The Main Caucasian Range (russian: Главный Кавказский хребет; ka, კავკასიონის მთავარი წყალგამყოფი ქედი; az, Baş Qafqaz silsiləsi) is a mountain range in the
Russian Federation
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
and
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
. It is the dividing range of the
Greater Caucasus
The Greater Caucasus ( az, Böyük Qafqaz, Бөјүк Гафгаз, بيوک قافقاز; ka, დიდი კავკასიონი, ''Didi K’avk’asioni''; russian: Большой Кавказ, ''Bolshoy Kavkaz'', sometimes translat ...
.
The
protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
s of the range are the
Teberda Nature Reserve
Teberda Nature Reserve (russian: Тебердинский) (also Teberdinsky) is a Russian 'zapovednik' (strict ecological reserve) located on the northern slopes of the western section of the Caucasus Mountains. It is the most visited nature reser ...
,
Kabardino-Balkaria Nature Reserve and the
North Ossetia Nature Reserve.
Заповедник.ru
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Geography
The Main Caucasian Range marks the divide between the North Caucasus
The North Caucasus, ( ady, Темыр Къафкъас, Temır Qafqas; kbd, Ишхъэрэ Къаукъаз, İṩxhərə Qauqaz; ce, Къилбаседа Кавказ, Q̇ilbaseda Kavkaz; , os, Цӕгат Кавказ, Cægat Kavkaz, inh, ...
to the north and the South Caucasus
The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Arme ...
to the south. It stretches from Mount Chugush
The Chugush (russian: Чугуш) is the highest mountain in Adygea, Russia, located in the Western Caucasus. Its height is . The mountain has 10 glaciers covering an area of 1.2 km2. One of the glaciers feeds the Kisha River flowing towards the ...
near the Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...
, to the Khizi District of Azerbaijan near the Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asia ...
. The main range runs parallel to the southern side of the Lateral Range
The Lateral Range (russian: Боковой хребет; ka, გვერდითი ქედი; az, Yan silsiləsi) is a mountain range in the Russian Federation and Georgia, with a very small part in Azerbaijan. The range is part of the Grea ...
, along Abkhazia
Abkhazia, ka, აფხაზეთი, tr, , xmf, აბჟუა, abzhua, or ( or ), officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, recognised by most countries as part of Georgia, which vi ...
, Adygea
The Republic of Adygea (; russian: Республика Адыгея, Respublika Adygeya, p=ɐdɨˈɡʲejə; ady, Адыгэ Республик, ''Adıgə Respublik''), also known as the Adyghe Republic, is a republic of Russia. It is situated ...
, the Krasnodar Territory, Karachay-Cherkessia
The Karachay-Cherkess Republic (russian: Карача́ево-Черке́сская Респу́блика, ''Karachayevo-Cherkesskaya Respublika''; krc, Къарачай-Черкес Республика, ''Qaraçay-Çerkes Respublika''; Cir ...
, Kabardino-Balkaria
The Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (russian: Кабарди́но-Балка́рская Респу́блика, ''Kabardino-Balkarskaya Respublika''; kbd, Къэбэрдей-Балъкъэр Республикэ, ''Ķêbêrdej-Baĺķêr Respublik ...
, North Ossetia
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north'' is ...
, Ingushetia
Ingushetia (; russian: Ингуше́тия; inh, ГӀалгӏайче, Ghalghayče), officially the Republic of Ingushetia,; inh, Гӏалгӏай Мохк, Ghalghay Moxk is a republic of Russia located in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe. ...
, Chechnya
Chechnya ( rus, Чечня́, Chechnyá, p=tɕɪtɕˈnʲa; ce, Нохчийчоь, Noxçiyçö), officially the Chechen Republic,; ce, Нохчийн Республика, Noxçiyn Respublika is a republic of Russia. It is situated in the ...
and Dagestan
Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North C ...
federal subjects of Russia, as well as the countries of Georgia and Azerbaijan. The range is characterized by numerous alpine landforms and, unlike its parallel ranges to the north, it forms a continuous, uninterrupted, system of mountain ranges. Google Earth
Google Earth is a computer program that renders a 3D computer graphics, 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. The program maps the Earth by superimposition, superimposing satellite images, aerial photography, and geog ...
