Gali (Georgian: გალი[ɡali]ⓘ; Abkhaz: Гал, Gal) is a town in Abkhazia[3] 77 km southeast of Sukhumi. It is the centre of Gali District and was in the United Nations security zone prior to the Russian veto of the UNOMIG Mission in 2009. As of 2011 the town has a population of 7 605 inhabitants.[4]
On 15 April 1953, the newspaper Izvestia reported that the residents of Gali were celebrating the 132nd birthday of its oldest resident, Tlabgan Ketsba, and that he had founded the town in the 19th century.[7]
^The political status of Abkhazia is disputed. Having unilaterally declared independence from Georgia in 1992, Abkhazia is formally recognised as an independent state by 5 UN member states (two other states previously recognised it but then withdrew their recognition), while the remainder of the international community recognizes it as de jure Georgian territory. Georgia continues to claim the area as its own territory, designating it as Russian-occupied territory.
^The political status of Abkhazia is disputed. Having unilaterally declared independence from Georgia in 1992, Abkhazia is formally recognised as an independent state by 5 UN member states (two other states previously recognised it but then withdrew their recognition), while the remainder of the international community recognizes it as de jure Georgian territory. Georgia continues to claim the area as its own territory, designating it as Russian-occupied territory.
