The Caucasus Mountains are a mountain system between the Black and Caspian seas. It is divided into two mountain systems: the Greater Caucasus and the Lesser Caucasus.
The Greater Caucasus extends more than 1,100 km from northwest to southeast, from the Anapa region and the Taman Peninsula to the Absheron Peninsula on the Caspian coast, near Baku. The Greater Caucasus reaches its maximum width in the Elbrus region (up to 180 km). In the axial part there is the Main Caucasian (or Watershed) ridge, to the north of which a number of parallel ridges (mountain ranges), including a monoclinal (cuesta) character, extend. The southern slope of the Greater Caucasus mostly consists of en echelon ridges adjacent to the Main Caucasus Range.
Traditionally, the Greater Caucasus is divided into 3 parts: Western Caucasus (from the Black Sea to Elbrus), Central Caucasus (from Elbrus to Kazbek) and Eastern Caucasus (from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea).
The Greater Caucasus is a region with extensive modern glaciation. The total number of glaciers is about 2,050, and their area is approximately 1,400 km². More than half of the glaciation in the Greater Caucasus is concentrated in the Central Caucasus (50% of the number and 70% of the area of glaciation). Large centers of glaciation are Mount Elbrus and the Bezengi Wall. The largest glacier in the Greater Caucasus is the Bezengi glacier (length about 17 km).
The Lesser Caucasus is connected to the Greater Caucasus by the Likhsky ridge, in the west it is separated from it by the Colchis Lowland, in the east by the Kura Depression. Length - about 600 km, height - up to 3724 m. The largest lake is Sevan.
The Western Caucasus is part of the Greater Caucasus mountain system, located west of the meridional line passing through Mount Elbrus. The part of the Western Caucasus from Anapa to Mount Fisht is characterized by low-mountain and mid-mountain relief (the so-called North-Western Caucasus), further east to Elbrus the mountain system takes on a typical alpine appearance with numerous glaciers and high-mountain landforms. In a narrower understanding, which is followed in mountaineering and tourism literature, only part of the Main Caucasus Range from Mount Fisht to Elbrus is considered to be the Western Caucasus. On the territory of the Western Caucasus there are the Caucasus Nature Reserve, the Bolshoy Tkhach Nature Park, the natural monument “Buiny Ridge”, the natural monument “Upper Reach of the Tsitsa River”, the natural monument “Upper Reach of the Pshekha and Pshekhashkha Rivers”, which are protected by UNESCO as an example of World Heritage. The most popular areas for climbers and tourists are: Dombay, Arkhyz, Uzunkol
Central Caucasus
The Central Caucasus rises between the peaks of Elbrus and Kazbek and is the highest and most attractive part of the entire Caucasus range. All five-thousanders are located here along with their numerous glaciers, including one of the largest - the Bezengi Glacier - 12.8 kilometers long. The most popular peaks are located in the Elbrus region (Ushba, Shkhelda, Chatyn-tau, Donguz-Orun, Nakra, etc.). The famous Bezengi Wall with its majestic surroundings (Koshtantau, Shkhara, Dzhangi-tau, Dykh-tau, etc.) is also located here. The most famous walls in the Caucasus mountain system are located here.
Eastern Caucasus
The Eastern Caucasus stretches 500 km east from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea. It highlights: the Azerbaijani Mountains, the Dagestan Mountains, the Chechen-Tushetian Mountains and the Ingushet-Khevsuret Mountains. Particularly popular is the Erydag massif (3925m), located in the Dagestan mountains.
Being the border between Europe and Asia, the Caucasus has a unique culture. A large variety of languages is concentrated in a relatively small area. The Caucasus and the ridges adjacent to it from the north and south in ancient times were the crossroads of great civilizations. Plots related to the Caucasus occupy a significant place in Greek mythology (myths about Prometheus, the Amazons, etc.); the Bible also mentions the Caucasus as a place of salvation for humanity from the flood (in particular, Mount Ararat). The peoples who founded such civilizations as Urartu, Sumer and the Hittite Empire are considered by many to be from the Caucasus.
However, the image of the Caucasus Mountains and the mythical and legendary ideas associated with them were most fully reflected by the Persians (Iranians). Iranian nomads brought with them a new religion - Zoroastrianism and the special worldview associated with it. Zoroastrianism had a serious influence on world religions - Christianity, Islam, and partly Buddhism. Iranian names were retained, for example, by the mountains and rivers of the Caucasus (the Aba River - “water”, Mount Elbrus - “iron”). You can also point out the popular particle “stan” in the East in the names of countries such as Dagestan, Hayastan, Pakistan, which is also of Iranian origin and roughly translates as “country”.
