Countries Review Round A: Abkhazia - Azerbaijan

Countries Review

According to wikipedia, there are about 245 entities which could be classified as countries.

The list is as follows:

How much do we know about any of them? Do we know at least 10 facts
about each of them? Of course its easy to google about them, but who have
patient and interest in reading about them without having the chance to
discuss them? :shrug:

So lets do a little review. We will review at least 10 facts about each country
before we continue to review about other country. In reviewing, we can
mention either about basic facts, unique facts, opinion, personal experience
(living in or visiting the particular countries), famous landmark, interesting
picture, etc.


So here we go...


1. Abkhazia – Republic of Abkhazia

10 things about Abkhazia? :xctd:

 

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1. Abkhazia – Republic of Abkhazia

Fact #1. Some basic facts..

Abkhazia is a region in the Caucasus. It is a de facto independent republic, with no international recognition. It is located within the internationally recognized borders of Georgia on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and borders the Russian Federation to the north.

Area
- Total 8,432 km²

Population
- 2006 estimate 157,000-190,000

Capital: Sukhumi

Official languages: Abkhaz, Russian

Government
- President: Sergei Bagapsh
- Prime Minister: Alexander Ankvab

Currency: Russian ruble

Src: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abkhazia

 

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Fact #2.
Alphabetically, Abkhazia or Republic of Abkhazia is the first out of 18 countries
in the world which are started with A.

 

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#3. In Abkhazia, it is legal to marry a horse.

Src: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abkhazia

 

#3

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Abkhazia declared independence from Georgia in 1994, but Tbilisi continues to regard it as a breakaway region.

KEY DATES
1810 - Russia declares Abkhazia a protectorate
1864 - Russia annexes Abkhazia
1921 - Abkhazia declared Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
1931 - Soviet authorities incorporate Abkhazia into Georgia
1991 - Georgia declares independence
1992 - Georgia sends troops to block Abkhazia from breaking away
1993 - Fierce fighting ends with Georgian forces being expelled from Abkhazia
1994 - Independence declared, ceasefire agreed, peacekeepers arrive, nearly all Russian
2004 - New Georgian president Saakashvili vows to restore Georgia's territorial integrity and return Abkhazia, South Ossetia to the fold
2008 - Russia begins forming legal ties with Abkhazia, which Georgia says is "creeping annexation" of its land


Source: BBC News

Thirteen years after declaring independence from Soviet Georgia, Abkhazia is still not recognised as a legitimate state by other countries. Monocle correspondent Shaun Walker reports from this former tourist paradise, still marked by the scars of war.

Source http://www.monocle.com/sections/affairs/Web-Articles/Abkhazia-Breakaway-state/

 

Redarmy, in which part of the link is that mentioned?

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I create this thread
with intention to learn and discuss facts and opinions about countries and hope
that people who have similar interest to join.

 

Thanks for your effort EmmZ.

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What does it take for a country to be recognised as a legitimate state by other
countries? I genuinely don't know.

 

#4
The economy of Abkhazia is heavily integrated with Russia and uses the Russian ruble as its currency. Tourism is a key industry and the Abkhaz de facto authorities claim that the organized tourists (mainly from Russia) numbered more than 100,000 in recent years, compared to about 200,000 in the 1990 before the war.[29] The number of visitors in 2006 was estimated by Abkhazian authorities to have been approximately 1.5 million.

Src: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abkhazia


With population of only 157,000-190,000 (2006 estimate), the tourist is
outnumber the population

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The U.N. I presume. Or governments of countries. I'm not exactly sure of the process. I think it may be a little like Tibet where China do not recognise it as a country, and since the west doesn't want to piss them off they don't recognise that as a country either. "They" being governments, not the people (who are usually not representative of the public's views.

 

Thanx.

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This leads to fact #5:

#5. Abkhazia is one out of 9 states which lacking in general international recognition.

 

#6
A letter from the president of Abkhazia to NATO. Wow, look what happens in the world when you don't depend on the news to spoonfeed you it.



TO: SECRETARY-GENERAL OF NATO
MR. JAAP DE HOOP SCHEFFER

TO: NATO COUNTRIES REPRESENTATIVES

Dear Mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer

The Bucharest Summit, which is going to review the issues of new members’ entry into NATO, may create serious problems in the Caucasus. For the preservation of peace and stability in our region and disperse fear and confrontation, it is necessary, to a greater extent, to consider present realities and opinions of all interested parties.
We are deeply concerned that on a background of political instability and unresolved conflicts, some prospective members of the Organization, in particular Georgia, still consider NATO as force to resolve conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Abkhazia repeatedly has been a victim of aggression by Georgia, which gives us reason to consider Georgia as a potential source of military provocations and illegitimate claims to Abkhazia.
Groundless recognition by the United Nations of the territorial integrity of Georgia within the borders of the former GSSR had indirectly acknowledged numerous violations of Human Rights and policy of discrimination of the Abkhaz people in the time of Stalin’s era. Moreover, the troops of newly adopted to the United Nations Democratic Republic of Georgia, had launched on the 14th of August 1992 a bloody war in Abkhazia, destroying peaceful population and monuments of Abkhaz culture and history. The Georgian-Abkhaz War had inevitably broken off the relations between Abkhazia and Georgia.
It is almost 15 years since Abkhazia id developing its own democratic political system, market economy, legislation, independent courts, civil society and human rights, in accordance with the international standards. Our National interests and external political priorities do significantly differ from those of Georgia.
Today’s Abkhazia is a state with sustainable development indicators. Abkhazia is able to incur obligations and play a full connecting role in the Caucasus. Considering the abovementioned, we appeal to You to take all possible measures to prevent reiteration of the mistakes of the past. While taking a decision on the Georgia’s membership in NATO, please consider valid opinion of Abkhazia.
Respectfully Yours,

