Akhaltsikhe Municipality ახალციხის მუნიციპალიტეტი
Rabati Castle
Flag Seal
Country	Georgia
Mkhare	Samtskhe-Javakheti
Capital	Akhaltsikhe
Government
• Type	Mayor–Council
• Mayor	Irakli Lazarashvili (GD)
Area [1]
• Total	1,010.4 km2 (390.1 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[2]
• Total	39,463
• Density	39.057/km2 (101.16/sq mi)
Population by ethnicity[3]
• Georgians	68,00 %
• Armenians	30,92 %
• Russians	0,37 %
• Greeks	0,18 %
• Azerbaijanis	0,15 %
Time zone	UTC+4 (Georgian Time)
Website	https://www.akhaltsikhe.gov.ge/

Akhaltsikhe (Georgian:ახალციხის მუნიციპალიტეტი,Akhaltsikhis munitsip’alit’et’i)) is a municipality inGeorgia's southern region ofSamtskhe-Javakheti. Covering an area of 1,010.4 km² (390 sq mi). As of 2021 it had apopulation of 39,463 people.^[2] The city ofAkhaltsikhe is its administrative centre.

Akhaltsikhe municipality is administratively divided into two cities (Akhaltsikhe andVale) and 14 communities (თემი, temi) with 46 villages (სოფელი, sopeli).^[1]

The city of Akhaltsikhe was separated in 2014 from the municipality and was a so-called "self-governed" city (or kalaki). This administrative and governance reform was deemed too inefficient and expensive and was revoked in 2017.^[4] Since then, the city of Akhaltsikhe has been part of the general municipality again.

Akhaltsikhe Municipal Assembly (Georgian: ახალციხის საკრებულო,Akhaltsikhe Sakrebulo) is a representative body in Akhaltsikhe Municipality, consisting of 39 members which are elected every four years. The last election was held inOctober 2021. Irakli Lazarashvili of Georgian Dream was elected mayor.

By the start of 2021 the population was determined at 39,463 people,^[2] a slight increase compared to the 2014 census.^[8] The population of Akhaltsikhe city decreased slightly during the same period. The population density of the municipality is 39.6 inhabitants per square kilometre (103/sq mi).

The population of Akhaltsikhe consists for 68% of Georgians. By far the largest ethnic minority are theArmenians, who make up 31% of the population. Other minorities are a few dozenRussians,Greeks,Ukrainians,Ossetes and a fewAbkhazians. In terms of religion, 68% of the population are followers of theGeorgian Orthodox Church and 17.4% are followers of theArmenian Apostolic Church. Another large group by Georgian standards areCatholics (12.6%). Furthermore, there are small numbers of followers ofJehovah's Witnesses andIslam.

Population Akhaltsikhe Municipality
	1897	1922	1926	1939	1959	1970	1979	1989	2002[9]	2014	2021
Akhaltsikhe Municipality	-	-	-	55,490	50,420	51,907	49,836	54,747	46,134	[8] 38,895	39,463
Akhaltsikhe city	15,357	10,153	12,328	12,180	16,868	18,972	19,742	24,570	18,452	17,903	17,070
Vale	-	-	-	-	9,629	7,326	6,244	6,305	5,031	3,646	5,215
Data: Population statistics Georgia 1897 to present.[10][11][12] Note:[9]

In November 1944, theMeskhetian Turks, a Turkic-speaking ethnic group of predominantly Muslim faith living in this area,were deported to Soviet Central Asian republics as part of a Stalinist resettlement operation.^[14] At that time, the Meskhetians constituted half of the population of theraion Akhaltsikhe (1939: 28,428 of the 55,490 inhabitants).^[12] Attempts to return them to independent Georgia have failed, with local resistance.^[15][16]

• List of municipalities in Georgia (country)

Wikimedia Commons has media related toAkhaltsikhe Municipality.

• Website Municipality

41°38′20″N42°59′10″E / 41.6389°N 42.9861°E /41.6389; 42.9861

• Municipalities of Samtskhe–Javakheti

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