Greater Caucasus

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The mountain ranges of the Greater Caucasus. View from the south the peaks and glaciers

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The Great Caucasus (Russian Большой Кавказ / Bolshoi Kavkaz, georgian დიდი კავკასიონი / Didi Kawkasioni, Azerbaijani Böyük Qafqaz Dağları ) is the largest mountain range in the Caucasus. His crest forms the border between Russia and Georgia and Azerbaijan.

He is over 1,100 km long, divided broadly and often up to 160 km. It extends from east-southeast to west -northwest between the Absheron Peninsula on the Caspian Sea and the Taman Peninsula on the Black Sea. It extends from the Caucasian Natural Reserve in Sochi on the northeastern Black Sea almost to Baku on the Caspian Sea.

In the north the chain of wooded mountains lies the Black ( 600 m high). South of it follows the pasture ridge ( 1200-1500 m ), then the rocky ridge (up to 3,629 m).

South of these chains, the mountain is divided into four sections: the western Black Sea Caucasus, also Pontic Caucasus called ( 600-1200 m), the glaciated high mountain Caucasus, with the highest peaks of Elbrus ( 5,642 m), Dychtau ( 5,204 m) and Shkhara ( 5,200 m), in the middle of the Suramigebirge (up to 1,926 m) and to the east of the Caspian Caucasus ( 500-1000 m).

In the rainy west the mountains are heavily forested (up to 1,500 m deciduous forest, coniferous forest up to 2,500 m and above the treeline, alpine pastures). The drier east of the Greater Caucasus is treeless.

The mountain is of three highways criss-crossed: the Georgian Military Highway, the Trans- Caucasian highway and the Ossetian Military Highway. They played a strategic role in the development of the Trans-Caucasian relations, and these remain the main arteries between Russia and the countries of the Southern Caucasus.

Wildlife

Due to its location in the transition zone between subtropical and temperate latitudes as well as the differences in height offers the Great Caucasus a variety of wildlife habitat. To the west of the mountain range, the Caucasus Nature Reserve, which is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site is located. In the reserve are home to many large animals of the Western Caucasus, as West Caucasian ibex, chamois, Maralhirsche, roe boars, wolves, lynx and bison. The reintroduction of leopard is planned. In the central part and in the east the mountain chain Ostkaukasische ibex and even individual leopards occur. In the dry areas southeast of the main chain beyond gazelle live

Summit

• Elbrus, 5642 m
• Dychtau 5,204 m
• Shkhara 5,200 m
• Dschanga, 5,051 m
• Kazbek 5047 m
• Kjukjurtlju, 4912 m
• Shota Rustaveli, 4,860 m
• Gistola, 4,859 m
• Uschba, 4,737 m
• Tebulosmta, 4,493 m
• Bazardüzü, 4,466 m
• Diklosmta 4,285 m
• Babadag, 3,629 m

Passports

• Cross Pass ( Krestowy Pass, 2,379 m, Georgian Military Road )
• Roki Pass ( 2,995 m, Transcaucasian highway )
• Marucha Pass ( 2,748 m)
• Kluchorski Pass ( 2,786 m)
• Mamisson Pass ( 2,820 m, Ossetic military road )
• Iwris Pass ( 2,379 m)
• Dübrar Pass ( 2,209 m)

Swell

• Mountains in Asia
• Mountains in Russia
• Caucasus