Abkhazia's History

Abkhazia has a long association with Georgia. From the 9th-6th Century BC Abkhazia was a province of the ethnically Georgian Colchis Kingdom and in 63BC became part of another Georgian Kingdom of Egrisi. From 1000BC Abkhazia attracted Greek colonists who settled on its beautiful coast. Egrisi came under Roman rule from the 1st-4th Century AD and then the region gained autonomy within the Byzantine Empire. Abkhazia was already Christian by 325AD. Between 850-950 Abkhazia enjoyed its heyday being an independent Kingdom but by the end of the 10th Century they were once again within the Kingdom of Georgia. Around 1570 Abkhazia came under Ottoman Turk domination when most Abkhazian’s embraced Islam. Between 1803-1864 Russia and the Ottomans struggled for Abkhazia, the Russians prevailing. Many Muslim Abkhazians left for Turkey while other nationalities took their place. In 1917 Georgia (including Abkhazia) became independent but in 1921 the Red Army restored Russian rule. Under Stalin Armenians and Georgians were encouraged to settle in autonomous Abkhazia.

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As the communism began to crumble Abkhazians fearing Georgian domination favoured the continuation of the USSR. In April 1991 Georgia declared independence and their first president preserved peace by continuing Abkhazian autonomy. In February 1992 Georgia underwent a Military backed coup and restored the former 1921 Constitution. Abkhazia, expecting Georgian domination, declared its own independence which triggered a war which ultimately resulted in Georgia’s defeat and ethnic Georgians fleeing Abkhazia in 1993, flaring up briefly in 1998. Abkhazians enjoy warm relations with neighbouring Russia which maintains a now permanent but sometimes uneasy ceasefire. Sergei Bagapsh, independent Abkhazia's first president died following surgury in Moscow on 29 May 2011, replaced by Alexander Ankvab.

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