Main Caucasian Range: description, parameters, peaks. Caucasus mountains. Relief, climate of the Caucasus Mountains. Mountain system, location of the Caucasus mountains

Geographical position. On a huge isthmus between the Black and Caspian Seas, from the Taman Peninsula to the Apsheron Peninsula, the majestic mountains of the Greater Caucasus are located.

North Caucasus- this is the southernmost part of the Russian territory. The border of the Russian Federation with the countries of Transcaucasia passes along the ridges of the Main, or Dividing, Caucasian Range.

The Caucasus is separated from the Russian Plain by the Kuma-Manych depression, on the site of which a sea strait existed in the Middle Quaternary.

The North Caucasus is an area located on the border of the temperate and subtropical zones.

The epithet "most-most" is often applied to the nature of this territory. Latitudinal zonality is replaced here by vertical zonality. For an inhabitant of the plains, the mountains of the Caucasus are a vivid example of the “multi-story ™” of nature.

Remember where and what is the name of the extreme southern point of Russia.

Features of the nature of the North Caucasus. The Caucasus is a young mountain structure, formed during the period of Alpine folding. The Caucasus includes: Ciscaucasia, Greater Caucasus and Transcaucasia. Only Ciscaucasia and the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus belong to Russia.

Rice. 92. Orographic scheme of the Caucasus

Often the Greater Caucasus is presented as a single ridge. In fact, it is a system of mountain ranges. From the Black Sea coast to Mount Elbrus is the Western Caucasus, from Elbrus to Kazbek - the Central Caucasus, east of Kazbek to the Caspian Sea - the Eastern Caucasus. In the longitudinal direction, an axial zone is distinguished, occupied by the Vodorazdelny (Main) and Lateral ridges.

The northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus form the Skalisty and Pastbishny ranges. They have a cuesta structure - these are ridges, in which one slope is gentle, and the other is abruptly ending. The reason for the formation of kuest is the interbedding of layers composed of rocks of different hardness.

The chains of the Western Caucasus begin near the Taman Peninsula. At first, these are not even mountains, but hills with soft outlines. They rise as you move east. Mountains Fisht (2867 m) and Oshten (2808 m) - the highest parts of the Western Caucasus - are covered with snowfields and glaciers.

The highest and most grandiose part of the entire mountain system is the Central Caucasus. Here, even the passes reach a height of 3000 m, only one pass - Krestovy on the Georgian Military Highway - lies at an altitude of 2379 m.

In the Central Caucasus there are the highest peaks - the two-headed Elbrus, an extinct volcano, the highest peak in Russia (5642 m), and Kazbek (5033 m).

The eastern part of the Greater Caucasus is mainly the numerous ridges of the mountainous Dagestan (in translation - the Country of Mountains).

Rice. 93. Mount Elbrus

Various tectonic structures took part in the structure of the North Caucasus. In the south there are folded-block mountains and foothills of the Greater Caucasus. It is part of the Alpine geosynclinal zone.

The fluctuations of the earth's crust were accompanied by bending of the earth's layers, their extensions, faults, ruptures. Magma poured out to the surface along the cracks formed from great depths, which led to the formation of numerous ore deposits.

Uplifts in recent geological periods - Neogene and Quaternary - have turned the Greater Caucasus into a mountainous country. The rise in the axial part of the Greater Caucasus was accompanied by an intensive subsidence of earth layers along the edges of the emerging mountain range. This led to the formation of foothill troughs: in the west of the Indolo-Kuban and in the east of the Terek-Caspian.

The complex history of the geological development of the region is the reason for the richness of the bowels of the Caucasus in various minerals. The main wealth of Ciscaucasia is the oil and gas field. Polymetallic ores, tungsten, copper, mercury, and molybdenum are mined in the central part of the Greater Caucasus.

