Caucasus Mountains – the great divide between Europe and Asia. The Caucasus is a narrow strip of land between the Black and Caspian seas. It amazes with the incredible diversity of climate, flora and fauna.

The pride of the Caucasus is its mountains! Without mountains, the Caucasus is not the Caucasus. The mountains are unique, majestic and inaccessible. The Caucasus is amazingly beautiful. He's so different. You can look at the mountains for hours.

The Greater Caucasus mountain range is home to many pastures, forests, and amazing natural wonders. More than 2 thousand glaciers descend through narrow gorges. Chain large mountains almost one and a half thousand kilometers stretches from northwest to southeast. The main peaks exceed 5 thousand meters and significantly influence the weather in the regions. The clouds that form over the Black Sea shed rain, impinging on Mountain peaks Caucasus. On one side of the ridge there is a harsh landscape, and on the other there is lush vegetation. Here you can find more than 6 and a half thousand plant species, a quarter of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

There are many legends about the origin of the Caucasus Mountains:

A long time ago, when the earth was still very young, in place modern territory A huge plain stretched across the Caucasus. The huge Nart heroes lived here in peace and love. They were kind and prudent, they greeted day and night with joy, they knew neither evil, nor envy, nor deceit. The ruler of this people was the gray-haired giant Elbrus, and he had a beautiful son Beshtau, and his son had a charming bride, the beautiful Mashuki. But they had an evil envious person - Korshun. And he decided to harm the sledges. He prepared a terrible potion in which he mixed the teeth of a wolf, the tongue of a boar and the eyes of a snake. At a big celebration, he added a potion to all the Narts' drinks. And having drunk it, they acquired the greed of a boar, the anger of a wolf and the cunning of a snake. And from that time on the happy and carefree life of the Narts ended. The father decided to take his young bride away from his son and, sending him on a hunt, wanted to forcefully marry Mashuki. But Mashuki resisted Elbrus. And in a fierce battle she lost her wedding ring. He saw Beshtau’s ring and hurried to help the bride. And a terrible life-and-death battle ensued, and half of the Narts fought on the side of Elbrus, and the other half on the side of Beshtau. And the battle lasted for several days and nights, and all the sledges died. Elbrus chopped his son into five parts, and the son, delivering the final blow, dismembered his father's gray head into two halves. Mashuki came out onto the battlefield after the battle and did not see a single living soul. She approached her lover and plunged a dagger into her heart. Thus the life of a great and old people stopped.

And in this place the Caucasian mountains now rise: the helmet from the head of Beshtau - Mount Zheleznaya, the ring of Mashuki - Mount Koltso, five peaks - Mount Beshtau, nearby - Mount Mashuk and far, far from the others - the gray-haired or simply snow-covered handsome Elbrus.

The Caucasus Mountains are the result of the convergence of two plates

Let's look at one of the narrowest places of this grandiose mountain belt. At its northern outskirts, in the Ciscaucasia, there are flat areas that belong to a strong plate called the Scythian. Further to the south are the sublatitudinal (that is, stretching approximately from west to east) mountains of the Greater Caucasus up to 5 km high, the narrow depressions of Transcaucasia - the Rioni and Kura lowlands - and also the sublatitudinal, but convex to the north, mountain ranges of the Lesser Caucasus in Georgia and Armenia , Eastern Turkey and Western Iran (up to 5 km high).

To the south are the plains of Northern Arabia, which, like the plains of the Ciscaucasia, belong to the very strong, monolithic Arabian lithospheric plate.

Therefore, the Scythian and Arabian plates- these are like two parts of a giant vice that are slowly approaching, crushing everything that is between them. It is curious that directly opposite the northern, relatively narrow end of the Arabian Plate, in Eastern Turkey and Western Iran, there are the highest mountains compared to the mountains located to the west and east. They rise precisely in the place where the Arabian Plate, like a kind of hard wedge, most strongly compressed the pliable sediments.

