Adjara
Adjara (Georgian: აჭარა Ach’ara [at͡ʃʼara] ⓘ) or Achara, officially known as the Autonomous Republic of Adjara (Georgian: აჭარის ავტონომიური რესპუბლიკა Ach’aris Avt’onomiuri Resp’ublik’a [atʃʼaris avtʼonomiuri respʼublikʼa] ⓘ), is a political-administrative region of Georgia. It is in the country's southwestern corner, on the coast of the Black Sea, near the foot of the Lesser Caucasus Mountains, north of Turkey. It is an important tourist destination and includes Georgia's second most populous city of Batumi as its capital. About 350,000 people live on its 2,880 km2 (1,110 sq mi).
Adjara | |
|---|---|
| Autonomous Republic of Adjara აჭარის ავტონომიური რესპუბლიკა (Georgian) | |
| Sovereign state | Georgia |
| Part of unified Georgian Kingdom | 9th century |
| Conquered by Ottoman Empire | 1614 |
| Ceded to Russian Empire | 1878 |
| Adjar ASSR | 1921 |
| Autonomous republic within Georgia | 1991 |
| Capital | Batumi 41°39′N 42°0′E |
| Official languages | Georgian |
| Ethnic groups (2014) |
|
| Government | Devolved parliamentary autonomous republic |
Tornike Rizhvadze | |
| Legislature | Supreme Council |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,880 km2 (1,110 sq mi) |
• Water (%) | negligible |
| Population | |
• 2023 estimate | 361,400 |
• 2014 census | 336,077 |
• Density | 124.6/km2 (322.7/sq mi) |
| HDI (2021) | 0.806 very high |
| Currency | Georgian lari (GEL) |
| Time zone | UTC+4 (UTC) |
| not observed | |
Adjara is home to the Adjarians, a regional subgroup of Georgians. The name can be spelled in a number of ways: Ajara, Ajaria, Adjaria, Adzharia, Atchara and Achara. Under the Soviet Union, Adjara was part of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic as the Adjarian ASSR. The autonomous status of Adjara is guaranteed under article 6 of the Treaty of Kars.