View source for Imereti

{{Short description|Administrative region of Georgia}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->| name               = Imereti
| native_name        = იმერეთი
| native_name_lang   = ka
| settlement_type    = [[Mkhare|Mkhare (region)]]
| image_skyline      = <!-- images and maps  -----------> {{multiple image
| border                   = infobox
| perrow            = 1/2/2/2/2
| total_width       = 250
| image1 = Aerial tramway, Kutaisi, Sakartvelo 2012 136.jpg
| image2 = Okatse canyon Gruzia 2019 4.jpg
| image3 = Katskhi Pillar.jpg
| image4 = Sulori gorge, near resort of Sulori.jpg
| image5 = Tkibuli Reservoir (Photo A. Muhranoff, 2011).jpg
| footer = From the top to bottom-right: [[Kutaisi]], [[Okatse Canyon Natural Monument|Okatse Canyon]], [[Katskhi Pillar]], [[Sulori|Sulori Gorge]], [[Tkibuli|Tkibuli Reservoir]]}}
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| image_map          = Imereti in Georgia (disputed hatched).svg
| mapsize            = 
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| map_caption        = Overlapping borders of ''de jure'' Imereti region and ''de facto'' [[South Ossetia]]{{efn|{{South Ossetia-note}}}}
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| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{GEO}}
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| founder            = 
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| seat_type          = Capital
| seat               = [[Kutaisi]]
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_party       = [[Georgian Dream]]
| leader_title       = Governor
| leader_name        = [[Zviad Shalamberidze]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bm.ge/en/article/new-governor-of-imereti-appointed/37325|title = New Governor of Imereti Appointed}}</ref>
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| area_total_km2     = 6,680
| area_footnotes     = {{efn|Nominal area 6,680 km², ''de facto'' controlled by Georgia 6,415 km².}}
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 
| population_total   = 442373
| population_as_of   = 2024
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_footnotes = <ref name="population">{{Cite web|url=https://www.geostat.ge/en/modules/categories/41/population|title=Population and Demography - Population by cities and boroughs as of 1 January|publisher=National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat)|language=en|access-date=2021-11-26}}</ref>
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| demographics_type1 = Gross Regional Product
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref>{{Cite web|title=Regional Gross Domestic Product|url=https://www.geostat.ge/media/59471/Regional-Gross-Domestic-Product%2C--2022.pdf}}</ref>
| demographics1_title1 = Total
| demographics1_info1 = [[Georgian lari|₾]] 5.51 billion (2022)
| demographics1_title2 = Per capita
| demographics1_info2 = [[Georgian lari|₾]] 11,444 (2022)
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| iso_code           = GE-IM
| website            = [http://www.imereti.ge/?sec_id=4&lang_id=ENG imereti.ge]
| footnotes          = 
| blank_name_sec1    = Districts
| blank_info_sec1    = 11 districts, 1 city
| blank1_name_sec1   = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2021)
| blank1_info_sec1   = 0.800 <ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{Cite web|url=https://hdi.globaldatalab.org/areadata/shdi/|title=Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=2018-09-13}}</ref><br/>{{color|#0c0|very high}} · [[List of Georgian regions by Human Development Index|3rd]]
}}

'''Imereti''' ([[Georgian alphabet|Georgian]]: იმერეთი, {{IPA|ka|imeɾetʰi|pron}}) is a [[Mkhare|region]] of [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] situated in the central-western part of the republic along the middle and upper reaches of the [[Rioni River]]. Imereti is the most populous region in Georgia. It consists of 11 municipalities and the city of [[Kutaisi]], which is the capital of the region.

