Java or Dzau (Georgian: ჯავა [dʒava] ; Ossetian: Дзау, Dzaw; Russian: Джава Dzhava) is a town of approximately 1,500 people in the disputed de facto independent Republic of South Ossetia, internationally considered part of Shida Kartli, Georgia (except by the Russian Federation and four other UN member states). According to Georgia's current official administrative division, Java is a main town of Java district in the north of Shida Kartli region. According to the South Ossetian side Dzau is an administrative center of Dzau district. The town is situated on the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus, within the Greater Liakhvi Gorge, 1,040 m (3,412 ft) above sea level.
Java
ჯავა Дзау | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 A Russian military base in Java in 2008 | |
  Java Location of Java in South Ossetia  Java Location of Java in Georgia  Java Location of Java in Shida Kartli | |
| Coordinates: 42°23′25″N 43°55′25″E / 42.39028°N 43.92361°E | |
| Country |  Georgia |
| De facto state |  South Ossetia[1] |
| Mkhare | Shida Kartli |
| District | Dzau |
| Elevation | 1,040 m (3,410 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 1,500 |
| Time zone | UTC+4 (Georgian Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+5 |
 | |
Java is the second largest urban settlement in South Ossetia, after Tskhinvali. It is located outside the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe-defined boundaries of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone – an area within a 15-km radius of Tskhinvali.[2][3][4]
The town played a major role in the Russo-Georgian War, with most of the South Ossetian military forces being located there[5] at the time of the Georgian offensive. During the Battle of Tskhinvali, the government of South Ossetia relocated to Java.
Georgia had accused the Russian military of building a large military base in Java before the war. These concerns were brought by the President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, to the attention of the UN General Assembly on September 26, 2007.[6] After the war, Russia announced it was constructing military bases in Java and Tskhinvali, which would be ready in 2010.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ South Ossetia's status is disputed. It considers itself to be an independent state, but this is recognised by only a few other countries. The Georgian government and most of the world's other states consider South Ossetia de jure a part of Georgia's territory.
- ^ GEORGIA: AVOIDING WAR IN SOUTH OSSETIA Archived 2007-06-30 at the Wayback Machine, p. 4. International Crisis Group Europe Report N°159. 26 November 2004
- ^ New Agreement in Force. Civil Georgia. 8 September 2008
- ^ European security after the war in Georgia[permanent dead link], p. 9. European Security and Defence Assembly Assembly of WEU. 4 December 2008
- ^ "Main Page". cast.ru.
- ^ Saakashvili Attacks Russia in UN Speech[permanent dead link]. Civil Georgia. September 26, 2007.
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