrisi before being incorporated into the unified Georgian Kingdom in the 9th century AD. Egrisi (ეგრისი is a medieval Georgian name for the region and kingdom in the western part of modern-day Georgia, known to the Byzantine The Ottomans conquered the area in 1614. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The people converted to Islam in this period. They were forced to cede Ajaria to the expanding Russian Empire in 1878. The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya

After a temporary occupation by Turkish and British troops in 1918–1920, Ajaria became part of the Democratic Republic of Georgia in 1920. The military of the Ottoman Empire was divided in three organizational structures the Army Navy and Air Force The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 The Democratic Republic of Georgia ( DRG; Georgian: საქართველოს დემოკრატიული რესპუბლიკა Sakartvelos After a brief military conflict in March 1921, Ankara's government ceded the territory to Georgia due to Article VI of Treaty of Kars on grounds that autonomy is provided for the Muslim population. Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after İstanbul. The Treaty of Kars (Kars Antlaşması Карсский договор / Karskiy dogovor) was a friendship treaty between the Grand National Assembly of Turkey A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion The Soviet Union established the Adjar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in 1921 in accord with this clause. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Adjar ASSR, Adzhar ASSR or Adjarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was an autonomous republic of the Soviet Union within the Georgian SSR Thus, Adjara was still a component part of Georgia, but with considerable local autonomy.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ajaria became part of a newly independent but politically divided Republic of Georgia. The Soviet Union 's collapse into independent nations began early in 1985 It avoided being dragged into the chaos and civil war that afflicted the rest of the country between 1991–1993 due largely to the authoritarian rule of its leader Aslan Abashidze. The Georgian Civil War consisted of inter-ethnic and inter-national conflicts in the regions of South Ossetia (1988-1992 and Abkhazia (1992-1993 as well Aslan Abashidze (ასლან აბაშიძე (born Batumi, July 20, 1938) was the leader of the Ajarian Autonomous Republic in western 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 personally – as well as human rights violations. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled The central government in Tbilisi had very little say in what went on in Adjara; during the presidency of Eduard Shevardnadze, it seemed convenient to turn a blind eye to events in Adjara. Eduard Amvrosiyevich Shevardnadze (ედუარდ შევარდნაძე ɛduɑrd ʃɛvɑrdnɑdzɛ (born 25 January 1928 in Mamati, Lanchkhuti The Idiom turning a blind eye is used to describe the process of ignoring unpopular orders or inconvenient facts or activities

This changed following the Rose Revolution of 2003 when Shevardnadze was deposed in favour of the reformist opposition leader Mikheil Saakashvili, who pledged to crack down on separatism within Georgia. The "Revolution of Roses quot (often translated into English as the Rose Revolution) (ვარდების რევოლუცია - vardebis Mikheil Saakashvili (მიხეილ ნიკოლოზის ძე სააკაშვილი (born 21 December 1967, a Georgian Politician, the In the spring of 2004, a major crisis in Ajaria erupted as the central government sought to reimpose its authority on the region. The Ajaria crisis refers to a political crisis in Georgia ’s Ajarian Autonomous Republic then led by Aslan Abashidze, who refused to obey the central authorities It threatened to develop into an armed confrontation. However, Saakashvili's ultimatums 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. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending After Abashidze's ousting, a new law was introduced to redefine the terms of Ajaria's autonomy – a measure which some have criticised as an effective elimination of most of the region's autonomous powers.

For many years, Russia maintained the 12th Military Base (the former 145th Motor Rifle Division) in Batumi. Batumi (ბათუმი formerly Batum or Batoum) is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and Capital of Adjara, an Autonomous ^[1] This was a source of great tension with Georgia, which had threatened to block access to the facility. Following talks in March 2005, the Russian government proposed to begin the process of withdrawal later the same year; Russia returned the base to Georgia on November 17, 2007, more than a year ahead of schedule.

