The Western World Daily Readings on Geography Chapter 86 Russian Domain Political Geography I

CHAPTER 86 Russian Domain Political Geography I in Georgia Cleaned by Noun The country Georgia , definitely not to be confused or conflated with the American state of Georgia , is part of this textbook region called the Russian Domain . Georgia also is part of the regions , a mountainous area that includes Georgia , and a bit of Russia . The internal governance of Georgia offers insightful examples of national and the implications of Soviet . 417

413 JOEL QUAM AND SCOTT CAMPBELL As a little bit of historical framework , the pattern for Georgia was one of frequent struggle . Certainly , this can be said of many , many parts of the world , but perhaps the region of Georgia has been particularly suited for strife . A portion of what now is Georgia adopted Christianity as its official religion in the early century , becoming one of the first in the world to do so . However , its neighbors historically included Muslim populations often of some magnitude . Historically , the Islamic Ottoman Empire ruled westward of Georgia . To the south the Persian Empire also featured Islam . Modern day Islamic countries Turkey , Iran , and lie to the west , south , and east respectively . Georgia location in the Mountains offered land routes between Persia and Russia and on to Europe , as well as between Turkey and Russia . Trade and conquest sought these passages . The modern sense of the country Georgia came as a kingdom in the to centuries under the rule of King David IV and Queen the Great , but both before and after those years , it struggled with invaders and empires . Castle , Georgia . An interactive or media element has been excluded from this version ofthe text . Photo by Stephen Bachel You can view it online here Political Geography I . ra ?

Bridge of Peace in , Georgia . Video by from . Direct Link to Video ( New Tab ) Russian imperial interest in Georgia was viewed more favorably than that from the Ottoman or Persian empires . Russians were fellow Orthodox Christians , though the Georgian Orthodox Christian Church does stand alone however , this fellowship was better than the Islamic pressures of the Ottomans and Persians . A late 18 century alliance devolved into an early century annexation of Georgia by Russia . When the Russian Revolution of 1917 ended the dynasty there , Georgia found an opportunity for independence , taking that step in 1918 . The Russian Civil War brought victory by the communist Bolshevik Party and secured recovery of Georgia back into the Russian fold . Georgia remained part of the Soviet Union , as a republic beginning in 1936 , until the breakup of the USSR in 1991 . Like all of the republics of the Soviet Union , Georgia was a region ( like an American state ) based on ethnicity . This was the Georgian ethnic homeland and Georgians surpassed the threshold to become a republic . However , at the same time , Georgian territory included other land that was the ethnic homeland of smaller nationalities . In the northeast corner of Georgia , there was the region of . or to the natives ) was the next level down an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic or . Nevertheless , the majority ethnic group in was Georgian ( roughly 50 ) not ( about 20 )

RUSSIAN DOMAIN POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY I 419 Upon the breakup of the Soviet Union , sought to become an independent country . While all the republics of the USSR became independent countries , the regions in Russia were upgraded to the republic level in the new Russia . one of these smaller ethnic regions , sought what could be termed a double upgrade to country . Russia denied this request , twice smashing in brief civil wars . In Georgia , the minority population of this ethnic region also sought the double upgrade . Naturally , Georgia opposed this move however , Georgian forces fared poorly in a civil war in . gained de facto independence , while Georgia meekly maintained a claim to the territory . In the aftermath , several thousand Georgian were killed in , while a quarter million Georgians were expelled from their homes and from . In over two decades following , Russian military and political support increased , so that in 2008 Georgia declared to be a considers itself an independent country , but it recognized by very few recognized countries , though it is endorsed by , and South , which are similar Soviet territories of limited recognition . South also is an ethnic territory within Georgia . Of rather modest population , South ranked lower as the South Autonomous ' Also of note is the existence of North directly across the border in Russia . Logically , by national North and South should be one region instead , Soviet machinations with borders and ethnic groups found advantage in splitting this little region in two . Like , South formerly had a higher number of Georgians living there , not so much anymore . In 1989 as the Soviet Union neared its end , Georgians held 29 of South nearly one hundred thousand residents , while were 66 . By 2015 , the numbers had altered to Georgians , 90 . Again , as with , this change resulted from military conflict and Russian assistance . Violence broke out in between South and Georgian forces , but to no resolution . Peacock by an Photo by Viktor min on

420 JOEL QUAM AND SCOTT CAMPBELL In August 2008 skirmishes commenced between the sides , but in the case the stakes were heightened when Russian forces attacked Georgia . As it was in , here too thousands of Georgians were displaced . Although a ceasefire was established and Russian military backed off , South asserted its sovereignty and independence , seeking what could be called a triple upgrade from its former status as an within Georgia . Russia recognized South and as independent countries . Of course , the of , and also recognized South claim . Georgian man grieves after bombs hit city of in 2008 . Photo by Alexander on . Ethnic Groups in Georgia and adjacent Russia . Cartography by james . Both these regional cases in Georgia are in part the result of Soviet , the pattern of creating a hierarchy of governmental regions sometimes based on the ethnic peoples living there . Other regions such as the were simply administrative regions . Given the opportunities following the dissolution ofthe Soviet Union , it is understandable that some of these ethnic regions stretched the limits in seeking national independence . While this plan failed for inside Russia , it has created autonomy at the least for and South . Did You Know ?

Stalin was ethnically Georgian . Born Josef , he changed his surname to Stalin , reflecting the power in the Russian word for steel being or . Thus , Stalin is the man of steel . To be a Soviet republic and not a lesser region , there must have been ) at least one million people in the ethnic group , living on the ethnic homeland , and ) a region that had an international border . Fifteen regional ethnic groups met these qualifications with Russians and the Russian Federated Soviet Socialist Republic being the largest by far .

RUSSIAN DOMAIN POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY I 421 CITED AND ADDITIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY Bache , Stephen . 2019 . Castle , Georgia . james . 2020 . Ethnic Groups in the College of . College of GIS class . Instructor Joseph . lO i . Accessed June 11 , Alexander . Accessed June 10 , Attribution Generic ( BY )