The Caucasus Mountains are colored on the map. Main Caucasus Range: description, parameters, peaks

A report about the Caucasus Mountains, a majestic landmark and highlight of the Caucasus, is presented in this article.

Message about the Caucasus Mountains

Caucasus Mountains geographical location

They are spread between Asia and Europe, the Middle and Near East. The mountains of the Caucasus region are divided into 2 systems - Small and Greater Caucasus. The Greater Caucasus is located almost to Baku from Taman and includes the Western, Central and Eastern Caucasus. But the Lesser Caucasus is a mountain range near the Black Sea. They are located between the Black Sea and Caspian coasts, covering the territories of such countries as South Ossetia, Russia, Abkhazia, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Translated, their name means “mountains hold up the sky.” Length Caucasus Mountains is 1100 km, and their width is 180 km. The most famous and highest peaks of the system are Mount Elbrus and Kazbek.

How old are the Caucasus Mountains?

Caucasian mountain system is the same age as the Alps and has a 30-million-year history, inscribed in Greek myths and biblical lines. According to legend, when Noah released a dove from the ark in search of dry land, it brought Noah a twig from the mountains of the Caucasus system. And the myths indicate that Prometheus, the man who gave fire to people, is chained here.

What do the Caucasus Mountains look like?

The mountains are fraught with many unusual things. On their peaks you can find preserved glaciers. Earthquakes are still observed here, since the Caucasus Mountains are young from a geological point of view.

Their appearance is determined by the relief, which is represented by different shapes. Mountain peaks with sharp peaks shot up into the sky. With their outlines they resemble either the walls of a castle with towers or Egyptian pyramids. In the mountains there are also glaciers, rivers and areas with surfaces heavily damaged by wind erosion.

Climate

The climate of the Caucasus mountain system is quite diverse. These places are characterized by pronounced zonality. These mountains are a natural barrier that prevents the movement of air masses, thereby determining the diversity of the climate. The southern and western slopes receive much more precipitation than the northern and eastern slopes. The Caucasus Mountains are located in almost all climatic zones: from humid subtropics to humid and warm winter, dry hot summers to a dry continental climate, turning into semi-desert in the east.

Near the foothills there are snowy, cold winters with dry summers, and the higher you go in the mountains, the lower the temperature. At an altitude of 3.5 thousand km. it reaches -4 0 C.

Flora and fauna

The Caucasus Mountains are inhabited by unique animals. Among them are chamois, wild boars, mountain goats, foxes and bears, the mountain Asia Minor jerboa and ground squirrel, and in remote places Bears and leopards live there. On the way from the foot to the top, meadow alpine grasses and coniferous forests, which are “fed” by rivers, lakes, waterfalls, and mineral springs.

  • For the first time, a person climbed the highest peak of the Caucasus Mountains system on July 22, 1829.
  • There are a lot of species of invertebrate animals in the Caucasus; for example, approximately 1000 species of spiders still live there.

    In the Caucasus 6349 species of flowering plants, including 1600 native species.

    In the Caucasus many endemic representatives– slightly less than 1,600 species of flora, 32 species of mammals and 3 species of birds.

  • Permafrost begins at altitude 3000-3500 m.

We hope that the report about the Caucasus Mountains helped you prepare for the lesson. And you can leave your message about the Caucasus Mountains using the comment form below.

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 gained gloomy fame among climbers as the most difficult peak to conquer - a “four-thousander”. Mysterious Ararat is surrounded by biblical legends. There are also high-mountain lakes here - 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.

Russia is a huge country. It is not surprising that it contains all the terrain that is found in nature. Among the plains and steppes, mountain ranges and peaks occupy a special place. They attract travelers and researchers, scientists and tourists, archaeologists and climbers. What mountains are there in Russia? What you should pay attention to?

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Origin

Regions mountainous areas are formed as a result of complex processes. Tectonic crushing, faulting and faulting of rocks occur in the earth's crust. They are carried out continuously during the entire existence of the planet, in ancient time eras such as the Paleozoic, Mesozoic or Cenozoic. Those who are located in the Far East, Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands are considered young. These areas often experience seismic activity and volcanic eruptions.

In the European part of Russia there is a large plain, which has geographical boundary in the east in the form of . These are unique natural sculptures that evoke national pride.

Interesting! Only in the Urals there is nature reserve, protecting mineralogy. The Ilmensky place has a huge variety of minerals, unique and amazing in their structure and structure.

There are many tourist bases in the Urals, they are located ski resorts. Climbers conquer these majestic heights.

Variants of the Russian mountains

  • Baikal region and Transbaikalia;
  • Altai;
  • Sayan Mountains;
  • Verkhoyansky and Stanovoy ridges;
  • Chersky ridge.

