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Republic of Georgia year. Tea plantations were established along Ajara’s Black Sea coast during the 1880s. Mining continues to be important to the region. Copper deposits are mined in several locations, as are deposits of semiprecious stones and building materials. Batumi has been Ajara’s capital since 1921. This coastal city is the republic’s largest community, and its cultural, educational, and industrial center. Its name comes from the Greek word bathkos, which means “deep.” Batumi’s geographic location and deep-water harbor are key factors in its role as a major seaport. Industrial goods, agricultural products, and oil are major exports. The city is at the western end of an oil pipeline from Azerbaijan through which millions of barrels of oil pass each year. Abkhazia. Abkhazian people have a legend about how they came to their homeland. As the tale goes, when God was giving land to the world’s people, Abkhazians were busy entertaining God’s guests. After everybody got their land, God realized that he had missed the Abkhazians, so he decided to give them the small amount of land that remained. But only stones were left, so God had to use the stones to create a homeland for the Abkhazians. That is why, say Abkhazians, their land is not suited to cultivation, but its 3,300 square mile (8,545 square kilometers) landscape is full of natural beauty. Settlers from ancient Greek city-states colonized the area of present day Abkhazia as early as the sixth century B. C . During its long history, Abkhazia was under foreign rule much of the time. A short period of independence was achieved in the eighth century A.D., but it was short-lived. It was integrated into the Georgian kingdom at the end of 10th century, and between the 10th and 19th centuries it changed rulers many times. In 1578, the Ottoman Turks gained control over Abkhazia and held it until 1810 when Russia gained control of the region. The republic’s people