Divided into two mountain systems: Greater Caucasus and Lesser Caucasus. The Caucasus is often divided into North Caucasus and Transcaucasia, the border between which is drawn along the Main, or Watershed, ridge of the Greater Caucasus, which occupies a central position in the mountain system. The Greater Caucasus extends more than 1100 km from northwest to southeast, from the Anapa region and Taman Peninsula to the Absheron Peninsula on the Caspian coast, near Baku. The Greater Caucasus reaches its maximum width in the area of ​​the Elbrus meridian (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 (see Greater Caucasus). 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 most famous peaks - Mount Elbrus (5642 m) and Mount Kazbek (5033 m) are covered with eternal snow and glaciers. 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 (with the Bezengi glacier, 17 km). From the northern foot of the Greater Caucasus to the Kuma-Manych depression, the Ciscaucasia stretches with vast plains and hills. To the south of the Greater Caucasus are the Colchis and Kura-Araks lowlands, the Inner Kartli Plain and the Alazan-Avtoran Valley [Kura Depression, within which the Alazan-Avtoran Valley and the Kura-Araks Lowland are located]. In the southeastern part of the Caucasus are the Talysh Mountains (up to 2477 m high) with the adjacent Lenkoran Lowland. In the middle and west of the southern part of the Caucasus is the Transcaucasian Highlands, consisting of the ridges of the Lesser Caucasus and the Armenian Highlands (Aragats, 4090 m). 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. Mountains near Sochi - Achishkho, Aibga, Chigush (Chugush, 3238 m), Pseashkho and others (Krasnaya Polyana resort area) - will host participants in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

Geology The Caucasus is a folded mountain range with some volcanic activity that formed as the Alps during the Tertiary period (approximately 28.49-23.8 million years ago). The mountains are composed of granite and gneiss, among other things, and contain deposits of oil and natural gas. Estimated reserves: up to 200 billion barrels. oil. (For comparison: in Saudi Arabia- the country with the world's largest oil reserves - an estimated 260 billion barrels.) From a geophysical point of view, the Caucasus forms a wide deformation zone that is part of the continental plate collision belt from the Alps to the Himalayas. The architecture of the region is shaped by the northward movement of the Arabian Plate onto the Eurasian Plate. Pressed by the African Plate, it moves about a few centimeters every year. Therefore, at the end of the 20th century, large earthquakes occurred in the Caucasus with an intensity of 6.5 to 7 points, which had catastrophic consequences for the population and economy in the region. More than 25 thousand people died in Spitak in Armenia on December 7, 1988, approximately 20 thousand were injured and approximately 515 thousand were left homeless. The Greater Caucasus is a grandiose folded mountain region, which occurred on the site of the Mesozoic geosyncline due to Alpine folding. At its core lie Precambrian, Paleozoic and Triassic rocks, which are successively surrounded by Jurassic, Cretaceous, Paleogene and Neogene deposits. In the middle part of the Caucasus, ancient rocks come to the surface.

Geographical affiliation There is no clear agreement on whether the Caucasus Mountains are part of Europe or Asia. Depending on the approach, the most high mountain Europe is considered to be either Mount Elbrus (5642 m) or Mont Blanc (4810 m) in the Alps, on the Italian-French border. The Caucasus Mountains are located in the center of the Eurasian Plate between Europe and Asia. The ancient Greeks saw the Bosphorus and the Caucasus Mountains as the border of Europe. This opinion was later changed several times for political reasons. During the Migration Period and the Middle Ages, the Bosphorus Strait and the Don River separated the two continents. The border was defined by the Swedish officer and geographer Philipp Johann von Stralenberg, who proposed a border running through the peaks of the Urals and then down the Emba River to the coast of the Caspian Sea, before passing through the Kuma-Manych depression, which lies 300 km north of the Caucasus Mountains . In 1730, this course was approved by the Russian Tsar, and since then has been adopted by many scientists. According to this definition, mountains are part of Asia and, according to this point of view, the most high mountain Europe - Mont Blanc. On the other hand, La Grande Encyclopedie clearly defines the border between Europe and Asia, south of both Caucasian ranges. Elbrus and Kazbek are European mountains by this definition.

Fauna and flora 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. There are a lot of species of invertebrate animals in the Caucasus, for example, approximately 1000 species of spiders have been confirmed there so far. 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.

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 meters.

Geographical position

Stretching between the Black and Caspian seas, the Caucasus Mountains are a natural border between Asia and Europe. They also divide the Near and Middle East. Due to their vast territory, they can easily be called “a country of ridges and highlands.” There are two versions of the origin of the word “Caucasus”. According to the first, this was the name of the epic king from the poem “Shahnameh” - Kavi-Kaus. The second hypothesis attributes the name to the translation: “Supporting the sky.” Geographically, the Caucasus is divided into two mountain systems: Big and Small. In turn, they also have divisions into ridges, chains and highlands.

