Khelvachauri Municipality (Khelvachauri Municipality)
Khelvachauri (ხელვაჩაურის მუნიციპალიტეტი, Khelvachauris Municiṕaliťeťi) is a municipality in Georgia's southwestern autonomous republic of Adjara with a population of 52,737 people (2021 ). The administrative center is the town of Khelvachauri, which is located for the most part within the Batumi municipal boundaries since 2012. The municipality covers an area of 356.4 km² and has 64 villages spread over 11 administrative units in the relatively densely populated hills around the city of Batumi.
Khelvachauri is the most southwestern municipality of Georgia and the area has been of great importance due to its strategic location with a rich historical past and a lot of cultural heritage. The modern municipality has 3 kilometers of coastline with the Black Sea in the extreme southwest and borders Turkey in the south. The border crossing at the village of Sarpi on the Black Sea coast is the most important of three Georgian-Turkish border crossings, with 1.36 million incoming foreign travellers in 2019. Furthermore, Khelvachauri borders the municipalities of Keda in the east, Kobuleti in the north, while most of the west side borders Batumi.
The landscape of the municipality is typical of Adjara: green, humid subtropical hills and mountains. The southern side of the municipality is bisected by the Acharistsqali (literally "river of Adjara") and Machakhlistskali, both of which merge at Khelvachauri with the Chorokhi River from Turkey before reaching the Black Sea. In the north of the municipality lies the western extension of the Meskheti Range and in the borderland with Turkey the Shavsheti Range, both sub-ranges of the Lesser Caucasus.
The highest mountains of the municipality are in the Shavsheti Range, reaching over 2000 m above sea level, while the Meskheti Range in the northeastern corner of the municipality reaches heights around 1300 m meters above sea level. This is where the Mtirala National Park is located, whose name is derived from the large amount of rain that falls in the area. It is the wettest area in Georgia. Due to its location directly around Batumi and the natural beauty present in all directions, the municipality also benefits from tourism to the city, and the area is relatively popular among day trippers.
Closer to Batumi, the hills are only a few hundred meters high, where many villages are located. Through this hilly area the Batumi Bypass is under construction, part of the important S2 highway (E70) between Poti and Turkey, to relieve the city of Batumi. Despite the relatively small difference in height near Batumi, the hilly area crammed with villages means that this bypass will consist almost entirely of bridges and tunnels.
Khelvachauri is the most southwestern municipality of Georgia and the area has been of great importance due to its strategic location with a rich historical past and a lot of cultural heritage. The modern municipality has 3 kilometers of coastline with the Black Sea in the extreme southwest and borders Turkey in the south. The border crossing at the village of Sarpi on the Black Sea coast is the most important of three Georgian-Turkish border crossings, with 1.36 million incoming foreign travellers in 2019. Furthermore, Khelvachauri borders the municipalities of Keda in the east, Kobuleti in the north, while most of the west side borders Batumi.
The landscape of the municipality is typical of Adjara: green, humid subtropical hills and mountains. The southern side of the municipality is bisected by the Acharistsqali (literally "river of Adjara") and Machakhlistskali, both of which merge at Khelvachauri with the Chorokhi River from Turkey before reaching the Black Sea. In the north of the municipality lies the western extension of the Meskheti Range and in the borderland with Turkey the Shavsheti Range, both sub-ranges of the Lesser Caucasus.
The highest mountains of the municipality are in the Shavsheti Range, reaching over 2000 m above sea level, while the Meskheti Range in the northeastern corner of the municipality reaches heights around 1300 m meters above sea level. This is where the Mtirala National Park is located, whose name is derived from the large amount of rain that falls in the area. It is the wettest area in Georgia. Due to its location directly around Batumi and the natural beauty present in all directions, the municipality also benefits from tourism to the city, and the area is relatively popular among day trippers.
Closer to Batumi, the hills are only a few hundred meters high, where many villages are located. Through this hilly area the Batumi Bypass is under construction, part of the important S2 highway (E70) between Poti and Turkey, to relieve the city of Batumi. Despite the relatively small difference in height near Batumi, the hilly area crammed with villages means that this bypass will consist almost entirely of bridges and tunnels.
Map - Khelvachauri Municipality (Khelvachauri Municipality)
Map
Country - Georgia_(country)
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| Flag of Georgia (country) | |
During the classical era, several independent kingdoms became established in what is now Georgia, such as Colchis and Iberia. In the early 4th century, ethnic Georgians officially adopted Christianity, which contributed to the spiritual and political unification of the early Georgian states. In the Middle Ages, the unified Kingdom of Georgia emerged and reached its Golden Age during the reign of King David IV and Queen Tamar in the 12th and early 13th centuries. Thereafter, the kingdom declined and eventually disintegrated under the hegemony of various regional powers, including the Mongols, the Turks, and various dynasties of Persia. In 1783, one of the Georgian kingdoms entered into an alliance with the Russian Empire, which proceeded to annex the territory of modern Georgia in a piecemeal fashion throughout the 19th century.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEL | Georgian lari | ₾ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| HY | Armenian language |
| AZ | Azerbaijani language |
| KA | Georgian language |
| RU | Russian language |