Main Caucasian ridge: description, parameters, peaks

Surprisingly beautiful mountain landscapes can be seen in these wonderful and unique in its beauty places. The most impressive peaks are the Great Caucasian Range. This is the territory of the highest and largest in its length of the mountains of the Caucasus region.

Small Caucasus and valleys (the Riono-Kura depression) represent the complex of Transcaucasia.

Caucasus: a general description

The Caucasus is located between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea in south-west Asia.

This region includes the mountains of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus, as well as a depression between them called the Riono-Kura depression, the coasts of the Black Sea and Caspian seas, the Stavropol Upland, a small part of the Caspian lowland (Dagestan) and the lowland Kubano-Priazovskaya to the left bank of the Don River on the Section of its mouth.

Mountains of the Greater Caucasus have a length of 1500 kilometers, and the highest peak is Elbrus. The length of the mountains of the Lesser Caucasus is 750 km.

A little later we will consider the Caucasian ridge in more detail.

Geographical position

In the western part of the Caucasus borders on the Black and Azov seas, in the east - with the Caspian Sea. In the north, the Eastern European plain extends, with the border between it and the Caucasian foothills repeating the border between Asia and Europe. The latter passes along the river. Kuma, the bottom of the Kumo-Manych depression, along the Manych and Vostochny Manych rivers, and then along the left bank of the Don.

The southern border of the Caucasus is the Araks River, beyond which are the Armenian and Iranian highlands, and the river. Chorokh. And beyond the river, the mountains of the Pontic peninsula of Asia Minor begin.

Caucasian ridge: description

The most daring people and climbers have long been chosen by the Caucasian mountain range, which attracts extremists from all over the world.

The most important Caucasian range divides into two parts the entire Caucasus: Transcaucasia and the North Caucasus. This mountain range extends from the Black Sea to the shores of the Caspian Sea.

The length of the Caucasus ridge is more than 1200 kilometers.

The site, located on the territory of the reserve, represents the highest mountain ranges of the Western Caucasus. And the heights are very diverse. Their marks range from 260 to more than 3360 meters above sea level.

The perfect combination of a light mild climate and amazing landscapes make this place ideal for active tourist recreation at any time of the year.

The main Caucasian ridge on the Sochi territory has the largest peaks: Fisht, Khuko, Lysaya, Venets, Grachev, Pseashkho, Chugush, Malaya Chura and Assara.

Composition of the ridge rocks: limestones and marls. Previously, there was an ocean floor. Throughout the vast massif, one can observe a strongly pronounced folding with numerous glaciers, rugged rivers and mountain lakes.

About the height of the Caucasian range

The tops of the Caucasian ridge are numerous and quite diverse in height.

Elbrus is the highest point of the Caucasian mountain range, which represents the highest peak not only in Russia, but also in Europe. The location of the mountain is such that around it there live the most diverse nationalities, which gave it their unique names: Oshkhomakho, Alberis, Yalbuz and Mingitau.

The most important mountain in the Caucasus ranks fifth on the Earth among the mountains, formed in this way (as a result of the eruption of the volcano).

The height of the most gigantic summit of Russia is five kilometers six hundred and forty-two meters.

In more detail about the highest peak of the Caucasus

The greatest height of the Caucasian range is the highest mountain in Russia. It looks like two cones, between which (distance 3 km from each other) at an altitude of 5,200 meters is a saddle. The highest of them has, as already noted, a height of 5,642 meters, a smaller - 5621 meters.

Like all peaks of volcanic origin, Elbrus consists of 2 parts: a 700-meter pedestal of rocks and a cone of bulk (1942 meters) - the result of a volcanic eruption.

The snow top is covered from a height of approximately 3,500 meters. In addition, there are glaciers, the most famous of which are Small and Big Azau and Terskop.

The temperature at the highest point of Elbrus is -14 ° C. Precipitation here falls almost always in the form of snow and therefore glaciers do not melt. Due to the good visibility of the Elbrus peaks from various remote locations and at different times of the year, this mountain still has an interesting name - Malaya Antarctica.

It should be noted that for the first time the eastern peak was conquered by climbers in 1829, and the western peak in 1874.

Glaciers on the top feed on the largest rivers of this area - Terek and Kuban.

