Small Caucasus ridge on the map. Greater Caucasus Range. How did the Greater Caucasus appear?

The Caucasus Mountains, born in the collision of the Eurasian and Arabian plates, are like a symbol of the mentality of the peoples living next to them. Proud and tall, they stand like a miraculous wall between the Asian and European parts our continent on land. Humanity has not yet decided whether to classify them as Europe or Asia.

Height of the Caucasus Mountains: 5642 m (Greater Caucasus) and 3724 m (Lesser Caucasus).

Length of the Greater Caucasus: 1100 km. small - 600 km.

See the geographical location of the Caucasus Mountains or where they are located and how they are located on the map. To enlarge the map of the Caucasus mountains, just click on it.

The Caucasian ranges, not crossed by rivers, are called watersheds. The Caucasus mountain system, the same age as the Alps, with a thirty-million-year history, is firmly inscribed in the memory of mankind through biblical lines and Greek myths. It was on one of the mountains of the system that the dove released from Noah’s Ark found a twig, on the top of Ararat. The legendary Prometheus, who gave fire to people, was chained to one of the Caucasian rocks.

The Caucasus is divided into two parts, which are called the Greater and Lesser Caucasus. The first extends from Taman almost to Baku and consists of the Western, Central and Eastern Caucasus. One and a half thousand square kilometers of ice, the highest point of Eurasia - Elbrus (the top of the Caucasus Mountains), Iron Mountain, and six mountain peaks five thousand kilometers high - this is what the Greater Caucasus is.

The Lesser Caucasus is a mountain range near the Black Sea, with peaks up to four kilometers high.

The Caucasus Mountains are located between the Caspian and Black Sea coasts and at the same time on the territory of several countries. These are Russia, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye.

The climate of the Caucasus is varied: from typically maritime in Abkhazia, it changes to sharply continental in Armenia.

The Caucasus is inhabited by unique animals - chamois, mountain goats, wild boars; in particularly remote and inaccessible places you can find a leopard or bear.

Alpine meadow grasses, coniferous forests climbing up from the foothills, wild rivers, lakes, waterfalls, mineral water springs, clean air.

It is thanks to this successful combination of values ​​for human health that there are a huge number of sanatorium and resort establishments in the region.

Rock climbing lovers are attracted by the royal Elbrus and its neighbors - Shkhara, Kazbek, Dzhangitau, Dykhtau and Koshnantau. Among the snows of the Caucasus there is a place for skiers and snowboarders, lovers of hiking and thrills, rafting enthusiasts, as well as all those who value their health. Terraincourt, Norwegian walking, rock climbing, river rafting, alpine skiing and many other activities active rest Caucasus offers.

Once you have visited the mountains sung by the “genius of Lermontov”, you will remember them for the rest of your life.

Video: Wildlife of Russia 4 of 6 Caucasus Mountains.

Video: Hiking in the Caucasus Mountains.

General character of the Caucasus Mountains. - Snow-covered parts of the Main Range. - The main ridge between Elbrus and the Georgian military road. - The eastern part of the Main Range between Begul and Baba-dag. - Part of the Main Range, lying west of Elbrus and up to Mount Oshchten. - The total length of the part of the Main Ridge covered with eternal snow. - Side ridge. - The highest points of its eastern part. - Pirikitelsky and Bogossky ridges. - Western part of the Side Range. - Ararat, Alagyoz and other high points of Transcaucasia.

The high Caucasus ridge with its countless spurs and gorges represents a gigantic threshold rising between Europe and Asia. Not only in my own way geographical location, but in many other respects it represents an intermediate or transitional link between the mountains of the two mentioned parts of the world. This is the first mountainous country from Asia, says K. Ritter, which is distinguished by its European structure. Like the European Alps, it narrows in the west and widens greatly in the east, reaching almost 50 geographical miles in width near the shores of the Caspian Sea. The northwestern part of the Caucasus, with its abundance of forests, resembles the mountains of Europe, while the southeastern part (Dagestan, in particular), with its bare, lifeless cliffs, approaches the mountains Central Asia.

“Here, on the threshold of Europe,” says Ritter, “begins the characteristic form of tall trees that constitutes the distinctive character of Central Europe. German oak (Quercus robur) and German beech (Fagus silvatica) shade the dwellings of Indo-Germanic tribes in the North Caucasus.”

In terms of the height of the snow line, the size of both modern glaciers and glaciers of bygone eras, the Caucasus, as we will see below, also occupies the middle between the mountains of Europe and the giant ridges of Central Asia. Finally, by the height of the primary peaks, the average height of its crest and some other features, the Caucasus also represents an intermediate link between the mentioned extreme members.

