Javakheti
| Javakheti | |
|---|---|
| Historical region | |
 Map highlighting the historical region of Javakheti in Georgia |
|
| Largest city | Akhalkalaki |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2,588 km2 (999 sq mi) |
| Elevation(highest point: Didi Abuli) | 3,300 m (10,800 ft) |
| Population (2014) | |
| • Total | 69,561 |
| • Density | 27/km2 (70/sq mi) |
Javakheti (Georgian: ჯავახეთი [dʒɑvɑχɛtʰi]; Armenian: Ջավախք, Javakhk) is a historical province in southern Georgia, corresponding to the modern Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda municipalities. Historically, Javakheti borders in the west to the Kura River (Mtkvari), and in the north, south and east with the Shavsheti, Samsari and Nialiskuri mountains. Principal economic activities in this region are subsistence agriculture, particularly potatoes, and raising .
In 1995, the Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda districts, comprising the historical territory of Javakheti, was merged with the neighboring land of Samtskhe to form a new administrative region, Samtskhe-Javakheti. Armenians comprise the majority of Javakheti's population. According to the 2014 Georgian census, of the 41,870 inhabitants in Akhalkalaki Municipality (93%) and Ninotsminda Municipality 23,262 (95%) were Armenians.
In terminology, the name Javakheti is taken from javakh core with traditional Georgian –eti suffix; commonly, Javakheti means the home of Javakhs (an ethnic subgroup of Georgians), as for example, the word Ossetia is taken from Georgian Osi plus -eti. The suffix in Armenian has an identical meaning.
The earliest mention of the name was found in Urartu sources, in the notes of king Argishti I of Urartu, 785 BC, as Zabaha.
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