Armenians in Samtskhe-Javakheti
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Armenians in Samtskhe-Javakheti are ethnic Armenians of Georgian nationality living in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region of the Republic of Georgia. The southern part of the region (Javakheti) borders the Republic of Armenia to the south. Here, ethnic Armenians form the great majority of the population with minorities of Georgians, Russians and Greeks.[1] Among Armenians of Samtskhe-Javakheti, Armenian is the common language spoken.[2][2]
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History [edit]
Most of the Armenians in the region immigrated from the province of Erzerum in the Ottoman Empire after the area became part of Russia in 1829 while most of the Muslims (Meskhetian Turks and Adjaris) in the region emigrated to the Ottoman Empire.[3][4][5] More Armenians came to region later on as a result of Turkish massacres and the Armenian genocide.[citation needed]
Ethnic Armenians are chiefly concentrated in Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda districts. At the beginning of 1918 in Akhalkalaki region had 120,000 population, from which Armenians were 89,000 (74%), Meskhetian Turks were 8,000 (7%), representatives of other nationalities 23,000 (19%) [6][verification needed] During this period in Ahalkalak district there were 111 villages from which 66 were Armenian, 24 Turkish, 9 Russian, 10 Georgian (including former Armenian villages Vargav and Hzabavra, the population of which had assimilated with Georgians), and one village with the Armenian-Georgian mixed population.
In 1944 the government of the Soviet Union decided to exile the Meskhetian Turkish population living in Meskheti (approximately 100,000 person) to Central Asia (Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan). The five villages of Sagamo, Khavet, Erindja, Davnia, and Karsep in the Akhalkalaki district and the Bogdanovka areas were settled by Armenians.[citation needed]
Demographics [edit]
This table is a comparing table of Armenian population of Samtskhe-Javakheti in 1939, 1989, 2002.
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| Total | Armenians | Armenian % | Total | Armenians | Armenian % | Total | Armenians | Armenian % | |
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| Akhalkalaki |
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| Akhaltsikhe |
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| Ninotsminda |
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| Adigeni |
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| Borjomi |
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| Tsalka |
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| Aspindza |
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| TOTAL | 306,401 | 116,266 | 37.9 | 220,772 | 126,418 | 57.3 | 228,487 | 124,831 | 54.6 |
Politics [edit]
Tensions in Samtskhe-Javakheti have run high at times. One reason is based in the official Georgian language policy that does, officially, not allow the Armenian language to be used in public or administrative offices, even if citizen and officer speak better Armenian than Georgian. International monitoring missions on the situation of national minorities in Georgia have critically commented in this aspect as recently as 2009.[11]
The ethnic Armenian United Javakhk Democratic Alliance calls on a local autonomy for Javakheti within Georgia.[12][13]
Some Armenian political groupings of the Republic of Armenia and the Armenian diaspora, amongst them most notably the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) claim that Javakhk (Armenian name for Javakheti) should belong to Armenia,[14] United Armenia shall include all territories designated as Armenia by the Treaty of Sèvres as well as the regions of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), Javakhk (Armenian name for Javakheti), and Nakhchivan.[15] However, Javakhk (Javakheti) is not officially claimed by the government of Armenia.
A small number of Turkish Meskhetians returned to Georgia in recent years.[16] With little employment opportunities in the region, the re-migration caused tensions with the local Armenian population. In consequence, the Georgian authorities preferred to settle returning Turkish Meskhetians in other areas in the country.[16]
The Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan oil pipeline and South Caucasus gas pipeline which passed through the region, has met opposition from local Armenians, as well as the planned Kars-Akhalkalaki-Baku railway as it isolates Armenia.[citation needed]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ E. Cornell, Svante (2002). Autonomy and conflict: ethnoterritoriality and separatism in the South Caucasus : cases in Georgia. Dept. of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University. p. 137.
- ^ a b "European Yearbook of Minority Issues". European Centre for Minority Issues 3: 316. Retrieved 2 April 2012.
- ^ Boeschoten, Hendrik; Rentzsch, Julian (2010). Turcology in Mainz. p. 142. ISBN 978-3-447-06113-1. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
- ^ Pro Georgia: journal of kartvelological studies, Issues 11-14, Uniwersytet Warszawski. Studium Europy Wschodniej.
- ^ Caucasus region: geopolitical nexus? (2007), Aleksandro I. Kapidze, Nova Science Publishers.
- ^ National Archive of Armenian Republic F200 list 1
- ^ (Russian) ETHNO-CAUCASUS, НАСЕЛЕНИЕ КАВКАЗА, РЕСПУБЛИКА ГРУЗИЯ, НАСЕЛЕНИЕ ГРУЗИИ
- ^ (Armenian) Սամցխե-Ջավախքի բնակչության թվի և էթնիկական կազմի դինամիկան
- ^ ETHNIC GROUPS BY MAJOR ADMINISTRATIVE-TERRITORIAL UNITS
- ^ (Armenian) Ծալկայի շրջանի բնակչության թվի և էթնիկական կազմի դինամիկան
- ^ ACFC [Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities] (2009) Opinion on Georgia. Adopted on 19 March 2009 (ACFC/OP/I(2009)001)
- ^ Harutyunyan, Arus (2009). Contesting national identities in an ethnically homogeneous state. Western Michigan University. p. 204.
- ^ Kernic, Franz (2006). European security in transition. Ashgate Publishing. p. 151.
- ^ Goals of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation[dead link]
- ^ Programme of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
- ^ a b "166 CSCDG 05 E - MINORITIES IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS: FACTOR OF INSTABILITY". Retrieved 2 April 2012.
External links [edit]
- (Armenian) (English) (French) Javakhkh.com portal
- Javakhk.net portal
- Ararat Center's section: Javakhk: News, Facts and Analyses
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