==Subdivisions==
The Imereti region has one self governing city ([[Kutaisi]]) and 11 municipalities with 163 administrative communities (temi), totalling to 549 populated settlements:
* Eleven cities: [[Baghdati]], [[Chiatura]], [[Khoni]], [[Kutaisi]], [[Sachkhere]], [[Samtredia]], [[Terjola]], [[Tkibuli]], [[Tsqaltubo]], [[Vani]] and [[Zestaponi]];
* Three dabas: [[Kharagauli]], [[Kulashi]] and [[Shorapani]];
* Villages: 535

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:110%"
|-
! Map
! Municipality
|-
|rowspan=13|[[File:IM-ka.svg|300px]]
|-----
| [[Kutaisi|City of Kutaisi]]
|-----
| [[Baghdati Municipality]] 
|-----
| [[Vani Municipality]]
|-----
| [[Zestafoni Municipality|Zestaponi Municipality]]
|-----
| [[Terjola Municipality]] 
|-----
| [[Samtredia Municipality]]
|-----
| [[Sachkhere Municipality]]
|-----
| [[Tkibuli Municipality]]
|-----
| [[Chiatura Municipality]] 
|-----
| [[Tsqaltubo Municipality]]
|-----
| [[Kharagauli Municipality]] 
|-----
| [[Khoni Municipality]]
|}

==Economy==
Aside from the capital [[Kutaisi]], significant towns and regional centres include [[Samtredia]], [[Chiatura]] (manganese production centre), [[Tkibuli]] ([[coal]] mining centre), [[Zestaponi]] (known for metals production), [[Vani]], [[Khoni]], and [[Sachkhere]]. Traditionally, Imereti is an agricultural region, known for its [[mulberry|mulberries]] and [[grape]]s.

==Demographics==
The 800,000{{cn|date=April 2024}} Imeretians speak the Imeretian dialect, one of the [[Georgian dialects|Northwest dialects]] of the [[Georgian language]]. It is itself subdivided into Upper and Lower Imeretian.<ref>{{Cite conference |last=[[Kevin Tuite]] |year=1987 |title=The geography of Georgian q'e |url=http://www.mapageweb.umontreal.ca/tuitekj/publications/Tuite-1989-q'e.pdf |conference=5th Conference on the Non-Slavic Languages of the USSR, Chicago |access-date=2007-03-27}}</ref> They are one of the local culture-groups of the ethnically subdivided [[Georgian people]].

