Geographical location

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 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.

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. A chain of large mountains stretches from northwest to southeast for almost one and a half thousand kilometers. 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.

They are no less famous in the world than the Cordillera, a mountain system stretching along the western edges of North and South America for as much as eighteen thousand kilometers in length and 1,600 kilometers in width, with the highest peak of Denali at 6,190 meters above sea level in North America, in also Aconcagua - 6963 meters above sea level in South America. Many countries border the Cordillera - Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. No less famous is the Cordillera Himalaya mountain system with the highest peak Chogori - 8611 meters above sea level on the border of the PRC and Pakistan and another peak Lhotse, exceeding a height of eight kilometers on the border of the PRC and Nepal. The world also admires Tibet with the highest peak in the world, Everest - 8852 meters above sea level. However, there are other mountain systems on Earth on different continents that attract attention and which thousands and thousands of brave peak conquerors strive to climb.

From the legendary Taman to the gray Caspian Sea

The Great Caucasus Mountains are essentially two mountain systems - the Greater and Lesser Caucasus in Eurasia. They stretched for more than 1,100 kilometers from north-west to south-east, and even more specifically, from the Taman Peninsula in the region and along the Black Sea coast to the Absheron Peninsula near the gray Caspian Sea and near the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku. The maximum width of the mountain system is 180 kilometers. Compared to the Cordilleras, this is almost a ninth part, but nevertheless noticeable and the root cause of the appearance of the subtropical zone in Russia. In which over 15 million of both our fellow citizens and guests from near and far abroad improve their health every year and have a good rest. The Greater Caucasus is divided into three parts: Western - from the Black Sea to Elbrus; Central - from Elbrus to Kazbek and finally the Eastern Caucasus - from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea. As for the height above sea level, for Everest it is 5642 meters, for Kazbek it is 5033. The total area of ​​the Great Caucasus Mountains is 1400 square kilometers. In part, this is a land of eternal snow and glaciers. The area of ​​glaciers exceeds 2050 square kilometers. A major icing center is Mount Elbrus plus the Bezengi Wall - 17 kilometers.

The land of five dozen nations

The Great Caucasus Mountains are densely populated. This refers to its foothills. Abkhazians, Ingush, Ossetians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Adygs (Circassians) and many other nationalities live here, united by the common name - Caucasian peoples. The majority are Muslims. But Christians are also widely represented - Ukrainians, Georgians, Russians, Armenians, as well as a noticeable part of Ossetians and Abkhazians. By the way, Armenian and Georgian churches are the oldest in the world. Thanks in large part to them, these two peoples of the Great Caucasus have preserved their identity, morals and customs. Let's add to this - the Caucasian peoples were under foreign rule for a hundred years - Turks, Persians, Russians. Now others have gained independence and become sovereign.

Twenty-five sky-high peaks

This is exactly how many of them the Great Caucasus has from Elbrus to Dombay-Ulgen - 4046 meters above sea level. Popular among climbers: Dykhtau - 5204 meters above sea level; Pushkin Peak - 5100 m, we have already mentioned Kazbek; Shota Rustaveli - 4960m, Gulchi-Tau - 4447 meters, etc.

The Great Caucasus is replete with rivers, lakes and waterfalls

Originating at mountain peaks, some flow into the Bzyb, Kodor, Ingur (Inguri), Rioni, Mzymta, etc. B is the largest Kuban in the Krasnodar Territory. And in the Caspian - Kura, Samur, Terek, Sunzha, Baksan - there are more than two dozen of them in total. Among the majestic Caucasus Mountains is the world famous Lake Sevan (Armenia). It is located at an altitude of 1900 meters above sea level. Its area is 1240 square kilometers, depth - from twenty to over eighty meters. 28 rivers flow into the lake, but only one flows out - Hrazdan, a tributary of the Araks. By the way, it will be noted that both the Caspian and Black Seas are the remnants of the once world ocean Tethys. The names of the Black Sea have changed since ancient times - Khazar, Sugdes, Temarun, Cimmerian, Akhshaena, Blue, Tauride, Holy and even Ocean. The current name refers to its color during raging storms. It really looks black then. In the old days he was also cautiously called unhospitable and angry. The Caspian reservoir received its name from the name of the Caspian tribes of horse breeders who once lived near its shores. It was also called Girkansky, Dzhurazhansky, Khvalynsky, Derbent - in total over seven dozen names.

