Mingrelia (Samegrelo)
Mingrelia (Samegrelo in Georgian) is a historic province of the republic of Georgia, formerly also known as Odishi. It is now part of the administrative region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti. Mingrelia is bordered by the rebellious province of Abkhazia to the west, Imereti to the east, Svaneti to the north, and Guria to the south. Mingrelians (Megrelebi in Georgian) are ethnic Georgians, one of the local culture-groups of ethnically subdivided Georgian people.
Administrative center of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region is Zugdidi. In ancient times Mingrelia was a major part of the kingdom of Kolkha (Colchis) (9th-6th centuries BC) and the kingdom of Egrisi (6th century BC-4th century AD). From the 10th-15th centuries Mingrelia was a part of the united Georgian Kingdom. From the 16th century-1860s, the autonomous Principality of Mingrelia was under the rule of the Georgian dynasty Dadiani before being abolished by the Tsarist Russian Empire. From 1918-1921 Mingrelia was part of the Democratic Republic of Georgia until Georgia's occupation by Soviet Russia. From 1921-1990 this region was part of the Georgian SSR. On April 9 1991, Georgian independence was restored with Mingrelia an integral part.
