# Daba (settlement)

Daba (Georgian: დაბა) is a type of human settlement in Georgia, a "small town". It is equivalent to an urban-type settlement in some other countries of the former Soviet Union.
In present-day Georgia, daba is typically defined as a settlement with the population of no less than 3,000 and established social and technical infrastructure, which enables it to function as a local economic and cultural center; it, furthermore, should not possess large agricultural lands. The status of daba can also be granted to a settlement with the population of less than 3,000, provided it functions as an administrative center of the district (municipality) or has a prospect of further economic and population growth in the nearest future.

## Etymology

Daba is the term well known in Old Georgian, where it had the meaning "cornfield, hamlet". It is derived from a Common Kartvelian root *dab(a), which is also a source of the Svan däb, "cornfield", and, possibly, the Mingrelian dobera (dobira), "arable land". The derivative words are udabno, "desert", and mdabali, "low". The name daba is also a basis for several placenames in Georgia, such as Daba, Akhaldaba ("new daba"), Q'veldaba ("cheese daba"), and Dabadzveli ("old daba").

## List of daba in Georgia

As of 2011, 50 settlements are categorized in Georgia as daba. These, listed according to a population size (2002 census), are:
| | Daba | Population (2002) | Status granted | District/Municipality | Region or autonomous republic | Note |
| 1. | Surami | 9,800 | 1926 | Khashuri | Shida Kartli | |
| 2. | Tskneti | 8,200 | 1967 | Vake District, Tbilisi | Tbilisi | |
| 3. | Chakvi | 8,100 | 1954 | Kobuleti | Autonomous Republic of Adjara | |
| 4. | Kazreti | 7,300 | 1965 | Bolnisi | Kvemo Kartli | |
| 5. | Khelvachauri | 6,100 | 1968 | Khelvachauri | Autonomous Republic of Adjara | |
| 6. | Ochkhamuri | 5,000 | 1954 | Kobuleti | Autonomous Republic of Adjara | |
| 7. | Chkhorotsqu | 5,000 | 1960 | Chkhorotsqu | Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti | |
| 8. | Laituri | 3,600 | 1953 | Ozurgeti | Guria | |
| 9. | Tianeti | 3,600 | 1960 | Tianeti | Mtskheta-Mtianeti | |
| 10. | Shaumiani | 3,600 | 1932 | Marneuli | Kvemo Kartli | |
| 11. | Agara | 3,500 | 1934 | Kareli | Shida Kartli | |
| 12. | Makhinjauri | 3,400 | 1959 | Khelvachauri | Autonomous Republic of Adjara | |
| 13. | Aspindza | 3,200 | 1961 | Aspindza | Samtskhe-Javakheti | |
| 14. | Manglisi | 2,800 | 1926 | Tetritsqaro | Kvemo Kartli | |
| 15. | Kveda Nasakirali | 2,600 | 1976 | Ozurgeti | Guria | |
| 16. | Mestia | 2,600 | 1968 | Mestia | Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti | |
| 17. | Akhalgori | 2,500 | 1960 | Akhalgori | Mtskheta-Mtianeti | Controlled by the Republic of South Ossetia Russian-occupied territory under the Law of Georgia on Occupied Territories (431-IIs, October 23, 2008) |
| 18. | Kharagauli | 2,400 | 1944 | Kharagauli | Imereti | |
| 19. | Akhaldaba | 2,400 | 1965 | Borjomi | Samtskhe-Javakheti | |
| 20. | Didi Lilo | 2,400 | 1974 | Tbilisi | Tbilisi | |
| 21. | Chokhatauri | 2,100 | 1947 | Chokhatauri | Guria | |
| 22. | Kulashi | 2,000 | 1961 | Samtredia | Imereti | |
| 23. | Bakuriani | 2,000 | 1926 | Borjomi | Samtskhe-Javakheti | |
| 24. | Zhinvali | 1,900 | 1976 | Dusheti | Mtskheta-Mtianeti | |
| 25. | Kojori | 1,900 | 1968 | Tbilisi | Tbilisi | |
| 26. | Stepantsminda | 1,800 | 1966 | Kazbegi | Mtskheta-Mtianeti | |
| 27. | Lentekhi | 1,700 | 1969 | Lentekhi | Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti | |
| 28. | Shorapani | 1,600 | 1938 | Zestaponi | Imereti | |
| 29. | Pasanauri | 1,600 | 1966 | Dusheti | Mtskheta-Mtianeti | |
| 30. | Ureki | 1,400 | 1953 | Ozurgeti | Guria | |
| 31. | Abastumani | 1,400 | 1926 | Adigeni | Samtskhe-Javakheti | |
| 32. | Naruja | 1,300 | 1987 | Ozurgeti | Guria | |
| 33. | Keda | 1,200 | 1966 | Keda | Autonomous Republic of Adjara | |
| 34. | Khulo | 1,100 | 1964 | Khulo | Autonomous Republic of Adjara | |
| 35. | Tsagveri | 1,100 | 1926 | Borjomi | Samtskhe-Javakheti | |
| 36. | Adigeni | 1,000 | 1961 | Adigeni | Samtskhe-Javakheti | |
| 37. | Shuakhevi | 0,900 | 1974 | Shuakhevi | Autonomous Republic of Adjara | |
| 38. | Bakurianis Andeziti | 0,500 | 1956 | Borjomi | Samtskhe-Javakheti | |
| 39. | Sioni | 0,400 | 1960 | Tianeti | Mtskheta-Mtianeti | |
| 40. | Tamarisi | 0,400 | 1982 | Marneuli | Kvemo Kartli | |
| 41. | Bediani | 0,300 | 1963 | Tsalka | Samtskhe-Javakheti | |
| 42. | Trialeti | 0,300 | 1944 | Tsalka | Kvemo Kartli | |
| 43. | Kharistvala | 0,000 | 1956 | Ambrolauri | Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti | Depopulated as a result of the 1991 earthquake and a series of avalanches |
| 44. | Bichvinta | - | 1963 | Gagra | Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia | Controlled by the Republic of Abkhazia Russian-occupied territory under the Law of Georgia on Occupied Territories (431-IIs, October 23, 2008) |
| 45. | Gantiadi | - | 1966 | Gagra | Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia | Controlled by the Republic of Abkhazia Russian-occupied territory under the Law of Georgia on Occupied Territories (431-IIs, October 23, 2008) |
| 46. | Miusera | - | 1990 | Gudauta | Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia | Controlled by the Republic of Abkhazia Russian-occupied territory under the Law of Georgia on Occupied Territories (431-IIs, October 23, 2008) |
| 47. | Gulripshi | - | 1975 | Gulripshi | Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia | Controlled by the Republic of Abkhazia Russian-occupied territory under the Law of Georgia on Occupied Territories (431-IIs, October 23, 2008) |
| 48. | Kornisi | - | - | Kareli | Shida Kartli | Controlled by the Republic of South Ossetia Russian-occupied territory under the Law of Georgia on Occupied Territories (431-IIs, October 23, 2008) |
| 49. | Kvaisa | - | - | Oni | Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti | Controlled by the Republic of South Ossetia Russian-occupied territory under the Law of Georgia on Occupied Territories (431-IIs, October 23, 2008) |
| 50. | Java | - | - | Java | Shida Kartli | Controlled by the Republic of South Ossetia Russian-occupied territory under the Law of Georgia on Occupied Territories (431-IIs, October 23, 2008) |