Java ( ka, ჯავა ; os, Дзау, ''Dzaw''; russian: Джава ''Dzhava'') is a town of approximately 1,500 people in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

(in

South Ossetia South Ossetia, ka, სამხრეთი ოსეთი, ( , ), officially the Republic of South Ossetia – the State of Alania, is a partially recognised landlocked state in the South Caucasus. It has an officially stated populat ...

). According to Georgia's current official administrative division, Java is a main town of

Java district Dzau District ( ka, ჯავის რაიონი, ''Javis raioni''; os, Дзауы район, ''Dzawy rajon''; russian: Дзауский район, ''Dzauskij rajon'') is a district in South Ossetia. Geography Roki Tunnel, Mamison Pass, ...

in the north of

Shida Kartli Shida Kartli ( ka, შიდა ქართლი, , ; "Inner Kartli") is a landlocked administrative region (''Mkhare'') in eastern Georgia. It comprises a central part of the historical-geographic province of Shida Kartli. With an area of , S ...

region. According to the South Ossetian side Dzau is an administrative center of

Dzau district Dzau District ( ka, ჯავის რაიონი, ''Javis raioni''; os, Дзауы район, ''Dzawy rajon''; russian: Дзауский район, ''Dzauskij rajon'') is a district in South Ossetia. Geography Roki Tunnel, Mamison Pass, ...

. The town is situated on the southern slopes of the

Greater Caucasus The Greater Caucasus ( az, Böyük Qafqaz, Бөјүк Гафгаз, بيوک قافقاز; ka, დიდი კავკასიონი, ''Didi K’avk’asioni''; russian: Большой Кавказ, ''Bolshoy Kavkaz'', sometimes translat ...

, within the Greater Liakhvi Gorge, above sea level. Java is the second largest urban settlement in South Ossetia, after

Tskhinvali Tskhinvali ( ka, ცხინვალი ) or Tskhinval ( os, Цхинвал, Чъреба, Tskhinval, Chreba, ; rus, Цхинва́л(и), r=Tskhinvál(i), ) is the capital of the disputed ''de facto'' independent Republic of South Ossetia, in ...

. It is located outside the

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, pro ...

-defined boundaries of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone – an area within a 15-km radius of Tskhinvali. The town played a major role in the

2008 South Ossetia war The 2008 Russo-Georgian WarThe war is known by a variety of other names, including Five-Day War, August War and Russian invasion of Georgia. was a war between Georgia, on one side, and Russia and the Russian-backed self-proclaimed republics of Sou ...

, with most of the South Ossetian military forces being located there at the time of the Georgian offensive. During the

Battle of Tskhinvali The Battle of Tskhinvali ( ka, ცხინვალის ბრძოლა; russian: link=no, Бои за Цхинвали) was a battle for the city of Tskhinvali, capital of the breakaway state of South Ossetia. It was the only major battle ...

, the government of South Ossetia relocated to Java. Georgia had accused the Russian military of building a large military base in Java before the war. These concerns were brought by the

President of Georgia President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese f ...

, Mikheil Saakashvili, to the attention of the

UN General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...

on September 26, 2007. After the war, Russia announced it was constructing military bases in Java and Tskhinvali, which would be ready in 2010.

References

Populated places in Dzau District Cities and towns in Shida Kartli Tiflis Governorate {{SouthOssetia-geo-stub