Abkhazia and South Ossetia are two self-declared republics in the Caucasus with disputed status over whether they are a part of Georgia or sovereign states. The Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of South Ossetia were recognised following the 2008 South Ossetia War between Russia and Georgia, by six and five UN member states respectively. They are also mutually recognised by two UN non-member states and by each other.
Georgia and the vast majority of other countries of the world do not recognise their independence and officially consider them as sovereign territory of the Georgian state.
Following the Bolshevik invasion of Georgia in 1921, Abkhazia was made a Soviet republic with the ambiguous status of Union Republic associated with the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1931, Joseph Stalin, an ethnic Georgian, made Abkhazia an autonomous republic within the Georgian SSR.
On 21 February 1992, Georgia abolished the Soviet-era constitution and restored the 1921 constitution, which provided for Abkhazia's autonomy, but did not specify its exact legal status. Due to lack of formal status under Georgia's newly introduced constitution, on 23 July 1992 the Abkhaz Supreme Soviet reinstated the 1925 Constitution, which under Article 4 Abkhazia was "united with the Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia on the basis of a special Union Treaty", providing for federation between Georgia and Abkhazia on equal footing.
View MoreA private plane that crashed in upstate New York over the weekend was carrying six members of a close-knit family of physicians and distinguished student-athletes on a trip to the Catskills for a birthday celebration and the Passover holiday.Advertisement 2 Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your...
This photo taken on April 13, 2025 shows an exterior view of the venue for the 5th China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng) HAIKOU, April 13 (Xinhua) -- The 5th China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) runs from April 13 to 18 in south China's...
Children play with a robot dog toy at the 5th China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2025. The 5th CICPE runs from April 13 to 18 in south China's island province of Hainan. As China's only national-level exhibition focused on consumer goods, this year's edition...
A private plane that crashed in upstate New York over the weekend was carrying a close-knit family of physicians and distinguished recent student-athletes, bound for a trip to the Catskills for a birthday celebration and the Passover holiday. The twin-engine Mitsubishi MU-2B went down shortly after noon Saturday in a muddy field...
Waterford library events in April Waterford Public Library will host a Jewelry Fundraiser Sale from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 26. Other library events for adults include Pollinator Garden Paver Decorating from 10 to 11:30 a.m. April 14 and April 16, and a GIANT Room Kickoff Event from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 15....