What mountains are in the Caucasus. The Caucasus Mountains are an impregnable border between Europe and Asia

Geographical location of the Caucasus Mountains

The Caucasus Mountains are located between the Azov, Black and Caspian Seas. In addition, this territory can be called multinational, because The Caucasus is part of Russian Federation, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and.

Characteristics of the relief of the Caucasus Mountains

Orographically, this region is a mountain system consisting of the main ridge, Ciscaucasia and Transcaucasia (North and South Caucasus). The relief of the Ciscaucasia is distinguished by plains and foothills: Kuban, Taman Peninsula, Stavropol Upland. The Transcaucasus region is represented by more mountainous areas, which belong to South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Georgia and Eastern Turkey. In addition, the Caucasus is divided into 2 mountain systems: the Greater and Lesser Caucasus. The Greater Caucasus stretches between the Caspian and the Black Sea for 1100 km. In the region of the highest point of the Caucasus - Mount Elbrus (5642 m), the width of the mountain range reaches 180 km. In addition, the Greater Caucasus is divided into three regions: Western, Central and Eastern. The Lesser Caucasus is a mountain system of the Transcaucasian region, which is limited in the west by Colchis and in the east by the Kura Depression. The maximum height of the Lesser Caucasus is 3724, length is only 600 km. The Likhsky ridge region is a place connecting the mountain systems of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus.

Natural and climatic features of the Caucasus

The mountainous terrain has caused climate change and the amazing landscape diversity of the Caucasus. Thus, the lowlands of Transcaucasia are distinguished by subtropical landscapes, where various climatic conditions allow you to grow citrus fruits, tea, cotton and other crops. High in the mountains, in the Elbrus region, the landscape changes dramatically - perennial ice and snow reign here. It should be noted that the geographical law of altitudinal zonality is weakly expressed in mountains with low altitudes.
The Caucasus Mountains can safely be called a museum under open air Therefore, environmental protection activities are actively developed here. Thus, on the territory of the Caucasus there are 3 national parks and 5 nature reserves.

Development of tourism in the Caucasus

The Caucasus region is distinguished by a variety of recreational resources that attract tourists. It can natural objects: gorges, canyons, caves, waterfalls; mineral springs and climate; historical and cultural monuments. In addition, the Caucasus Mountains will especially delight fans of extreme sports: rafting, canyoning, rock climbing, caving - this is not a complete list of activities extreme tourism.

Mountain tourism in the Caucasus

The most affordable and practically safe way enjoy the landscapes Mountain Caucasus is mountain tourism. To the most popular and well-developed areas mountain tourism refers to the Western Caucasus, where the network runs tourist routes various categories of complexity. For beginners, it is advisable to choose simple routes laid in the low-mountainous western part (Arkhyz region). Particularly popular are the routes that go to the sea: the extreme journey ends with a swimming and beach holiday. It should be noted that tourists who visit the Caucasus Mountains for the first time are advised to use the services of experienced escorts, even if they have experience in climbing in other mountainous areas.

Canyoning in the Caucasus

Canyoning is a type of extreme tourism associated with overcoming canyons without the use of kayaks, canoes, inflatable boats and other watercraft. There are several types of canyoning: technical, walking and play.
The Adygea region has excellent conditions for the development of this species. extreme recreation. Many routes follow the canyon of the Rufabgo River and the Big Rufabgo Creek. In addition, there are routes along the Meshoko River gorge and in the area of the Universitetsky waterfall.

Rafting on the rivers of the Caucasus

Unlike canyoning, rafting, on the contrary, actively uses catamarans, kayaks and inflatable rafts for rafting down mountain rivers. Rafting routes in the Caucasus are distinguished by difficulty category: the second category is for beginners, and the sixth is the most difficult. Although, rafting above the third category is already quite dangerous.
Fans of rafting prefer rafting on the Zelenchuk River or Bolshoy Zelenchuk, which can be classified into category 3. The extreme journey lasts 5-7 days, but it is necessary to take into account the changeability of the weather. In addition to Zelenchuk, another mountain river is of interest - Vzmyta, which originates on the Central Caucasus Range. Rafting takes only 3-4 days.

Speleotourism in the Caucasus

Caving is very popular among young people. It involves visiting various caves, mines, wells and labyrinths. In the Caucasus, optimal conditions for speleotourists are found in the Lagonaki Highlands. The most varied forms of speleorelief are presented here. These include extensive mines, wells, and horizontal galleries that stretch for kilometers. The Lagonaki cavities are suitable for both beginners (regular uncategorized routes) and professional speleologists (difficulty category 5).

