Samegrelo

Samegrelo (Mingrelia or Mengrelia) is located in Western Georgia and at present Samegrelo and Zemo Svaneti form one region. Administrative center of the region is Zugdidi (in 340 km from Tbilisi). The whole region form 9 administrative districts: Abasha, Chkorotsku, Khobi, Martvili, Mestia, Poti, Senaki, Tsalenjikha, Zugdidi.

Samegrelo includes Kvemo Svaneti region. Samegrelo’s neighbor provinces are Svaneti from the north, Guria from the south, Imereti from the east, Abkhazia from the north-west and the Black sea from the west. Poti is the main sea port. Citrus and tea growing is the main agricultural activity in the region. They grow maize, hazelnut and fruit in the region.

In relation to history, Samegrelo was part of the powerful Western Georgian- the Kingdom of Colchis or Kolkhida. As a historic province it was known also as Odishi. In the 16^th c Samegrelo was ruled by Georgian dynasty Dadiani. The palace of the Dadiani family still exists in Zugdidi.