{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=19 | Demographic history of the Imereti region<ref name="historicpopulation">{{Cite web | url=http://pop-stat.mashke.org/georgia-division.htm | title=Divisions of Georgia | access-date=2022-02-04 | work=Population Statistics Eastern Europe and former USSR | language=en }}</ref>
|-
! !! 1959 !! 1970 !! 1979 !! 1989 !! 2002* || 2002** !! 2014 !! 2021
|-
! Imereti !! {{increase}} 651,959 || {{increase}} 718,558 || {{increase}} 739,189 || {{increase}} 772,251 || {{decrease}} 699,410 || {{decrease}} 632,126 || {{decrease}} 533,906 || {{decrease}} 481,473
|-
| [[Kutaisi|City of Kutaisi]] || {{increase}} 128,203 || {{increase}} 162,787 || {{increase}} 194,297 || {{increase}} 234,870 || {{decrease}} 185,965 || align=center | - || {{decrease}} 147,635 || {{decrease}} 134,378
|-
| [[Baghdati Municipality]]  || {{increase}} 29,560 || {{increase}} 30,973 || {{decrease}} 30,056 || {{decrease}} 29,053 || {{increase}} 29,235 || align=center | - || {{decrease}} 21,582 || {{decrease}} 18,363
|-
| [[Chiatura Municipality]] || {{increase}} 64,562 || {{increase}} 72,059 || {{decrease}} 69,582 || {{decrease}} 68,501 || {{decrease}} 56,341 || align=center | - || {{decrease}} 39,884 || {{decrease}} 38,231
|-
| [[Kharagauli Municipality]] || {{increase}} 36,486 || {{decrease}} 35,591 || {{decrease}} 31,948 || {{decrease}} 28,702 || {{decrease}} 27,885 || align=center | - || {{decrease}} 19,473 || {{decrease}} 18,571
|-
| [[Khoni Municipality]] || {{increase}} 32,548 || {{increase}} 32,718 || {{increase}} 37,968 || {{decrease}} 34,979 || {{decrease}} 31,749 || align=center | - || {{decrease}} 23,570 || {{decrease}} 21,123
|-
| [[Sachkhere Municipality]]*** || {{increase}} 38,202 || {{increase}} 45,552 || {{decrease}} 44,859 || {{increase}} 44,968 || {{increase}} 46,590 || align=center | - || {{decrease}} 37,775 || {{decrease}} 34,848
|-
| [[Samtredia Municipality]] || {{increase}} 62,556 || {{increase}} 67,141 || {{decrease}} 65,400 || {{decrease}} 64,504 || {{decrease}} 60,456 || align=center | - || {{decrease}} 48,562 || {{decrease}} 43,448 
|-
| [[Terjola Municipality]]  || {{increase}} 43,847 || {{increase}} 46,438 || {{decrease}} 44,709 || {{decrease}} 44,019 || {{increase}} 45,496 || align=center | - || {{decrease}} 35,563 || {{decrease}} 31,427
|-
| [[Tkibuli Municipality]] || {{increase}} 44,411 || {{decrease}} 42,733 || {{decrease}} 39,451 || {{decrease}} 36,686 || {{increase}} 31,132 || align=center | - || {{decrease}} 20,839 || {{decrease}} 17,898
|-
| [[Tsqaltubo Municipality]] || {{increase}} 62,389 || {{increase}} 67,086 || {{increase}} 69,738 || {{increase}} 75,061 || {{increase}} 73,889 || align=center | - || {{decrease}} 56,883 || {{decrease}} 46,803
|-
| [[Vani Municipality]] || {{increase}} 40,999 || {{increase}} 41,505 || {{decrease}} 38,346 || {{decrease}} 35,369 || {{decrease}} 34,464 || align=center | - || {{decrease}} 24,512 || {{decrease}} 21,241 
|-
| [[Zestafoni Municipality|Zestaponi Municipality]] || {{increase}} 68,196 || {{increase}} 73,975 || {{decrease}} 72,835 || {{increase}} 75,539 || {{increase}} 76,208 || align=center | - || {{decrease}} 57,628 || {{decrease}} 55,142
|-
| colspan=10 class="wikitable" style="align:left;text-align:left;background-color:#eaecf0"|* Research after 2014 census showed the 2002 census was inflated by 8-9 percent.<ref name=research2017>{{Cite web | url=https://geostat.ge/media/20624/3.-Population-Dynamics_ENGL-_print_F.pdf | title=Population Dynamics in Georgia - An Overview Based on the 2014 General Population Census Data | pages=1–4 |date=2017-11-29 | access-date=2022-02-04 | work=National Statistics Office of Georgia, Geostat | language=en }}</ref><br/>**Corrected data based on retro-projection 1994–2014 in collaboration with UN<ref name=retro2017>{{Cite web | url=https://www.geostat.ge/en/single-archive/3199 | title=Retro-projection of main demographic indicators for the period 1994-2014 | pages=3, Table 1 |date=2018-05-18 | access-date=2022-02-04 | work=National Statistics Office of Georgia, Geostat | language=en }}</ref><br />*** Part of Sachkhere is outside Georgian government authority and has not been counted since 2002. 
|}