Height of the Caucasus Mountains

The Caucasus often appears on the list of “the best”. For example, the highest permanent settlement of Ushguli (Georgia) is located here. It lies on the slope of Shkhara (5068 m above sea level) and is included in the UNESCO list. Ushba has acquired a gloomy reputation among climbers as the most difficult peak to conquer - a “four-thousander”. Mysterious Ararat is surrounded by biblical legends. Is here and alpine lakes- Ritsa, for example. And the Zeygalan waterfall (North Ossetia) is the largest in Russia (600 m). This attracts many climbers, athletes and just tourists to the region. The highest snow-capped peaks, glaciers shining in the sun, inaccessible passes, narrow gorges, waterfalls and stormy, bubbling rivers - all these are the Caucasus Mountains. The height of the largest peaks - Elbrus (5642) and Kazbek (5034) - exceeds Mont Blanc (4810), considered the culmination point of Western Europe.

Myths and legends

The Caucasus is mentioned in the Bible. In the Book of Genesis, the ark of the righteous Noah landed at Mount Ararat during the great flood, and from there a dove brought an olive branch. Jason sailed to the land of sorcerers Colchis (Black Sea coast of the Caucasus) for the Golden Fleece. Here the eagle of Zeus punished Prometheus for giving fire to people. The Caucasus Mountains also have their own regional legends. Every people living on the slopes of this majestic country of glaciers and snowy peaks - and there are about fifty of them - composes tales and myths about them.

Geology

The Caucasus is a young mountain system. It was formed relatively recently - about 25 million years ago, during the Tertiary period. Thus, the Caucasus Mountains belong to the Alpine folding, but with insignificant volcanic activity. There have been no eruptions for a long time, but earthquakes are frequent. The biggest one last happened in 1988. In Spitak (Armenia), 25 thousand people died then. The main geological wealth of the mountains is oil. The fields are estimated to have reserves of 200 billion barrels.

Flora and fauna

The Caucasus Mountains are home to many species of wild animals. Bears live in the gorges, and there are also golden eagles, chamois, wild boars, and argali. There are also endemics - species that, except for the Caucasus, cannot be found anywhere else on the planet. These include local species of leopard and lynx. Before the beginning of our era, manuscripts mention the presence of Caspian tigers and Asiatic lions. The biological diversity of this region is rapidly declining. The last Caucasian bison became extinct in 1926, the local subspecies - in 1810. In this region of subtropical forests, alpine meadows and alpine lichens, 6,350 plant species have been recorded. Of these, more than one and a half thousand are endemic.

In front of you detailed map Caucasus mountains with names of cities and settlements 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 wonderful a nice 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 familiarize yourself in detail with highways Caucasus mountains and main attractions.

antiqus classics

Caspian mountains

    Caspian mountains
  • and gates (Greek Κασπία ὄρη, Latin Caspii monies).
  • 1. The fanatical mountains between Armenia and Albania on the one hand and Media on the other (now Qaradagh, Siah-Koh, i.e. Black and Talysh Mountains). In a broad sense, this name refers to the entire chain of mountains running south of the river. Arak (from the Kotur River to the Caspian Sea). Here were the so-called.

Caspian Gate (Kaspiapili), a narrow mountain pass 8 Roman miles long and one chariot wide (now the Chamar pass between Narsa-Koh and Siah-Koh). This was the only way from Northwestern Asia to the northeastern part of the Persian state, because the Persians locked this passage with iron gates, which were guarded by guards (claustra Caspiarum).

  • 2. The Elborz mountain range in Iran, with the main pass leading from Media to Parthia and Hyrcania.
  • 3. Mountains north of the Cambyses and Aragva rivers, the Central Caucasus, Mount Caspian - Kazbek. K. Gate - Daryal and Cross Pass. Through this pass, along the valleys of the Aragvi and Terek rivers, ran one of the two routes from Transcaucasia to Eastern Europe, it was along it that the Scythians most often raided.

    • 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 Caucasus is often divided into the Northern Caucasus and Transcaucasia, the border between which is drawn along the Main, or Watershed, ridge of the Greater Caucasus, which occupies a central position in the mountain system.

    The most famous peaks are Mt. Elbrus (5642 m) and Mt.

    Kazbek (5033 m) is covered with eternal snow and glaciers.

    From the northern foot of the Greater Caucasus to the Kuma-Manych depression, the Ciscaucasia stretches with vast plains and hills. To the south of the Greater Caucasus are the Colchis and Kura-Araks lowlands, the Inner Kartli Plain and the Alazan-Avtoran Valley [Kura Depression, within which the Alazan-Avtoran Valley and the Kura-Araks Lowland are located]. In the southeastern part of the Caucasus are the Talysh Mountains (up to 2492 m high) with the adjacent Lenkoran Lowland. In the middle and west of the southern part of the Caucasus is the Transcaucasian Highlands, consisting of the ridges of the Lesser Caucasus and the Armenian Highlands (Aragats, 4090 m).
    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.

