Gagra District is a district of

Abkhazia Abkhazia, ka, აფხაზეთი, tr, , xmf, აბჟუა, abzhua, or ( or ), officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, recognised by most countries as part of Georgia, which ...

. It corresponds to the Georgian district by the same name. In medieval times, it was known as the southern part of Sadzen. It is located in the western part of Abkhazia, and the river

Psou The Psou (; ady, Псыу; ka, ფსოუ; ab, Ҧсоу; russian: Псоу) is a river in the West Caucasus, bordering the Gagra Range to the east. It flows along the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range and forms a part o ...

serves as a border with

Krasnodar Krai Krasnodar Krai (russian: Краснода́рский край, r=Krasnodarsky kray, p=krəsnɐˈdarskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and ...

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-ei ...

. Its capital is

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 ...

, the town by the same name. The population of the ''Gagra town zone'' in 1989 was 77,079, but this number dropped dramatically following the

collapse of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...

and the 1992-1993 war in Abkhazia, (including the ethnic cleansing of Georgians), to 37,002 at the time of the 2003 census. Ethnic Armenians now constitute a plurality in the district.

Administration

Grigori Enik was reappointed as Administration Head on 10 May 2001 following the March 2001 local elections. In December 2002, Enik was appointed Head of the State Customs Committee, he was succeeded by

Valeri Bganba Valeri Ramshukhovich Bganba (russian: Валерий Рамшухович Бганба; born 26 August 1953) is an Abkhazian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Abkhazia from 18 September 2018 to 23 April 2020 and as the acting Preside ...

. On 25 May 2006, Bganba was released from office by President Bagapsh upon his own request, and succeeded by

Astamur Ketsba Astamur Anton-ipa Adleiba ( ab, Асҭамыр Антон-иҧа Адлеиба, ka, ასტამურ ადლეიბა) is a former Minister of Youth, Sports, Tourism and Resorts of Abkhazia and a former mayor of Abkhazia's capital Sukh ...

.Regnum.r
администрации Гагрского района Абхазии назначен Астамур Кецба
26.05.2006 In turn, after the election of Alexander Ankvab, on 6 September 2011 Ketsba was dismissed upon his own request and temporarily replaced by his deputy

Teimuraz Kapba Teimuraz may refer to: * Teimuraz (name), a Georgian male given name * Teimuraz I of Kakheti (1589–1663), Georgian king * Teimuraz II of Kakheti (1680–1762), Georgian king * Teimuraz I, Prince of Mukhrani Teimuraz I ( ka, თეიმურა� ...

. On 15 November, Grigori Enik, who had previously headed the Presidential Administration, was appointed Acting Head of Gagra District. On 28 May 2012, Enik was permanently appointed. Following the May 2014 Revolution and the election of

Raul Khajimba Raul Jumkovich Khajimba ( ab, Рауль Џьумка-иҧа Ҳаџьымба, ka, რაულ ჯუმკას-ძე ჰაჯიმბა; born 21 March 1958) is an Abkhazian politician, and served as President of Abkhazia from 25 September ...

as President, he dismissed Enik and replaced him with MP Beslan Bartsits (as acting Head) on 22 October. Bartsits was confirmed in his post the following year. On 16 May 2016, Bartsits became Head of the Presidential Administration. The same day, Gagra Forestry Director Zaur Bganba was appointed acting District Head. Bganba was confirmed in his post on 2 June.

List of governors

Demographics

According to 2003 census, the population of the district included:Population censuses in Abkhazia: 1886, 1926, 1939, 1959, 1970, 1979, 1989, 2003
*Armenians (44.1%) *Abkhaz (27.7%) *Russians (20.0%) *Georgians (3.3%) *Greeks (0.7%)

Settlements

The district's main settlements are: *

Pitsunda Pitsunda ( ab, Пиҵунда, russian: Пицунда) or Bichvinta ( ka, ბიჭვინთა ) is a resort town in the Gagra District of Abkhazia/Georgia. Founded by Greek colonists in the 5th century BC, Pitsunda became an important politi ...

* Leselidze *

Gantiadi Gantiadi ( ka, განთიადი ; russian: Гантиади) or Tsandryphsh ( ab, Цандрыҧшь; russian: Цандрыпш), is an urban-type settlement on the Black Sea coast in Georgia, in the Gagra District of Abkhazia, 5 km f ...

* Bzyb The district is mostly mountainous except for the Bzyb lowland in the southern part of it (where Pitsunda is located) and is crossed by several ranges (Gagra, Arabika and others).

Notes

References