Imereti by Levan Urushadze

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Imereti is a historic province in Western Georgia, situated along the middle and upper reaches of the Rioni River.

The province's main city is Kutaisi; other urban industrial centers include Samtredia, Chiatura (food processing), Tkibuli (coal mining), and Zestaphoni (metals), Khoni, Sachkhere. Traditionally, Imereti is an agricultural region, known for its mulberries and grapes.

The 800,000 Imeretians speak a Imeretian dialect of Georgian language, they are a ethnographic group of Georgian People. In 975-1466 Imereti was part of the united Georgian Kingdom. Imeretians first emerged as a distinct entity in 1466. The country suffered frequent invasions by the Turks, but managed to maintain its independence from the 16th to the 18th centuries. It fought against Russia from 1804 to 1810, when Imereti was finally annexed. Last King of Imereti was Solomon II (1789-1810).