Kodori Valley

Coordinates: 43°06′N 41°48′E / 43.1°N 41.8°E / 43.1; 41.8
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Kodori Gorge
)

Kodori Valley
Georgian: კოდორის ხეობა, Abkhaz: Кәыдырҭа
Kodori Valley is located in Caucasus mountains
Kodori Valley
Kodori Valley
Kodori Valley is located in Georgia
Kodori Valley
Kodori Valley
Kodori Valley is located in Abkhazia
Kodori Valley
Kodori Valley
Geography
Internationally recognised countryGeorgia
Partially recognised stateAbkhazia[1]
Coordinates43°06′N 41°48′E / 43.1°N 41.8°E / 43.1; 41.8

The Kodori Valley, also known as the Kodori Gorge (

Svans, was the only corner of the post-1993 Abkhazia directly controlled by the central Georgian government, which since 2006 officially styles the area as Upper Abkhazia (Geo. ზემო აფხაზეთი, Zemo Apkhazeti). On August 12, 2008, Russo–Abkhazian forces gained control of the Upper Kodori Valley, previously controlled by Georgia.[2]

Description

Map of Upper Abkhazia including Kodori Valley
Map of Abkhazia showing the location of the Upper Kodori Valley

The

Upper Kodori Valley lies in the upper reaches of the Kodori River in northeastern portion of Abkhazia, about 65 km (40 miles) inside an official administrative boundary of the region with the rest of Georgia. It is about 30 km (20 miles) down the coast from Abkhazia's capital Sukhumi
. At an elevation of 1,300 to 3,984 meters, the area covers a range of landscapes from coniferous mountain forest to intermittent snow cover.

The climate is alpine and winters are snowy. Annual precipitation 1,600 to over 2,000 mm (120 mm in January, 160 mm in April, 180 mm in July and 160 mm in October). Over 30 days with heavy rains per year. Around 180 days with snow cover. Mean temperature: January: -3 C, April: 3 C, July: 14 C and October: 5 C. Mean maximum temperature in July: 28 C.

The valley is populated by several upland villages; these are Lata, Omarishara, Shkhara and Zemo Azhara. Administratively, it was de facto and de jure a part of Upper Abkhazia (prior to August 2008), but the Republic of Abkhazia claims it as part of the Gulripshi District. According to the last Georgian census (2002), the population of the former Georgian-controlled part of the valley was 1,956, of which were 1,912 ethnic Georgians (Svans).

The population of the Upper Kodori Valley in 2011 was 196, mostly ethnic Georgians (Svans).[3] Russian state media outlet Sputnik claimed there were about 100 people in Azhara in 2020, who mostly engaged in beekeeping and animal husbandry. The residents of Azhara did not have Abkhazian passports.[4][deprecated source]

History

The Abkhazian historic regions of Dal and Tsebelda occupied most of the Kodori Valley before the incorporation of Abkhazia into Russian Empire from 1810 to 1864. Its highland communities were independent of the central authority of

Megrelians) and Russians populated the lower part of the valley, while Svans
settled in its upper part (beyond the village of Lata).

Recent history

The village of Lata was taken by Abkhazian forces on March 24 and 25, 1994.

Moscow Agreement, signed in May 1994, the ceasefire line was drawn to the north-east of it so, so that the Upper Kodori Valley would remain outside of the control of Abkhazian authorities. Together with the Gali district
, it is one of the two areas that remain populated by Georgians in the post-war Abkhazia.

Under UMOMIG's (United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia) expanded mandate laid out in Resolution 937 (1994), the mission was given two tasks in the Kodori Valley:

1. Monitor the withdrawal of troops of Georgia from the Kodori Valley to places beyond the boundaries of Abkhazia.
2. Patrol the Kodori Valley regularly.

Despite no subsequent real military activity in the Kodori corridor, several dangerous incidents occurred:

References

  1. Russian-occupied territory
    .
  2. ^ "Abkhazia says it controls most of Kodori Valley". Trend News. August 12, 2008. Archived from the original on August 17, 2008.
  3. ^ Ethno-kavkaz.ru, Gulrypsh district Archived September 29, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Горный тупик: как живут последние сто жителей Кодорского ущелья". Sputnik-Abkhazia. February 28, 2020. Archived from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  5. ^ "•რუსული მმართველობის დამყარება". Iberiana - იბერია გუშინ, დღეს, ხვალ (in Georgian). June 22, 2011. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  6. from the original on February 18, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  7. ^ Official site of the president of Abkhazia, Полководец Султан Сосналиев Archived September 27, 2008, at the Wayback Machine (Commander Sultan Sosnaliyev)
  8. ^ Georgia: Fear and Poverty in the Kodori Gorge Archived November 18, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, 31.05.02
  9. ^ a b "Report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Abkhazia, Georgia" (PDF). Security Council Report. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  10. ^ a b "Civil.Ge | UNOMIG Briefs on Kodori Monitoring". old.civil.ge. Archived from the original on August 17, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  11. ^ "Georgia: Kodori attack - fresh cause for conflict - Georgia". ReliefWeb. March 19, 2007. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  12. ^ Statement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia Archived January 9, 2016, at the Wayback Machine. September 20, 2007.
  13. ^ Vladimir Socor, Moscow Self-Disqualifying as Peacekeeper and Mediator in Abkhaz, South Ossetian Conflicts Archived August 13, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. Eurasia Daily Minitor. Volume 3, Issue 228 (December 11, 2006).
  14. ^ (in Russian) В Абхазии застрелен российский миротворец. Archived August 12, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Gazeta.ru. September 21, 2007.
  15. ^ Lenta.ru, Абхазия решила вытеснить грузинские подразделения из Кодорского ущелья Archived August 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, August 9, 2008 (in Russian)
  16. ^ Lenta.ru, Хроника войны в Южной Осетии: день второй Archived August 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, August 9, 2008 (in Russian)
  17. ^ Lenta.ru, Из Кодорского ущелья выведены наблюдатели ООН Archived August 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, 10.08.08 (in Russian)
  18. ^ Abkhazia says it controls most of Kodori Valley Archived August 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, August 12, 2008