The Main Caucasian Range forms a watershed, separating the basins of rivers flowing on the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region 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 historically ...
, such as the Samur
Samur may refer to:
People
* Samur Gunj (1380s-c.1455), a daughter of Elbeg Nigülesügchi Khan and his senior wife Kobeguntai
Places
* Qaleh Samur, a village in Gavork-e Sardasht Rural District, in the Central District of Sardasht County, West A ...
, Kuban
Kuban (Russian language, Russian and Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: Кубань; ady, Пшызэ) is a historical and geographical region of Southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Pontic–Caspian steppe, ...
, Terek and Sulak Sulak may refer to:
;Places
* Sulak, Khuzestan, a village in Khuzestan Province, Iran
*Sulak, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, a village in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, Iran
*Sulak, Russia, several inhabited localities in Russia
* Sulak, Silvan
...
, from those flowing on the southern slopes of the mountain system, such as the Kodori, Enguri
The Enguri ( ka, ენგური, tr, xmf, ინგირი, ingiri, ab, Егры, ''Egry'' russian: Ингури, ''Inguri'') is a river in western Georgia. It is long, and has a drainage basin of .Rioni
The Rioni ( ka, რიონი, ; , ) is the main river of western Georgia. It originates in the Caucasus Mountains, in the region of Racha and flows west to the Black Sea, entering it north of the city of Poti (near ancient Phasis). The city ...
and Kura
Rúben de Almeida Barbeiro (born August 21, 1987 in Leiria), better known as KURA, is a Portuguese electro house music DJ and producer. Kura has released tracks through labels such as Hardwell's Revealed Recordings, Flashover Recordings, M ...
.
The highest and rockiest section of the range is located in its central part. Although not as high as the topmost summits of the Lateral Range to the north, the highest elevations of the Main Caucasian Range include the high Shkhara
Shkhara ( ka, შხარა) is the highest point in the nation of Georgia It is located near the Russian-Georgian border, in Russia's Kabardino-Balkaria region on the northern side, and the Svaneti region of Georgia in the south. Shkhara lies ...
, the high Mount Bazardüzü
Mount Bazardüzü (, ; lez, Кичӏен сув ; russian: Базардюзю, ) is a mountain peak in the Greater Caucasus range on the border between Dagestan, Russia and Azerbaijan. At above sea level, it is the highest peak in both Dagesta ...
—highest point of Dagestan— and the high Mount Shani
Mt. Shani ( ka, შანი), also known as Shan (russian: Шан) and Shanloam ( inh, Шанлоам, meaning "icy mountain") is a mountain in the Caucasus. It has an elevation of and is on the international border between Georgia and Ingushe ...
—highest point of Ingushetia.
There are several glaciated
A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such as ...
areas in the range system, including Bezengi the largest glacier in the Caucasus. Parts of the lower and middle slopes of the mountains are covered by forests up to heights of about .
See also
*Highest points of Russian Federal subjects
This is a list of the highest points of the Federal Subjects of the Russian Federation.
List Above 1000 m
Below 1000 m
See also
* List of mountains and hills of Russia
* List of European ultra-prominent peaks
* List of Ultras of Central Asia
...
*List of mountains and hills of Russia
This is a list of mountains and hills of Russia.
List by elevation
Over 5000 meters
4000 to 4999 meters
3000 to 3999 meters
2000 to 2999 meters
1000 to 1999 meters
Under 1000 metres
See also
*Highest points of Russian Federal s ...
*Skalisty Range, Caucasus
Skalisty Range (russian: Скалистый хребет) is a mountain range in the Greater Caucasus, Russian Federation.
Geography
The Skalisty Range is a chain of ten separate mountain massifs stretching parallel to the northern side of the La ...
References
External links
*{{commonscat inline, Main Caucasus Range
Schematic maps of the Caucasus
(in Russian)
Mountain ranges of Russia
Mountain ranges of Azerbaijan
Mountain ranges of Georgia (country)
Mountain ranges of the Caucasus