Akhalkalaki

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Akhalkalaki (ახალქალაქი for New City, Ahılkelek), 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 after expulsion of Meskhetian Turks by Stalin in 1944. The city was passed from Ottomans to Russians after Russo-Turkish War (1828–1829).

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.

References

• FallingRain Map - elevation = 1707m

External links

• Akhalkalaki district

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Last updated on Wednesday February 06, 2008 at 14:46:12 PST (GMT -0800)
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