Abkhazia

The Republic of Abkhazia is a partially recognized separatist state in the South Caucasus, recognized by most countries as part of Georgia, which views the region as an autonomous republic. It is located on the east coast of the Black Sea, south of the Greater Caucasus Mountains in northwestern Georgia. It covers an area of ​​8,665 square kilometers (3,346 sq mi) and has a population of about 245,000. The capital is Sukhumi.

The status of Abkhazia is the central issue of the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict and Georgian-Russian relations. The state is recognized as Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, Syria, and Vanuatu. While Georgia does not control Abkhazia, the Georgian government and most United Nations member states consider Abkhazia legally part of Georgia, leaving Georgia with an official government in exile.

The region enjoyed autonomy within Soviet Georgia when the Soviet Union began to disintegrate in the late 1980s. Rising interethnic tensions between the Abkhaz, the region's primary ethnicity, and the Georgians, the largest ethnic group at the time, culminated in the 1992-1993 war in Abkhazia, which led to Georgia's loss of control over much of Abkhazia and ethnic cleansing in Abkhazia. Georgians from Abkhazia.

Despite the 1994 ceasefire and years of negotiations, the dispute remains unresolved. The long-term presence of the United Nations Observer Mission and the peacekeeping force of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), led by Russia, has on several occasions failed to prevent outbreaks of violence. In August 2008, Abkhaz and Russian forces fought a war against Georgian forces, which led to official recognition of Abkhazia by Russia, the annulment of the 1994 ceasefire agreement, and the UN mission's termination. On August 28, 2008, the Georgian parliament declared Abkhazia a Russian-occupied territory, and this position is held by the majority of the member states of the United Nations.