The word “Caucasus” is also of Iranian origin, which was assigned to the mountain ranges in honor of the epic king of Ancient Iran Kavi-Kaus.
There are approximately 50 peoples living in the Caucasus, which are designated as Caucasian peoples (for example: Circassians, Chechens), Russians, etc., speaking Caucasian, Indo-European, and Altai languages. Ethnographically and linguistically, the Caucasus region can be classified as one of the most interesting regions of the world. At the same time, populated areas are often not clearly separated from each other, which is partly the cause of tensions and military conflicts (for example, Nagorno-Karabakh). The picture changed significantly, primarily in the 20th century (the Armenian genocide under Turkish rule, the deportation of Chechens, Ingush and other ethnic groups during Stalinism).
The local residents are partly Muslims, some Orthodox Christians (Russians, Ossetians, Georgians, some Kabardians), as well as Monophysites (Armenians). The Armenian Church and the Georgian Church are among the oldest Christian churches in the world. Both churches have an extremely important role in promoting and protecting the national identity of peoples who have been under foreign rule for two centuries (Turks, Persians).
In the Caucasus, there are 6,350 species of flowering plants, including 1,600 native species. 17 species of mountain plants originated in the Caucasus. Giant Hogweed, considered a neophyte invasive species in Europe, originates from this region. It was imported in 1890 as ornamental plant to Europe.
The biodiversity of the Caucasus is falling at an alarming rate. From a nature conservation point of view, the mountain region is one of the 25 most vulnerable regions on Earth.
In addition to the ubiquitous wild animals, there are wild boars, chamois, mountain goats, and golden eagles. In addition, wild bears are still found. The Caucasian leopard (Panthera pardus ciscaucasica) is extremely rare and was only rediscovered in 2003. During the historical period there were also Asiatic lions and Caspian tigers, but soon after the birth of Christ they were completely eradicated. A subspecies of the European bison, the Caucasian bison, became extinct in 1925. The last example of the Caucasian moose was killed in 1810.
Caucasus Mountains on the border of Russia and Georgia
Geographical position. On the huge isthmus between the Black and Caspian seas, from the Taman to the Absheron peninsula, there are the majestic mountains of the Greater Caucasus.
North Caucasus- This is the southernmost part of Russian territory. The border runs along the ridges of the Main, or Watershed, Caucasian Range Russian Federation with the countries of Transcaucasia.
The Caucasus is separated from the Russian Plain by the Kuma-Manych depression, on the site of which a sea strait existed in the Middle Quaternary.
The North Caucasus is an area located on the border of the temperate and subtropical zones.
The epithet “the best” is often applied to the nature of this territory. Latitudinal zonality is replaced here by vertical zonality. For a resident of the plains, the Caucasus Mountains are a vivid example of the “multi-storey™” of nature.
Remember where the southernmost point of Russia is located and what it is called.
Features of the nature of the North Caucasus. The Caucasus is a young mountain structure formed during the period of Alpine folding. The Caucasus includes: Ciscaucasia, Greater Caucasus and Transcaucasia. Only the Ciscaucasia and the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus belong to Russia.
Rice. 92. Orographic scheme of the Caucasus
The Greater Caucasus is often presented as a single ridge. In fact, it is a system of mountain ranges. From the Black Sea coast to Mount Elbrus is the Western Caucasus, from Elbrus to Kazbek is the Central Caucasus, east of Kazbek to the Caspian Sea is the Eastern Caucasus. In the longitudinal direction, an axial zone is distinguished, occupied by the Vodorazdelny (Main) and Bokovy ridges.
The northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus form the Skalisty and Pastbishchny ridges. They have a cuesta structure - these are ridges in which one slope is gentle and the other is steep. The reason for the formation of a quest is the interlayering of layers composed of rocks of different hardness.
The chains of the Western Caucasus begin near the Taman Peninsula. At first, these are not even mountains, but hills with soft outlines. They increase when moving to the east. Mountains Fisht (2867 m) and Oshten (2808 m) - the highest parts of the Western Caucasus - are covered with snowfields and glaciers.
The highest and grandest part of the entire mountain system is the Central Caucasus. Here even the passes reach an altitude of 3000 m; only one pass - the Cross Pass on the Georgian Military Road - lies at an altitude of 2379 m.