In the mountains and foothills of the North Caucasus, many mineral springs have been discovered, near which resorts have been created that have long gained worldwide fame - Kislovodsk, Mineralnye Vody, Pyatigorsk, Essentuki, Zheleznovodsk, Matsesta. The springs are diverse in chemical composition, in temperature, and extremely useful.

Rice. 94. Geological structure of the North Caucasus

The geographical position of the North Caucasus in the south of the temperate zone determines its mild, warm climate, transitional from temperate to subtropical. Here is a parallel 45 ° N. sh., that is, this territory is equidistant from both the equator and the pole. This situation determines the amount of solar heat received: in summer 17-18 kcal per square centimeter, which is 1.5 times more than the European part of Russia receives on average. With the exception of the highlands, the climate in the North Caucasus is mild and warm; on the plains, the average temperature in July exceeds 20 ° C everywhere, and summer lasts from 4.5 to 5.5 months. Average January temperatures range from -10 to +6°C, and winter lasts only two to three months. The city of Sochi is located in the North Caucasus, where the warmest winter in Russia is with a January temperature of +6.1 ° С.

On the map, determine whether there are any obstacles in the foothills of the North Caucasus in the way of arctic air masses, tropical. What atmospheric fronts pass near this area? Analyze on maps how precipitation is distributed in the North Caucasus, explain the reasons for this distribution.

The abundance of heat and light allows the vegetation of the North Caucasus to develop in the north of the region for seven months, in Ciscaucasia - eight, and on the Black Sea coast, south of Gelendzhik - up to 11 months. This means that with the appropriate selection of crops, two crops per year can be obtained here.

The North Caucasus is distinguished by a very complex circulation of various air masses. Various air masses can penetrate into this area.

The main source of moisture for the North Caucasus is the Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, the western regions of the North Caucasus are characterized by a large amount of precipitation. The annual amount of precipitation in the foothill areas in the west is 380-520 mm, and in the east, in the Caspian Sea, - 220-250 mm. Therefore, in the east of the region there are often droughts and dry winds. However, they are often accompanied by dusty, or black, storms. Storms occur in the spring, when the top layers of dry soil, still loosely held together by newly emerged plants, are blown away by strong winds. A cloud of dust rises into the air, covering the sky and the sun.

Measures to combat black storms are properly planned forest shelterbelts and high agricultural technology. However, until now, due to black storms, it is necessary to re-sow (re-sow) several tens of thousands of hectares, from which the most fertile soil layer is demolished during dust storms.

The climate of the highlands very different from the plains and foothills. The first main difference is that much more precipitation falls in the mountains: at an altitude of 2000 m - 2500-2600 mm per year. This is due to the fact that the mountains trap air masses, forcing them to rise up. At the same time, the air cools and gives off its moisture.

The second difference in the climate of the highlands is a decrease in the duration of the warm season due to a decrease in air temperature with height. Already at an altitude of 2700 m on the northern slopes and at an altitude of 3800 m in the Central Caucasus there is a snow line, or the border of "eternal ice". At an altitude of over 4000 m, even in July, positive temperatures are very rare.

Remember how much the air temperature decreases when you rise for every 100 m. Calculate how much the air will cool when you rise to a height of 4000 m, if its temperature at the earth's surface is +20 ° С. What happens to the moisture in the air?

In the mountains of the Western Caucasus, due to the abundance of precipitation during the winter, a four-five-meter layer of snow accumulates, and in the mountain valleys, where it is blown away by the wind, up to 10-12 m. The abundance of snow in winter leads to the formation of snow avalanches. Sometimes one awkward movement, even a sharp sound, is enough for a thousand-ton mass of snow to fly down a steep ledge, destroying everything in its path.

Explain why there are practically no avalanches in the mountains of the Eastern Caucasus.

Think about what differences will be observed in the change of altitudinal zones on the western and eastern slopes.

The third difference of the alpine climate is its amazing diversity from place to place in connection with the height of the mountains, the exposure of the slope, proximity or distance from the sea.

