Akhalkalaki

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Akhalkalaki
ახალქალაქი
name_local = ახალქალაქი


pushpin_

mapsize = 280px
map_caption = Location of Akhalkalaki in Georgia
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = GEO
subdivision_type1 = Mkhare
subdivision_name1 = Samtskhe-Javakheti
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 =
area_land_km2 =
area_water_km2 =
population_as_of = 2002
population_footnotes =
population_total = 60,975
population_density_km2 =
timezone = GMT
utc_offset = +4
timezone_DST = GMT
utc_offset_DST = +5
latd=41 |latm=24 |lats=20 |latNS=N
longd=43 |longm=29 |longs=10 |longEW=E
elevation_m =
website =
footnotes =

Akhalkalaki ( _ka. ახალქალაქი for "New City"; _hy. Ախալքալաք, "Akhalkalak") is a small city in Georgia's southern region of Samtskhe-Javakheti with a population of 60,975. Akhalkalaki lies on the edge of the Javakheti Volcanic Plateau. The city is located about 30 km from the border with Turkey. 90 percent of the city's population are ethnic Armenians. The city was passed from Ottomans to Russians after Russo-Turkish War (1828–1829). Under the Ottoman rule, the town was known as Ahılkelek.

Transport

In April 2005, an agreement was signed to build a new railway connecting Turkey with Georgia and Azerbaijan, passing through Akhalkalaki.

Bases

The city was a home to the Soviet-era 147th Motor Rifle Division (part of the 9th Army of the Transcaucasian Military District) up until the early 1990s. After the fall of the Soviet Union the Division became the Russian 62nd Military Base which was officially transferred, according to the 2006 Sochi agreement, to Georgia on June 27, 2007. [ [http://www.civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=15342 Russia Transfers Akhalkalaki Military Base to Georgia.] "Civil Georgia". June 27, 2007. Accessed on June 29, 2007.]

References

* [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/GG/6/Akhalkalaki.html FallingRain Map - elevation = 1707m]

External links

* [http://www.samtskhe-javakheti.ge/en/index.php?ur=akhalkalaki Akhalkalaki district]