The highest peaks in the Central Caucasus are the double-headed Elbrus, an extinct volcano, the highest peak in Russia (5642 m), and Kazbek (5033 m).
The eastern part of the Greater Caucasus is mainly the numerous ridges of mountainous Dagestan (translated as the Country of Mountains).
Rice. 93. Mount Elbrus
Various tectonic structures took part in the structure of the North Caucasus. In the south there are folded block mountains and foothills of the Greater Caucasus. It is part of the alpine geosynclinal zone.
Oscillations of the earth's crust were accompanied by bending of the earth's layers, their stretching, faults, and ruptures. Through the cracks that formed, magma poured out to the surface from great depths, which led to the formation of numerous ore deposits.
Uplifts in recent geological periods - Neogene and Quaternary - turned the Greater Caucasus into a high-mountainous country. The rise in the axial part of the Greater Caucasus was accompanied by an intense subsidence of earth layers along the edges of the emerging mountain range. This led to the formation of foothill troughs: in the west of the Indolo-Kuban and in the east of the Terek-Caspian.
The complex history of the geological development of the region is the reason for the richness of the subsoil of the Caucasus in various minerals. The main wealth of the Ciscaucasia is oil and gas deposits. In the central part of the Greater Caucasus, polymetallic ores, tungsten, copper, mercury, and molybdenum are mined.
In the mountains and foothills of the North Caucasus there is a lot of open mineral springs, near which resorts were created that have long since gained worldwide fame - Kislovodsk, Mineralnye Vody, Pyatigorsk, Essentuki, Zheleznovodsk, Matsesta. Sources vary in chemical composition, in temperature and are extremely useful.
Rice. 94. Geological structure of the North Caucasus
The geographical location of the North Caucasus in the south of the temperate zone determines its mild, warm climate, transitional from temperate to subtropical. The parallel of 45° N runs here. sh., that is, this territory is equidistant from both the equator and the pole. This situation determines the amount of solar heat received: in summer 17-18 kcal per square centimeter, which is 1.5 times more than the average European part of Russia receives. With the exception of the highlands, the climate in the North Caucasus is mild and warm; on the plains, the average July temperature everywhere exceeds 20°C, and summer lasts from 4.5 to 5.5 months. Average January temperatures range from -10 to +6°C, and winter lasts only two to three months. In the North Caucasus there is the city of Sochi, which has the warmest winter in Russia with a January temperature of +6.1°C.
Using the map, determine whether in the foothills of the North Caucasus there are any obstacles to the path of arctic or tropical air masses. What atmospheric fronts pass near this area? Analyze on maps how precipitation is distributed in the North Caucasus, explain the reasons for this distribution.
The abundance of heat and light allows the vegetation of the North Caucasus to develop in the north of the region for seven months, in the Ciscaucasia - eight, and on the Black Sea coast, south of Gelendzhik - up to 11 months. This means that with the appropriate selection of crops, you can get two harvests a year.
The North Caucasus is distinguished by a very complex circulation of various air masses. Various air masses can penetrate this area.
The main source of moisture for the North Caucasus is the Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, the western regions of the North Caucasus are characterized by high rainfall. The annual precipitation in the foothill areas in the west is 380-520 mm, and in the east, in the Caspian region, it is 220-250 mm. Therefore, in the east of the region there are often droughts and hot winds. At the same time, they are often accompanied by dusty, or black, storms. Storms occur in the spring, when the top layers of parched soil, still loosely held together by newly emerged plants, are blown away by strong winds. Dust rises in clouds into the air, obscuring the sky and the sun.
Measures to combat black storms include properly planned forest shelterbelts and advanced agricultural technology. However, until now, due to black storms, several tens of thousands of hectares have to be reseeded (re-seeded), from which the most fertile layer of soil is blown away during dust storms.
Highland climate very different from the plains and foothills. The first main difference is that much more precipitation falls in the mountains: at an altitude of 2000 m - 2500-2600 mm per year. This is due to the fact that mountains trap air masses and force them to rise. At the same time, the air cools and gives up its moisture.
The second difference in the climate of the highlands is the decrease in the duration of the warm season due to the decrease in air temperature with height. Already at an altitude of 2700 m on the northern slopes and at an altitude of 3800 m in the Central Caucasus there is a snow line, or border “ eternal ice" At altitudes above 4000 m, even in July, positive temperatures are very rare.
