Abkhazians

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Abkhaz people
)
Not to be confused with Abzakhs.

Abkhaz, Abkhazians
Аԥсуаа
Regions with significant populations
Former Soviet Union 
 Abkhazia[1]127,404 (2018 census)[2]
 Russia11,366 (2002 census)[3]
 Georgia3,527 (2008)[4]
 Ukraine1,458 (2001)[5]
 Latvia22 - 29 (2021)[6]
Abkhaz native faith minority
Related ethnic groups
Abazins, Circassians

The Abkhazians or Abkhazes

ethnic group, mainly living in Abkhazia, a disputed region on the northeastern coast of the Black Sea. A large Abkhaz diaspora population resides in Turkey, the origins of which lie in the Caucasian War in the late 19th century. Many Abkhaz also live in other parts of the former Soviet Union, particularly in Russia and Ukraine.[14]

Ethnology

The Abkhaz language belongs to the isolate Northwest Caucasian language family, also known as Abkhaz–Adyghe or North Pontic family, which groups the dialectic continuum spoken by the Abaza–Abkhaz (Abazgi) and Adyghe ("Circassians" in English).[15] Abkhazians are closely ethnically related to Circassians.[16] Classical sources speak of several tribes dwelling in the region, but their exact identity and location remain controversial due to Abkhaz–Georgian historiographical conflict.[citation needed]

Subgroups

There are also three subgroups of the Abkhaz people. The Bzyb (Бзыԥ, Bzyph) reside in the

Samurzakan who reside in the southeast of Abkhazia.[17]

History

See also: History of Abkhazia

Some scholars deem the ancient

Colchians (Kartvelians or Georgians).[19]

Bagrat III of Georgia, 11th century king of the Kingdom of Abkhazia

Lazica was a vassal kingdom of the Byzantine Empire throughout most of its existence. Later the independent Kingdom of Abkhazia was established and the region became a part of the Georgian cultural world. The local nobility, clergy and educated class used Georgian as a language of literacy and culture. From the early 11th to the 15th century, Abkhazia was a part of the all-Georgian monarchy, but then became a separate Principality of Abkhazia only to be conquered by the Ottomans.[citation needed]

Conference of Abkhazian nobility in 1839

Towards the end of the 17th century, the region became a theatre of widespread

Abaza tribes migrated from the north and blended with the local ethnic elements, significantly changing the region's demographic situation. These views were described as ethnocentric and having little historical support.[20][21]

Abkhaz girl in 1881

The Russian conquest of Abkhazia from the 1810s to the 1860s was accompanied by a massive expulsion of Muslim Abkhaz to the Ottoman Empire and the introduction of a strong Russification policy. As a result, the Abkhaz diaspora is currently estimated to measure at least twice the number of Abkhaz that reside in Abkhazia. The largest part of the diaspora now lives in Turkey, with estimates ranging from 100,000 to 500,000, with smaller groups in Syria (5,000 – 10,000) and Jordan. In recent years, some of these have emigrated to the West, principally to Germany (5,000), Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, France, United Kingdom, Austria and the United States (mainly to New Jersey).[22]

The lands of the Abkhaz/Abaza and their neighbours in the beginning of the 19th century

After the

collectivization was introduced and the native communist elite purged. The influx of Armenians, Russians and Georgians into the growing agricultural and tourism sectors was also encouraged, and Abkhaz schools were briefly closed. By 1989, the number of Abkhaz was about 93,000 (18% of the population of the autonomous republic), while the Georgian population numbered 240,000 (45%). The number of Armenians (15% of the entire population) and Russians (14%) grew substantially as well.[citation needed
]

The

Sergey Bagapsh suggested, in 2005, that less than 70,000 ethnic Abkhaz lived in Abkhazia.[24]

At the time of the 2011 Census, 122,175 Abkhaz were living in Abkhazia. They were 50.8% of the total population of the republic.[25]

In the course of the

Syrian uprising, a number of Abkhaz living in Syria immigrated to Abkhazia.[13] By mid-April 2013, approximately 200 Syrians of Abkhaz descent had arrived in Abkhazia.[26][27] A further 150 were due to arrive by the end of April.[26] The Abkhazian leadership has stated that it would continue the repatriation of Abkhaz living abroad.[27] As of August 2013, 531 Abkhaz had arrived from Syria according to the Abkhazian government.[28]

Economy

The typical economy is strong on the breeding of cattle, beekeeping, viticulture, and agriculture.[17]

Religion

See also: Religion in Abkhazia
New Athos Monastery

The Abkhaz people are principally divided into

Byzantine emperor Justinian I, and continued to be followed under the kings of Georgia in the High Middle Ages. The Ottomans introduced Islam in the 16th century and the region became largely Muslim gradually until the 1860s.[31]

Diaspora

Many Muslim Circassians, Abkhaz and Chechens migrated to the Ottoman Empire following revolts against Russian rule.[32] It is believed that the Abkhaz community in Turkey is larger than that of Abkhazia itself.[32] Some 250 Abkhaz-Abaza villages are estimated throughout Turkey.[32] According to Andrew Dalby, Abkhazian-speakers might number more than 100,000 in Turkey,[33] however, the 1963 census only recorded 4,700 native speakers and 8,000 secondary speakers.[34] Of the 15,000 ethnic Abkhaz in Turkey, only 4,000 speak the language, the rest having assimilated into Turkish society.[35] As of 2006, it is estimated that 600,000 to 800,000 Abkhazians by descent live in Turkey.[12]