    Mountains near Sochi - Aishkho (2391 m), Aibga (2509 m), Chigush (3238 m), Pseashkho and others.

    Location of the Caucasus Mountains mountain system on the world map

    (the boundaries of the mountain system are approximate)

    Hotels in Adler from 600 rubles per day!

    Caucasus Mountains or Caucasus- a mountain system between the Black and Caspian seas with an area of ​​~ 477488 m².

    The Caucasus is divided into two mountain systems: the Greater Caucasus and the Lesser Caucasus, very often the mountain system is divided into the Ciscaucasia (North Caucasus), the Greater Caucasus and the Transcaucasus (South Caucasus). The state border runs along the ridge of the Main Ridge Russian Federation with the countries of Transcaucasia.

    Highest Peaks

    The largest mountain peaks of the Caucasus Mountains (indicators from different sources may vary).

    Height, m

    Notes
    Elbrus 5642 m highest point Caucasus, Russia and Europe
    Shkhara 5201 m Bezengi, the highest point of Georgia
    Koshtantau 5152 m Bezengi
    Pushkin Peak 5100 m Bezengi
    Dzhangitau 5085 m Bezengi
    Shkhara 5201 m Bezengi, the highest point of Georgia
    Kazbek 5034 m Georgia, Russia (highest point of North Ossetia)
    Mizhirgi Western 5025 m Bezengi
    Tetnuld 4974 m Svaneti
    Katyn-tau or Adish 4970 m Bezengi
    Shota Rustaveli Peak 4960 m Bezengi
    Gestola 4860 m Bezengi
    Jimara 4780 m Georgia, North Ossetia (Russia)
    Ushba 4690 m
    Tebulosmta 4493 m highest point of Chechnya
    Bazarduzu 4485 m highest point of Dagestan and Azerbaijan
    Shan 4451 m highest point of Ingushetia
    Adai-Khokh 4408 m Ossetia
    Diklosmta 4285 m Chechnya
    Shahdag 4243 m Azerbaijan
    Tufandag 4191 m Azerbaijan
    Shalbuzdag 4142 m Dagestan
    Aragats 4094 m highest point of Armenia
    Dombay-Ulgen 4046 m Dombay
    Zilga-Khokh 3853 m Georgia, South Ossetia
    TASS 3525 m Russia, Chechen Republic
    Tsitelikhati 3026.1 m South Ossetia

    Climate

    The climate of the Caucasus is warm and mild, with the exception of the highlands: at an altitude of 3800 m there is a border " eternal ice" In the mountains and foothills there is a large amount of precipitation.

    Flora and fauna

    The vegetation of the Caucasus is distinguished by its rich species composition and diversity: oriental beech, Caucasian hornbeam, Caucasian linden, noble chestnut, boxwood, cherry laurel, Pontine rhododendron, some types of oak and maple, wild persimmon, as well as subtropical tea bushes and citrus fruits grow here.

    In the Caucasus there are brown Caucasian bears, lynxes, wildcats, foxes, badgers, martens, deer, roe deer, wild boars, bison, chamois, mountain goats (turs), small rodents (forest dormouse, vole). Birds: magpies, blackbirds, cuckoos, jays, wagtails, woodpeckers, owls, eagle owls, starlings, crows, goldfinches, kingfishers, tits, Caucasian grouse and mountain turkeys, golden eagles and lambs.

    Population

    More than 50 peoples live in the Caucasus (for example: Avars, Circassians, Chechens, Georgians, Lezgins, Karachais, etc.) which are designated as Caucasian peoples. They speak Caucasian, Indo-European, and Altai languages. Largest cities: Sochi, Tbilisi, Yerevan, Vladikavkaz, Grozny, etc.

    Tourism and rest

    The Caucasus is visited for recreational purposes: on the shores of the Black Sea there are many sea ​​resorts, The North Caucasus is popular for its balneological resorts.

    Rivers of the Caucasus

    Rivers originating in the Caucasus belong to the basins of the Black, Caspian and Azov seas.