The fourth difference is the peculiarity of atmospheric circulation. Cooled air from the highlands rushes down the comparatively narrow intermountain valleys. For every 100 m lowered, the air heats up by about 1°C. Descending from a height of 2500 m, it heats up by 25 ° C and becomes warm, even hot. This is how the local wind - foehn is formed. Hair dryers are especially frequent in spring, when the intensity of the general circulation of air masses increases sharply. Unlike a foehn, when masses of dense cold air invade, a bora is formed (from the Greek boreas - north, north wind), a strong cold downward wind. Flowing over low ridges into an area with warmer rarefied air, it heats up relatively little and “falls” down the leeward slope at high speed. Bora is observed mainly in winter, where the mountain range borders on the sea or a vast body of water. The Novorossiysk Bora is widely known (Fig. 95). And yet, the leading factor in climate formation in the mountains, which greatly affects all other components of nature, is the height, which leads to vertical zonality of both climate and natural zones.

Rice. 95. Scheme of formation of the Novorossiysk bora

The rivers of the North Caucasus are numerous and, like the relief and climate, are clearly divided into flat and mountainous. Stormy mountain rivers are especially numerous, the main source of food for which is snow and glaciers during the melting period. The largest rivers are the Kuban and the Terek with their numerous tributaries, as well as the Bolshoy Egorlyk and Kalaus, which originate in the Stavropol Upland. In the lower reaches of the Kuban and the Terek there are floodplains - vast swampy areas covered with reeds and reeds.

Rice. 96. Altitudinal zonality of the Greater Caucasus

The wealth of the Caucasus is fertile soil. In the western part of Ciscaucasia, chernozems predominate, and in the eastern, more arid part, chestnut soils. The soils of the Black Sea coast are intensively used for orchards, berry fields, and vineyards. The northernmost tea plantations in the world are located in the Sochi region.

In the mountains of the Greater Caucasus, altitudinal zonation is clearly expressed. The lower belt is occupied by broad-leaved forests dominated by oak. Above are beech forests, which with height pass first into mixed, and then into spruce-fir forests. The upper border of the forest is located at an altitude of 2000-2200 m. Behind it, on mountain-meadow soils, there are lush subalpine meadows with thickets of Caucasian rhododendron. They pass into short-grass alpine meadows, followed by the highest belt of snowfields and glaciers.

Questions and tasks

1. On the example of the North Caucasus, show the influence of the geographical location of the territory on the features of its nature.
2. Tell us about the formation of the modern relief of the Greater Caucasus.
3. On the contour map, mark the main geographical features of the area, mineral deposits.
4. Give a description of the climate of the Greater Caucasus, explain how the climate of the foothills differs from the highlands.

State budgetary educational institution secondary general secondary school No. 509 of the Moscow region

city ​​of St. Petersburg

in the discipline "Geography"

on the topic of: « Caucasian mountains».

Completed: students of grade 8 "A"

Gaisyonok Julia

Ahmedova Rukiyat

Leader: geography teacher

Kovaleva Natalya Nikolaevna

St. Petersburg 2012

1. Introduction. …………………………………………………………...........3

2.Main part

2.1 Legend about the origin of the Caucasus Mountains………………………...4

2.2 Physical and geographical location………………………………..5

2.3 Climate……………………………………………………………………7

2.4 Rivers and lakes…………………………………………………………...8

2.5 Animal world …………………………………………………………..9

2.6 Plant world…………………………………………………....11

3.Conclusion……………………………………………………………..12

4. References…………..…………………………………….…..13

5..Appendix 1……………………………………………………………14

6.Appendix 2…………………………………………………………….16

1. Introduction

Since ancient times our Russian Parnassus

S.A. Yesenin

This is an amazing land, one of the most interesting regions of the globe. Combining unique landscapes, becoming the homeland for hundreds of nationalities, it is truly a unique region of the world. The North Caucasus is my homeland which I love.