The famous Russian scientist and traveler I.V. Mushketov says that while doing research in Central Asia, he more than once came across questions that were completely insoluble with the help of those doctrines that were developed during the study of Europe, and that the study of such an intermediate region, like the Caucasus, should shed light on the study of Asia. Here, therefore, in particular, the fruitful idea that Ritter developed in his numerous writings is expressed, namely, that Earth is not a lifeless mass, but an organism, all parts of which are in close connection and strict dependence on each other.

From all of the above, the reader will understand that it is impossible to study the Caucasus, completely isolating it from other mountains of both Europe and Asia, and that I will necessarily have to from time to time, although in general outline, touch the mountains and glaciers of other countries.

The Main Caucasus Range represents a continuous chain of mountains stretching from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea over 1,420 miles. The highest part of it lies between Elbrus and Kazbek and, especially, between Elbrus and Adai-khokh. Between the last two points, as E. Favre notes, there is not a single pass lower than 3 thousand m (9840 ft.) above sea level. East of Adai-khokh, having 15,244 f. (4647 m) in height, the Main Ridge decreases greatly, forming the so-called Mamissonovsky Pass (9300 ft., or, according to Favre, 2862 m). Even further to the east it rises again, with some peaks exceeding 12 thousand pounds. (Zekari and Zilga-khoh reach more than 12,500 ft. height); even further east a decrease follows again. Here is the Buslachirsky Pass (7,746 pounds) between the Terek and Aragva and the Georgian Military Road Pass, or Cross (7,957 pounds), beyond which the Main Range in a distant space (300 versts) is almost devoid of snow and ice. Finally, in the eastern part, over an area of ​​80 versts, precisely between Begul and Baba-dag, it again rises greatly, reaching an average height of 12,664 feet, while its individual points rise even much higher. Behind Baba-dag, which has 11,934 f. heights and located only 70 miles in a straight line from the Caspian Sea, the mountains gradually lower and finally merge with the low-lying seashore.

To the west of Elbrus, the ridge also decreases, but here the snow line also decreases very noticeably, so that, starting from Elbrus and to the upper reaches of the Bolshaya Laba on the northern side and Bzyb on the southern side, the peaks of the Main Ridge rise significantly above the snow line and are therefore covered with almost continuous eternal snow. Mount Psysh, whose snow feeds both Laba and Bolshoy Zelenchuk, is the westernmost point, exceeding 12 thousand pounds. height. Beyond Psysh, the mountains, lowering more and more, reach Oshten and Fisht, which make up one mountain range, rising to 9369 f. (2856 m). This is the westernmost point of the Main Caucasus Range, where you can still find eternal snow. Between Oshten and Psysh the ridge is covered with snow, but not everywhere, but only in higher places. Further to the east, snow is visible on Abago and Shugus (10,624 lbs.).

To the west of Oshten, the mountains immediately decrease greatly, their ridge is almost devoid of high bare rocks and is covered not only with meadows, but even with forest. It maintains a similar character all the way to the shores of the Black Sea.

Thus, with the exception of several peaks located in the eastern half of the Main Caucasian Range, only that part of it that lies between the upper reaches of the Great Laba and the Georgian Military Road has the conditions necessary for the development of glaciers. This part, however, represents almost one-fifth of the entire Main Range. It is only about three hundred miles long, not counting all the convolutions.

The distribution of glaciers and eternal snow in the Caucasus is not limited, however, to the Main Range. The Caucasus, as noted by the famous geographer Karl Ritter, is similar in its relief to other European ranges and is very different from the mountains of Asia. It is in it that there are nowhere such high plateaus that distinguish the mountains of Asia, but it represents a very complex system of high mountain ranges and their spurs. Thus, almost in the very middle of the Main Ridge, exactly where Adai-Khokh rises, the Side Ridge intersects with the Main Ridge. To the west of Adai-Khokh, this ridge stretches along the southern side of the Main, is separated from it by an average of 25 versts and reaches the Black Sea near Gagra. The other part of the Side Range, namely the one that stretches east of Adai-Khokh, goes to the northern side of the Main Range, runs almost parallel to it, at an average distance of 20 versts from it and reaches the Caspian Sea.