Law and government

The status of the Ajarian Autonomous Republic is defined by Georgia's law on Ajaria and the region's new constitution, adopted following the ousting of Aslan Abashidze. Aslan Abashidze (ასლან აბაშიძე (born Batumi, July 20, 1938) was the leader of the Ajarian Autonomous Republic in western The local legislative body, Supreme Council (parliament) of Adjara consists of 30 members and is elected for four years. The head of the region's government – the Council of Ministers of Adjara is nominated by the President of Georgia who also has powers to dissolve the assembly and government and to overrule local authorities on issues where the constitution of Georgia is contravened. The President of Georgia (საქართველოს პრეზიდენტი is the Commander-in-chief of Georgia. Levan Varshalomidze is the current head of the Adjaran government. Levan Varshalomidze (born 17 January 1972, Batumi, Georgia) is a Georgian politician

Adjara is subdivided into six administrative units:

1. City of Batumi
2. District of Keda
3. District of Kobuleti
4. District of Khelvachauri
5. District of Shuakhevi
6. District of Khulo

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. Batumi (ბათუმი formerly Batum or Batoum) is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and Capital of Adjara, an Autonomous Keda is a small town in Ajaria, an autonomous republic in the southwestern Georgia, 42 km southeast to the regional capital Batumi. Kobuleti (ქობულეთი is a town in Georgia 's southwestern region of Ajaria. Khelvachauri (ხელვაჩაური is a small town in Adjara, an Autonomous republic in southwest Georgia, 8 km southeast to the regional capital Shuakhevi is a small town in Georgia 's autonomous region of Ajaria, 67 km east to the regional capital Batumi. Khulo (ხულო is a townlet in Adjara, an Autonomous republic in southwest Georgia, 88 km east to the regional capital Batumi. The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey This article is about the terrestrial Eurasian mountain range It has borders with the region of Guria to the north, Samtskhe-Javakheti to the east and Turkey to the south. For the village in Bangladesh see Guria Bangladesh. Guria (გურია is a region ( Mkhare) in Georgia Expulsion of Meskhetian Turks from Meshketi Meskhetian Turks or Meskhetians are the former Muslim inhabitants of Meskheti (now known as Samtskhe in Georgia Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Most of Ajaria's territory either consists of hills or mountains. The highest mountains rise more than 3,000 meters (9,840 ft) above sea level. Around 60% of Ajaria is covered by forests. Many parts of the Meskheti Range (the west-facing slopes) are covered by temperate rain forests. Meskheti Range ( Meskh/Meskhet/Meskhetian Range Adzhar-Imereti Range, Adzhar-Akhaltsikh Range) is a part of the Lesser Caucasus Mountain Temperate rainforests are Coniferous or broadleaf Forests that occur in the Temperate zone and receive high rainfall

Climate

The Lesser Caucasus Mountains in Adjara

Logo of the Cabinet of Ministers

The Building of the Council of Ministers of Adjara in Batumi

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. Ajaria receives the highest amounts of precipitation both in Georgia and in the Caucasus. Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between The Caucasus ( also referred to as North Caucasus) is a geopolitical region located between Europe Asia & Middle East It is also one of the wettest temperate regions in the northern hemisphere. Northern Hemisphere is the half of a Planet that is North of the Equator —the word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' No region along Adjara's coast receives less than 2,200mm (86. 6 inches) of precipitation per year. The west-facing (windward) slopes of the Meskheti Range receive upwards of 4,500mm (177 inches) of precipitation per year. Windward is the direction from which the wind is blowing at the time in question Meskheti Range ( Meskh/Meskhet/Meskhetian Range Adzhar-Imereti Range, Adzhar-Akhaltsikh Range) is a part of the Lesser Caucasus Mountain 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 410mm (16. Batumi (ბათუმი formerly Batum or Batoum) is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and Capital of Adjara, an Autonomous 14 inches). The interior parts of Adjara are considerably drier than the coastal mountains and lowlands. Winter usually brings significant snowfall to the higher regions of Ajaria, 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 Ajaria 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 Ajaria 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. Batumi (ბათუმი formerly Batum or Batoum) is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and Capital of Adjara, an Autonomous Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South Armenia (Հայաստան transliterated: Hayastan,) officially the Republic of Armenia (Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն Hayastani The port of Batumi is used for the shipment of oil from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Batumi (ბათუმი formerly Batum or Batoum) is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and Capital of Adjara, an Autonomous Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. Its oil refinery handles Caspian oil from Azerbaijan which arrives by pipeline to Supsa port and is transported from there to Batumi by rail. The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged Sea. Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South Supsa is a Black Sea port city in western Georgia. It is located at around. Batumi (ბათუმი formerly Batum or Batoum) is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and Capital of Adjara, an Autonomous The Ajarian 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 since that region's de facto secession from Georgia in 1993. Abkhazia (Аҧсны Apsny აფხაზეთი Apkhazeti or Abkhazeti Абха́зия Abhazia) is a De facto

