Uravi ( ka, ურავი) is a village in western

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

Ambrolauri District The Ambrolauri Municipality ( ka, ამბროლაურის მუნიციპალიტეტი, tr) is a self-governing subdivision in western Georgia. Its governing bodies are based in the city of Ambrolauri. Together with the ne ...

of the

Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti ( ka, რაჭა-ლეჩხუმი და ქვემო სვანეთი, ''Rach’a-Lechkhumi da Kvemo Svaneti'' ) is a region (mkhare) in northwestern Georgia (country), Georgia with a population o ...

region. It is located on the Lukhunis River, a tributary of the

Rioni River The Rioni ( ka, რიონი ; , ) is the main river of western Georgia. It originates in the Caucasus Mountains, in the region of Racha and flows west to the Black Sea, entering it north of the city of Poti (near ancient Phasis). The city ...

that enters from the right (north). Uravi was the site of an

arsenic Arsenic is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol As and atomic number 33. It is a metalloid and one of the pnictogens, and therefore shares many properties with its group 15 neighbors phosphorus and antimony. Arsenic is not ...

mine and processing plant when Georgia was part of the

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, and the arsenic dump above the village leaches arsenic into the soil, the groundwater and the river.Crawford, Angus (25 May 2011
"Georgia's 'secret' arsenic village"
''BBC News'', accessed 25 May 2011 The town depopulated after the arsenic factory closed. Plans to reopen the facilityGeorgian Public Broadcaster (11 May 2008
"Georgia’s Prime Minister visiting Ambrolauri region"
''Georgian Daily'', accessed 25 May 2011 were not successful.

Notes

External links

"Uravi Map — Satellite Images of Uravi"
Maplandia World Gazetteer
"Photo of ურავი, uravi"
by David Tkeshelashvili, Panoramio Populated places in Ambrolauri Municipality {{Georgia-geo-stub