Abkhazia
The Block
Abkhazia is a small territory in the Caucasus that formally declared independence from Georgia in 1992 but is only formally recognized as an independent state by five UN member states. Due to this lack of international recognition, Abkhazia does not have a block on the Quilt of Belonging made for them. Information on the identity of this polity can be found in the Cultural Profile section below.
Cultural Profile
As of 2025, Abkhazia is a country with 244000 inhabitants. Although it has many key features of an independent state including a separate legislature, its own currency, and even military, it is formally considered a part of Georgia by most international observers. In the wake of the 2008 Russo-Georgia War, Abkhazia was invaded and occupied by Russia and to this day, it along with South Ossetia are considered Russian-occupied territories of Georgia.
Abkhazia is the primary home of the Abkhazians, one of the many small yet distinct ethnic groups in the Caucasus mountains. They comprise about 51.7% of the population with Georgians forming 17.9%, Armenians making up 17%, Russians composing 9.1%, and 4.7% allotted to others. Like much of the rest of the region, it has been a battleground for millennia between rival empires, religions, and powers. The first distinctive “Kingdom of Abkhazia” existed between 850 and 950 CE. It would ultimately become a part of the Russian Empire in the early 19th Century over its perennial rivalry with Ottoman Turkey. In the wake of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia of 1917, Abkhazia was briefly a part of a breakaway Transcaucasian republic that formed in opposition to the new Union of Soviet Socialist Republics established by the Bolsheviks. This was short-lived as the Soviets were able to overcome the counter-revolutionary forces in this area by 1921. As the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991, Abkhazia was initially part of the newly independent Republic of Georgia. In 1992, its own legislature declared independence from Georgia but to date it remains only recognized by Russia, Syria, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Nauru.
Abkhazia’s economy is based on exporting fruits and wines along with tourism (mainly from Russia). Although on paper, Abkhazia is a part of Georgia, it is actually a part of the Russian Customs Union with foreign aid from that country being a key element of their economy.
In terms of religion, Abkhazians are mostly Orthodox Christians and Sunni Muslims.
Abkhazians have a distinct code of honour called the apsuara that places a strong emphasis on hospitality and honouring guests.