And about another unique water body of the Great Caucasus - the Zeygalan Waterfall, which is fantastic in natural beauty (otherwise it is also called the Great Zeygelan Waterfall). It is located in North Ossetia in the valley of the Midagrabindon River, seven kilometers south of the village of Dzhimara. The height of the fall is 600 meters. Translated from Ossetian - “falling avalanche”. It is one of the ten most grandiose and famous waterfalls on Earth. It pushes aside its brother Gavarnie in France - 422 meters high and the Krimml in Austria - 380 meters. It originates from under a hanging glacier at an altitude of 650-700 meters. The peak flow occurs in the summer months of July-August. In winter it dries out and is marked only by ice smudges on the rocks. The waterfall area is part of the Kazbek-Dzhimarai mountain cluster, the largest not only in North Ossetia, but in the entire Great Caucasus. The place is amazing in its beauty - on the slopes of the mountains there is a sea of ​​flowers, herbs, the aromas of alpine meadows make heads turn. But you should be careful - the waterfall is dangerous for people: rockfalls occur, and sometimes pieces from a melting glacier fly from above. Nevertheless, we actively visit the waterfall. Tourists take pictures of the grandiose panorama of the waterfall with a camera or television camera.

Flora and fauna of the Great Caucasus

As for the flora, it is represented by almost six and a half thousand flowering plants. Of these, 166 are unique to mountains. The subtropics are famous for dozens of species of palm trees. Relict juniper and pistachio grow here; Pitsunda pine, oaks, hornbeams, mimosa, tulip tree, magnolias, bamboo - you can’t list all the tree species. Individual patriarchal oaks over a thousand years old. Tourists are advised to walk in juniper groves. Especially for those who have asthma or bronchitis. The breath of juniper kills all germs and viruses in a person in minutes. A day, two, three walks, and it’s as if you were born again! This is also facilitated by sea air, thickly infused with salts of bromine, calcium, potassium, etc.

As for the fauna of the Great Caucasus Mountains, it is also rich and diverse here. You will also come across wild boars (beware of mothers and fathers with cubs: the fangs of males are sharp, and there have been cases when encounters with wild boars ended in serious injuries or worse - death!). Chamois, mountain goats, and bears are also found here. Once upon a time there lived both lynxes and leopards. Asiatic lions and tigers. The Caucasian bison became extinct in 1925. The last elk was killed in 1810. A great variety of invertebrates - there are a thousand species of spiders alone. The Great Caucasus is also the habitat of golden eagles, which are hunted by poachers and sold abroad for big money. They like to hunt with golden eagles in the Caucasus itself, and in Kazakhstan, and in Kyrgyzstan, and in Saudi Arabia, and in other regions and countries of the planet.

Stele "Soaring Eagle"

It appeared in 2013 near the resort villages and Supsekh, not far from Varvarovka, where the gas pipeline called “Turkish Stream” originates, and was opened as a race for Russia Day. Nine kilometers from Anapa. The authors are sculptor V. Polyakov in collaboration with architect Yu. Rysin.

