Ajara is one of the most picturesque parts of Georgia located in the extreme South-West of the country. In the South, it borders on Turkey: the border, which is 121 kilometers long, runs from the subtropical coast of the Black Sea through highlands. Ajara covers an area of 2,900 square kilometers, its population is over 400 000 people which consists of more than 80 nationalities and ethnic groups including Georgians, Russians, Ukrainians, Armenians, Greeks, Jews, and others. The mountainous relief is typical of the greater part of Ajara. The coastal lowlands are located in the subtropical area. The average annual temperature in Ajara highlands is 14,5°Ñ, in its lowlands part it ranges between 22°C and 28°C. The country is rich in various natural resources such as lodes of copper and polymetals containing precious and rare elements, quarries, stone deposits supplying gem and stonework industries, springs of mineral and fresh water. Ajara was one of the densely populated and economically and culturally developed regions of the historic Kolkhida. It is known that the first settlements appeared here at the turn of the Ist millenium BC According to the data gathered by the famous historians Gerodot, Strabo, and Xenophont, metal-work, agriculture, and cattle-breeding were highly developed in South-West Georgia. The most ancient centers of metalwork and stonecutting, the site of an old town, and the monuments of the antique epoch were also found in Ajara. Bridges and cult constructions from the time of Tsarina Tamar (17th century) have lasted through the years and Gonio, the fortress-city of the early feudal epoch, has stood the test of time and can still be seen towering majestically over the vicinity. Batumi is the main seaport of Georgia. At the seaside, one can find numerous health and mountain resorts. There is still a great perspective in the development of tourism, of resorts, and of all kinds of recreational facilities both at the seaside and in mountain regions. Ajara is smothered in greenery all year round. Fruit, citrus fruit, and other agricultural food products are ecologically clean and are distinguished by very high quality. Compared with the complicated confrontation typical for the modern Caucasus, Ajara is perfectly quiet, and has therefore been called the peaceful oasis. Culture and art flourish here: a new opera theater was opened recently and the drama theatre has been brought back to life. The performances in these theatres meet the requirements of the world standards. The most outstanding are the immortal «Aida» and «Othello» by Giuuzeppe Verdi, staged at the Batumi opera and ballet theatre, which is the youngest in Georgia. Great attention is paid to the development of sport. Evidence of this fact can be seen in the up-to-date reconstruction of the central stadium, the tennis courts, and the karate center. Favourable conditions for rest are possible due to a traditional attitude of a good natured, polite local population, marked by a rare sense of hospitality.

	Ajara, which has been inhabited from ancient times by Ajarians, the ethnic group of Georgian people, is one of the historical provinces of Georgia. According to the results of archeological excavations, the territory of Ajara has been inhabited since the times of the Neolithic Stone Age. In the Bronze Age, the basins of the river Chorokhi and Cholocki-Ochkhamuri region were the ones of the most powerful centers of Georgian metallurgy. During the existence of the legendary Kolkhida-kingdom (VII-III centuries BC), coastal towns of Ajara – Pichvnary, Batumi, Apsaros (Gonio) and others played an important role in the political and economical life of Kolkhida kingdom. Christian religion spread in Ajara rather early. This event is related with the name of Andrei the First-called, Simon the Canonical and Matata (I-st century AD). In the 2nd century AD, Ajara was a part of Laziki kingdom that had been founded in Western Georgia after the Roman victory over Pont Kingdom and its Tsar Mitridat VI Evpator. In the middle of the XVth century, Ajara came into possession of a powerful feudal family Abashidze. From the 70-s of the XVIth century, Ajara found itself within the boundaries of the Osman Empire and was separated from its motherland for a long time. In 1877-78, a Russian-Turkish war that was next in turn broke out. The Ottoman Empire was defeated again. In 1878 Ajara was joined to the Russian Empire according to the decision of the Berlin