The pride of the Caucasus is its mountains! The Caucasus is not the Caucasus without mountains. The mountains are unique, majestic and impregnable. The Caucasus is amazingly beautiful. He is so different. You can look at the mountains for hours.

The Caucasus Mountains are the great division between Europe and Asia. The Caucasus is a narrow strip of land between the Black and Caspian Seas. It strikes with an incredible variety of climate, flora and fauna.

Green hills and alpine meadows of the Caucasus, salt deserts, miniature sand dunes give way to high mountains. The beauty of Caucasian landscapes is not inferior to any region of the planet.

The mountain range of the Greater Caucasus is a lot of pastures, forests, as well as amazing natural wonders. More than 2 thousand glaciers descend through narrow gorges. The chain of large mountains stretched for almost one and a half thousand kilometers from the northwest to the southeast. The main peaks exceed 5 thousand meters and significantly affect the weather in the regions.

The clouds that form over the Black Sea are pouring rain, running into the mountain peaks of the Caucasus. On one side of the ridge there is a harsh landscape, and on the other - rough vegetation. Here you can find more than 6 and a half thousand plant species, a quarter of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
The purpose of our essay is to study the natural features of the Caucasus Mountains.

The material can be used in geography lessons when studying the topic "North Caucasus".

2. Base part

2.1 Legend of the origin of the Caucasus Mountains

A long time ago, when the earth was still very young, a huge plain stretched on the site of the modern territory of the Caucasus. Huge sled heroes lived here in peace and love. They were kind and prudent, they met with joy both day and night, they knew neither evil, nor envy, nor deceit. The ruler of this people was the gray-haired giant Elbrus, and he had a beautiful son, Beshtau, and his son had a charming bride, the beautiful Mashuki. But they had an evil envious - Kite. And he decided to harm the Narts. He prepared a terrible potion in which he mixed the teeth of a wolf, the tongue of a boar and the eyes of a snake. At a big feast, he poured a potion into all the drinks of the Narts. And, having drunk it, they acquired the greed of a boar, the anger of a wolf, and the deceit of a snake. And from that time on, the happy and carefree life of the Narts ended. The father decided to take the young bride away from his son and, sending him on a hunt, wanted to forcefully marry Mashuki. But Mashuki resisted Elbrus. And in an evil battle she lost her wedding ring. I saw the Beshtau ring and hurried to help the bride. And a terrible battle began not for life, but for death, and half of the Narts fought on the side of Elbrus, and the other half on the side of Beshtau. And the battle lasted for several days and nights, and all the sledges perished. Elbrus chopped his son into five parts, and the son, inflicting the last blow, dismembered the gray head of his father into two halves. Mashuki came out after the battle on the battlefield and did not see a single living soul. She approached her lover and plunged the dagger into her heart. So the life of a great and old people stopped.

And now the Caucasian mountains rise in this place: the helmet from the head of Beshtau is Mount Zheleznaya, the ring of Mashuk is Mount Ring, five peaks are Mount Beshtau, nearby is Mount Mashuk and far, far from others - gray-haired or simply snow-covered handsome Elbrus. [ 2 ]

2.2Physical location

The Caucasus Mountains form a natural border between Europe and Asia, located on the isthmus between the Caspian and Black Seas. The Kuma-Manych depression separates the Caucasus from the East European Plain. The territory of the Caucasus can be divided into several parts: Ciscaucasia, Greater Caucasus and Transcaucasia. On the territory of the Russian Federation, only Ciscaucasia and the northern part of the Greater Caucasus are located. The last two parts together are called the North Caucasus. However, for Russia, this part of the territory is the southernmost. Here, along the crest of the Main Range, the state border of the Russian Federation passes, behind which lies Georgia and Azerbaijan.

