Daba () is a type of human settlement in Georgia, a "small town". მოხელის სამაგიდო ლექსიკონი / გაეროს განვითარების პროგრამა; [შემდგ.: სამსონ ურიდია და სხვ.; რედ.: ვაჟა გურგენიძე] - თბ., 2004 - 483გვ.: ცხრ.; 24სმ. - (საჯარო მოსამსახურის ბ-კა). - .Allen, William Edward David (1932, reissued 1971), A History of the Georgian People: From the Beginning Down to the Russian Conquest in the Nineteenth Century, p. 240. Taylor & Francis, . 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 a population of no fewer 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 a population of fewer 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".Klimov, Georgy (1998), Etymological Dictionary of the Kartvelian Languages, p. 36. Walter de Gruyter, . 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 Note1. Surami 9,800 1926 Khashuri Shida Kartli2. Tskneti 8,200 1967 Vake District,Tbilisi Tbilisi 3. Chakvi 8,100 1954 Kobuleti Autonomous Republic of Adjara4. Kazreti 7,300 1965 Bolnisi Kvemo Kartli5. Khelvachauri 6,100 1968 Khelvachauri Autonomous Republic of Adjara6. Ochkhamuri 5,000 1954 Kobuleti Autonomous Republic of Adjara7. Chkhorotsqu 5,000 1960 ChkhorotsquSamegrelo-Zemo Svaneti8. Laituri 3,600 1953 Ozurgeti Guria9. Tianeti 3,600 1960 Tianeti Mtskheta-Mtianeti10. Shaumiani 3,600 1932 Marneuli Kvemo Kartli11. Agara 3,500 1934 Kareli Shida Kartli12. Makhinjauri 3,400 1959 Khelvachauri Autonomous Republic of Adjara13. Aspindza 3,200 1961 Aspindza Samtskhe-Javakheti14. Manglisi 2,800 1926 Tetritsqaro Kvemo Kartli15. Kveda Nasakirali 2,600 1976 Ozurgeti Guria16. Mestia 2,600 1968 Mestia Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti17. Akhalgori 2,500 1960 Akhalgori Mtskheta-Mtianeti Controlled by the Republic of South OssetiaRussian-occupied territory under the Law of Georgia on Occupied Territories (431-IIs, October 23, 2008)Law of Georgian on Occupied Territories (431-IIs, October 23, 2008) . State Ministry for Reintegration. Retrieved on December 15, 2011.18. Kharagauli 2,400 1944 Kharagauli Imereti19. Akhaldaba 2,400 1965 Borjomi Samtskhe-Javakheti20. Didi Lilo 2,400 1974 Tbilisi Tbilisi 21. Chokhatauri 2,100 1947 Chokhatauri Guria22. Kulashi 2,000 1961 Samtredia Imereti23. Bakuriani 2,000 1926 Borjomi Samtskhe-Javakheti 24. Zhinvali 1,900 1976 Dusheti Mtskheta-Mtianeti25. Kojori 1,900 1968 Tbilisi Tbilisi 26. Stepantsminda 1,800 1966 Kazbegi Mtskheta-Mtianeti 27. Lentekhi 1,700 1969 Lentekhi Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti28. Shorapani 1,600 1938 Zestaponi Imereti29. Pasanauri 1,600 1966 Dusheti Mtskheta-Mtianeti 30. Ureki 1,400 1953 Ozurgeti Guria31. Abastumani 1,400 1926 Adigeni Samtskhe-Javakheti 32. Naruja 1,300 1987 Ozurgeti Guria33. Keda 1,200 1966 Keda Autonomous Republic of Adjara 34. Khulo 1,100 1964 Khulo Autonomous Republic of Adjara35. Tsagveri 1,100 1926 Borjomi Samtskhe-Javakheti 36. Adigeni 1,000 1961 Adigeni Samtskhe-Javakheti37. Shuakhevi 0,900 1974 Shuakhevi Autonomous Republic of Adjara38. Bakurianis Andeziti 0,500 1956 Borjomi Samtskhe-Javakheti39. Sioni 0,400 1960 Tianeti Mtskheta-Mtianeti40. Tamarisi 0,400 1982 Marneuli Kvemo Kartli41. Bediani 0,300 1963 Tsalka Samtskhe-Javakheti42. Trialeti 0,300 1944 Tsalka Kvemo Kartli43. Kharistvala 0,000 1956 Ambrolauri Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo SvanetiDepopulated as a result of the 1991 earthquake and a series of avalanches44. Bichvinta - 1963 Gagra Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia Controlled by the Republic of AbkhaziaRussian-occupied territory under the Law of Georgia on Occupied Territories (431-IIs, October 23, 2008)45. Gantiadi - 1966 Gagra Autonomous Republic of AbkhaziaControlled by the Republic of AbkhaziaRussian-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 AbkhaziaRussian-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)

See also List of cities and towns in Georgia

References