Caucasus

This article is about the geographic region in Eurasia. For other uses, see Caucasus (disambiguation) and Caucasia (disambiguation). For a meeting of party supporters, see Caucus.

Caucasus
Topography of the Caucasus
Coordinates42°15′40″N 44°07′16″E / 42.26111°N 44.12111°E / 42.26111; 44.12111
Countries[1][2]
Related areas
Autonomous republics and federal regions
DemonymCaucasian
Time ZonesUTC+03:00, UTC+03:30 and UTC+04:00
Highest mountainElbrus (5,642 metres (18,510 ft))

The Caucasus (/ˈkɔːkəsəs/) or Caucasia[3][4] (/kɔːˈkeɪʒə/), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range, have conventionally been considered as a natural barrier between Europe and Asia, bisecting the Eurasian landmass.[5]

Mount Elbrus, Europe's highest mountain, is situated in the Western Caucasus area of Russia.[6] On the southern side, the Lesser Caucasus includes the Javakheti Plateau and the Armenian highlands, part of which is in Turkey.[7]

The Caucasus is divided into the North Caucasus and South Caucasus, although the Western Caucasus also exists as a distinct geographic space within the North Caucasus. The Greater Caucasus mountain range in the north is mostly shared by Russia and Georgia as well as the northernmost parts of Azerbaijan. The Lesser Caucasus mountain range in the south is occupied by several independent states, mostly by Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, but also extends to parts of northeastern Turkey, and northern Iran.

The region is known for its linguistic diversity:[8] aside from Indo-European and Turkic languages, the Kartvelian, Northwest Caucasian, and Northeast Caucasian language families are indigenous to the area.[9]

  1. ^ Wright, John; Schofield, Richard; Goldenberg, Suzanne (16 December 2003). Transcaucasian Boundaries. Routledge. p. 72. ISBN 9781135368500.
  2. ^ "Caucasus | Mountains, Facts, & Map". Encyclopedia Britannica. 20 September 2023.
  3. ^ Shamil Shetekauri et al., Mountain Flowers and Trees of Caucasia; Pelagic Publishing Limited, 2018, ISBN 178427173X.
  4. ^ John L. Esposito, Abdulaziz Sachedina (2004). "Caucasus". The Islamic World: Past and Present. Volume 1. Oxford University Press USA. ISBN 0195165209. p. 86 (registration required). Accessed 30 June 2021.
  5. ^ "Caucasus - region and mountains, Eurasia". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  6. ^ "Russia, Geography". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
  7. ^ "Caucasus - region and mountains, Eurasia". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 26 November 2018. West of the Kura-Aras Lowland rises the Lesser Caucasus range, which is extended southward by the Dzhavakhet Range and the Armenian Highland, the latter extending southwestward into Turkey.
  8. ^ "The languages of the Caucasus". Language Log. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  9. ^ King, Charles (23 March 2017). "The Ghost of Freedom: A History of the Caucasus (Audible Audio Edition)". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 14 September 2023.