The disputed region of Abkhazia is claimed by Georgia as part of its sovereign territory , but it has been entirely outside Georgia 's effective control ( and ruled instead by a '' de facto '' separatist government ) since the early 1990s . Following the 2008 Russia – Georgia war , Abkhazia gained formal recognition as an independent state by Russia and a small number of other nations , though the United Nations ( UN ) and most of the international community still consider it to be part of Georgia . As a consequence of a 1992 – 1993 war with Georgia , most ethnic Georgians originally living in Abkhazia were either expelled or killed
either expelled or killed
Ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia
Freedom of religion in Georgia (country)