Abkhasia,

Abkhasia, or ABASIA, a district of Asiatic Russia, between the Caucasus and the Black Sea, with Mingrelia to the SE., belonging for administrative purposes to the Sukhum district. It is mountainous, with deep, well-watered, and fertile valleys. The inhabitants, who numbered at the outbreak of the Turkish war of 1878 about 30,000, are now less than half as numerous. At that time thousands emigrated to the districts that continued under Turkish rule. The country has been ruled in turn by the Romans, Persians, Georgians, and Turks. Russia gained possession of the fortresses of Abkhasia in 1824, but finally subdued the people only in 1864. See CAUCASUS.