Caucasus
Mountain range extending from the Taman Peninsula on the Black Sea to the Apsheron Peninsula on the Caspian Sea, a total length of 1,200 km/750 mi. The Caucasus, which form the boundary between Europe and Asia, is divided into the Greater Caucasus (northern) and Little Caucasus (southern) chains. The range crosses the territory of two major regions: North Caucasia (the Russian Federation), and Transcaucasia (Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan). At 5,642 m/18,510 ft, Elbrus (in the Greater Caucasus) is the highest peak in Europe.
History and people
The Caucasus figured greatly in the legends of ancient Greece; Prometheus was chained on a Caucasian mountain, and Jason and his Argonauts sought the Golden Fleece at Colchis. Persians, Khazars, Arabs, Huns, Turko-Mongols, and Russians have invaded and migrated to the region, and have given the Caucasus its ethnic and linguistic complexity. Over 40 languages are spoken by the 100 ethnic groups here.
The beauty of the Caucasus has been celebrated in Russian literature, most notably in Aleksandr Pushkin's poem ‘Captive of the Caucasus’, Leo Tolstoy's novels The Cossacks and Hadji Murad, and Mikhail Lermontov's novel A Hero of Our Time.
Topography and geology Besides Mount Elbrus, other notable peaks in the Caucasus are Dykh Tau (5,203 m/17,070 ft), Shkhara (5,068 m/16,627 ft), and Kazbek (5,033 m/16,512 ft). The twin summits of Mount Ushba (4,700 m/15,420 ft) have led to its being named the ‘Matterhorn of the Caucasus’. The principal route through the range is a former military road linking Vladikavkaz with Tbilisi, which runs through the deep fissure of the Daryal Gorge, climbing to an altitude of 2,384 m/7,821 ft above sea-level. |
| The four chief rivers in the Caucasus are the Kuban (flowing into the Sea of Azov), the Rioni (flowing to the Black Sea), the Terek and the Kura (flowing to the Caspian Sea). From a forested or grassy plateau on their northern side, the Caucasus mountains rise in a succession of terraces, the parallel chains being divided by high plains cut through by deep gorges. The southern slopes, in the territory of Georgia, are spectacular; towards the Kura, they often form sheer precipices. On the central ridge of the Caucasus, the snowline is at 3,250 m/10,663 ft. Glaciers are found throughout the range. Geologically, the Caucasus mountain chains are products of Alpine folding. While the central spurs are granitic or pure granite, mica- and talc-schists and other metamorphic rocks are found. |
Flora and fauna Wolves, lynxes, panthers, jackals, wild boars, and bison are still found in the Caucasus. Forests cover some 56 % of the region. The flora is characterized by its arborescent growths, the variety of aquatic plants, and the preponderance of pines. |
