The formation of the Republic of Abkhazia opens up another chapter in political geography
Political geography is a fuzzy subject. We grew up with images of a square-ish Kashmir, and now keep getting confused by maps in a western world where our crowning state looks lopped off.
Similarly, there’s the case of Abkhazia in Georgia. It was originally a part of the USSR (the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, for those of you born after 1989) before it crumbled. Closeby-ally Russia and distant Nicaragua are the only two nations in the world who recognise the Republic of Abkhazia, which came into existence in 1991 during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict. Georgia though, still asserts its rights over this holiday spot that was favoured by Stalin and Russian high-fliers, though it has designated it as an autonomous republic.
Meanwhile, we’re still wondering which shade to use when colouring Abkhazia on the map.