Adigeni Municipality
ადიგენის მუნიციპალიტეტი
Abastumani
Abastumani
Flag of Adigeni Municipality
Flag
Official seal of Adigeni Municipality
Seal
Country Georgia
MkhareSamtskhe-Javakheti
CapitalAdigeni
Government
 • TypeMayor–Council
 • MayorGocha Qimadze (GD)
 • Municipal Assembly
33 members
Area
[1]
 • Total799.5 km2 (308.7 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
 • Total16,092
 • Density20/km2 (52/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+4 (Georgian Time)
Websiteadigeni.ge

Adigeni (Georgian: ადიგენის მუნიციპალიტეტი) is a municipality in Georgia's southern region of Samtskhe-Javakheti. Covering an area of about 799.5 km2 (309 sq mi). As of 2021 it had a population of 16,092 people.[2] The borough (daba) Adigeni is its administrative centre.

Administrative divisions

Adigeni municipality is administratively divided into two boroughs (Adigeni and Abastumani), 18 communities (თემი, temi), and 55 villages (სოფელი, sopeli).[1]

Politics

Adigeni Municipal Assembly (Georgian: ადიგენის საკრებულო) is the representative body in Adigeni Municipality, consisting of 33 members which is elected every four years. The last election was held in October 2021. Gocha Qimadze of Georgian Dream was elected mayor and the ruling Georgian Dream remained a dominant force in Adigeni.

Party 2017[3] 2021[4] Current Municipal Assembly
  Georgian Dream 23 24                                                
  United National Movement 1 9                  
  European Georgia 5
  Alliance of Patriots 1
Total 30 33  

Population

Zarzma monastery

By the start of 2021 the population was determined at 16,092 people,[2] a slight decrease compared to the 2014 census.[1] The population density of the municipality is 20.1 inhabitants per square kilometre (52/sq mi).

The population of Adigeni is practically monoethnic Georgian. By far the largest ethnic minority are the Armenians (almost 400, 2.2%) who mainly live in Abastumani and make up 18% of the population there. Other minorities are several dozen Russians and a few Azerbaijanis, Ossetes, Ukrainians, Abkhazians and Pontic Greeks. Furthermore, 67.7% of the population consists of followers of the Georgian Orthodox Church and 20.1% is Muslim. Another large group by Georgian standards are the Catholics (10%). Furthermore, there are small numbers of followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church and Jehovah's Witnesses.

Population Adigeni Municipality
1886 1923 1939 1959 1970 1979 1989 2002[5] 2014 2021
Adigeni Municipality 17,983 - Increase 41,314 Decrease 19,593 Increase 20,272 Increase 20,278 Increase 21,284 Decrease 20,752 Decrease 16,462 Decrease 16,092
Adigeni daba - - 656 Increase 1,200 Decrease 859 Increase 981 Increase 1,309 Decrease 980 Decrease 783 Increase 975
Abastumani daba - 1,244 Increase 3,001 Increase 3,521 Decrease 3,253 Decrease 2,935 Decrease 2,564 Decrease 1,368 Decrease 937 Decrease 723
Data: Population statistics Georgia 1897 to present.[6][7][8] Note:[5]

In November 1944, the Meskhetian Turks, a Turkic-speaking ethnic group of predominantly Muslim faith living in this area, were deported to Soviet Central Asian republics as part of a Stalinist resettlement operation.[10] At that time, the Meskhetians constituted three quarters of the population of the rajon Adigeni (1939: 32,923 of the 41,314 inhabitants).[8] Attempts to return them to independent Georgia have failed, with local resistance.[11][12]

See also

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Adigeni Municipality.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Main Results of the 2014 Census (Publication)" (PDF). Census.ge, National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) (in Georgian). 2016-04-28. p. 285-289. Archived from the original (pdf) on 2020-02-13. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
  2. ^ a b c "Population and Demography - Population by cities and boroughs (daba), as of 1 January". National Statistics Office of Georgia, Geostat. 2021-01-01. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  3. ^ "Protocol elected municipal council members and mayors 2017" (PDF) (in Georgian). CESKO Central Election Commission. p. 83-84. Retrieved 2021-01-06.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "Protocol elected municipal council members and mayors 2021" (PDF) (in Georgian). CESKO Central Election Commission. p. 102-104. Retrieved 2021-01-06.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ a b The 2014 census found an inexplicable gap with the data from the national statistical office Geostat. UN-assisted research has found the 2002 census was inflated by about 8-9 percent. See,[9] "1. Introduction", Page 1.
  6. ^ "Population divisions of Georgia". Population Statistics Eastern Europe and former USSR. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  7. ^ "Population cities & towns of Georgia". Population Statistics Eastern Europe and former USSR. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
  8. ^ a b "1939 census". Ethno Kavkaz (in Russian). Retrieved 2022-02-23.
  9. ^ "Population Dynamics in Georgia - An Overview Based on the 2014 General Population Census Data" (PDF). National Statistics Office of Georgia, Geostat. 2017-11-29. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  10. ^ "From Exile to Exile: The Perpetual Deportation of the Ahıska Turks". Genocide Watch. 2021-01-27. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  11. ^ "Meskhetian Turks Return to Lost Homeland in Georgia". Eurasianet. 2009-10-09. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
  12. ^ "Meskhetian Turks: Still Struggling to Return to Their Homeland". Eurasianet. 2003-03-25. Retrieved 2022-02-15.

41°40′37″N 42°42′31″E / 41.67694°N 42.70861°E / 41.67694; 42.70861

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