Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti (Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti)
Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti is located in the north of Georgia and covers an area of 4954 km2. The eastern tip of the region is de facto in South Ossetia and is not under Georgian control. This concerns approximately 354 km2. Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti borders the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region to the west, the Russian Caucasian republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and North Ossetia-Alania to the north, the Georgian Shida Kartli region to the southeast, and Imereti to the south. Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti is traversed by the northeasterly line of equal latitude and longitude.
The region is surrounded by mountain ranges as a natural border. The north-south watershed and main ridge of the Greater Caucasus forms the natural northeastern boundary of Racha-Lechkumi and Kvemo Svaneti while the Racha Range form the southern boundary from the main ridge of the Greater Caucasus to the outlet of the region's Rioni and Tskhenistsqali rivers. To the west of this, the Egrisi Range forms the southwestern natural border and the Svaneti Range the northwestern. In addition, the region itself is also separated into separate areas by mountain ranges. The Shoda-Kedela Ridge, together with the Lechkhumi Range, form a natural division between the historical regions of Mountain-, Upper- and Lower Racha, Lechkhumi and Lower Svaneti. Upper and Lower Racha have their natural boundary in the kHidiskari Gorge in the Rioni River between the villages of Tsesi and Kmimsi.
The largest river entirely in Georgia, the Rioni, has its major origins in Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, more specifically in Mountain Racha in the Greater Caucasus main ridge northwest of the village of Ghebi at the 3779 meter high Mt Pasismta. The Tskhenistsqali, the sixth river of Georgia, which flows into the Rioni after 176 kilometers at Samtredia, also finds its origin in this region, like the Rioni at Mt Pasismta. Both rivers flow in opposite directions through the region and find their exit in the southwest corner through the Khvamli chalk massif.
Map - Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti (Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti)
Map
Country - Georgia_(country)
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| Flag of Georgia (country) | |
During the classical era, several independent kingdoms became established in what is now Georgia, such as Colchis and Iberia. In the early 4th century, ethnic Georgians officially adopted Christianity, which contributed to the spiritual and political unification of the early Georgian states. In the Middle Ages, the unified Kingdom of Georgia emerged and reached its Golden Age during the reign of King David IV and Queen Tamar in the 12th and early 13th centuries. Thereafter, the kingdom declined and eventually disintegrated under the hegemony of various regional powers, including the Mongols, the Turks, and various dynasties of Persia. In 1783, one of the Georgian kingdoms entered into an alliance with the Russian Empire, which proceeded to annex the territory of modern Georgia in a piecemeal fashion throughout the 19th century.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEL | Georgian lari | ₾ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| HY | Armenian language |
| AZ | Azerbaijani language |
| KA | Georgian language |
| RU | Russian language |