The monument is made of cold bronze, which guarantees its durability and is not afraid of any weather changes. A soaring eagle with a wide wingspan and head proudly raised to the sky signifies the beginning of the Great Caucasus Mountains. In front of the stele there is a platform for vehicles. Tourists, and there are thousands and thousands of them here, traveling to other resort villages of Bolshoi and Maly Utrish, and they are sure to stop and take photographs or film the monument with a video camera. By the way, from the “Soaring Eagle” there is a stunning view of Anapa and the bays where the city is freely spread out (in ancient times it bore the mysterious ancient Greek name Gorgippia, and there was an active slave trade, minted its own coins, and representatives of the nobility from different regions of the Caucasus came and sailed here for white-faced brides!). In good weather, the coast is visible right up to the Bank of Mary Magdalene, which is near the village - and where divers come and flock not only from all over Russia, but also from abroad. So, the Great Caucasus Mountains begin from the foothills and, in particular, from Bald Mountain, which is only 319 meters high above sea level, other hills are even lower. The foothills are at the very beginning of the Semisamsky ridge, which is part of the chain of the Caucasus Mountains. And Bald Mountain is called because of the absence of any vegetation on it at all. No, no, there are herbs and flowers there. But no more. Let us remind you once again that it is nine kilometers from the center of Anapa to Lysaya Gora, and three times less from the outskirts of the city. And it’s a stone’s throw, as they say, to Maly and. And these places are well known to tourists.

Bolshoy Utrish has one of the main attractions of the beginning of the Great Caucasus - a dolphinarium on the open sea and with a theater. During the high season, several performances are given daily. The artists are sea animals. At the end of a peculiar performance, bottlenose dolphins deftly jump onto the platform and willingly take pictures with everyone or be filmed on a television camera. You can hug them heartily, kiss them, or swim in the waters of the dolphinarium. Meanwhile, the seal, leaning on its tail, enthusiastically applauds the audience with its flippers. On Big Utrish, as legends say, the hero Prometheus was chained to one of the rocks, giving people the sacred fire and thereby causing fierce anger in the main god of Olympus, Zeus the Thunderer. Zeus ordered the disobedient man to be chained to a rock with strong chains, and a bloodthirsty eagle flew to the martyr to torment his liver with sharp claws. True, residents of neighboring Sochi Anapa object that de Prometheus was chained in the Eagle Rocks area near the former capital of the 2014 Winter Olympics. And they even built a monument to the hero - Prometheus stands on the mountain with the chains torn on his hands, and he has the proud appearance of a winner! And yet, the statement of the Sochi residents raises doubts: Eagle Rocks are located far from the sea, near a fast river. But in the open-air museum in the center of Anapa "Gorgippia" they found a crypt with frescoes of the exploits of another mythological hero - Hercules. And from the myths of Ancient Greece it is known for certain that it was Hercules who freed Prometheus from the chains. He also drove away the bloodthirsty eagle. Let the experts decide who is right and who is wrong. But in Anapa, which is no less than two and a half thousand years old, they stubbornly believe that the Prometheus Rock is still located on Bolshoi Utrish. In their opinion, another legend is also irrefutable - that the Argonauts, led by their brave captain Jason, sailed past the rocks of Big Utrish in search of the Golden Fleece. These are the mysteries that shroud the beginning of the Great Caucasus Mountains near Anapa and the soaring eagle stele.

Peaks from Novorossiysk to Gelendzhik

Today there are five resort areas: Sochi, Gelendzhik, Tuapse, Anapa and Taman. From each of them to the other, as they say, is just a stone's throw away. And they all stretch along the Black Sea coast with the exception of Taman, which also has access to the Sea of ​​Azov. And the Black Sea coast is mainly protected by mountains. Except for Anapa, where, as we noticed, the Great Caucasus Mountains begin, but in general the municipality extends from the sea to the steppe expanses. And only in the area of ​​Novorossiysk, as a continuation of the Semisamsky ridge with Bald Mountain, the foothills gradually rise, moving into the Markotkhsky ridge or in Adyghe into Markotkh, which stretches from Novorossiysk towards Gelendzhik for more than ninety kilometers. The highest mountain rising above Novorossiysk is Sugarloaf (558 meters above sea level). Gradually rising, the Markotkhsky ridge in some places goes up more than 700 meters. It consists of limestone, sandstone, clay, but its main component is marl, which is used to make cement. This is especially noticeable in Novorossiysk - there are factories producing this type of building materials, and there is a column of dust all around. The Markotkhsky ridge, we note, runs parallel to and south of the Main Caucasian ridge. There are many attractions between Novorossiysk and Anapa. In particular, the Sheskharis juniper woodland is a natural monument. We talked about the healing properties of relict juniper above, so we won’t repeat ourselves, we’ll only emphasize that it is especially useful in the treatment of asthma and bronchi. From Anapa to Novorossiysk it is directly 40 kilometers, along the highway - 52. You can overcome them in a little more than forty minutes. And if you drive another 14 kilometers towards Gelendzhik, you will find yourself on the Abrau Peninsula, at the southern end of which is Bolshoi Utrish with its famous open sea dolphinarium and theater. But the main feature of the peninsula is undoubtedly the town of Abrau-Dyurso, comfortably located among the mountains and part of the municipality of the resort town of Novorossiysk.