Each of the areas is interesting and beautiful, the names of the mountains in their composition are unique and owe their origin to the peoples who inhabit the surrounding territories. These regions attract harsh conditions, tests for body and spirit. Altai is one of the most popular destinations for tourists. But the Chersky ridge is on the map, but has been little studied so far, but experts suggest that it will also become an attractive place for travelers.

Diversity of territories

The Far East is a region consisting primarily of mountainous terrain. The southern territorial part consists of medium and low ones, but in the north there are high ridges. Highest point Far East – Klyuchevskaya Sopka is a volcano 4750 m high.

The mountains in this region are constantly growing; they are located at the junction of plates that are in motion, which is why there are many volcanoes. In addition to them, there is a unique object for which it is worth going to Kamchatka - the Valley of Geysers.

Important! Sikhote-Alin, located in the Primorye region, is part of the World Heritage Site. This system is rich not only in the diversity of flora and fauna. This point of Russia on the map is the homeland of the Far Eastern leopard and Amur tiger.

Caucasus

The Caucasus deserves a separate description. This massif extends from the Black to the Caspian, its length is more than 1200 km. Caucasus ridge has division into Northern part and Transcaucasia.

The height of the Caucasus Mountains varies along the entire length of the ridge. It is he who has the highest point in the whole country and Europe– this is Elbrus. The mountain was formed as a result of a volcanic eruption. It has an altitude of 5600 m above sea level. Elbrus is located in such a place that it can be seen from all sides. Travelers approached it back in the early 19th century. At its peak, the temperature does not rise above -14 degrees. Snow falls on the mountain constantly, which makes its snow cap ideal. This peak feeds the two largest ones - Kuban and Terek.

In the Greater Caucasus there are three highest mountains Russia:

  • Elbrus;
  • Dykhtau;
  • Kazbek.

Interesting! In addition to the Caucasus Mountains, Kamchatka and Altai are famous large hills, among them: Klyuchevskaya Sopka, Belukha, Ichinskaya Sopka.

10 high mountains

A little more detail about each of the largest hills:

  • It’s already clear about Elbrus, this inactive volcano, included in national park. Its height is 5642 meters.
  • Dykhtau ranks second in size among mountain peaks countries. This mountain, part of the Caucasus Range, rises to 5200 m. The ascent to this peak was first carried out only in 1888.
  • The country's third largest mountain is located on the border of Russia and Georgia. This is Pushkin Peak. It rises near Dykhtau in the center of the Caucasus ridge. Its conquest took place in 1961. It is interesting that this ascent was made not by professionals, but by football players of the Spartak club. The height of the peak is 5100 meters.
  • A little lower, namely a hundred meters, rises Kazbek. It is also related to the Greater Caucasus, located in its lateral part in the Khokh mountain range. Three London climbers conquered this peak back in the mid-19th century.
  • Near the border of Georgia and Kabardino-Balkaria there is the fifth highest point in size in Russia called Gestola. At its top, glaciers have accumulated that date back to the Paleozoic era. The most famous of them is Adishi.
  • Sixth in the top ten is the peak of Shota Rustaveli. Although the name on the map of the peak is of a famous person of Georgian origin, it still refers to the Russian part of the Caucasus. The peak is on the border, no wonder both countries claim rights to it. The mountain has 4895 meters.
  • A little lower (4780 meters) is Mount Jimara. It is located in Alanya, near the border of Russia and Georgia. Again, this is part of the Greater Caucasus.
  • In ninth place is Mount Saukhoh, again from the Greater Caucasus, located in North Ossetia. The height of the peak is 4636 meters. It refers to unconquered peaks, as well as Kukurtli-Kolbashi. This mountain completes the list of the ten largest peaks in Russia, its height is 4324 meters.

Interesting! So far no one has conquered the mountain formations located in 8th, 9th and 10th places on the list. This may prompt travelers to new exploits.

Lowest mountains

In addition to the highest mountain peaks, it is interesting to know the rating of the lowest ones. Such a concept as the lowest mountain is very difficult. It turns out that it is not so easy to name it. Only those things that are higher can be called mountains.

There is a beautiful mountain system on our planet. It is located on, or to be more precise, between two seas - the Caspian and Black. It bears the proud name - the Caucasus Mountains. It has coordinates: 42°30′ north latitude and 45°00′ east longitude. The length of the mountain system is more than one thousand kilometers. Territorially it belongs to six countries: Russia and the states of the Caucasus region: Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, etc.

It is still not clearly stated which part of the continent the Caucasus Mountains belong to. Elbrus and Mont Blanc are fighting for the title. The latter is located in the Alps. The geographical location of the plan is easy to describe. And this article will help with this.

