Abkhazia–Georgia border

[1] The border starts in the north at the tripoint with Russia on the Caucasus Mountains, and proceeds overland in a broadly south-westwards directions past peaks such as Mounts Kharikhra, Moguashirkha and Akiba.

[6] Following the 1917 Russian Revolution, the peoples of the southern Caucasus had seceded from Russia, declared the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic (TDFR) in 1918 and started peace talks with the Ottomans.

[9] In early 1918 the APC met with Georgian leaders, and the two sides made an initial agreement that Abkhazia would constitute Sukhum okrug, including Samurzakano (despite its Mingrelian majority), and stretching along the Black Sea coast as far at the river Mzymta.

[14] Meanwhile disputes between Abkhaz and Georgian officials continued, however these were rendered moot when in 1920 Russia's Red Army invaded Georgia in 1921.

The Georgian SSR was reconstituted in 1936, incorporating Abkhazia as the (downgraded) Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

[13][17][18][19] Tensions between Abkhazia and Georgia were already evident by the late 1970s, with both sides organising protests in 1978 alleging discrimination, prompting intervention by Moscow.

[20] Tensions simmered throughout the 1980s, though were stoked in latter part of the decade with the advent of perestroika and glasnost under Mikhail Gorbachev, with the Abkhaz pushing for full SSR status in 1988 and ethnic riots breaking out in Sukhumi in 1989.

[26] After fierce fighting the Abkhaz forces pushed the Georgians out of most of Abkhazia (save for the Kodori Gorge) and a ceasefire was arranged in May 1994.