Remember by what amount the air temperature decreases when rising for every 100 m. Calculate how much the air cools when rising to a height of 4000 m, if its temperature at the surface of the earth is +20 ° C. What happens to the moisture in the air?
In the mountains of the Western Caucasus, due to the abundance of precipitation during the winter, a four to five meter layer of snow accumulates, and in the mountain valleys, where it is blown away by the wind, up to 10-12 m. The abundance of snow in winter leads to the formation of snow avalanches. Sometimes one awkward movement, even a sharp sound, is enough for a thousand-ton mass of snow to fly down a steep ledge, destroying everything in its path.
Explain why there are practically no avalanches in the mountains of the Eastern Caucasus.
Think about what differences will be observed in the change in altitudinal zones on the western and eastern slopes.
The third difference in the high-mountain climate is its amazing diversity from place to place due to the height of the mountains, slope exposure, proximity or distance from the sea.
The fourth difference is the uniqueness of atmospheric circulation. Cooled air from the highlands rushes down through relatively narrow intermountain valleys. When descending for every 100 m, the air warms up by about 1°C. Descending from an altitude of 2500 m, it heats up by 25°C and becomes warm, even hot. This is how a local wind is formed - the foehn. Hairdryers are especially frequent in the spring, when the intensity of the general circulation of air masses sharply increases. Unlike a foehn, when masses of dense cold air invade, bora is formed (from the Greek boreas - north, north wind), a strong cold downward wind. Flowing through low ridges into an area with warmer rarefied air, it heats up relatively little and “falls” at a high speed along the leeward slope. Bora is observed mainly in winter, where the mountain range borders the sea or a large body of water. The Novorossiysk forest is widely known (Fig. 95). And yet, the leading factor in climate formation in the mountains, which greatly influences all other components of nature, is altitude, leading to vertical zonation of both climate and natural zones.
Rice. 95. Scheme of formation of the Novorossiysk forest
The rivers of the North Caucasus are numerous and, like the relief and climate, are clearly divided into lowland and mountainous. There are especially numerous turbulent mountain rivers, the main source of food for which is snow and glaciers during the melting period. The largest rivers are the Kuban and Terek with their numerous tributaries, as well as the Bolshoy Yegorlyk and Kalaus, which originate in the Stavropol Upland. In the lower reaches of the Kuban and Terek there are floodplains - vast wetlands covered with reeds and reeds.
Rice. 96. Altitudinal zone of the Greater Caucasus
The wealth of the Caucasus is its fertile soils. In the western part of Ciscaucasia, chernozems predominate, and in the eastern, drier part, chestnut soils predominate. The soils of the Black Sea coast are intensively used for gardens, berry fields, and vineyards. The world's northernmost tea plantations are located in the Sochi region.
In the Greater Caucasus Mountains, altitudinal zonation is clearly expressed. The lower belt is occupied by broad-leaved forests with a predominance of oak. Above are beech forests, which with height transform first into mixed and then into spruce-fir forests. The upper border of the forest is at an altitude of 2000-2200 m. Behind it, on mountain meadow soils, there are lush subalpine meadows with thickets of Caucasian rhododendron. They pass into short-grass alpine meadows, followed by the highest mountain belt of snowfields and glaciers.
Questions and tasks
- Using the example of the North Caucasus, show the influence of the geographical location of the territory on the features of its nature.
- Tell us about the formation of the modern relief of the Greater Caucasus.
- On contour map designate the main geographical objects of the region, mineral deposits.
- Describe the climate of the Greater Caucasus, explain how the climate of the foothills differs from the high-mountain regions.
The Caucasus is a mountain system located in Eurasia between the Black and Caspian seas. The mountain range extends 1,100 km from the Taman Peninsula and Anapa to the Absheron Peninsula near the city of Baku.
This territory is usually divided according to several criteria: into the Greater and Lesser Caucasus, as well as into the Western (from the Black Sea to Elbrus), Central (from Elbrus to Kazbek) and Eastern (from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea). The mountain system reaches its greatest width in the central part (180 km). The mountain peaks of the Central Caucasus are the highest on the Main Caucasus (Watershed) Range.
The most famous mountain peaks of the Caucasus are Mount Elbrus (5642 m) and Mount Kazbek (5033 m). Both peaks are stratovolcanoes. Moreover, Kazbek is considered extinct, which cannot be said about Elbrus. Experts' opinions on this matter vary. The slopes of the two highest mountains of the Caucasus are covered with snow and glaciers. The Central Caucasus accounts for up to 70% of modern glaciation. Over more than a century of observations of the glaciers of the Caucasus, their area has decreased significantly.