Central Caucasus: ridges, parameters

Geographically, the Central Caucasus is part of the Greater Caucasus, located between the mountains of Elbrus and Kazbek (in the west and in the east). On this site the length of the Main Caucasian ridge is 190 kilometers, and if we take into account the gyrus, about 260 km.

The border of the Russian state passes through the territory of the Central Caucasus. South Ossetia and Georgia are behind it.

22 kilometers west of Kazbek (eastern part of the Central Caucasus), the Russian border is shifted slightly to the north and passes to Kazbek, skirting the Georgian valley of the Terek River (upper part).

In the Central Caucasus, there are 5 parallel ridges (oriented along latitudes):

1. The main Caucasian ridge (up to 5203 m high, Shkhara mountain).
2. Ridge Lateral (height to 5642 meters, Mount Elbrus).
3. Ridge Rocky (height up to 3646 meters, Mount Karakay).
4. Ridge Pasture (up to 1541 meters).
5. Ridge Lesid (height of 900 meters).

Tourists and climbers mostly visit and storm the first three ridges.

North and South Caucasus

The Great Caucasus, as an object of geography, originates from the Taman Peninsula, and it ends in the area of Apsheron (peninsula). All the subjects of the Russian Federation and the countries located in this region belong to the Caucasus. However, in terms of location of the territories of the subjects of Russia there is a certain division into two parts:

• The North Caucasus includes the Krasnodar Territory and Stavropol, North Ossetia, the Rostov Region, Chechnya, the Republic of Adygea, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Dagestan and Karachay-Cherkessia.
• South Caucasus (or Transcaucasia) - Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan.

Elbrus region

Elbrus geographically - the most western part of the Central Caucasus. Its territory covers the headwaters of the Baksan River with its tributaries, a site north of Elbrus and the western spurs of Mount Elbrus to the right bank of the Kuban. The largest peak of this region is the famous Elbrus, located to the north and situated in the Side Ridge. The second highest peak is Mount Ushba (4700 meters).

The region of Elbrus region is famous for its large number of peaks with steep ridges and rocky walls.

The largest glaciers are concentrated in the huge Elbrus glacier complex, which consists of 23 glaciers (total area - 122.6 sq. Km).

Location of the states in the Caucasus

1. The Russian Federation occupies partly the territory of the Greater Caucasus and its foothills from the Watershed and the Main Caucasian Range to the north. 10% of the total population lives in the North Caucasus.
2. Abkhazia also has territories that are parts of the Greater Caucasus: the region from the Kodori up to the Gagra Range, the Black Sea coast between the river. Psou and Inguri, and to the north of Inguri a small part of the lowlands of the Colchis.
3. South Ossetia is located in the central region of the Greater Caucasus. The beginning of the territory is the Main Caucasian Range. The territory extends to the south from it, between the Rachin, Suram and Lomis ranges, to the very valley of the Kura River.
4. Georgia has the most fertile and populated parts of the country in the valleys and lowlands between the ridges of the Caucasus Small and Big to the west of the Kakheti Range. The most mountainous areas of the country are Svanetia, a section of the Greater Caucasus between the ridges of Kodori and Suram. The Georgian territory of the Lesser Caucasus is represented by the Meskheti, Samsara and Trialeti ranges. It turns out that the whole of Georgia is in the Caucasus.
5. Azerbaijan is located between the Watershed Ridge in the north and the Araks and Kura Rivers in the south, and between the Lesser Caucasus and the Kakheti Range and the Caspian Sea. And almost all of Azerbaijan (the Mughan plain and the Talish mountains belong to the Iranian uplands) is located in the Caucasus.
6. Armenia has a part of the territory of the Lesser Caucasus (slightly to the east of the Akhuryan River, which is the tributary of Araks).
7. Turkey occupies the south-western part of the Lesser Caucasus, representing the four eastern provinces of this country: Ardahan, Kars, partly Erzurum and Artvin.

The mountains of the Caucasus are both beautiful and dangerous. According to some scientists, there is a possibility that in the next hundred years the volcano (Mount Elbrus) can wake up. And this is fraught with disastrous consequences for the neighboring regions (Karachaevo-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria).

But, whatever it is, the conclusion is that there is nothing more beautiful than the mountains. It is impossible to describe the entire magnificent nature of this fabulous mountainous country. To experience all this, you should visit these amazing in its beauty paradise. Especially impressively, they are viewed from the heights of the peaks of the Caucasus Mountains.