President S. Bagapsh
Sukhum
April 1, 2008

Source: http://mfaabkhazia.org/MFADocuments/Appeal of Parlament Eng.html

 

Emmz, pls provide the link of source

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I have never known till today that there is also war
called The Georgian-Abkhaz War (as per the letter stated).

In fact, despite of its lacking of international recognition, I never realised there is a country
called Abkhazia

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Herewith I declare the sciforums recognition for Abkhazia

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#7. Demographic profile.

In majority, Abkhazia comprised of Abkhaz, Georgians, Russians, Armenians, and Greeks.
The Russian, Armenian and Georgian population grew faster than Abkhaz, due to the
large-scale migration enforced especially during the rule of Stalin and Lavrenty Beria,
who himself was a Georgian born in Abkhazia. The demographic profile is as follows:

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source

 

Russia have basically said they don't care what's going on there, they have problems of their own.

Source: http://www.cdi.org/russia/Johnson/5490-5.cfm

#8 Abkhazia beg for Georgia to cease their colonial regime

• based on the fundamental principle of the right of nations to self-determination;
• Based on the fact that the UN has condemned colonialism and any related practices of segregation and discrimination, and that the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples proclaims, in particular, the need to quickly and unconditionally end to colonialism;
• Taking into account the fact that according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ideal of free human beings without fear and need, can only be achieved if conditions are created whereby everyone may enjoy his economic, social and cultural rights as well as civil and political rights;
• Taking into account the fact that the UN Charter is based on the principle of equality and dignity of all people and aimed at achieving international cooperation through development and encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, language or national origin;
• Taking into account the need to facilitate the establishment and development of friendly relations between the peoples of the region;
• Taking into account that formation and the development of the Abkhaz State occurs in full accordance with international law;
• Taking into account the historical realities of the formation and development of Abkhaz statehood and the political-legal basis for the existence of the Republic of Abkhazia;
• Taking into account that international recognition of the independence of the Republic of Abkhazia will serve peace and stability in the Caucasus –

People's Assembly - The Parliament of the Republic of Abkhazia appeals to the Secretary General of the United Nations, the Chairman of the UN Security Council, the parliaments of the of the countries of the world to consider the recognition of the Republic of Abkhazia as an independent, sovereign state and the establishment of mutually beneficial inter-state relations with the Republic of Abkhazia.

People's Assembly - The Parliament of the Republic of Abkhazia

Source: http://mfaabkhazia.org/MFADocuments/Appeal of Parlament Eng.html

Am I getting too emotive? or is this the stuff you're after?

 

#9. Some views of Abkhazia:

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source

A beautiful small country!

 

Not at all.

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I am eager to learn about anything, as I realised I know almost nothing

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Btw, thank you very much for your participation, Emmz. Please feel free to participate
in other threads, we aren't in hurry

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#10 Famous writer Dmitry Gulia is Abkhazian
Abkhaz: Дырмит Иасыф-иҧа Гәлиа) is a famous Abkhazian writer. He is considered to be the father of Abkhaz literature and made an enormous contribution to its development. Dimitry Gulya was also one of the creators of the Abkhaz alphabet (based upon Cyrilic). He wrote a number of poems, stories and novels, and many of his major works were translated into Russian and Georgian. Streets, theatres and public places in Abkhazia are named after him.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimitri_Gulya

 

This is really interesting though. I like it in this thread, people are nice to each other

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Except redarmy :shh: Actually, EmmZ, there are only you and me in this thread

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Your link in #10 leads me here:

#11

Bagrat Shinkuba was one of the greatest Abkhaz writers and poets. He published his first collections of poems in the 1930s and continued writing until his death in 2004. His Ballad of the rock tells about the fate of Abkhaz "Robin Hood" — Hajarat Kyakhba. His most known work (translated in English and Russian) is the novel The Last of the Departed, dedicated to the tragic destiny of Ubykh nation which became extinct along a hundred of years.

Arguably the most famous Abkhaz writer, Fazil Iskander, wrote mostly in Russian. He was renowned in the former Soviet Union for the vivid descriptions of Caucasian life. He is probably best known in the English-speaking world for Sandro of Chegem, a picturesque novel that recounts life in a fictional Abkhaz village from the early years of the 20th century until the 1970s. This rambling, amusing, and ironic work has led some commentators to call Iskander 'the García Marquez of Abkhazia', though in fact the standard hallmarks of Magic Realism are not especially obvious in the text.​

Src: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abkhaz_literature

 

Exactly!

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Hey aren't we onto the next country now or are we doing more than 10 facts now?