In Soviet times, the Abkhazian ASSR was divided into six ''raions'' (districts) named after their respective capitals. The administrative divisions of the disputed Republic of Abkhazia have stayed the same, with one exception: in 1995 the

Tkvarcheli District Tkvarcheli District ( ka, ტყვარჩელის რაიონი, ab, Тҟәарчал араион, russian: Ткварчелский район) is one of the districts of Abkhazia. It has no equivalent Georgian district, as it was ...

was created around the town of Tkvarcheli from parts of the Ochamchira and Gali raions. The Georgian government, which claims Abkhazia as an Autonomous region but lacks control, has not changed the Soviet divisions.

Districts of Abkhazia

Districts are led by the Head of the Administration, who is simultaneously Mayor of the District's capital, except in the case of Sukhumi. The Head of the Administration is appointed by the President following consultations with the District Assembly. Previously, the Head was appointed from among the District Assembly members, but without consultations, but in practice the President would often appoint an acting Head from without who was subsequently elected to the Assembly. The current procedure was adopted by the

People's Assembly of Abkhazia The People's Assembly — Parliament of the Republic of Abkhazia ( ab, Аҧсны Жәлар Реизара – Апарламент, ka, აფხაზეთის რესპუბლიკის სახალხო კრება, russi ...

on 29 January 2016, over competing proposals to elect the Head directly by the District's population or by Assembly members, and after voting almost unanimously not to change the previous procedure on 30 July 2015. Abkhazia districts map numbered

* (1)

Gagra Gagra ( ka, გაგრა; Abkhaz and Russian: Гагра) is a town in Abkhazia/Georgia, sprawling for 5 km on the northeast coast of the Black Sea, at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains. Its subtropical climate made Gagra a popular he ...

* (2)

Gudauta Gudauta ( ka, გუდაუთა, ; ab, Гәдоуҭа, ''Gwdowtha''; russian: Гудаута, ''Gudauta'') is a town in Abkhazia, Georgia, and a centre of the eponymous district. It is situated on the Black Sea, 37 km northwest of Sukhu ...

* (3)

Sukhumi Sukhumi (russian: Суху́м(и), ) or Sokhumi ( ka, სოხუმი, ), also known by its Abkhaz name Aqwa ( ab, Аҟәа, ''Aqwa''), is a city in a wide bay on the Black Sea's eastern coast. It is both the capital and largest city of ...

* (4)

Gulripshi Gulripshi ( ab, Гәылрыҧшь, ''Gwylryphsh''; ka, გულრიფში, ; russian: Гульрыпш, ''Gulrypsh'') is an urban settlement in Abkhazia. It is located 12 km from Sukhumi, and is the capital of Gulripshi District. Nik ...

* (5) Ochamchira * (6) Tkvarcheli * (7) Gali

Towns of Abkhazia

* Gali *

New Athos New Athos or Akhali Atoni ( ka, ახალი ათონი, ''Akhali Atoni''; ab, Афон Ҿыц, ''Afon Ch'yts''; russian: Новый Афон; ''Novy Afon'', gr, Νέος Άθως, ''Neos Athos'') is a town in the Gudauta ''raion'' of ...

Ochamchire Ochamchire or Ochamchira ( ka, ოჩამჩირე, ; ab, Очамчыра, ''Ochamchyra''; russian: Очамчира, ''Ochamchira'') is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast of Abkhazia, Georgia, and a centre of an eponymous district. Acc ...

* Pitsunda (since 2007) *

* Tkvarcheli

Urban settlements of Abkhazia

* Bzyb *

* Leselidze * Myussera * Gantiadi

Historic regions of Abkhazia

Abkhazia has traditionally been divided into several historical regions (they roughly correspond to modern districts that are given in parentheses): *

Sadzen Lesser Abkhazia (Georgian language, 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 Chachba, Shervashidze dynasty. History After the Russian- ...

(Gagra district and Sochi region which is now in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

) * Bzyb (Gudauta district) * Gumaa (Sukhumi district) *

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 ...

(Ochamchira and partly Tkvarcheli districts) * Samurzakano (Gali and partly Tkvarcheli district) * Dal-Tsabal (Gulripshi district) These are the regions mentioned in the Abkhazian Constitution of 1994. According to the popular (but erroneousАргун 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)) belief the seven stripes of the Abkhazian flag correspond to the seven historical regions of the country, the seventh one being Pskhu-Aibga.

References

{{Abkhazia-geo-stub

Districts of Abkhazia

Towns of Abkhazia

Urban settlements of Abkhazia

Historic regions of Abkhazia

See also

References