Appanage estate of Russian sovereigns

The village has a double name - . And there is a reason for this. One village is located in the mountains, among fantastically beautiful nature. There is a river with the same name and the largest freshwater lake in the Caucasus with the same name as the village. With a population of about three thousand, living like in paradise. Mild climate, warm winters and vineyards, vineyards, vineyards. Lake Abrau is 3100 meters long, 630 wide, 8 to 11 meters deep, and by the way, it is home to fish. A gorgeous embankment - with gazebos and benches. In summer the water is warm and you can enjoy swimming in the lake. But you can also plunge into the Black Sea. Near the second village of the royal estate - Durso. Today there are recreation centers and health resorts where you can relax and receive treatment.

The village of Abrau is known throughout the world for its exquisite tasting Russian champagne. Prince Lev Golitsyn was at the origins of its production. And the baton was picked up, not surprisingly, by Joseph Stalin, who ordered the production of domestic champagne in the southern regions of the country and in Abrau, in particular. And this instruction was contained in the government decree of 1936. As for the production of champagne under the patronage of Golitsyn, its first batch was produced in 1898. And two years later, Abrau had its own powerful winery. A highway was built from Novorossiysk to the village. Now in Abrau there is a museum of famous wines, as well as a company store where tourists, if desired, can buy Russian champagne under the Abrau-Durso brand, dry wines and even cognac. There is a lot of entertainment on the coast in Durso - water rides, “bananas”, “pills”, you can rush through the waves on jet skis. And in Abrau, horseback riding in the local foothills, mountain tourism, including jeeping or extreme trips, but on mountain bikes, are popular.

Markotkh near Gelendzhik

The distance to the resort, no less famous than Anapa, from Novorossiysk is mere trifles - directly three dozen kilometers, ten kilometers more along the highway. The trip will take about a little over forty minutes. And now you will see the longest embankment in the world - 14 kilometers. With a graceful figure of a bride made of white marble, which is clearly visible from the height of the Markotkh ridge, 762 meters above sea level. Translated from Adyghe, “Markotkh” literally means “berry places,” and here you can pick buckets of really tasty blackberries. It’s prickly, it’s true, but as they say, “you can’t catch a fish out of a pond without difficulty!” There are several high peaks in the vicinity of Gelendzhik - Shakhan near the Zhane River (700 meters above sea level); Pshada - 741 meters near the river of the same name and 43 kilometers long, flowing into the Black Sea; Gebius - 735 meters above sea level. The Markotkhsky ridge itself stretches along the Gelendzhik Bay - charmingly beautiful from a bird's eye view, and even more so from the tops of the surrounding mountains. The resort is famous for its Safari Park, where lions, tigers, bears and other animals live in natural conditions. You can also observe their life from the chairlift. At the top of the Mrkotkhsky ridge there is a fantastic forest - with a goblin, a mermaid on the branches of a tree, Baba Yaga and other fairy-tale characters. From the observation deck you can clearly see yachts and other ships in the bay, seagulls, cormorants, petrels, soaring over the blue sea with white crested waves.

And the mountains are getting higher, and the mountains are getting steeper!