The main Caucasian ridge, along its entire length from the Black to the Caspian Sea, is nowhere interrupted by transverse valleys and gorges, and represents a real watershed line, taken as the border between Europe and Asia; The side one, of course, cannot form such a continuous ridge as the Main one. Its western part is interrupted by the following rivers: Rion, Tskhenistskhali, Ingur, Kodor and Bzybyu, and the eastern part by the Ardon, Terek, Argun, Andisky Koisu, Avar Koisu and Samur.

Some parts of this ridge far exceed the parts of the Main Range lying next to them, and in the same way, individual peaks of the first ridge rise above the highest (with the exception of perhaps 3-4, which are: Elbrus, Dykh-tau, etc.) points of the second. It is even possible that the highest part of the Side Range, lying between Adai-Khokh and Kazbek, exceeds the highest part of the Main Range; moreover, most of the highest points of the Caucasus lie in this side chain. These include: Kazbek 16,546 f. (5043 m), Dzhimarai-khoh 15,694 f. (4783 m), Sirkhu-barzoy 13,637 f. (4153 m), Tepli 14,510 f. (4422 m); and even further to the east, precisely near the headwaters of the Argun, Avar and Andean Koisu, the side chain forms two very high ridges located north of the Main, and has the following very high points: in the Pirikitelsky ridge - Tebulosmta 14,781 f. (4506 m), Small Kachu, Diklosmta 13,717 f., Big Kachu 14,027 f. (4276 m), Kvavlosmta 13 7002, and in Bogossky - Ballakuri 12 323 f., Bochek, Kavalawissa and others. In addition, the peaks of the easternmost part of the Caucasus are included in the Side Range, namely: Shah-dag (13,951 f.), Shalbuz-dag (13,679 f.), Kizylkaya (12,247 f.).

The western part of the Side Range is much lower than the eastern part, and is completely devoid of particularly high peaks. Among the most elevated is Shoda (on the five-verst map of the Caucasus - Shoba), located on the right side of Rion, not far from Oni, and reaching 11,128 f. At the top there are several snow fields. To the west of Shoda stretches the Svaneti ridge; for an area of ​​20 versts, almost from Mushur to Lyayla, it is covered with snow. The peaks of Lakura, Lyayla and Lyasil, as well as many other sharp teeth of this ridge, rise far above the snow line. To the east of Mushur, eternal snow is found on Dadiash 5. According to Ilyin, the Svaneti ridge is not inferior in height to that part of the Main Range that borders Svaneti from the north, and extends between Uzhba and Tetnuld, these primary giants of the Caucasus ridge. There are also many glaciers descending from the northern slope of the Svaneti ridge, and the southern slope is dotted with snow spots. It should be noted, however, that due to the proximity of the Black Sea and the abundance of precipitation, the snow line here lies lower than on most of the Main Range.

Even further to the west, that is, on the mountains located between Ingur and Kodor, there are probably also peaks covered with snow, but very little is known about this area. The snowy peaks in both parts of the Side Range occupy a total space of 273 versts in length, and together - the Side and Main Ranges - about 570 versts. Thus, only for 570 miles the Greater Caucasus mountains are covered with snow and glaciers.

This count, however, did not include those few points in the South Caucasus that rise above the snow line. These include: Greater Ararat (16,916 ft., 5160 m) and Alagöz (13,436 ft.). In addition, in the eastern part of the Pontic ridge, which runs along the southern coast of the Black Sea, there are also a few peaks that rise to the line of eternal snow. Of these, Varchembek-dag, having 12,152 f. height and, according to Palgrev, with its shape strikingly reminiscent of the Matterhorn, is located within Turkey, and Karchkhal, rising in the Karchkhal ridge (a continuation of the Pontic), has 11,248 ft. and is located within Russia (about 20 versts from Artvin. On all these peaks of the South Caucasus, with the exception of Ararat and Alagoz, snow forms in summer only small fields and narrow ribbons that cannot give rise to glaciers. According to Masalsky, about the snow line on the Pontic the ridge is out of the question, and there is eternal snow here only on Karchkhala.

In the southeastern part of the Caucasus, near the Persian border, there are also peaks that are free of snow in rare years. These include: Kapujih, who has 12,855 f. height and located 40 versts east of Nakhichevan, and Kazangol-dag, rising to 12,649 f. Minor deposits of snow still remain on the southern slopes of Gyamish (12,269 pounds), Ginal-dag (11,057 pounds) and Murov-dag (11,219 pounds); their northern side, under the influence of the sultry Elisavetopol valley, is freed from snow in summer time. Occasionally snow remains throughout the year on Godorebi (10,466 ft.) and Abula (10,826 ft.), rising on a ridge running along the border of Tiflis and Akhaltsikhe districts

Let us mention two more very high extinct volcanoes, although not belonging to the Caucasus, but located very close to it and not far from the shores of the Caspian Sea. One of them is called Damavand, and the other is Savalan. The first has 18,600 pounds, and the second - 15,792 pounds. absolute height. Therefore, both of them rise above the snow line. On the northern slope of Damavand, exposed to the influence of the Caspian Sea, there is a lot of snow, there are even glaciers; Savalan has on its top, where in former times there was a crater, a lake with warm water. Probably, the excess heat inside the mountain significantly prevents the accumulation of snow on its slopes.

