Original sentence: Although populated by some 2,000 people, chiefly ethnic Georgians (Svans), the area occupies nearly one third of Abkhazia’s territory and is of high strategic importance due to its proximity to the Abkhaz-held capital of Sukhumi, and other important cities in the region
Edited sentence: Although populated by some 2,000 people, chiefly ethnic Georgians (Svans), the area is of high strategic importance due to its proximity to the Abkhaz-held capital of Sukhumi, and other important cities in the region