And this is indeed true if you drive from Gelendzhik to Bolshoi - the southern capital of Russia, stretching along the Black Sea coast for as much as one hundred and forty-five kilometers. There is only one city in the world longer than the former capital of the past Winter Olympic Games, which our team triumphantly won and which amazed the planet with its colorful opening and closing ceremonies - the capital of Mexico, Mexico City - 200 kilometers. And in its native Fatherland, Sochi is ahead of Volgograd in length, stretching along the great Volga River for more than 90 kilometers. So about the height of the local mountains. Having covered the distance from Gelendzhik to Sochi of 246 kilometers in almost four hours (worth the effort!), you can climb, including as part of excursion groups, to one of the surrounding peaks. You can start small - Mount Akhun - 663 meters above sea level. And then the height of the mountains will increase: Sakharnaya, fifteen kilometers from the city - 1555 meters; Pshegishwa - 2216 meters; Bolshoy Tkach - 2368 meters; Achishkho - 2391 meters; Bzerli peak - 2482 meters; Transshipment South - 2503 meters; Stone pillar - 2509 meters; Pshekho-Su - 2743 meters; Oshten - 2804 meters; Fisht - 2853 meters; Kozhevnikov peak - 3070 meters; Igolchaty Peak - 3168 meters; Sugar Pseashkho - 3189 meters; Atheista - 3256 meters and finally the highest peak of the entire Kuban, Tsakhvoa - 3346 meters above sea level. This is not so little, considering that the highest peak of the Great Caucasus Mountains and even Europe is Elbrus, 5642 meters above sea level.

The famous ski resort "Krasnaya Polyana"

It is located in the middle reaches of the mountain river Mzymta, which in translation from Adyghe means “mad”, uncontrollable”, “indomitable” - there are other interpretations. It flows into the Black Sea. It is 39 kilometers long. Above the gorge above it is the famous pedestrian suspension bridge the longest in the world. From here, extreme sports enthusiasts jump into the abyss on an elastic rope. A popular attraction here is a giant swing with a pendulum span of half a kilometer. From the west there is Mount Achishkho, from the east there is the Fisht peak. the stadium where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games took place in 2014 was named Krasnaya Polyana - a ski resort that can easily compete with its counterparts in Switzerland or in other mountainous places on the planet. More than a million compatriots and foreigners vacation here every year. Guests have at their disposal more than a hundred kilometers of snow trails of varying difficulty levels - 6 green, 8 blue, 16 red and 6 black. Experienced skiers, beginners and children can feel comfortable on them. Among the independent ski resorts are Rosa Khutor, Alpika-Service, Gorki Gorod and the Gazprom State Tourist Center. Day skiing, evening discos, karaoke, pleasant evenings in cafes, restaurants, casinos. There is enough accommodation for everyone - hotels, inns, guest houses, you can rent a cottage. No problems with transport. Adler is forty kilometers away. You can fly there by direct flights from many regions of Russia. And then railway transport with the famous “Swallows”, or regular buses, even faster personal cars. The road will not seem tiring to you. Especially with such fantastic natural beauties! By the way, in Krasnaya Polyana there are enough bases with rentals of skis, snowboards, sleds, and so on.

When you come to Sochi for rest and treatment (it receives more than five million tourists a year, not including those who prefer snow slopes, which operate from November to April inclusive, and sometimes even into the beginning of May), be sure to visit the Olympic Park. It is located right next to the Black Sea. With the Fisht stadium and other sports facilities built for the White Olympics. All of them have unique architecture. The ice palace resembles the Beijing Opera - in the form of an icy drop. And the Olympic Flame Cup! She looks like the Firebird from a Russian folk tale. There is a Formula 1 track in the Olympic Park, and the driver competitions leave no one indifferent. Fans come from all parts of the world and are very delighted. The park has its own Disneyland with dozens of attractions. As a souvenir, you can buy souvenirs in local paths, including Games mascots. Just keep in mind that you can’t get around the park in one day. It covers an area of ​​almost two hundred hectares. In the Imereti Lowland. You can’t travel around it in a day even with electric cars: there are so many attractions in it. Natural beauty of Tuapse