Geographical position. On the huge isthmus between the Black and Caspian seas, from the Taman to the Absheron peninsula, there are majestic mountains Greater Caucasus.

North Caucasus- this is the most South part Russian territory. Along the ridges of the Main, or Vodorazdelny, Caucasian ridge passes the border of the 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 it is located and what the extreme one is called southern point Russia.

Features of nature 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 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 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 a height of 3000 m, only one pass - Krestovy on Georgian Military Road- lies at an altitude of 2379 m.

The highest peaks are located in the Central Caucasus - the double-headed Elbrus, dormant volcano, the most high peak 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. Along the cracks formed with great depths Magma poured onto the surface, 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 the earth's 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, Mineral water, Pyatigorsk, Essentuki, Zheleznovodsk, Matsesta. The sources are varied in chemical composition, temperature and are extremely useful.

Rice. 94. Geological structure 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, warm, on the plains average temperature July 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 Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, the western regions of the North Caucasus are different big amount precipitation. 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 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 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), 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 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. Stormy ones are especially numerous mountain rivers, the main source of nutrition of 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 zone 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 impact geographical location territory on the features of its nature.
Tell us about the formation of the modern relief of the Greater Caucasus.
On contour map indicate the main geographical features region, mineral deposits.
Describe the climate of the Greater Caucasus, explain how the climate of the foothills differs from the high-mountain regions.

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.

Mountain chain The Greater Caucasus is full of 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 rain, hitting the mountain peaks of the 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, a huge plain stretched on the site of the modern territory of 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.

The vast majority of the peaks included in the list of the highest mountains in Russia on the map belong to one mountain system - the Greater Caucasus. This huge mountain range is located between the Black and Caspian Seas. Three Kamchatka hills - Klyuchevskaya, Kamen and Ploskaya Blizhnaya (13th, 18th and 70th places) and two peaks are barely catching up with the southerners Altai mountains— Belukha and Tavan-Bogdo-Uul (19th and 67th place).

To prevent Russian climbers from getting bored with the monotony, the Mountaineering Federation decided to include in the conditions for receiving the most honorable mountaineering title the conquest of not only the eight highest mountains on the list, but also the assault on Belukha and Klyuchevskaya Sopka.

Shota Rustaveli Peak is one of the peaks that make up the so-called Bezengi Wall - a giant mountain range stretching for 13 km. In addition to the Shota Rustaveli peak, the wall is formed by Dzhangitau (fifth place in the ranking), Katyntau (ninth) and Shkhara (sixth).

9. Katyn-Tau – 4970 m

The Kabardino-Balkarians have a sad legend associated with the name of this mountain. The mountain peak Tetnuld (“white”), one of the most beautiful, invariably arousing the admiration of tourists for its whiteness, decided to leave his old wife, Katyn (“wife”), for the sake of his young one, Dzhanga (“new”, “young”). Perhaps Tetnuld was a climber - the height of Katyn does not reach 5 km, but Dzhangy, or Dzhangitau, ranks fifth in the list of the highest mountains in Russia.

8. Mizhirgi – 5025 m

The list of Russian “five thousand meters” begins with Mizhirga - the highest and most dangerous mountains Russia, which every climber dreams of climbing. Mizhirgi, despite the modest eighth place in height, the mountain is very capricious and surpasses higher peaks in terms of difficulty.

7. Kazbek – 5034 m

This is one of the the most beautiful peaks Greater Caucasus Range. Her image appears on many covers of travel magazines, photographs, postcards and stamps. A lonely white peak of a regular conical shape (Kazbek was once a volcano) stands out sharply against the background of green foothills. Unfortunately, due to the difficult geopolitical situation, ascents to Kazbek are no longer as frequent as they once were.

6. Shkhara – 5068 m

One of the most beloved peaks by climbers, and the most high mountain in the central part of the Caucasus ridge. You can climb it via a wide variety of routes, and several peaks will allow you to appreciate the beauty of the surrounding places from new points of view.

According to the results of recent measurements, Shkhara can move from sixth place to third - according to the latest data, its height is 5193.2 m. However, there is no doubt about which is the highest mountain in Russia - first place is ahead of all the others with a margin of almost half a kilometer.