Borders

During times Ancient Greece it was the Caucasus and the Bosphorus that separated the 2 continents. But the world map was constantly changing, peoples migrated. In the Middle Ages, the Don River was considered the border. Much later, in the 17th century, a Swedish geographer led it through the Urals, down the river. Embe to the Caspian Sea. His idea was supported by scientists of the time and the Russian Tsar. According to this definition, mountains belong to Asia. On the other hand, the Great Encyclopedia of Larousse denotes the border running south of Kazbek and Elbrus. Thus, both mountains are in Europe.

It is somewhat difficult to describe the geographical position of the Caucasus Mountains as accurately as possible. Opinions regarding territorial affiliation changed solely for political reasons. Europe was singled out as a special part of the world, linking this with the level of development of civilization. The border between the continents gradually moved east. She became a moving line.

Some scientists, noting differences in geological structure massif, they propose to draw the border along the main ridge of the Greater Caucasus. And this is not surprising. mountains allows it. Its northern slope will belong to Europe, and its southern slope will belong to Asia. This issue is being actively discussed by scientists from all six states. Geographers of Azerbaijan and Armenia believe that the Caucasus belongs to Asia, and Georgian scientists believe that it belongs to Europe. Many well-known authoritative people believe that the entire massif belongs to Asia, so Elbrus will not be considered the most for a long time high point Europe.

System composition

This massif consists of 2 mountain systems: the Lesser and Greater Caucasus. Often the latter is presented as a single ridge, but this is not so. And if you study the geographical position of the Caucasus Mountains on the map, you will notice that it is not one of those. The Greater Caucasus stretches for more than a kilometer from Anapa and Taman Peninsula almost all the way to Baku. Conventionally, it consists of the following parts: Western, Eastern and Central Caucasus. The first zone extends from the Black Sea to Elbrus, the middle one - from highest peak to Kazbek, the last one - from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea.

The western chains originate from the Taman Peninsula. And at first they look more like hills. However, the further east you go, the higher they become. Their peaks are covered with snow and glaciers. The ranges of Dagestan are located in the east of the Greater Caucasus. These are complex systems with river valleys forming canyons. About 1.5 thousand sq. km of the Greater Caucasus is covered with glaciers. Most of them are in central District. The Lesser Caucasus includes nine ranges: Adzhar-Imereti, Karabakh, Bazum and others. The highest of them, located in the middle and eastern parts, are Murov-Dag, Pambaksky, etc.

Climate

Analyzing the geographical position of the Caucasus Mountains, we see that they are located on the border of two climatic zones- subtropical and temperate. Transcaucasia belongs to the subtropics. The rest of the territory belongs to the temperate climate zone. North Caucasus- warm region. Summer there lasts almost 5 months, and winter never drops below -6 °C. It is short-lived - 2-3 months. In high mountain areas the climate is different. There it is influenced by the Atlantic and Mediterranean, so the weather is wetter.

Due to the complex terrain in the Caucasus, there are many zones that differ from each other. This climate allows the cultivation of citrus fruits, tea, cotton and other exotic crops that suit the temperate nature weather conditions. The geographical position of the Caucasus Mountains largely influences the formation temperature regime in nearby areas.

Himalayas and Caucasus Mountains

Often at school, students are asked to compare the geographical position of the Himalayas and Izm, with only one similarity: both systems are located in Eurasia. But they have many differences:

  • The Caucasus Mountains are located in the Himalayas, but they belong only to Asia.
  • The average height of the Caucasus Mountains is 4 thousand m, the Himalayas - 5 thousand m.
  • Also, these mountain systems are located in different climatic zones. The Himalayas are mostly in the subequatorial, less in the tropics, and the Caucasus - in the subtropical and temperate.

As you can see, these two systems are not identical. The geographical position of the Caucasus Mountains and the Himalayas is similar in some respects, but not in others. But both systems are quite large, beautiful, and amazing.

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 extend ( mountain ranges), including monoclinal (cuesta) character. 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 Caucasian Range from Mount Fisht to Elbrus is considered to be the Western Caucasus. On the territory of the Western Caucasus - 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 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 Ingusheto-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 a new religion - Zoroastrianism and the special worldview associated with it. Zoroastrianism had a serious influence on world religions - Christianity, Islam, and partly Buddhism. Iranian names have been retained, for example, by the mountains and rivers of the Caucasus (the Aba River - “water”, Mount Elbrus - “iron”). You can also point out the particle “stan”, popular 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 is assigned to mountain ranges in honor of the epic king of Ancient Iran Kavi-Kaus.

There are approximately 50 peoples living in the Caucasus, which are designated as Caucasian peoples (for example: Circassians, Chechens), Russians, etc., speaking Caucasian, Indo-European, and Altai languages. Ethnographically and linguistically Caucasus region can be considered one of the most areas of interest peace. 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

 

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