The North Caucasian mountains are relatively young. Their relief was created by different tectonic structures. These mountains were formed when deep trough zones were filled with sedimentary and volcanic rocks, which were later subjected to folding. Tectonic processes here were accompanied by significant bends, extensions, ruptures and faults of earth layers. As a result, a large amount of magma poured onto the surface (this led to the formation of significant ore deposits).

Often the Greater Caucasus is presented as the only ridge. In fact, this is a whole system of various ridges, which can be divided into several parts. The Western Caucasus is located from the Black Sea coast to Mount Elbrus, then (from Elbrus to Kazbek) follows the Central Caucasus, and to the east from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea - the Eastern Caucasus. In addition, two ridges can be distinguished in the longitudinal direction: Vodorazdelny (sometimes called the main one) and Lateral. On the northern slope of the Caucasus, the Rocky and Pasture Ranges, as well as the Black Mountains, are distinguished. They were formed as a result of interlayering layers composed of sedimentary rocks of different hardness. One slope of the ridge here is gentle, and the other breaks off rather abruptly. As you move away from the axial zone, the height of the mountain ranges decreases.

The chain of the Western Caucasus begins at the Taman Peninsula. At the very beginning, it is rather not even mountains, but hills. They begin to rise towards the east. The highest parts of the North Caucasus are covered with snow caps and glaciers. The highest peaks of the Western Caucasus are the Fisht (2870 meters) and Oshten (2810 meters) mountains. The highest part of the Greater Caucasus is the Central Caucasus. Even some passes at this point reach a height of 3000 meters, and the lowest of them (Krestovy) lies at an altitude of 2380 meters. Here are the highest peaks of the Caucasus. So, for example, the height of Mount Kazbek is 5033 meters, and the two-headed extinct volcano Elbrus is the highest peak in Russia. The relief here is strongly dissected: sharp ridges, steep slopes and rocky peaks prevail.

The eastern part of the Greater Caucasus is mainly made up of the numerous ridges of Dagestan (in the translation of the name of this region means "mountainous country"). There are complex branching ridges with steep slopes and deep canyon-like river valleys. However, the height of the peaks here is less than in the central part of the mountain system, but still they exceed the height of 4 thousand meters. meters. The uplift of the Caucasus Mountains continues in our time. This is associated with fairly frequent earthquakes in this region of Russia. To the north of the Central Caucasus, where the magma rising along the cracks did not spill onto the surface, low, so-called island mountains formed. The largest of them are Beshtau (1400 meters) and Mashuk (993 meters). At their base there are numerous sources of mineral waters.

The so-called Ciscaucasia is occupied by the Kuban and Tersko-Kuma lowlands. They are separated from each other by the Stavropol Upland, the height of which is 700-800 meters.

Fig.1 Dagestan. Red mountain.

2.3Climate

The climate in this area is quite favorable. Quite high mountains serve as a good obstacle to the cold air penetrating here. The proximity of the long cooling sea also has an effect. The Greater Caucasus is the border between two climatic poles - subtropical and temperate. In the Russian territory, the climate is still moderate, but the above factors contribute to high temperatures.

As a result, winters in Ciscaucasia are quite warm (the average temperature in January is about -5 ° C) .This is facilitated by warm air masses coming from the Atlantic Ocean. On the Black Sea coast, the temperature rarely drops below zero (the average temperature is January 3 ° C). Temperatures are naturally lower in mountainous regions. So, the average temperature on the plain in summer is about 25 ° C, and in the upper reaches of the mountains - 0 ° C.

Precipitation in this area mainly falls due to cyclones coming from the west, as a result of which their amount gradually decreases towards the east. Most precipitation falls on the southwestern slopes of the Greater Caucasus. Their number on the Kuban Plain is about 7 times lower.

In the mountains of the North Caucasus, glaciation is developed, in terms of the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich this region ranks first among all regions of Russia. The rivers flowing here are fed by water formed during the melting of glaciers. The largest Caucasian rivers are the Kuban and Terek, as well as their numerous tributaries. Mountain rivers, as usual, are fast-flowing, and in their lower reaches there are swampy areas overgrown with reeds and reeds.