5. Dzhangitau – 5085 m

Like Mizhirgi, Dzhangitau is considered one of the most difficult and dangerous peaks. Just three years ago, an experienced climber fell from its slopes (with fatal results), and a couple of years before that, a climbing group had to be rescued by helicopter.

4. Pushkin Peak – 5100 m

Most often they prefer to climb Pushkin Peak from the south side. However, experienced climbers prefer the northern side - except for a little more difficult route You can admire the enchanting beauty of the surrounding nature.

3. Koshtantau – 5152 m

Koshtantau opens the top three among the highest mountains in Russia. Sometimes she is merciful to climbers and gives them gifts beautiful weather, making the climb easy and enjoyable. However, this rarely happens; Most often, the capricious beauty prefers to dress up in an icy robe, which makes the ascent much more difficult.

The conquest of Costantau began with a tragedy - two English climbers and their Swiss guides died while trying to climb it. Since then, several routes have been laid on the mountain, but they all have increased difficulty - from 4B to 6A (for comparison: the lowest category is 1B, the highest is 6B, and category 6A is in second place, up to 6B).

2. Dykhtau – 5204 m

The poetic genius of the Balkar people decided to rest on the name Dykhtau. Translated from this language, the name simply means “ steep mountain" It's almost like a nickname.

The mountain looks harsh - the granite-gneiss rocks that make up Dykhtau are dark in color. And in contrast to the white snow and clouds (located at a lower altitude than the peak), they look especially gloomy.

The difficulty of climbing the mountain corresponds to its serious appearance - there are more than ten routes to the double peaks of Dykhtau, but even the easiest of them belongs to category 4A, above average.

1. The highest mountain in Russia – Elbrus, 5642 m

On the border between the republics of Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia is the Side Range of the Caucasus Mountains, where Elbrus, the highest mountain in Russia, is located. Elbrus has two peaks - western and eastern; the difference between them is 21 m.

This is not an easy mountain; it is a legacy of those times when the young Caucasus Mountains were still fire-breathing. Elbrus is a huge volcano, fortunately, extinct a long time ago. Over the past tens of thousands of years, Elbrus has been covered with a shell of ice of enormous thickness - in some places it reaches 250 m, which is equal to the height of an eighty-story building.

Despite the terrifying height (Elbrus is considered the most high mountain not only in Russia, but also in Europe, and is also among the top ten), the mountain’s character is not evil and the path to the top has long been found. The first ascent of Elbrus took place in the first third of the 19th century. Since then, whoever has been there! People climbed not only on foot, but also on horses, motorcycles and cars. They carried ATVs and even 75-kilogram barbells. And since the early 1990s, regular competitions have been taking place in high-speed climbing of the snow giant. From the foot to the top of Elbrus the journey takes exactly 3 hours 28 minutes 41 seconds.