The Caucasus Mountains, as if holding together the space between the Black and Caspian Seas, consist of two mountain systems - the Greater Caucasus and the Lesser Caucasus. The Greater Caucasus is picturesque, majestic and famous. This is where it all starts largest rivers region. It goes through state border Russia with two states at once - Georgia and Azerbaijan.

From northwest to southeast, the Greater Caucasus extends for almost 1,150 km: near the Black Sea, its foothills rise in the Anapa region, and on the opposite side it begins at the Absheron Peninsula, not far from the capital of Azerbaijan. Near Novorossiysk, the width of this mountain system is only 32 km; near Elbrus, the Greater Caucasus is almost 6 times wider.

To make it easier to identify the peaks, this mountain range is traditionally divided by scientists into three sections:

The Western Caucasus (from the Black Sea coast to the foot of Elbrus) consists mainly of low mountains (up to 4000 m), highest point– Mount Dombay-Ulgen (4046 m);

The Central Caucasus (Elbrus and the mountain range from it up to Mount Kazbek) has 15 highest peaks (5000-5500 m);

Eastern Caucasus (from Kazbek to the Caspian coast). The highest mountain in this part of the massif is Mount Tebulsomta (4493 m).

In addition, the Greater Caucasus is conventionally divided into three belts (longitudinal segments):

The axial part of the mountain system. It is based on the Main Caucasian (Watershed) Ridge and next to it (on the left) is the Side Ridge.

The northern slope belt consists of mainly parallel mountain ranges in the central and western parts of the Greater Caucasus. These ridges decline to the north.

Southern slope of the mountain system. It consists mostly of en echelon ridges that are adjacent to the GKH.

There are a huge number of glaciers on the slopes of the Greater Caucasus - more than two thousand. The glaciated area is approximately 1400 km². The largest glacier in the Greater Caucasus is Bezengi, its length is 17 km, it is located on the Bezengi wall. The record holder for the number of glaciers in the entire mountain system is Mount Elbrus. Most of all eternal ice located in the central part of the Greater Caucasus, about 70% of all glaciers are concentrated here. Thanks to their clear structure and white peaks, the Greater Caucasus Mountains are clearly visible on the map; this mountain range cannot be confused with any other.

Main peaks of the Greater Caucasus

Elbrus is the highest point not only in the Greater Caucasus, but throughout Russia. Its height is 5,642 m. Elbrus is located on the border of Karachay-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria, and is a Mecca for mountaineering. Several of the highest mountaineering shelters in Europe are built on its slopes.

Dykhtau (5204.7 m) is the second highest mountain in the Greater Caucasus, which is part of the Bezengi Wall. Like Elbrus, Dykhtau is a “two-headed” mountain. Next on the list highest mountains mountain system - Koshtantau (5152 m) and Pushkin Peak (5100 m) - are also located in the Bezengi wall massif.

Dzhangitau (5085 m) is the central mountain of the Bezengi Wall, a popular mountaineering destination. Located on the border of Russia and Georgia.

How did the Greater Caucasus appear?

Huge mountain system cannot have a simple geological structure. The tectonic structure of the Greater Caucasus is complex and heterogeneous, which is associated with the history of the formation of the mountain range. According to recent studies, the Greater Caucasus arose as a result of the interaction of East European and Arabian lithospheric plates. Millions of years ago there was a bay in this place ancient ocean Tethys, which united the Caspian, Black and Sea of ​​Azov. At the bottom of this ocean there was active volcanic activity, hot rock poured into earth's crust. Gradually, mountainous massifs formed, which either sank under the water, then rose again on it, and as a result, in the middle of the Mesozoic, in those areas that became islands, sandy-clayey sediments were deposited; in some troughs, these deposits reached several kilometers. Gradually, several islands formed one large island, which was located where the central part of the Greater Caucasus lies today.