The famous resort town is located between Gelendzhik and Sochi. It is 117 kilometers away from the southern capital of Russia - less than two hours' drive. From Gelendzhik it is 129 kilometers away, the drive is just over two hours. Protecting the resort from the evil northern winds, the mountains have an average height of 1352 to 1453 meters above sea level. But there are exceptions - the peak of Chessy rose to the sky at 1839 meters. Among the attractions are Mount Semiglavaya, the Wolf Gorge, and the Alexander Kiselev rock, which juts out into the sea and is named after the artist. In the city itself there are subtropical plants. In the foothills, both locals and tourists enjoy picking European blackberries. In the resort area there are sanatoriums, boarding houses, and children's health camps. Both cargo and passenger ships moor at the seaport. You can rent a yacht, go out on the open sea, go fishing, swim in the clearest water or sunbathe on the deck. Tourists also like to have picnics during boat trips.

Republic of Adygea

It is part of the Southern Federal District with the capital Maykop with a population of half a million. Part of the North Caucasus economic region. It is surrounded on all sides by the Krasnodar Territory. There are forty-five auls in the republic, there are villages, villages, and hamlets. From the streets of Maykop the Main Caucasus Range is clearly visible. Attractions - the Lago-Naki plateau, popular among tourists. Ten Rufabgo waterfalls - each with its own name. The rivers Kuban, Belaya, Laba. The Belaya River is 260 kilometers long. And it is fed by mountain streams and springs of Fisht, Oshten and Abago. A granite canyon four kilometers long and two hundred meters deep. Sahrai waterfalls. Mountain lake Psevdonakh. Frequently visited by tourists are the Devil's Finger rock, the Monk, Big Weaver, Trident, Camel mountains, and the Una-Koz ridge. The mountains are quite high; let us remind you that the peak of Fisht rises 2868 meters above sea level. It was her name that was given to the stadium where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games took place in 2014, so striking with their colorfulness and originality inherent in the Russian mentality.

Dagestan - a country of mountains

There is a popular saying about this. It is especially often cited in speeches on December 11, when the whole world celebrates International Mountain Day. And the highest of the peaks of the Great Caucasus here is Shalbuzdag - 4150 meters above sea level. In July and August there is a real pilgrimage to it: here is the grave of the righteous Suleiman. The mountain resembles a pyramid with a jagged top. There is a belief that if you climb it, all your wishes and dreams will come true. And thousands of tourists are trying to do this. But the capital of Dagestan, Makhachkala, directly stretches along Mount Tarki-Tau - a unique natural monument made of a mountain monolith. It is also well known because in 1722 the army of Peter the Great entered Tarki. The peak of the Great Caucasus under the name Bazardyuzyu is considered the southernmost point of Russia. She rose to a height of 4466 meters above sea level. The first ascent of it was made in 1935.

We can talk about the mountains of Dagestan for a long time. But it has another unique attraction - just fifteen kilometers from Makhachkala, its capital, the gray Caspian Sea splashes - the largest closed body of water on Earth, the largest closed lake on the planet at the junction of Europe and Asia. Its area is 371 thousand square kilometers. The depth exceeds a kilometer. It is home to more than 140 species of fish, of which the most famous is the beluga, which if you meet, you will be scared: is it a shark?! There are sturgeons that produce black caviar and species such as bream, asp, bleak, river eel, spike, burbot - you can’t list them all! The great Russian river Volga, 3,530 kilometers long, flows into the Caspian Sea (lake), off the banks of which the 300,000-strong Nazi army led by Field Marshal Paulus was captured at Stalingrad. Thousands and thousands of tourists, both our compatriots and foreign ones, come to the Caspian Sea every year to vacation. In particular, near Makhachkala there are sanatoriums, boarding houses, and children's health camps. True, the shores of the Caspian Sea have not yet been very well developed, but a course has been taken to create another popular resort area here. And what? White fine sand, clear water - sunbathe, swim, catch fish, cook fragrant soup from it on the shore!

Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences I. SHCHERBA

Following in the footsteps of the past

The phrase “Greater Caucasus” is usually associated with the idea of ​​sparkling snowy peaks and alpine meadows. And it seems that it has always been this way, but this is not true.

Walking through the upper Kislovodsk park and admiring the view of the vast pre-Elbrus plateau, an attentive person cannot help but notice the cliffs along the paths. The rocks that make up these cliffs are abundantly saturated with the shells of marine mollusks, and therefore, the sea once splashed on the site of the Caucasus Mountains. But this was more than 10 million years ago.

It is not even archaeologists, but paleontologists who operate with such time categories: they determine the age of a rock depending on whose fossilized remains (dinosaurs, mammoths or, for example, trilobites) are found in it. Time is divided into geological eras - Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic, as well as periods - Jurassic, Cretaceous, Tertiary, Quaternary, each of which has its own epochs and centuries. It is this relative chronology that geologists use, although the absolute age of the rock is also known - it is determined by the decay of the radioactive elements it contains.

By analyzing the distribution of rocks that make up the mountains, foothills and intermountain valleys, it is possible to reconstruct the entire paleography of this area over millions of years. Such an excursion into the depths of centuries allows us to trace both temporal and territorial changes in both sedimentary rocks and tectonic structures, and fauna, different groups of which are characterized by different ecological niches.

It turns out that only 12 million years ago (Chokrak time, the middle of the second from bottom Cenozoic era), on the site of the present southern slope of the Greater Caucasus, there was a deep-sea trough, left over from an even more ancient marginal sea. The Greater Caucasus Sea was part of the Tethys paleoocean - this name was given to it by geologists after the ancient Greek goddess of the water elements. This ocean once stretched from the modern shores of the Atlantic Ocean to Indochina - through the Mediterranean, Asia Minor and Central Asia and the Himalayas - and separated two large continents - Eurasia in the north and Gondwana in the south.

Over the past 250 million years, the continents have gradually moved closer to each other, thereby reducing the water space between them. And as a result, by the middle of the Jurassic period (about 165 million years ago), the marginal sea of ​​the Greater Caucasus was cut off from the Tethys Ocean with the help of one of these fragments - the Transcaucasian. It was an island arc consisting of fragments of pre-existing mountains (partially with volcanoes) and located within the current Transcaucasus and the eastern part of the Black Sea. The sea itself, paradoxically, was absent there, but, on the contrary, there was some rise of land, periodically washed away by water. And this was just then (Paleozoic and the beginning of the Mesozoic), when in place of the Greater Caucasus there was a deep sea.

The axial deep-sea trough of this sea stretched along the southern slope of the modern mountains and went in the east through the Caspian Sea to the western Kopetdag, and in the west to the southern coast of Crimea. The northern shore of the Tethys Ocean was located somewhere near Ankara and Lake Sevan. But at the end of the Cretaceous period (65-70 million years ago), the island arc that separated them split and moved to the Lesser Caucasus region. A deep-sea East Black Sea depression emerged, stretching east into Adjara and southern Georgia - all the way to Tbilisi.

The axial and highest zone of the modern Greater Caucasus belonged to the steep continental (Eurasian) slope of the marginal sea. Its slope was apparently approximately the same as that of modern continental slopes (3-6 o), which is why sediments brought from the continent in the form of sand and clay did not linger on it and were carried away to the foot. However, they occasionally survived in narrow underwater canyons, and in the southeastern Caucasus - abeam the Absheron Peninsula - they can still be observed here and there.

