Imereti (Georgian: იმერეთი, ) is a Mkhare of Georgia situated in the central-western part of the republic along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni River. Imereti is the most populous region in Georgia. It consists of 11 municipalities and the city of Kutaisi, which is the capital of the region.
Subdivisions
The Imereti region has one self governing city (
Kutaisi) and 11 municipalities with 163 administrative communities (temi), totalling to 549 populated settlements:
-
Eleven cities: Baghdati, Chiatura, Khoni, Kutaisi, Sachkhere, Samtredia, Terjola, Tkibuli, Tsqaltubo, Vani and Zestaponi;
-
Three dabas: Kharagauli, Kulashi and Shorapani;
-
Villages: 535
|
|
| |
| Kutaisi |
| Baghdati Municipality |
| Vani Municipality |
| Zestaponi Municipality |
| Terjola Municipality |
| Samtredia Municipality |
| Sachkhere Municipality |
| Tkibuli Municipality |
| Chiatura Municipality |
| Tsqaltubo Municipality |
| Kharagauli Municipality |
| Khoni Municipality |
Economy
Aside from the capital
Kutaisi, significant towns and regional centres include
Samtredia,
Chiatura (manganese production centre),
Tkibuli (
coal mining centre),
Zestaponi (known for metals production),
Vani,
Khoni, and
Sachkhere. Traditionally, Imereti is an agricultural region, known for its
mulberry and
.
Demographics
The
Imeretians (Georgian: იმერლები) are one of the ethnographic groups of
Georgians, inhabiting Imereti. Imeretians are Orthodox Christians and speak the Imeretian dialect, one of the Northwest dialects of the Georgian language.
[Topchishvili, R., Encyclopaedia "Georgia", vol. 4, Tbilisi, 2018, pp. 249–250.] It is itself subdivided into Upper and Lower Imeretian.
|
|
|
| 134,378 |
| 18,363 |
| 38,231 |
| 18,571 |
| 21,123 |
| 34,848 |
| 43,448 |
| 31,427 |
| 17,898 |
| 46,803 |
| 21,241 |
| 55,142 |
* Research after 2014 census showed the 2002 census was inflated by 8-9 percent.
**Corrected data based on retro-projection 1994–2014 in collaboration with UN
*** Part of Sachkhere is outside Georgian government authority and has not been counted since 2002. |
History
In ancient times, the region was a part of the Kingdom of Colchis, until it was conquered by the Kingdom of Pontus. After the Third Mithridatic War, Colchis was under loose Roman control, and unsuccessfully revolted in 69 AD under Anicetus.
[Woods, David (2006). "Tacitus, Nero, and the 'Pirate' Anicetus" in Latomus 65(3)] After the collapse of Colchis, the kingdom of
Lazica was established in 131 AD as a Roman vassal. Tzath I was the first Christian king of Lazica, being baptized in
Constantinople in 523 AD, and fighting alongside Eastern Roman emperor
Justinian I in the
Iberian War. In 541 AD, the region became the theatre of the
Lazic War between
Justinian I and
Sasanian Empire emperor
Khosrow I.
Between 750 and 985, Imereti was ruled by a dynasty of native princes, but was devastated by hostile incursions, reviving only after it became united to Georgia.
In the 17th–18th centuries, the kingdom of Imereti experienced frequent invasions by the Turkey and paid patronage to the Ottoman Empire until 1810, when it was invaded and annexed by the Russian Empire. The last King of Imereti was Solomon II (1789–1810).
From 1918 to 1921, Imereti was part of the independent Democratic Republic of Georgia. Within the Soviet Union, the region was part of the Transcaucasian SFSR from 1922 to 1936, and part of the Georgian SSR from 1936 to 1991. Since Georgian independence in 1991, Imereti has been a region of Georgia with Kutaisi as the regional capital.
See also
-
Kingdom of Imereti
-
Administrative divisions of Georgia (country)
Notes
Bibliography
External links
