Raul Jumkovich Khajimba is the current President of Abkhazia, having been elected in 2014 after the May Revolution. He was also Chairman of the Forum for the National Unity of Abkhazia from 2010–2015. Khajimba previously held the offices of Vice President (2005–2009), Prime Minister (2003–2004) and Defence Minister (2002–2003). He unsuccessfully ran for President in 2004, 2009 and 2011.
Sergei Shamba is a senior politician from Abkhazia. He is currently a member of the People's Assembly of Abkhazia and Chairman of United Abkhazia. He was Prime Minister of Abkhazia under President Sergei Bagapsh from 13 February 2010 until 27 September 2011. Between 1997 and 2010 he had been Minister for Foreign Affairs under both Bagapsh and his predecessor Vladislav Ardzinba, with only a half-year interruption in 2004. Shamba has twice unsuccessfully participated in Presidential elections, in 2004 and 2011. He has been a staunch proponent for dialogue between Abkhazia and Georgia.
Gagra District is a district of Abkhazia. It corresponds to the Georgian district by the same name. In medieval times, it was known as the southern part of Sadzen. It is located in the western part of Abkhazia, and the river Psou serves as a border with Krasnodar Krai of Russia. Its capital is Gagra, the town by the same name. The population of the Gagra town zone in 1989 was 77,079, but this number dropped dramatically following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the 1992-1993 war in Abkhazia,, to 37,002 at the time of the 2003 census. Ethnic Armenians now constitute a plurality in the district.
Gudauta District is a district of Abkhazia, Georgia’s breakaway republic. It corresponds to the eponymous Georgian district. Its capital is Gudauta, the town by the same name. The population of the district was 34,869 at the time of the 2003 census, down from 57,334 in 1989. By the time of the 2011 Census, the population had increased to 36,775.
Many inhabitants of Abkhazia are Orthodox Christians, with a significant minority adhering to Islam and a growing population adopting Abkhaz neopaganism, or the "Abkhazian traditional religion". The influence of this last has always remained strong and has been experiencing a revival through the 1990s and 2000s. By 2016, Abkhaz traditional religion, whose priesthood was institutionalized in 2012, supported and administered by the government of Abkhazia that has contributed to the restoration of tens of sanctuaries, has come to "dominate and prevail" over both Christianity and Islam.
Aruaa is a social organisation in Abkhazia uniting veterans of the 1992-1993 war with Georgia. It was founded 10 May 2007. 534 people were present at its founding congress. The first Minister of Defence of Abkhazia Vladimir Arshba was unanimously elected Chairman of the organisation, and Vadim Smyr and Mukhamed Kilba were elected Vice Chairmen. Apart from Arshba, Smyr and Kilba, ten more people were elected into the Supreme Council: Sergei Matosian, Eduard Bulia, Slavik Kuchuberia, Adler Mikvabia, Vitaly Gabnia, Gennady Margani, Kachubei Avidzba, Chingiz Bigvava, Liana Achba and Mzia Beia.
Abkhazia–Nicaragua relations refers to bilateral foreign relations between the Republic of Abkhazia and Nicaragua. Nicaragua recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia on September 5, 2008.
Abkhazia–Venezuela relations refers to bilateral relations between the breakaway Republic of Abkhazia and Venezuela. Venezuela recognised Abkhazia, along with South Ossetia, on 10 September 2009, almost ten years after the country declared independence from Georgia in 1999. Venezuela was the third state to recognise Abkhazia and South Ossetia, after Russia and Nicaragua.
Beslan Butba is a businessman and a former Prime Minister of Abkhazia. He owns Abkhazia's only private television station Abaza TV and is the chairman of the Party of the Economic Development of Abkhazia. Butba was an unsuccessful candidate in the December 2009 presidential election.
A presidential election was held in the Republic of Abkhazia on 26 August 2011. This was the fifth such election since the post of President of the Republic of Abkhazia was created in 1994. The election was held to elect the successor of president Sergei Bagapsh who died in office on 29 May 2011.
The elections for the 5th convocation of the People's Assembly of Abkhazia were held in two rounds on 10 and 24 March 2012.
Beslan Ardzinba is a former Mayor of Pitsunda, Abkhazia.
Pavel Ardzinba was a businessman from Abkhazia who has been indicted in absentia for organising failed assassination attempts on Alexander Ankvab in July 2007 and February 2012 and on Pitsunda Mayor Beslan Ardzinba in September 2007 and June 2009. In September 2017 he surrendered to police but was released on bail. On 13 December 2017 he, together with his driver, was gunned down in his own car near Sukhumi.
Events in the year 2012 in Abkhazia.
The Football Federation of Abkhazia regulates football in Abkhazia.
The State Security Service of Abkhazia is the principal security and intelligence agency of Abkhazia.
Beslan Eshba is a vice premier of Abkhazia and the head of a sociopolitical organization Apsadgyl. Prior to his current position, he was a deputy commander in the Sukhumi battalion and an advisor to the President of Abkhazia.
Daur Arshba is a politician from Abkhazia. He is the Head of the Presidential Administration, having been appointed by President Raul Khajimba on 10 October 2016, and Chairman of the pro-government Forum for the National Unity of Abkhazia. In the past, he has served as Vice Speaker of the People's Assembly and as Head of Tkvarcheli District. Following the death of Gennadi Gagulia on 8 September 2018, Arshba was appointed Acting Prime Minister of Abkhazia, a position he held until 18 September 2018.