Congress. After the reunion of Ajara with its motherland, radical changes started to take place in its economical and cultural life. Ajara began advancing quickly along the path of European development. As far back as 1878, the Berlin Congress made the decision that Batumi (the port, the city and its suburbs) must be given the status of porto-franco. This status of Batumi had existed for 8 years (until 1886) and brought certain benefits to the country. It must be noted that after the declaration of the porto-franco status, Batumi, within a short period of time, became the third largest city of the Trans-Caucasian region and the third significant port in Russia. The porto-franco status contributed to the rapid investments of foreign capital into the country; the industrial development of the city began; trade was expanding. At that time, the Batumi port occupied the third place in the Russian Empire in the amount of cargo-flow after the St. Petersburg and Odessa ports. The population of the city grew from 3000 people to 35000 people. The importance of the city became still greater after the 80-s of the XIX-th century, when Batumi, according to its geographical position, became the most convenient transport junction for the export of oil from Baku. In 1883 Batumi was connected to the Trans-Caucasus railway line. Through the Batumi port foreign trade was conducted by marine companies and societies, whose amount by 1913 had exceeded 30, 25 out of them being foreign (mostly French, English and German). In the same period of time, European trade and industrial companies including «O.F.Gilert», «Siemens and Halske», «Schutz and Zimmerman», «Warneke and Co», «Cornaro and Co», «Nobel Brothers», etc. were working in Batumi. The Europeans' interest in Batumi was constantly growing. The consulates of England, France, Spain, the General Consulate of Turkey, the consular agencies of Germany, Austria, Belgium, the USA and Italy were opened in Batumi. Two Orthodox, two Gregorian and one Georgian Catholic churches, three mosques and two synagogues were opened in the city as well. The development of agriculture began. Special attention was given to the growing of plants used in different industries. By 1913, the overall territory of the planted Citrus gardens was 262 hectares. In the history of the tea-growing industry, it was in Ajara that the first tea seashore plantation appeared. The first tea plantations were planted here in the Chakvi vicinity in 1884, and in 1900 the tea production from Ajara was awarded the big gold medal at the International Industrial Exhibition in Paris. During the short period of Georgia's independence (V.1918 – XI.1921), Ajara wasn't neglected in the way of attention and care, but on the 25th of February 1921, Soviet Russia had Georgia annexed. The historical justice demands that it must be pointed out that the Soviet power did a lot to restore and develop the economy of Ajara. The political and economic crisis that began in the Soviet Empire in the 60-s ended in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Georgia regained its independence, but Georgian Society wasn't ready for this event; numerous political, economical and social problems appeared in the country , which lead Georgia to Civil war. Since March 1991, Aslan Abashidze, who has been elected Chairman of the Supreme Council of Ajar Autonomous Republic, has headed Ajara. The new leader has put great emphasis on the revival of governmental structures and on the establishment of law and order. Civil agreement, peace, and stability were achieved; the violation of human rights was put an end to. The irrevocable process of the revival of culture, art, science, and the reinforcement of democracy began. On the 24th of October 1997, the lifelong dream of the Georgian people came true – Ajar Autonomous Republic was the first among the Caucasus republics and regions which opened the door to Europe when it took its place in the Assembly of European Regions. The Head of Autonomous Republic was elected a member of the Assembly Bureau. It is well understood in Ajara that the strengthening of the role and authority of Georgia in the international community depends to a great extent on the contribution of each region. Taking all this into account, the authorities of Autonomous Republic try to realize step by step all the outlined aims and tasks of economical development, state perfecting, maintenance of real democracy and federalism in the country.

