Amunicipality (Georgian: მუნიციპალიტეტი, romanized: munitsip'alit'et'i) is a subdivision of Georgia, consisting of a settlement or a group of settlements (community, თემი, temi), which enjoy local self-government. A total of 69 municipalities are registered as of January 2019.[1] Five municipalities are entirely located in breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and are effectively not governed by Tbilisi. The remaining 64 are divided over five self-governing cities (ქალაქი, kalaki) and 59 self-governing communities. Municipalities can be subdivided into administrative units, referred to as a community (თემი, temi).
The municipalities were first established in 2006. Most of them were successors to the earlier subdivisions, known as raioni (რაიონი), "districts". In addition, new municipalities were formed to govern those settlements in the disputed entities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia that at the time remained under Georgia's control. After the Russo-Georgian War of 2008, Georgia treats these municipalities as parts of its occupied territories. The former districts not under Georgia's effective sovereignty at the moment of the local government reform of 2006 were not transformed into municipalities. Rather, the laws of Georgia include a notion that the final mode of subdivision and system of local self-government should be established after the restoration of the state jurisdiction over the occupied territories.[2][3] Each municipality is divided into administrative units (ადმინისტრაციული ერთეული), which can comprise one or several settlements.[4]
The municipalities outside the two autonomous republicsofAdjara and of Abkhazia and the capital city of Tbilisi are grouped, on a provisional basis, into nine regions (mkhare): Guria, Imereti, Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, and Shida Kartli.[2]
| Municipality as of 2019 | Corresponding district before 2006 | Population (01.01.2021)[5] |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 3,728,573 | |
| Tbilisi, City of | 1,202,731 | |
| Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia[a] | n.a.[b] | |
| 1. Azhara (Upper Abkhazia) Municipality[c] | n.a.[b] | |
| — | Gagra[a] | n.a.[b] |
| — | Gali[a] | n.a.[b] |
| — | Gudauta[a] | n.a.[b] |
| — | Gulripshi[a] | n.a.[b] |
| — | Ochamchire[a] | n.a.[b] |
| — | Sokhumi[a] | n.a.[b] |
| Autonomous Republic of Adjara | 354,905 | |
| 1. Batumi, City of | 172,063 | |
| 2. Keda Municipality | Keda District | 16,700 |
| 3. Kobuleti Municipality | Kobuleti District | 71,843 |
| 4. Khelvachauri Municipality | Khelvachauri District | 52,737 |
| 5. Khulo Municipality | Khulo District | 26,626 |
| 6. Shuakhevi Municipality | Shuakhevi District | 14,936 |
| RegionofGuria | 107,101 | |
| 1. Chokhatauri, Municipality of | Chokhatauri District | 17,851 |
| 2. Lanchkhuti Municipality | Lanchkhuti District | 29,893 |
| 3. Ozurgeti Municipality | Ozurgeti District | 59,357 |
| RegionofImereti | 481,473 | |
| 1. Kutaisi, City of | 134,378 | |
| 2. Baghdati Municipality | Baghdati District | 18,363 |
| 3. Vani Municipality | Vani District | 21,241 |
| 4. Zestaponi Municipality | Zestaponi District | 55,142 |
| 5. Terjola Municipality | Terjola District | 31,427 |
| 6. Samtredia Municipality | Samtredia District | 43,448 |
| 7. Sachkhere Municipality[d] | Sachkhere District[d] | 34,848 |
| 8. Tkibuli Municipality | Tkibuli District | 17,898 |
| 9. Tsqaltubo Municipality | Tskkaltubo District | 46,803 |
| 10. Chiatura Municipality | Chiatura District | 38,231 |
| 11. Kharagauli Municipality | Kharagauli District | 18,571 |
| 12. Khoni Municipality | Khoni District | 21,123 |
| RegionofKakheti | 309,578 | |
| 1. Akhmeta Municipality | Akhmeta District | 28,853 |
| 2. Gurjaani Municipality | Gurjaani District | 51,814 |
| 3. Dedoplistskaro Municipality | Dedoplis Tskaro District | 20,677 |
| 4. Telavi Municipality | Telavi District | 55,113 |
| 5. Lagodekhi Municipality | Lagodekhi District | 41,152 |
| 6. Sagarejo Municipality | Sagarejo District | 52,335 |
| 7. Sighnaghi Municipality | 29,177 | |
| 8. Qvareli Municipality | Qvareli District | 30,457 |
| RegionofMtskheta-Mtianeti | 93,389 | |
| 1. Akhalgori Municipality[a] | Akhalgori District[a] | n.a.[b] |
| 2. Dusheti Municipality | Dusheti District | 26,328 |
| 3. Tianeti Municipality | Tianeti District | 10,274 |
| 4. Mtskheta Municipality | Mtskheta District | 53,006 |
| 5. Kazbegi Municipality | Kazbegi District | 3,781 |
| RegionofRacha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti | 28,500 | |
| 1. Ambrolauri Municipality | Ambrolauri District | 10,405 |
| 2. Lentekhi Municipality | Lentekhi District | 4,027 |
| 3. Oni Municipality[d] | Oni District[d] | 5,563[e] |
| 4. Tsageri Municipality | Tsageri District | 8,505 |
| RegionofSamegrelo-Zemo Svaneti | 308,358 | |
| 1. Poti, City of | 41,536 | |
| 2. Abasha Municipality | Abasha District | 19,560 |
| 3. Zugdidi Municipality | Zugdidi District | 99,542 |
| 4. Martvili Municipality | Martvili District | 31,495 |
| 5. Mestia Municipality | Mestia District | 9,447 |
| 6. Senaki Municipality | Senaki District | 34,315 |
| 7. Chkhorotsku Municipality | District | 21,361 |
| 8. Tsalenjikha Municipality | Tsalenjikha District | 23,296 |
| 9. Khobi Municipality | Khobi District | 27,806 |
| RegionofSamtskhe-Javakheti | 151,110 | |
| 1. Adigeni Municipality | Adigeni District | 16,092 |
| 2. Aspindza Municipality | Aspindza District | 10,587 |
| 3. Akhalkalaki Municipality | Akhalkalaki District | 41,026 |
| 4. Akhaltsikhe Municipality | Akhaltsikhe District | 39,463 |
| 5. Borjomi Municipality | Borjomi District | 24,998 |
| 6. Ninotsminda Municipality | Ninotsminda District | 18,944 |
| RegionofKvemo Kartli | 437,347 | |
| 1. Rustavi, City of | 130,072 | |
| 2. Bolnisi Municipality | Bolnisi District | 56,036 |
| 3. Gardabani Municipality | Gardabani District | 80,329 |
| 4. Dmanisi Municipality | Dmanisi District | 20,922 |
| 5. Tetritsqaro Municipality | Tetritsqaro District | 22,485 |
| 6. Marneuli Municipality | Marneuli District | 107,824 |
| 7. Tsalka Municipality | Tsalka District | 19,679 |
| RegionofShida Kartli | 254,081 | |
| 1. Gori Municipality[d] | Gori District[d] | 120,569[e] |
| 2. Kaspi Municipality | Kaspi District | 41,795 |
| 3. Kareli Municipality[d] | Kareli District[d] | 40,689[e] |
| 4. Khashuri Municipality | Khashuri District | 51,028 |
| 5. Eredvi Municipality[c] | n.a.[b] | |
| 6. Tighvi Municipality[c] | n.a.[b] | |
| 7. Kurta Municipality[c] | n.a.[b] | |
| — | Java District[a] | n.a.[b] |
