The Republic of Abkhazia is a self-declared state located on the Black Sea coast in the South Caucasus. The Abkhaz people are an indigenous Northwest Caucasian group with a distinct language and a long tradition of autonomous governance.

In the early 20th century, Abkhazia briefly gained republican status within the Caucasian Mountain Republic in 1917. Under Soviet rule its status shifted multiple times between full Union republic and autonomy within Georgia. Tensions worsened during the late Soviet period as competing national mobilizations emerged in both Abkhazia and Georgia.  In 1992, shortly after Georgia declared independence, Abkhaz authorities proclaimed their own sovereignty. A brutal war followed, resulting in widespread displacement. The 1994 ceasefire left Abkhazia operating independently of Tbilisi with Russian military presence as a security guarantor. For more than a decade Abkhazia functioned as a de facto state with its own government, economy, and border controls, although the international community continued to recognize the region as part of Georgia.  In 2008, following the Russo Georgian War, Russia formally recognized Abkhazia as an independent republic.

A small number of other states have since followed, while most countries and international institutions maintain that Abkhazia remains within Georgia’s internationally recognized borders. Despite limited recognition, Abkhazia has built lasting institutions of governance, maintains its own political system, and participates in the Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations. Its long term future remains closely tied to relations with Russia and negotiations with Georgia over status and security guarantees.