Administrative-territorial Organisation of Georgia in the 20th and 21st Centuries

Abstract

The Russian Empire started incorporating Georgia at the beginning of the 19th century. The country was divided according to Imperial Russian patterns. This influenced the territorial changes and the administrative-territorial organisation of the later Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918–1921), the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (1921–1991), and the Republic of Georgia (from 1991). The internal administrative-territorial changes that took place during the last two centuries represent the main topic of research. The most reliable information was discovered in two publications of the Soviet epoch, separated from each other by more than 40 years and published in 1930 and 1978, respectively. They contain different information, though the administrative-territorial organisation of these periods is the primary basis for both. The formation of the ultimate administrative organisation of the territory is a fundamental problem today, as parts of the country are under foreign occupation. It should also be noted that in our survey, several maps were used to state and compare the validity of the obtained information. They contain rich information about Georgia during various periods from 1900 to 2012.