The term "pheasant" and the scientific namePhasianus colchicus are derived from "Phasis" and "Colchis",[2] as this was said to be the region from which the common pheasant was introduced to Europe[3] (thering-necked pheasants were introduced later fromEast Asia).
It is said that "the failure of Colchis to emerge as a strong kingdom or to be maintained as a province of Rome has been blamed on the pestilential climate of the Phasis Valley, a situation remarked upon by travelers down to modern times, when the swamps were finally drained."[4] Wetlands around Rioni River has been drained through a large reclamation-drainage project commissioned by government in 1960. After that, the area was cleared and converted to agricultural land.[5]
The Rioni is the longest river wholly within the borders of Georgia. The river is 327 kilometres (203 mi) long, and itsdrainage basin covers about 13,400 square kilometres (5,200 sq mi).[6] It starts on the southern slopes of the Caucasus Mountains at 2,960 metres (9,710 ft) above sea level, north of the town ofOni. Its largest tributaries are, from source to mouth:Jejora (left),Qvirila (left),Khanistsqali (left),Tskhenistsqali (right) andTekhuri (right).
Stephanus of Byzantium wrote that there was also another river which was named Phasis, inTaprobana (Ancient Greek:Φᾶσις ἐν τῇ Ταπροβάνῃ), as the Indian Ocean island of Ceylon or Sri Lanka was known to the ancient Greeks.[7]
^abHeinz Heinen, Andrea Binsfeld, Stefan Pfeiffer. Vom hellenistischen Osten zum römischen Westen. Wiesbaden, Germany: Franz Steiner Verlag, 2006, pg. 324ISBN3515087400
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