Tskhinvali

/skin"veuh lee, tskin"-/; Russ. /tskhyeen"veuh lyi/, n.

a city in and the capital of the South Ossetian Autonomous Region, NW of Tbilisi. 34,000.

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▪ Georgia

also spelled  Cchinvali,  formerly (1934–61)  Staliniri 

      city, north-central Georgia, on the Bolshaya Liakhvi River. It is the leading city of an area populated by a Caucasian people known as Ossetes, or Ossetians. Tskhinvali is the capital of the breakaway region of South Ossetia.

      In the late 1980s Tskhinvali became the centre of a separatist movement that sought independence for South Ossetia. In 1991–92 the city was damaged during heavy fighting between Ossetian and Georgian forces. Following a cease-fire in 1992, Russian peacekeeping troops were stationed there. Tskhinvali has varied industries, including electrical and mechanical engineering and food-processing and woodworking concerns. The city's economy, however, struggled as the conflict with Georgia continued into the early 21st century. A local museum, teacher-training institute, and medical school are located in Tskhinvali. Pop. (latest est.) 42,934.

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