Genetics

The people closest genetically to the Abkhazians are the

ethnic groups.[43][44]

Gallery

Notable people

Literature

Politics

Other

See also

References

  1. Russian-occupied territory
    .
  2. ^ a b Census statistics (in Russian)
  3. Russian Federal State Statistics Service. 2004. Archived from the original
    (XLS) on 29 February 2016.
  4. ^ "Turkish Abkhazians enjoying independence of their far away country". Abkhaz World | History, Culture & Politics of Abkhazia.
  5. ^ "All-Ukrainian population census 2001 - The distribution of the population by nationality and mother tongue". State Statistics Service of Ukraine. Archived from the original on 11 March 2007. Retrieved 29 March 2006.
  6. ^ "Population by ethnicity at the beginning of year – Time period and Ethnicity | National Statistical System of Latvia". data.stat.gov.lv.
  7. ^ Latvijas iedzīvotāju sadalījums pēc nacionālā sastāva un valstiskās piederības, 01.01.2023. - PMLP
  8. ^ Abkhaz. Lewis, M. Paul (ed.), 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Sixteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version
  9. ^ (2009) Abkhazia Seeking Turkish Recognition of Independence Archived 9 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ (2009) ABKHAZIA’S DIASPORA: DREAMING OF HOME Archived 2017-10-17 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Chirikba 2003 p8
  12. ^ a b "Turkish Abkhazians enjoying independence of their far away country".
  13. ^ a b "Abkhaz Syrians return home". Voice of Russia. 5 May 2012. Archived from the original on 11 May 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  14. ^ "The journey of Frédéric Dubois de Montpéreux in the Caucasus, to the Cherkhesians and Abkhazians, in Colchida, in Georgia, in Armenia and Crimea". silk.european-heritage.net. Archived from the original on 20 July 2006.
  15. ISBN 978-1-107-00278-4
    .
  16. ISBN 978-1-135-77540-7
    .
  17. ^
    ISBN 978-1-59339-837-8
    .
  18. ^ a b c d Olson 1994, p. 6.
  19. ^ Smith 1998, p. 55.
  20. ^ Smith 1998, p. 55.
  21. ISBN 978-0230613591
    .
  22. ^ Chirikba 2003 pp. 6-8
  23. ^ Georgians and Abkhazians. The Search for a Peace Settlement Archived 28 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine (Notes and References section), by various authors, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, August 1998.
  24. ^ Bagapsh Speaks of Abkhazia's Economy, Demographic Situation. Civil Georgia. 10 October 2005
  25. ^ "население абхазии". www.ethno-kavkaz.narod.ru.
  26. ^ a b James Brooke (15 April 2013). "Syrian Refugees Go 'Home' to Former Russian Riviera". Voice of America. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  27. ^ a b "Over two hundred representatives of the Abkhazian diaspora in Syria want to return to their historical homeland". Abkhaz World. 2 April 2013. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  28. ^ ""Repatriates" settling in Abkhazia". The Messenger. 7 August 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  29. ^ Johansons, Andrejs. (Feb. 1972) The Shamaness of the Abkhazians. History of Religions. Vol. 11, No. 3. pp. 251–256.
  30. ^ Taylor, Jeremy (1613–1667). Antiquitates christianæ, or, The history of the life and death of the holy Jesus as also the lives acts and martyrdoms of his Apostles: in two parts. p. 101.
  31. ISBN 978-0-253-33958-4
    .
  32. ^
    ISBN 978-1-317-06913-3
    .
  33. ISBN 978-1-4081-0214-5
    .
  34. ^ Gachechiladze 2014, p. 81.
  35. ISBN 978-1-317-46400-6
    .
  36. ^ "AA DNA - Адыго-Абхазский ДНК проект" (in Russian). 28 February 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  37. ^ "FamilyTreeDNA - Abkhazian DNA Project". www.familytreedna.com. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  38. ^ Liy, Ergün Özgür. "Abhaz, Abaza, Çerkes ve Ermeni Etnik Grupları Değerler ve Kültürlenme (The Abkhaz-Abaza, Circassian and Armenian Ethnical Groups: Values and Acculturation)". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  39. ISBN 978-5-04-005867-9
    .
  40. ^ "Пиотр Кәыҵниа / Петр Квициния. Аԥсуаа рантропологиа азҵаарақәа / Вопросы антропологии абхазов. Аҟәа / Сухум - "Алашара" - 2000". apsnyteka.org. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  41. ^ "The Abkhaz and Western Caucasian DNA • arshba.ru". arshba.ru. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  42. ^ "AA DNA - Адыго-Абхазский ДНК проект" (in Russian). 28 February 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  43. ^ Bitadze, L. "Anthropological History of Abkhazians" (PDF). Iv.Javakhishvili INSTITUTE OF HISTORY. AND ETHNO. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  44. PMID 29391530
    . Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  45. ^ Shakir, Manal (5 March 2024). "REVIEW: Hala Gorani explores her roots in 'But You Don't Look Arab'". Arab News.

Notes

  1. ^ Russian: Абхазы; Abkhaz: Аԥсуаа, romanized: Apsuaа, IPA [ˈapʰswaː]

Sources

  • L. Bitadze, "Anthropological History of Abkhazians", Javakhishvili Institute of History and Ethnology, 2009
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