In flatter areas, on the contrary: along with calmly settling silts (so-called “banal” sediments), other rocks brought by turbidity and mud-stone flows were periodically deposited. The results of the rhythmic alternation of both can be seen, for example, over the beach at the southern end of Anapa Bay. Located above a narrow strip of this beach, the cliff consists of thin (less than half a meter) layers of dark clays, interspersed with thicker (up to two meters) layers of sandstones with irregular - tangled and twisted, sometimes torn - bedding, caused by their deposition from a moving mud mass.

In the era of active tectonic movements, accompanied by earthquakes, ancient landslides were also frequent, the consequences of which - in their most beautiful form - can still be observed when descending from the Cross Pass along the Zhinvali Reservoir.

At the beginning of the Paleogene (about 60 million years ago), single-celled animal foraminifera with sandy shells settled at the foot of the continental slope of the marginal sea of ​​the Greater Caucasus. It is these representatives of a large group of foraminifera that usually inhabit areas of hydrogen sulfide contamination - mainly at a depth of at least two kilometers. The discovery of their remains in the corresponding layers allows, firstly, to determine the depth of this part of the basin, and secondly, to assert that at the beginning of the Paleogene the basin was contaminated with hydrogen sulfide (similar to the modern Black Sea). However, episodes of hydrogen sulfide contamination were repeated in the Greater Caucasus basin more than once; it reached its greatest extent 20-30 million years ago, when it captured not only the basin, but also the shelves.

During the Paleogene, the intensive rapprochement of Eurasia and Afro-Arabia continued, the entire space between them was subject to gradual compression, and the sediments of the former seas were crushed into folds.

Land barriers were formed along the borders of the continents, and the outlines of the ocean became very close to the modern contours of the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. And yet, small shelf seas (including former marginal ones) remained covering significant areas of the present land. Even 12 million years ago, the Greater Caucasus Marginal Sea was partially preserved, and its width was four times greater than the modern width of the southern slope of the mountains. The depth of this sea in the axial part reached 500 m, and its shallowest part (a shelf with a depth not exceeding 200 m) was located in the area of ​​the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus. The northern border of the sea extended almost to the strip of lakes that now stretches between the Azov and Caspian seas, forming the so-called Kuma-Manych depression.

From the Russian Plain, the Don and the Paleo-Northern Donets flowed into the sea, bringing huge amounts of sand and clay into it. Carried by underwater currents along the bottom, they settled along its steep ledges in the form of cones, and it was these cones that eventually became oil reservoirs in the North Caucasus. And, in particular, the huge Grozny field.

In the south, the Greater Caucasus basin was limited at that time by the Lesser Caucasus and Talysh mountains, which gave it the appearance of being inside a continental sea. Between these mountains, which began to grow 30 million years ago, there was a narrow strait, and through it the basin was connected to the shelf seas of the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean.

The most significant uplift, and even with a dissected relief, was located at that time on the North Caucasus shelf - south of modern Stavropol. Merging with the small islands of the Sub-Caucasian archipelago, this uplift formed something like a transverse bridge inside the basin. Apparently, the aardvark pigs that came from Africa then took advantage of it: their remains were recently discovered south of Stavropol.

And about 5 million years ago, mountain growth began in the Greater Caucasus, and it was initially most intense within the former shelf. It was the central part of the Greater Caucasus (the region of Elbrus, Kazbek), which was included in mountain formation earlier than others, and became the highest in this region. But even then, the Greater Caucasus rose like an island among the seas and lakes that washed it - some of them were still discovered by primitive man.

Here is a detailed map of the Caucasus Mountains with the names of cities and towns 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 a wonderful, beautiful 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 get acquainted in detail with the roads of the Caucasus Mountains and the 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).

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 of the Russian Federation with the countries of Transcaucasia runs along the crest of the Main Ridge.

Highest Peaks

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

Climate

The climate of the Caucasus is warm and mild, with the exception of the highlands: at an altitude of 3800 m there is the border of “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 recreation

The Caucasus is visited for recreational purposes: there are many seaside resorts on the shores of the Black Sea, and 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 Territory, North Ossetia-Alania, Stavropol Territory, 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
• Mineralnye Vody
• 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