List of 80 highest mountain peaks in Russia

The table shows mountain peaks with a height of at least 4000 meters and located on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Place	Vertex	Height, m	The subject of the Russian Federation	Mountain system
1		5642	Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia	Greater Caucasus
2		5204	Kabardino-Balkaria	Greater Caucasus
3		5152	Kabardino-Balkaria	Greater Caucasus
4		5100	Kabardino-Balkaria	Greater Caucasus
5		5085	Kabardino-Balkaria	Greater Caucasus
6		5068	Kabardino-Balkaria (Russia), Svaneti (Georgia)	Greater Caucasus
7		5034	North Ossetia, Georgia	Greater Caucasus
8		5025	Kabardino-Balkaria	Greater Caucasus
9		4970	Kabardino-Balkaria	Greater Caucasus
10		4860	Kabardino-Balkaria, Georgia	Greater Caucasus
11	Gestola	4860	Kabardino-Balkaria	Greater Caucasus
12	Jimara	4780	North Ossetia	Greater Caucasus
13	Klyuchevskaya Sopka	4750	Kamchatka Krai	East Ridge
14	Wilpata	4646	North Ossetia	Greater Caucasus
15	Sauhokh	4636	North Ossetia	Greater Caucasus
16	Kukurtli-Kolbashi	4624	Karachay-Cherkessia	Greater Caucasus
17	Maylihoh	4598	North Ossetia	Greater Caucasus
18	Stone	4575	Kamchatka Krai	East Ridge
19	Belukha	4509	Altai	Altai Mountains
20	Sallynngantau	4507	Kabardino-Balkaria	Greater Caucasus
21	Tebulosmta	4492	Chechnya, Georgia	Greater Caucasus
22	Sugan	4489	North Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria	Greater Caucasus
23	Bazarduzu	4466	Dagestan	Greater Caucasus
24	Chanchakhi	4461	North Ossetia	Greater Caucasus
25	Donguzorun-Cheget-Karabashi	4454	Kabardino-Balkaria	Greater Caucasus
26	Shan	4452	Ingushetia, Georgia	Greater Caucasus
27	Warmth	4431	North Ossetia	Greater Caucasus
28	Chatyntau	4411	Karachay-Cherkessia, Georgia	Greater Caucasus
29	Adai-Khokh	4408	North Ossetia	Greater Caucasus
30	Songuti	4405	North Ossetia	Greater Caucasus
31	Tyutyubashi	4404	Kabardino-Balkaria	Greater Caucasus
32	Vologata	4396	North Ossetia	Greater Caucasus
33	Karaug	4364	North Ossetia, Georgia	Greater Caucasus
34	Adyrsubashi	4349
35	Laboda	4313	North Ossetia, Georgia	Greater Caucasus
36	Bachakhi	4291
37	Diklosmta	4285		Greater Caucasus
38	Caucasus Peak	4280		Greater Caucasus
39	Jorashti	4278
40	Bzhedukh	4271
41	Comito	4261	Chechnya	Greater Caucasus
42	Sullukolbashi	4251
43	Kayaartybashi	4250
44	Bashiltau	4248
45	Zeygalankhoh	4244	North Ossetia	Greater Caucasus
46	Zaromag	4203	North Ossetia	Greater Caucasus
47	Donchentykhoh	4192	North Ossetia	Greater Caucasus
48	Kalota	4182	North Ossetia	Greater Caucasus
49	Denunciation	4179	Chechnya, Georgia	Greater Caucasus
50	Addala-Schuchgelmeer	4151	Dagestan	Greater Caucasus
51	Chkalov Peak (Anchobala-anda)	4150	Dagestan	Greater Caucasus
52	Pukhgarty-Kom	4149
53	Syrkhibarzond	4148	North Ossetia	Greater Caucasus
54	Shalbuzdag	4142	Dagestan	Greater Caucasus
55	Tseyakhoh	4140	North Ossetia	Greater Caucasus
56	Fitnargin	4134	Kabardino-Balkaria	Greater Caucasus
57	Dyultydag	4127	Dagestan	Greater Caucasus
58	Tsmiakomhokh	4117	North Ossetia	Greater Caucasus
59	Barrels	4116	Dagestan	Greater Caucasus
60	Musostau	4110	Kabardino-Balkaria	Greater Caucasus
61	Baidukov Peak (Kasaraku-meer)	4104	Dagestan	Greater Caucasus
62	Bishnei Jenolshob	4104	Dagestan	Greater Caucasus
63	Belyakov Peak (Belengi)	4100	Dagestan	Greater Caucasus
64	Chimismeer	4099	Dagestan	Greater Caucasus
65	Chachkhokh	4098	North Ossetia, Georgia	Greater Caucasus
66	Tsunklyata	4084	Dagestan	Greater Caucasus
67	Tavan-Bogdo-Ula	4082	Altai	Altai Mountains
68	Maistismta	4081	Chechnya, Georgia	Greater Caucasus
69	Charundag	4080	Dagestan, Azerbaijan	Greater Caucasus
70	Flat Middle	4057	Kamchatka Krai	East Ridge
71	Taklik	4049	Dagestan	Greater Caucasus
72	Dombay-Ulgen	4046	Karachay-Cherkessia, Republic of Abkhazia	Greater Caucasus
73	Gockley	4046	Dagestan	Greater Caucasus
74	Kurmutau	4045	Kabardino-Balkaria	Greater Caucasus
75	Archon	4040	North Ossetia	Greater Caucasus
76	Izhenameer	4025	Dagestan	Greater Caucasus
77	Dougie	4020	Dagestan, Azerbaijan	Greater Caucasus
78	Deavgay	4016	Dagestan	Greater Caucasus
79	Kezgenbashi	4013	Kabardino-Balkaria	Greater Caucasus
80	Balial	4007	Dagestan	Greater Caucasus

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). Its greatest width mountain system reaches 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% modern glaciation. Over more than a century of observation 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 most large rivers this territory can be considered a 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 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 Lateral ridge 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) - a mountain peak on the border of Bezengi and mountainous region 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”.

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