At the beginning of the Quaternary period, the Arabian Plate increased pressure on the East European Plate, the Elbrus and Kazbek volcanoes erupted - in general, the formation of the mountain range was active. The sediments on the slopes of the stone islands were compressed into complex folds, which then underwent faulting. The central part of the modern Greater Caucasus rose. The rock rose everywhere and unevenly, and river valleys formed in the faults. At the same time, while the mountains were growing, their icing began against the background of a general cooling. The mountains were almost completely covered with ice. The movements of ice masses and frost weathering completed the appearance of the modern Caucasus mountains: it was thanks to them that the shape of the relief of the Greater Caucasus remained as we know it now - with sharp ridges and moraine ridges.

The Greater Caucasus has long been transformed from a series of impregnable mountain walls into a territory completely inhabited by humans. People live in river valleys, as well as on mountain slopes (sometimes quite high!). There are a huge number of historical monuments here, dear to the people living here. Through numerous passes of the Greater Caucasus, communication has been established between the republics within Russian Federation, as well as with neighboring countries.

The climate in the Caucasus varies both vertically (altitude) and horizontally (latitude and location). Temperatures generally decrease as altitude increases and gets closer to the sea. The average annual temperature in Sukhum (Abkhazia) at sea level is 15 degrees Celsius, and on the slopes of Mount Kazbek, at an altitude of 3700 m, the average annual air temperature drops to −6.1 degrees Celsius. On the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus Range it is 3 degrees Celsius colder than on the southern slopes. In the high mountainous regions of the Lesser Caucasus in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, there is a sharp contrast in temperatures between summer and winter due to a more continental climate.

Precipitation increases from east to west in most areas. Altitude also plays a role important role: Mountains generally receive more rainfall than lowland areas. The northeastern regions (Dagestan) and the southern part of the Lesser Caucasus are dry. The absolute minimum annual precipitation is 250 mm, in the northeastern part of the Caspian Lowland. The western part of the Caucasus is characterized by high rainfall. There is more precipitation on the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus Range than on the northern slopes. Annual precipitation in the western Caucasus ranges from 1000 to 4000 mm, while in the Eastern and Northern Caucasus (Chechnya, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Ossetia, Kakheti, Kartli, etc.) precipitation ranges from 600 to 1800 mm . The absolute maximum annual precipitation is 4100 mm in the region of Meskheti and Adjara. Precipitation levels in the Lesser Caucasus (southern Georgia, Armenia, western Azerbaijan), not including Meskheti, vary from 300 to 800 mm per year.

The Caucasus is famous big amount snowfall, although the windward slopes receive much less snow. This is especially noticeable in the Lesser Caucasus, which is somewhat isolated from the influence of humidity coming from the Black Sea, and receives significantly less precipitation (including in the form of snow) than in the Greater Caucasus Mountains. On average, in winter the snow cover in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains ranges from 10 to 30 cm. Heavy snowfalls are recorded in the Greater Caucasus Mountains (in particular, on the southwestern slope). Avalanches are a common occurrence from November to April.

Snow cover in some regions (Svaneti, in the northern part of Abkhazia) can reach 5 meters. The Achishkho region is the snowiest place in the Caucasus, with snow cover reaching a depth of 7 meters.

Landscape

The Caucasus Mountains have a varied landscape, which mainly varies vertically and depends on the distance from large bodies of water. The region contains biomes ranging from subtropical low-level swamps and glacial forests (Western and Central Caucasus) to high-mountain semi-deserts, steppes and alpine grasslands in the south (mainly Armenia and Azerbaijan).

On the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus, oak, hornbeam, maple and ash are common at lower altitudes, while birch and pine forests predominate at higher elevations. Some of the lowest areas and slopes are covered with steppes and grasslands.

The slopes of the Northwestern Greater Caucasus (Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, etc.) also contain spruce and fir forests. In the high mountain zone (about 2000 meters above sea level) forests predominate. Permafrost (glacier) usually begins at approximately 2800-3000 meters.

On the southeastern slope of the Greater Caucasus, beech, oak, maple, hornbeam and ash are common. Beech forests tend to dominate at higher altitudes.

On the southwestern slope of the Greater Caucasus, oak, beech, chestnut, hornbeam and elm are common at lower altitudes, coniferous and mixed forests (spruce, fir and beech) are common at higher altitudes. Permafrost begins at an altitude of 3000-3500 m.

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. Concentrated in a relatively small area big variety languages. 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 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”, which was assigned to mountain ranges in honor of the epic king, is also of Iranian origin. Ancient Iran Kavi-Kausa.

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 an 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