	The territory of Ajara with its peculiarities of natural conditions is divided into two parts: the coastal Ajara which comprises valleys, lowlands and which is characterised by high thermal conditions typical of subtropical air, (the average annual temperature – +14,50 C, the temperature of the coldest winter mouth, January, is +6,50 C), by the abundance of precipitation (on average 2500 mm annually) and solar energy, famous sea resorts. The second part of Ajara is mountainous Ajara, where the influence of the Black Sea is weakened by the mountains, that is why the air is quite different here. The average height of the mountains is 2000-2500 meters. There are also Goderskiy heights (2025 m) here, over which the state-important motorway Batumi-Ahaltsikhe runs. The higher the mountains are, the lower the air temperature is. In Khulo, at the height of 920 m above the sea level, the average temperature in January is +10 C and in July +190 C. Almost all the rivers of Ajara belong to the Black Sea basin. The deepest and the widest river, which has its mouth in Georgia and which flows 26 kilometres long in Ajara, is the Chorokhi. In spring and autumn the Chorokhi happens to overflow. The rivers Kintrishi, Chakvistkali, Koroliskskali flow immediately into the Black Sea. The deep and wide mountainous rivers of Ajara contain a great supply of hydro energy. In perspective it is planned to build about 70 hydroelectric power stations, capable of producing 1,2 milliard kWh of electric energy. The flora and fauna of Ajara are unique and diverse. The originality of flora is determined by the fact that during the glacial period Kolkhida was the shelter of the ancient relicts. At the same time, the greater part of relicts are of local Kolkhidian origin, the others are of endemic origin. The flora of Ajara comprises 1700 species of plants. 41 out of them are included into the Red Book of Georgia. The Ajara forests occupy the territory of 186965 hectares. The percentage of woody areas is 65.1%, while on the whole in Georgia this index is 39,6%, in the world it is 27% and in the neighbouring Turkey it is 11%. More that 60% of forests are located at 1000 meters above the sea level and more that 90% on 20 slopes. It is mainly foliage (beeches, oak-trees) and coniferous forests (firtrees, pines, silver firs) that are spread here. The Ajara fauna is rich too. Animals and birds that commonly have their habitat in plains and in middle-level and high-level mountainous regions can be met here. For the protection of the valuable hunting fauna and the fauna useful for other industrial purposes the Kintrishi preserve was founded.

	Ajara is rich in natural minerals. There are layers and deposits of non-ferrous metals, chemical raw materials, quarries, stone deposits, supplying gem processing, and stone work industries. Ajara is rich in resources of mineral and fresh water. There are thermal waters, the prospects of finding oil and gas. Numerous lodes of copper and polymetals (Varaza, Obolo-Kanli-Kaia, Tscalbokela, Verkhnala, Veliburi and Vaio) represent the deposits of metallic ore, and ores (Goderdzistskali, Tckaltsitela, Kirnati, Charnali, Chakvistavi, Khalastavi and others). In recent years, as the result of geological research work, compositions of rare elements have been found in ore. On the Black Sea coast between Kabuleti and Choloki there are magnetic sands. Among chemical raw materials pyrites and numerous lodes of alunite can be found. Different kinds of layers of rock are widely spread in Ajara, which can be used for building purposes. These are different kinds of volcanic and magma rocks: andesites, basalt, gabbro, diorite, syenites and others. Since ancient times natural stones were used for building churches and for other constructions and this rich heritage has been preserved in different parts of Ajara up to the present day. Deposits of semi-precious stones, gems and stones used in the stonework industry have been found in Ajara as a result of recent geological work. There are prospects of finding oil and gas deposits in the Black Sea shelf, in the waters of Ajara. There have been found some prospective structures that lie in the sea at the depth from 50 to 1500 meters.

	Batumi is the capital of Ajar Autonomous Republic. It is here that the spiritual rise of the nation started. And it is here that the great culture had its beginning. Now it is the place of constructive work. Schools, kindergartens, new modern plants, super new modern plants, first-rate banks, hotels are being built here. New types of produce is being manufactured, tourist and sport centres of inter-national importance are being built here. The construction of apartment buildings, which are on a level with world stan-dards, has been started here. New models of high-speed cutters are being produced. The city is changing. A luxurious shopping centre-gallery is being constructed with swimming pools, a yacht club and all kinds of entertainment for children. New scientific institutes, research centres and offices have been founded. The Georgian Opera, which was brought back to life here, has got the world acclaim. The expositions of museums and exhibition halls are constantly enriched and renewed by the masterpieces of world art. The Fine Art Museum has been opened, the archaeological works in museums in the open air, fortresses and historical places of the country are under way. Batumi of tomorrow will be a completely different city. Ajara itself will undergo radical changes too to make all Georgia more powerful and more beautiful.