==History==
[[File:2014 Kutaisi, Katedra Bagrati (24).jpg|thumb|[[Bagrati Cathedral]] in Kutaisi]]
In ancient times, the region was a part of the [[Kingdom of Colchis]], until it was conquered by the [[Kingdom of Pontus]]. After the [[Third Mithridatic War]], Colchis was under loose [[Georgia in the Roman era|Roman control]], and unsuccessfully revolted in 69 AD under [[Anicetus (pirate)|Anicetus]].<ref>Woods, David (2006). "Tacitus, Nero, and the 'Pirate' Anicetus" in ''Latomus'' 65(3)</ref> After the collapse of Colchis, the kingdom of [[Lazica]] was established in 131&nbsp;AD as a Roman vassal. [[Tzath I of Lazica|Tzath I]] was the first Christian king of Lazica,{{sfn|Odisheli|2018|page=1541}} being baptized in [[Constantinople]] in 523&nbsp;AD, and fighting alongside [[Eastern Roman Empire|Eastern Roman]] emperor [[Justinian I]] in the [[Iberian War]].{{sfn|Greatrex|Lieu|2002|page=82}} In 541&nbsp;AD, the region became the theatre of the [[Lazic War]] between [[Justinian I]] and [[Sasanian Empire|Sasanian Persian]] emperor [[Khosrow I]].<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Imeretia|volume=14|page=331}}</ref>

Between 750 and 985, Imereti was ruled by a dynasty of native princes, but was devastated by hostile incursions, reviving only after it became united to Georgia.<ref name="EB1911"/> After the [[Mongol invasions of Georgia]], Imereti was intermittently part of the independent [[Kingdom of Western Georgia]], until being reunited in 1415 as the [[Duchy of Samokalako]] under the [[Kingdom of Georgia|united Georgian Kingdom]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Brosset |first=Marie-Félicité |author-link=Marie-Félicité Brosset |date=1849 |title=Histoire de la Géorgie, depuis l'Antiquité jusqu'au XIXe siècle - 1re partie |location=St. Petersburg |publisher=[[Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences]] |url={{GBurl|hc1CAAAAcAAJ}} }}</ref> Since [[Triarchy and collapse of the Kingdom of Georgia|that kingdom's disintegration in the 15th century]], Imereti was an [[Kingdom of Imereti|independent kingdom]] from 1466 onwards.<ref>{{cite book |last=Brosset |first=Marie-Félicité |date=1856 |title=Histoire de la Géorgie depuis l'Antiquité jusqu'au XIXe siècle - IIe partie: Histoire moderne |publisher=Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences |url=https://archive.org/details/BrossetHistGeo2/ }}</ref>

In the 17th–18th centuries, the kingdom of Imereti experienced frequent invasions by the [[Turkey|Turks]] and paid patronage to the [[Ottoman Empire]] until 1810, when it was invaded and annexed by the [[Russian Empire]]. The last King of Imereti was [[Solomon II of Imereti|Solomon II]] (1789–1810).

From 1918 to 1921, Imereti was part of the independent [[Democratic Republic of Georgia]]. Within the [[Soviet Union|USSR]], the region was part of the [[Transcaucasian SFSR]] from 1922 to 1936, and part of the [[Georgian SSR]] from 1936 to 1991. Since Georgian independence in 1991, Imereti has been a region of Georgia with Kutaisi as the regional capital.

==See also==
*[[Kingdom of Imereti]]
*[[Administrative divisions of Georgia (country)]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
===Bibliography===
*{{cite book|last1=Greatrex|first1=Geoffrey|last2=Lieu|first2=Samuel N. C.|title=The Roman Eastern Frontier and the Persian Wars (Part II, 363–630 AD)|location=London, United Kingdom|publisher=Routledge|year=2002|isbn=0-415-14687-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NnLDQgAACAAJ}}
*{{ODLA|last=Odisheli|first=Manana|title=Tsathes I|url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780198662778.001.0001/acref-9780198662778-e-5559}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|auto=y}}
* [http://www.Imereti.com Imereti.com - The Guide to Imereti, Georgia, Sakartvelo]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070710050115/http://www.imereti.ge/?sec_id=4&lang_id=ENG Official website]
* [http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=21844 Civil.GE]

{{Administrative divisions of Georgia}}
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[[Category:Imereti| ]]
[[Category:Regions of Georgia (country)]]
[[Category:Former provinces of Georgia (country)]]
[[Category:Historical regions of Georgia (country)]]