Earth Science s 2015; 4(5-1): 60-67 Published online July 12, 2015 (http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/earth) doi: 10.11648/j.earth.s.2015040501.21 ISSN: 2328-5974 (Print); ISSN: 2328-5982 (Online) Problems with the Drawing a State Border along the River Psou Section Dali Nikolaishvili 1, *, Revaz Tolordava 2, Davit Sartania 3, Lali Kutateladze 2 1Department of Geography, Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences,Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia 2Department of Geography, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Healthcare, Sokhumi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia 3Museum of TSU, Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia Email address: [email protected] (D. Nikolaishvili) To cite this article: Dali Nikolaishvili, Revaz Tolordava, Davit Sartania, Lali Kutateladze. Problems with the Drawing a State Border along the River Psou Section. Earth Sciences. Special Issue: Modern Problems of Geography and Anthropology. Vol. 4, No. 5-1, 2015, pp. 60-67. doi: 10.11648/j.earth.s.2015040501.21 Abstract: The work deals with analysis of problems with the drawing a state border along the River Psou Section. The problem is difficult to solute due to the modern complex geopolitical situation in the Caucasus region, wrong decisions of the past and historical documents and cartographic sources with the inadequately shown reality. One of the major hampering factors is the state practice of territorial spacing of the former Soviet republics implying giving the state borders of a country having lost its independence a status of administrative borders. The main purpose of the study is to give the geographical-cartometry analysis of the historical transformations of the River Psou section of the Georgian state border. A lot of various cartographic sources, governmental Resolutions, historical and statistical data also were used as the basis of the study. Different factors as one of the main factors determining the historical change of this section of state border are discussed in the paper. The research was conducted in different main directions: the evaluation of historical transformations of state border throughout of XIX-XX centuries and in modern times, factors hampering the regulation of the state border, issue of the territorial belonging of village Aibga, etc. In order to study these issues have used different methods as well as GIS-technologies. The main results of research are determination of some issues connected with state border along the river Psou section: 1) the frequency of historical transformations; (2) the major factors causing this historical transformations; (3) incompliance between the existing cartographic sources and governmental resolutions in relation to the registration of all five districts of village Aibga, (4) the facts of incorrect depiction of the territorial belonging of the river Psou section in the XX-century scientific and statistical sources. Keywords: State Border, River Psou, Georgia, Delimitation, Demarcation 1. Introduction Historically, the regulation of state borders was always one question of delimitation and demarcation of the state borders of the major concerns for any state, as this issue was always in the Post-Soviet space on the agenda. Peaceful and timely associated with changing the territory of the countries, resolution of this issue is hampered by a number of existence of the nations and changes to the national language circumstances: modern complex geopolitical situation in the and culture. Therefore, in the history of mankind, the issue of region, wrong decisions of the past and historical documents a state border has always been the source of the problem and cartographic sources with the inadequately shown reality. arising between the states. This question is particularly urgent One of the major hampering factors is the state practice of for the countries, like Georgia, which on the one hand, for territorial spacing of the former Soviet republics implying centuries, had to protect its territory on the background of the giving the state borders of a country having lost its permanently changing borders and is in a hard geopolitical independence a status of administrative borders. Despite the situation at present, on the other hand. fact that the allied republics of the Soviet Union (including The demolition of the Soviet Union and origination of the the Georgian SSR) were considered sovereign republics, no sovereign states in the South Caucasus in the 1990s puts the documents about the borders between them existed and no Earth Sciences 2015; 4(5-1): 60-67 61 relevant marking was ever undertaken. Consequently, this analysis of the historical transformations of the River Psou issue is depicted wrongly and inadequately in large-scale section of the Georgian state border. topographic maps. Frequent changes of the territorial belonging of the areas 2. Research Methods and Initial Data along the state border of Georgia are associated with unfair plotting of the administrative borders during the Soviet Various cartographic sources were used as the basis of the period, different interpretations of the data found in various study: sources, non-delimited and non-demarked border and its The Verst maps of the Caucasus and adjacent areas of the location in an uncontrolled area, etc. In this respect, one of XIX century, drafted by the Topographic Department of the important factors is also cartographic sources. Among the Military District Staff of the Caucasus based on the other reasons, one can name inaccuracies and inadequate geodetic, topographic and astronomic works depiction of reality in the cartographic sources. Consequently, accomplished in the region. These maps are of different the analysis of the contour of the state borders given in the scales and were drafted in the old Russian metric system old cartographic sources and examination of their compliance (1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 20, 40-verst options); with the governmental resolutions seems much more A series of historical maps [3] showing the territory and important. The fact of “Aibga section” of the state border borders of Georgia in different historical epochs; being a certain hot political point till present needs the The Soviet topographic maps published in different designing of a single electronic base of cartographic sources years (scaled 1:100 000 and 1:25 000) showing the relief, and their thorough analysis. In this respect, the present work natural components, infrastructure, supporting geodetic is a step forward. network, etc. in details; the maps published or updated in Besides, not all the perimeter of the state border of Georgia different years (1940, 1960, 1970, 1980) often give is delimited or demarked, but only a 275-km-long different contours of the state borders; Georgian-Turkish border, as a “heritage” of the state border The political-administrative maps published in the between Turkey and the Soviet Union. Soviet period. Despite its political significance, the cartographic-geodetic The accuracy and completeness of the maps allow resolving basis to organize the state borders has not been developed or the study objectives with a high degree of accuracy. scientifically proved to date. The list of scientific works The study is also based on the analysis of the governmental dedicated to the resolution of the above-mentioned problem resolutions and international agreements of different periods, by using the principle of cadastre geo-information mapping, in particular, on the information about the state border of i.e. the principle possible to use to create a system of any Georgia given in these documents. spatial and time changes and control and operative response, In the study were used historical-genetic, is very short. It is such deficient methodological base to be historical-comparative, cartographical methods as well as blamed for a number of disputable precedents of delimitation GIS-technologies. and demarcation in modern world, including Georgia [1]. All the above-mentioned issues lead to a number of 3. Study Area problems. This is why thorough study and analysis of all surroundings, including the geographical-cartographic The northern and north-western sections of the state border problems and development of scientifically substantiated of Georgia were formed as a result of a long historical fundamentals are so important to. relationship with the neighboring peoples and it mostly ran Decree No. 59 “On approving the state border management along the natural boundaries. It is these sections of the state strategy of Georgia” of the President of Georgia of February 4, border of Georgia mostly along the central high-mountainous 2008 states that as a result of the work of the State section of the Great Caucasus, having been subject to the Commission for Delimitation and Demarcation, 65% of the least historical variations, where eternal snows and glaciers border sections with Armenia and Azerbaijan each and 40% of and cliffy massifs lie as an almost continuous line. the section of the border with Russia are agreed (delimited) [2]. Historically, this natural boundary played a major role in Therefore, the share of the unresolved and disputable sections protecting the country against invaders from the north. of the total perimeter of the state border of Georgia is quite However, even the perimeter of the said border used to high. In this respect, the question is particularly severe with the change and as a result, even to date we see disputable River Psou section of the Georgian-Russian state border. sections of the state border. Historically, this section of the state border has been subject to The River Psou section of the Georgian state border runs significant changes, unlike other sections of the border with for 57 km along the River Psou, which is the Abkhazia. The reason is the Great Caucasus mountainous Georgian-Russian border. The River Psou heads from mount region and cliffy massifs erected off some of its sections, as Agepsta (3257 m asl) on the main Caucasioni watershed well as areas covered with eternal snow and glaciers. It is ridge and flows through a deep and woody gorge.