Akhalkalaki Municipality

Akhalkalaki (Georgian: ახალქალაქის მუნიციპალიტეტი, Akhalkalakis munitsip’alit’et’i) is a municipality in southern Georgia, in the region of Samtskhe-Javakheti with a population of 41,026 (2021^[1]). Its main town and administrative center is Akhalkalaki and it has an area of 1,235 km² (477 sq mi). 93% of the inhabitants in Akhalkalaki are of Armenian descent, the second highest amount in a Georgian municipality after Ninotsminda.

Akhalkalaki Municipality ახალქალაქის მუნიციპალიტეტი
Akhalkalaki fortress
Flag Seal
Country	Georgia
Mkhare	Samtskhe-Javakheti
Administrative centre	Akhalkalaki
Government
• Type	Mayor–Council
• Mayor	Melqon Makarian (GD)
• Municipal Assembly	42 members • Georgian Dream (37) • United National Movement (2) • European Georgia (2) • Lelo for Georgia (1)
Area
• Total	1,235 km2 (477 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[1]
• Total	41,026
• Density	33/km2 (86/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+4 (Georgian Time)

Administrative divisions

Akhalkalaki municipality is administratively divided into one city (the municipal centre Akhalkalaki) and 21 communities (თემი, temi) with 64 villages (სოფელი, sopeli).^[2]

Politics

Akhalkalaki Municipal Assembly (Georgian: ახალქალაქის საკრებულო, Akhalkalaki Sakrebulo) is the representative body in Akhalkalaki Municipality, consisting of 42 members which are elected every four years. The last election was held in October 2021. Melqon Makarian of Georgian Dream was elected mayor.^[3]

Party		2017[4]	2021[5]	Current Municipal Assembly
	Georgian Dream	31	35
	United National Movement		2
	European Georgia	1	2
	People's Power		2[a]
	Lelo		1
	Alliance of Patriots	5
	Free Georgia	1
Total		38	42

Population

Kumurdo Cathedral

By the start of 2021 the population was determined at 41,026 people,^[1] a decrease of 9% compared to the 2014 census.^[2] The population of the city of Akhalkalaki decreased with 6% during the same period. The population density of the municipality is 33.2 inhabitants per square kilometre (86/sq mi).

The vast majority (93%) of the population of Akhalkalaki are Armenians, which makes Akhalkalaki the 2nd most Armenian populated Georgian municipality, after its neighbour Nonotsminda. The remaining 7% are nearly exclusively Georgians. There are a few dozen Russians and Greeks. In terms of religion, 79% of the population consists of followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church, followed by Catholics (12%) and Georgian Orthodox Church (6%). Furthermore, there are small numbers of Jehovah's Witnesses, Protestants and Jews.

Population Akhalkalaki Municipality
	1897	1922	1926	1939	1959	1970	1979	1989	2002[7]	2014	2021
Akhalkalaki Municipality	-	-	-	64,655	62,977	69,992	68,234	69,256	60,975	45,070	41,026
Akhalkalaki city	5,440	2,737	3,475	5,331	8,804	10,751	13,405	15,572	9,802	8,295	7,824
Data: Population statistics Georgia 1897 to present.[8][9][10] Note:[7]

See also

• List of municipalities in Georgia (country)

External links

• Website Akhalkalaki Municipality Archived 2022-01-26 at the Wayback Machine

Explanatory notes

1. Split from Georgian Dream.^[6]