Population

The Black Sea coast near the resort of Kvariati

According to the 2002 census, the population of Adjara is 376,016. The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey The Adjarians (Ajars) are an ethnographic group of the Georgian people who speak a group of local dialects known collectively as Adjaran. The Adjarians (Ajarians Ajars Adjars Adzhars აჭარლები Ačarlebi) are an ethnographic group of Georgians that mostly live in Adjara The Georgians (ქართველები kartvelebi) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus, the oldest group of the Adjaran (Ach'aruli / აჭარული is one of the Georgian dialects primarily spoken within the borders of the Autonomous republic of Adjara, The written language is Georgian. The Georgian alphabet (ქართული დამწერლობა is the writing system currently used to write the Georgian language and other South Caucasian

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. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population Later, they were simply classified under a broader category of Georgians as no official Soviet census asked about religion.

Ethnic minorities include Laz, Russians, Armenians, Greeks, Abkhaz, etc. The Laz ( Lazi (ლაზი or Lazepe (ლაზეფე in Laz, Lazlar in Turkish, Lazi (ლაზი or The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries The Armenians (Հայեր Hayer) are a Nation and Ethnic group originating in the Caucasus and in the Armenian Highlands A large The Greeks ( Greek: Έλληνες) are a Nation and Ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions The Abkhazians or Abkhaz ( Abkhaz: Аҧсуа Apswa; Georgian: აფხაზი Aphkhazi) are a Caucasian ^[2]

Religion

The collapse of the Soviet Union and the re-establishment of Georgia's independence accelerated re-Christianization, especially among the young,^[3] a process allegedly encouraged by the governmental officials. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 However, there are still remaining Sunni Muslim communities in Adjara, mainly in the Khulo district. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic Khulo (ხულო is a townlet in Adjara, an Autonomous republic in southwest Georgia, 88 km east to the regional capital Batumi. According to the 2006 estimates by the Department of Statistics of Adjara, 63% are Georgian Orthodox Christians, and 30% Muslim,^[2] while according to the BBC, "nowadays about half the population professes the Islamic faith". Christianity in ancient and feudal Georgia According to tradition when the Apostles were sent out to preach the Gospel to the nations of the world the Apostle A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion ^[4] The remaining are Armenian Christians (0. 8%), Roman Catholics (0. 2%), and others (6%). ^[2]

Famous Ajarians

Batumi, 1900s

• Memed Abashidze (1873-1941), a prominent political leader of Muslim Georgians
• Aslan Abashidze (b. Batumi (ბათუმი formerly Batum or Batoum) is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and Capital of Adjara, an Autonomous Memed Abashidze (მემედ აბაშიძე ( January 18, 1873 – 1937 was a Georgian politician writer and public benefactor Aslan Abashidze (ასლან აბაშიძე (born Batumi, July 20, 1938) was the leader of the Ajarian Autonomous Republic in western 1938), an ousted regional leader
• Tbeli Abuserisdze (1190-1240), a Georgian writer and scientist
• Zurab Nogaideli (b. Tbeli Abuserisdze (ტბელი აბუსერისძე (c Zurab Noghaideli (ზურაბ ნოღაიდელი (born 22 October 1964) is a Georgian businessman and a retired politician who served 1964 ), former Prime Minister of Georgia (3 February 2005 - 16 November 2007)
• Levan Varshalomidze (b. The Prime Minister of Georgia is the most senior minister within the Cabinet of Georgia of the Republic of Georgia, appointed by the President of Georgia Events 1112 - Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona and Douce I of Provence marry uniting the fortunes of those two states Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 534 - A second and final revision of the Codex Justinianus is published Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Levan Varshalomidze (born 17 January 1972, Batumi, Georgia) is a Georgian politician 1973), current regional leader

See also

• Subdivisions of Georgia
• Former countries in Europe after 1815

References

External links

• Government of Adjara
• Supreme Council of Adjara
• Tourist Department of Adjara
• Adjara portal
• Georgian territories: Ajaria - BBC profile
• Images of Ajaria
• Islam and Islamic Practices in Georgia
• In pictures: Ajaria's 'velvet revolution' 2004
• The Guide to Adjara