Imereti (Georgian: იმერეთი, ) is a region of Georgia situated in the central-western part of the republic along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni River. Imereti is the most populous region in Georgia. It consists of 11 municipalities and the city of Kutaisi, which is the capital of the region.
Subdivisions The Imereti region has one self governing city (Kutaisi) and 11 municipalities with 163 administrative communities (temi), totalling to 549 populated settlements: Eleven cities: Baghdati, Chiatura, Khoni, Kutaisi, Sachkhere, Samtredia, Terjola, Tkibuli, Tsqaltubo, Vani and Zestaponi; Three dabas: Kharagauli, Kulashi and Shorapani; Villages: 535
Map Municipality City of Kutaisi Baghdati Municipality Vani Municipality Zestaponi Municipality Terjola Municipality Samtredia Municipality Sachkhere Municipality Tkibuli Municipality Chiatura Municipality Tsqaltubo Municipality Kharagauli Municipality Khoni Municipality
Economy Aside from the capital Kutaisi, significant towns and regional centres include Samtredia, Chiatura (manganese production centre), Tkibuli (coal mining centre), Zestaponi (known for metals production), Vani, Khoni, and Sachkhere. Traditionally, Imereti is an agricultural region, known for its mulberries and grapes.
Demographics The Imeretians (Georgian: იმერლები) are one of the ethnographic groups of Georgians, inhabiting Imereti. Imeretians are Orthodox Christians and speak the Imeretian dialect, one of the Northwest dialects of the Georgian language.Topchishvili, R., Encyclopaedia "Georgia", vol. 4, Tbilisi, 2018, pp. 249–250. It is itself subdivided into Upper and Lower Imeretian.
Demographic history of the Imereti region 1959 1970 1979 1989 2002* 2002** 2014 2021 Imereti 651,959 718,558 739,189 772,251 699,410 632,126 533,906 481,473 City of Kutaisi 128,203 162,787 194,297 234,870 185,965 - 147,635 134,378 Baghdati Municipality 29,560 30,973 30,056 29,053 29,235 - 21,582 18,363 Chiatura Municipality 64,562 72,059 69,582 68,501 56,341 - 39,884 38,231 Kharagauli Municipality 36,486 35,591 31,948 28,702 27,885 - 19,473 18,571 Khoni Municipality 32,548 32,718 37,968 34,979 31,749 - 23,570 21,123 Sachkhere Municipality*** 38,202 45,552 44,859 44,968 46,590 - 37,775 34,848 Samtredia Municipality 62,556 67,141 65,400 64,504 60,456 - 48,562 43,448 Terjola Municipality 43,847 46,438 44,709 44,019 45,496 - 35,563 31,427 Tkibuli Municipality 44,411 42,733 39,451 36,686 31,132 - 20,839 17,898 Tsqaltubo Municipality 62,389 67,086 69,738 75,061 73,889 - 56,883 46,803 Vani Municipality 40,999 41,505 38,346 35,369 34,464 - 24,512 21,241 Zestaponi Municipality 68,196 73,975 72,835 75,539 76,208 - 57,628 55,142* Research after 2014 census showed the 2002 census was inflated by 8-9 percent.**Corrected data based on retro-projection 1994–2014 in collaboration with UN*** Part of Sachkhere is outside Georgian government authority and has not been counted since 2002.
History
In ancient times, the region was a part of the Kingdom of Colchis, until it was conquered by the Kingdom of Pontus. After the Third Mithridatic War, Colchis was under loose Roman control, and unsuccessfully revolted in 69 AD under Anicetus.Woods, David (2006). "Tacitus, Nero, and the 'Pirate' Anicetus" in Latomus 65(3) After the collapse of Colchis, the kingdom of Lazica was established in 131 AD as a Roman vassal. Tzath I was the first Christian king of Lazica, being baptized in Constantinople in 523 AD, and fighting alongside Eastern Roman emperor Justinian I in the Iberian War. In 541 AD, the region became the theatre of the Lazic War between Justinian I and Sasanian Persian emperor Khosrow I.
Between 750 and 985, Imereti was ruled by a dynasty of native princes, but was devastated by hostile incursions, reviving only after it became united to Georgia. After the Mongol invasions of Georgia, Imereti was intermittently part of the independent Kingdom of Western Georgia, until being reunited in 1415 as the Duchy of Samokalako under the united Georgian Kingdom. Since that kingdom's disintegration in the 15th century, Imereti was an independent kingdom from 1466 onwards.
In the 17th–18th centuries, the kingdom of Imereti experienced frequent invasions by the Turks and paid patronage to the Ottoman Empire until 1810, when it was invaded and annexed by the Russian Empire. The last King of Imereti was Solomon II (1789–1810).
From 1918 to 1921, Imereti was part of the independent Democratic Republic of Georgia. Within the USSR, the region was part of the Transcaucasian SFSR from 1922 to 1936, and part of the Georgian SSR from 1936 to 1991. Since Georgian independence in 1991, Imereti has been a region of Georgia with Kutaisi as the regional capital.
See also Kingdom of Imereti Administrative divisions of Georgia (country)
Notes
References
Bibliography
External links
Imereti.com - The Guide to Imereti, Georgia, Sakartvelo Official website Civil.GE