The most dangerous natural phenomena that occur in these places are landslides, mountain falls and earthquakes.

2.4 Rivers and lakes

The rivers of the Caucasus belong to the basin of the Caspian (Kura with Araks, Sulak, Terek, Kuma), Black (Rioni, Inguri, etc.) and Azov (Kuban) seas. The distribution of runoff and the regime of rivers depend mainly on climatic conditions and topography. The Greater Caucasus is characterized by rivers with a long (about 6 months) high water in the warm part of the year; Eternal snow and ice and seasonal snow that melts late in the highlands participate in their nutrition. Close to this type is the regime of rivers starting in the highest ridges and massifs of the Transcaucasian highlands (Aragats, Zangezur ridge, Murovdag) and in those parts of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus where there are no glaciers. The rest of the rivers of the Transcaucasian Highlands are characterized by spring floods. On the rivers of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus, along with spring floods, summer floods are characteristic. The rivers of Ciscaucasia, with the exception of those flowing from the Greater Caucasus, have spring floods and winter freeze-up, become very shallow in summer, and partly dry up. Stavropol artificially watered from the river. Kuban. The rivers of the Caucasus, which originate in areas without stable snow cover, are characterized by floods from heavy rains and rapid snowmelt. Groundwater serves as an additional source of their nutrition. Floods occur throughout the year (the Black Sea coast south of Sochi, the Colchis lowland, etc.), during the warm season (in the front ranges of the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus, in the Terek basin) and in the cold half-year (the western tip of the Greater Caucasus and the northern part of the Black Sea coast) . Mudflows are characteristic of many rivers in the Eastern and part of the Central Caucasus. The advanced limestone ridges of the Greater Caucasus have karst rivers, which in places disappear underground and reappear on the surface. Their regime, as well as the rivers of the volcanic region of the Armenian Highlands, is regulated due to the large participation in the supply of groundwater. Large rivers that receive tributaries from different areas have a combined regime. Most of the large rivers of the Caucasus in the upper reaches are mountainous and flow in trough valleys and gorges, while in the lower reaches they flow more calmly in wide valleys.

The lower reaches of the Kura, Kuban and Rioni are navigable. The waters of many rivers are used to irrigate the arid regions of Ciscaucasia, the Kura depression and the Middle Araks basin. Many hydroelectric power plants have been built on the rivers of the Caucasus (Mingachevirskaya and Zemo-Avchalskaya on the Kura, Khramskaya, Rionskaya, a number of hydroelectric power plants on the rivers of the Greater Caucasus).

Of the lakes of the Caucasus, the largest is Sevan. In the highland region of the Greater Caucasus, there are many car lakes; there are also dammed, karst and other lakes. On the coasts of the seas - firth lakes. Most of the lakes are fresh, but in the arid regions of the eastern part of the Caucasus they are salty.

2.5Animal world

Animal world The Caucasus is very diverse, which is due to significant spatial variability within its boundaries of environmental conditions and the history of the formation of the faunal complex. There is a significant group of endemics here: Caucasian and Dagestan turs (stone goats), Caucasian hamster, Promethean mouse, Caucasian black grouse, Caucasian snowcock, etc. The degree of endemism is especially high in the upper parts of the mountains. Ancient representatives of broad-leaved forests live in the forests: bison, red deer, wild boar, pine marten. The fauna of Ciscaucasia developed mainly in the pre-Quaternary period.

The steppes of the Western and Middle Ciscaucasia are inhabited by the same animals as the steppes of the Russian Plain. Lesser ground squirrel, large jerboa, hamster, mole voles, hare, steppe polecat are common here, in some places the banded ferret has been preserved, the number of foxes and wolves is large. Animals of the semi-deserts and deserts of Central Asia and Kazakhstan live on the Tersko-Kuma lowland: the corsac fox, the earthen hare, the rough-legged jerboa, the eared hedgehog, the combed and midday gerbils, etc. There is a steppe antelope - saiga. There are also endemics here: the Nogai jerboa, Ciscaucasian gerbil, small vole.