To the north from the foot of the Greater Caucasus stretches an sloping plain, which ends in the Kuma-Manych depression. Its territory is dissected by side ridges and river valleys. The largest rivers in this territory can be considered the river. Kuban and Terek. To the south of the Greater Caucasus are the Colchis and Kura-Araks lowlands.
The Caucasus Mountains can be considered young. They were formed during the Alpine folding era approximately 28-23 million years ago. Their formation is due to the northward movement of the Arabian lithospheric plate onto the Eurasian plate. The latter, pressed by the African plate, moves several centimeters per year.
Tectonic processes in the depths of the Caucasus continue to this day. The geological structure of Elbrus indicates great activity of the volcano in the recent past. Several powerful earthquakes occurred in the Caucasus in the 20th century. The most destructive earthquake was in Armenia in 1988.
Seismic stations operating throughout the Caucasus annually record several hundred tremors. Experts say that some parts of the Caucasus ridge are “growing” by several centimeters per year.
Caucasus in Europe or Asia?
This issue should be considered more in political and historical aspects. The Caucasus Mountains are located in the center of the Eurasian plate, so the division can only be conditional. The border between Europe and Asia was proposed by the Swedish officer and geographer F. Stralenberg in 1730. The border passed along Ural mountains and the Kuma-Manych depression was accepted by many scientists.
Despite this in different time Several alternative proposals were proposed that justified the division of Europe and Asia along the Caucasus Mountains. Despite the ongoing controversy, Elbrus is still considered the highest point in Europe. The history of the region suggests the special position of the Caucasus at the crossroads between European and East Asian cultures.
The highest mountains of the Caucasus
- Elbrus (5642 m). KBR, KCR. Highest point in Russia
- Dykhtau (5204 m). CBD
- Koshtantau (5122 m). CBD
- Pushkin Peak (5100 m). CBD
- Dzhangitau (5058 m). CBD
- Shkhara (5201 m). CBD. Highest point of Georgia
- Kazbek (5034 m). Highest point of North Ossetia
- Mizhirgi Western (5022 m). CBD
- Tetnuld (4974 m). Georgia
- Katyntau (4970 m). CBD
- Shota Rustaveli Peak (4960 m). CBD
- Gestola (4860 m). CBD
- Jimara (4780 m). Georgia, North Ossetia
- Ushba (4690 m). Georgia, North Ossetia
- Gulchitau (4447 m). CBD
- Tebulosmta (4493 m). The highest point of Chechnya
- Bazarduzu (4466 m). The highest point of Dagestan and Azerbaijan
- Shan (4451 m). The highest point of Ingushetia
- Adai-Khokh (4408 m). North Ossetia
- Diklosmta (4285 m). Chechnya
- Shahdag (4243 m). Azerbaijan
- Tufandag (4191 m). Azerbaijan
- Shalbuzdag (4142 m). Dagestan
- Aragats (4094). Highest point of Armenia
- Dombay-Ulgen (4046 m). KCR
How many five-thousanders are there in the Caucasus?
Mountains whose height exceeds five kilometers are usually called Caucasian five-thousanders. From the list presented above, it is clear that The Caucasus has eight mountains of five thousand meters«:
- Elbrus(5642 m) is a dormant volcano and the highest mountain in Russia. The mountain consists of two peaks, Western (5642 m) and Eastern (5621 m), connected by a saddle (5416 m).
- Dykhtau(5204 m) - mountain peak of the Side Range of the Greater Caucasus. The mountain consists of two peaks (both over 5000 m high), connected by a steep, narrow saddle. The first ascent of the mountain took place in 1888. Today, about ten routes with difficulty from 4A (according to the Russian classification) have been laid to the top of Dykhtau.
- Koshtantau(5122 m) is a mountain peak on the border of Bezengi and the mountainous region of Balkaria.
- Pushkin Peak(5100 m) - being part of the Dykhtau mountain range, it is a separate peak. Named in honor of A.S. Pushkin on the 100th anniversary of his death.
- Dzhangitau(5058 m) is a mountain peak in the central part of the Greater Caucasus. There are three peaks in the Dzhangitau massif, all of which are more than five kilometers high.
- Shkhara(5201 m) is a mountain peak of the Central Caucasus that is part of the Bezengi Wall.
- Kazbek(5034 m) - an extinct stratovolcano, the easternmost five-thousander of the Caucasus. The first ascent of the mountain was made in 1868.
