Gali (town)
Gali ( Abkhaz Гал / Gal; Russian Гали; Georgian გალი / Gali ) is a town in Abkhazia.
Gali is located about 77 km southeast of the Abkhaz capital Sukhumi on the border with Georgia core. Gali is the main town of the same name Rajon Gali.
The city was formed in the Middle Ages the center of the Abkhazian principality Samursakan. The city today has about 7,000 inhabitants, of whom belonged to a large part of the closely related with the Georgians ethnic group of Mingrelians. Many Mingrelians left Abkhazia during the Georgian- Abkhazian conflict 1992-1993 and in the years thereafter. However, the proportion of Abkhazians at the city's population is still relatively low. For this reason and because of the proximity to the under Georgian control areas within the city of Abkhazia is considered unstable, unsafe neighborhood. Even after the official end of hostilities, even after those of 2008, sporadic fighting took place in the past few years here.
The city is situated on the main road connecting Abkhazia, the E 97, which crosses the country in a northwest-southeast direction, and part of the Georgian Highway S 1 Sukhumi -Tbilisi is that still bears the old Soviet designation M 27 in Abkhazia. At the same time she is on the main route of the Abkhazian railroad. The tracks were being damaged during the fighting or later plundered, so that Gali reach no more trains, not coming from Georgia, or from the direction of Sukhumi, where up again since 2010 with regular trains from Russia to operate. Gali is, however, connected by bus and minibus to a more or less functioning public transport system.
In 2011, 96.0 % of the population were ethnic Georgians and 0.8 % Mingrelians. The rest of the population consisted of Abkhazians (1.7%), Russians ( 1.0%), Armenians (0.1%) and Ukrainians ( 0.1%).
Sons and daughters of the town
- Temur Kezbaia ( b. 1968 ), football coach and former player
- Baadur Dschobawa ( b. 1983 ), chess player
Sukhumi ( Aqwa / Sukhum )
Akhali Atoni ( Afon Tschyz / Novy Afon ) | Bitschwinta ( Pizunda ) | Gagra ( Gagra ) | Gali (Gal) | Gudauta ( Gudouta ) | Gulripschi ( Gulrypsch ) | Otschamtschire ( Otschamtschyra / Ochamchyra ) | Tkvarcheli ( Tqwartschal )
- Place in Abkhazia