Greater Caucasus

The Greater Caucasus is the major mountain range of the Caucasus Mountains. It stretches for about 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) from west-northwest to east-southeast.

It starts from the Taman Peninsula of the Black Sea and goes all the way to the Absheron Peninsula of the Caspian Sea. This means it begins near the Western Caucasus close to Sochi on the northeastern shore of the Black Sea and reaches almost to Baku on the Caspian.

The Greater Caucasus is an important part of the natural landscape in this area.

Geography

See also: Main Caucasian Range; Lateral Range; and Skalisty Range, Caucasus

The Greater Caucasus is a big mountain range that has three main parts. The Western Caucasus is between the Black Sea and Mount Elbrus. The Central Caucasus is between Mount Elbrus and Mount Kazbek. The Eastern Caucasus is between Mount Kazbek and the Caspian Sea.

In the Western Caucasus, where it is wetter, the mountains have lots of forests. There are leafy trees up to about 1,500 metres, cone-shaped trees up to about 2,500 metres, and grassy areas higher up. In the Eastern Caucasus, where it is drier, there are mostly no trees.

Europe–Asia boundary

The watershed of the Caucasus is sometimes seen as the boundary between Eastern Europe and Western Asia. The area north of this line is called Ciscaucasia, and the area south is Transcaucasia, which is mostly shaped by the Lesser Caucasus mountains blending into Eastern Anatolia.

Much of the border between Russia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan follows the length of the Caucasus. Important roads like the Georgian Military Road through the Darial Gorge and the Trans-Caucasus Highway cross these mountains at heights up to 3,000 metres (9,800 ft).

Watershed

The watershed of the Caucasus used to mark the border between the Russian Empire to the north and the Ottoman Empire and Persia to the south. This changed after a Russian victory and a treaty, shifting the border further south. Today, the border between Georgia and Russia largely follows this watershed, with just a few areas where Georgia goes a bit north of it. Most of Azerbaijan lies south of the watershed, except for six districts in its northeastern part that are north of it.

Peaks

• Mount Elbrus, at 5,642 metres (18,510 feet), is the highest mountain in Europe.
• Dykh-Tau stands at 5,205 metres (17,077 feet).
• Shkhara reaches 5,201 metres (17,064 feet).
• Koshtan-Tau is 5,151 metres (16,900 feet) tall.
• Shota Rustaveli Peak is 4,859 metres (15,942 feet) high.
• Kazbek rises to 5,047 metres (16,558 feet).
• Tebulosmta is 4,493 metres (14,741 feet) above sea level.
• Diklosmta reaches 4,285 metres (14,058 feet).
• Bazardüzü is 4,466 metres (14,652 feet) tall.
• Babadag is 3,629 metres (11,906 feet) high.
• Katyn-Tau stands at 4,979 metres (16,335 feet).
• Pik Pushkina, 5,033 metres (16,512 feet), is another notable peak.
• Janga is 5,051 metres (16,572 feet) tall.
• Tetnuldi is 4,858 metres (15,938 feet) high.
• Ushba reaches 4,710 metres (15,450 feet).
• Ailama is 4,525 metres (14,846 feet) above sea level.
• Mount Karakaya, at 3,646 metres (11,962 feet), is the highest in the Skalisty Range of the Caucasus.

Passes

The Greater Caucasus has several high passes that connect different parts of the mountains. Some of these passes include Bogovatchosgele Pass, Abano Pass, and Mamison Pass, each reaching impressive heights above sea level. Others like Datvisjvari Pass, Marukhi Pass, and Pereval Klukhorskiy also offer challenging routes through the rugged terrain. The Jvari Pass and Dübrar Pass are additional notable pathways across these towering mountains.