- Mizhirgi Western(5022 m) - a mountain peak as part of the Bezengi wall. The name of the mountain is translated from Karachay-Balkar as “connecting”.
The Caucasus is geographically a region between Europe and Asia, and at the same time between the Caspian, Black and Azov seas. It includes the Caucasus Mountains, and the adjacent regions of the North Caucasus and South Caucasus. The Russian Federation currently includes almost the entire North Caucasus, excluding small gorges located on the territory of Georgia. Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia divided the South Caucasus among themselves; part of the South Caucasus de facto belongs to Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
- The Caucasus is historically a transport artery of the Old World, as well as a source of many natural resources, including oil and gas.
- Caucasus Located right on the border of subtropical and temperate climatic zones. The mountain ranges of the Caucasus, being a natural barrier to air masses, prevent the penetration of warm air masses into the Ciscaucasia (to the north), and cold air masses to the south, into Transcaucasia. The influence of the mountains is strongly noticeable in winter, when in Transcaucasia and Ciscaucasia, located several hundred kilometers from each other, the difference in temperatures reaches several tens of degrees.
- In the mountainous regions of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus, mountain-forest landscapes predominate. In Transcaucasia, above subtropical landscapes, these are oak and hornbeam forests; in the middle mountains of the Talysh Mountains, these are beech and hornbeam forests. In the west of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus there are coniferous forests - spruce and fir, and in the north of the Central Caucasus and the Eastern Caucasus there are pine forests. The soils in the Caucasus Mountains are mountain-forest brown.
- The mountainous regions of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus are home to a diverse forest and alpine fauna, including endemic species, such as, for example, the Caucasian black grouse, the Western Caucasian and Dagestan aurochs, the Caucasian snowcock, and the Promethean mouse. Bear, fox, lynx, as well as other Central European animal species are very widespread here. The highlands of Armenia are inhabited by the Asia Minor mountain jerboa, the Asia Minor ground squirrel, and others.
- The Caucasus is home to a huge variety of flora and fauna, which is common only here. The total number of endemic representatives is slightly less than 1,600 species of flora, 32 species of mammals and 3 species of birds.
- The area of the Caucasus is 145 thousand square kilometers.
- More than 50 peoples live in the Caucasus. and nationalities.
- The highest point in Europe and the Russian Federation is Mount Elbrus. The western peak of Elbrus has a height of 5642 meters above sea level, the eastern peak is 5621 meters.
- Man first climbed to the top of Elbrus on July 22, 1829, by Kabardian Kilar Khashirov, in an expedition led by General Georgy Emanuel. In Pyatigorsk, even now in the Tsvetnik park there are two commemorative cast-iron slabs in honor of that event.
- At any time of the year, the Elbrus region is of great interest to travelers.
- Snow Cave in the Western Caucasus is the third deepest cave in the world, 1,753 meters below sea level. This is the most complex cave of the former USSR and the most complex non-siphon cave in the world. total length more than 25 kilometers of galleries and passages.
- New Athos Cave (originally the Anakopia Abyss) is the largest cave in Abkhazia. Near the cave there is the New Athos Monastery and the Temple of Simon the Canaanite.
- Krubera-Voronya is the deepest cave in the world today, (-2191 m), and is located in the Arabica mountain range in Abkhazia.
- There is a general idea about the conflicts in the Caucasus, but today this is a very big misconception.
Nature of the Caucasus - a fascinating video about the flora and fauna of the Caucasus.
Here is a detailed map of the Caucasus Mountains with the names of cities and towns in Russian. Move the map while holding it with the left mouse button. You can move around the map by clicking on one of the four arrows in the upper left corner. You can change the scale using the scale on the right side of the map or turning the mouse wheel.
In which country are the Caucasus Mountains located?
The Caucasus Mountains are located in Russia. This is a wonderful, beautiful place, with its own history and traditions. Coordinates of the Caucasus Mountains: northern latitude and eastern longitude (show on large map).
Virtual walk
The “man” figurine above the scale will help you take a virtual walk through the cities of the Caucasus Mountains. By clicking and holding the left mouse button, drag it to any place on the map and you will go for a walk, while inscriptions with the approximate address of the area will appear in the upper left corner. Select the direction of movement by clicking on the arrows in the center of the screen. The “Satellite” option at the top left allows you to see a relief image of the surface. In the “Map” mode you will have the opportunity to get acquainted in detail with the roads of the Caucasus Mountains and the main attractions.