    • Bzyb
    • Kodori
    • Ingur (Inguri)
    • Rioni
    • Kuban
    • Podkumok
    • Araks
    • Liakhva (Big Liakhvi)
    • Samur
    • Sulak
    • Avar Koisu
    • Andean Khoisu
    • Terek
    • Sunzha
    • Argun
    • Malka (Kura)
    • Baksan
    • Chegem
    • Cherek

    Countries and Regions

    The following countries and regions are located in the Caucasus.

    • Azerbaijan
    • Armenia
    • Georgia
    • Russia: Adygea, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay-Cherkessia, Krasnodar region, North Ossetia Alania, Stavropol region, Chechnya

    In addition to these countries and regions, there are partially recognized republics in the Caucasus: Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Nagorno-Karabakh.

    Largest cities of the Caucasus

    • Vladikavkaz
    • Gelendzhik
    • Hot key
    • Grozny
    • Derbent
    • Yerevan
    • Essentuki
    • Zheleznovodsk
    • Zugdidi
    • Kislovodsk
    • Kutaisi
    • Krasnodar
    • Maykop
    • Makhachkala
    • Mineral water
    • Nazran
    • Nalchik
    • Novorossiysk
    • Pyatigorsk
    • Stavropol
    • Stepanakert
    • Sukhum
    • Tbilisi
    • Tuapse
    • Tskhinvali
    • Cherkessk

    Cheap flights to Sochi from 3000 rubles.

    Where is it located and how to get there

    Address: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia

    The Caucasus Mountains are a mountain system between the Black, Azov and Caspian seas. The etymology of the name has not been established.

    It is divided into two mountain systems: the Greater Caucasus and the Lesser Caucasus.

    The Caucasus is often divided into the Northern Caucasus and Transcaucasia, the border between which is drawn along the Main, or Watershed, ridge of the Greater Caucasus, which occupies a central position in the mountain system.

    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 area of ​​the Elbrus meridian (up to 180 km). In the axial part is the Main Caucasian (or Watershed) Range, to the north of which a number of parallel ridges (mountain ranges), including a monoclinal (cuesta) character, extend (see Greater Caucasus). 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).

    Countries and Regions

    1. South Ossetia
    2. Abkhazia
    3. Russia:
    • Adygea
    • Dagestan
    • Ingushetia
    • Kabardino-Balkaria
    • Karachay-Cherkessia
    • Krasnodar region
    • North Ossetia Alania
    • Stavropol region
    • Chechnya

    Cities of the Caucasus

    • Adygeisk
    • Alagir
    • Argun
    • Baksan
    • Buynaksk
    • Vladikavkaz
    • Gagra
    • Gelendzhik
    • Grozny
    • Gudauta
    • Gudermes
    • Dagestan lights
    • Derbent
    • Dusheti
    • Essentuki
    • Zheleznovodsk
    • Zugdidi
    • Izberbash
    • Karabulak
    • Karachaevsk
    • Kaspiysk
    • Kvaysa
    • Kizilyurt
    • Kizlyar
    • Kislovodsk
    • Kutaisi
    • Leningor
    • Magas
    • Maykop
    • Malgobek
    • Makhachkala
    • Mineral water
    • Nazran
    • Nalchik
    • Nartkala
    • Nevinnomyssk
    • Novorossiysk
    • Ochamchira
    • Chill
    • Pyatigorsk
    • Stavropol
    • Stepanakert
    • Sukhum
    • Urus-Martan
    • Tbilisi
    • Terek
    • Tuapse
    • Tyrnyauz
    • Khasavyurt
    • Tkuarchal
    • Tskhinvali
    • Cherkessk
    • Yuzhno-Sukhokumsk

    Climate

    The climate in the Caucasus varies both vertically (altitude) and horizontally (latitude and location). Temperatures generally decrease with elevation. The average annual temperature in Sukhum, Abkhazia at sea level is 15 degrees Celsius, and on the mountain slopes. Kazbek is at an altitude of 3700 m, the average annual air temperature drops to −6.1 degrees Celsius. On the northern slope of the Bolshoi Caucasian ridge 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 plays an important role: the Caucasus and mountains usually receive more rainfall than lowland areas. Northeastern regions (Dagestan) and South part The Lesser Caucasus is 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. On the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus Range there is more precipitation than on the northern slopes. Annual precipitation in the western part of the 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 known for its high snowfall, although many regions that are not located along windward slopes do not receive much snow. This is especially true for the Lesser Caucasus, which is somewhat isolated from the influence of humidity coming from the Black Sea and receives significantly less precipitation (in the form of snow) than 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 common 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.

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