Reptiles are abundant in the Ciscaucasia (steppe viper, boa constrictor, snakes, green and steppe lizards, etc.). Of the birds, the steppe lark, quail, eagles, harrier, kite, kestrel are characteristic, there are bustards, demoiselle cranes, and little bustards.

The jungle cat (Fig. 2), jackals, and wild boars live in the reed beds of the Terek and Sulak deltas. In the deltas of these rivers and the Kuban, there are many waterfowl and marsh birds.

Fig. 2 Reed cat

The Greater Caucasus is inhabited mainly by forest and alpine animals. Deer, Siberian roe deer, wild boars, badger, Caucasian squirrel, dormouse, and many forest mice are found in broad-leaved forests. Stone marten and forest cat live in many areas.

The species composition of birds is very rich. The most numerous are jays, finches, nuthatches, owls, etc. In winter, squirrels migrate to dark coniferous forests. The pine marten is associated with coniferous forests. Birds, rodents and shrews feed on fir and spruce seeds. In the Colchis forests of the southwestern slope, there are Persian squirrels, European roe deer, small badgers, and jackals.

Dark coniferous forests and alpine meadows are characterized by seasonal migrations of many animals. Deer and wild boars live in subalpine meadows in summer, but in winter, when the snow thickness in the forest is half that in the meadows, they migrate to coniferous forests. Tours and chamois graze in the alpine meadows in summer, while they spend the winter on the rocky slopes of the forest belt. The leopard lives in the mountain forests (Fig. 3), arranging a den in the crevices of the rocks, but it hunts for chamois and tours in high mountain meadows. The Caucasian black grouse spends a significant part of the time in the thickets of rhododendron.

Fig.3 Leopard

Alpine meadows are the habitats of the Caucasian snowcock, Promethean mouse, common, gray and shrub voles. Of the birds living here: chough, horned lark, snow finch (Fig. 3).

Fig.3 Reel

2.6
Vegetable world

Vegetation cover The Caucasus is also very diverse. Floristic elements of European forests and vegetation of the Eurasian highlands, East European steppes and West Asian deserts, as well as complex plant communities of the Mediterranean, took part in its formation. Significant regional endemism and the original nature of plant groups are associated with the Greater Caucasus. Within its limits there are about 550 endemic species. The percentage of endemics is highest among plants of high mountains and rocky habitats. Among the plant groups, the most peculiar are the vegetation of the upland xerophytes of Dagestan and the relict Colchian broad-leaved forests that enter Russia with their northwestern outskirts.

Western and Central Ciscaucasia in the recent past was covered with steppe vegetation. Now it has survived only in fragments, mainly on slopes that are inconvenient for plowing.

The steppes of the plains and foothills are a direct continuation of the steppes of the south of the Russian Plain. Forb-fescue-feather grass steppes prevailed. On the eastern slope of the Stavropol Upland, they were replaced by turf-cereal (fescue-feather grass and fescue) steppes. Closer to the foothills, on the Kuban, Kabardian, Ossetian and other sloping plains, in the elevated southwestern part of the Stavropol Upland and in the Mineralovodsky region, forb meadow steppes with patches of forests of oak, ash, hornbeam (forest steppe) were common. The upland steppes are confined to the dry slopes of the mountains, more diverse in species composition than the steppes of the plains. In the Eastern Ciscaucasia, cereal-wormwood semi-deserts are common. Saltwort vegetation is common on saline soils. The western and southern outskirts of the Terek-Kuma Plain are occupied by dry wormwood-cereal steppes. In the dry mountainous regions of the Greater Caucasus, upland xerophytic vegetation is widespread, represented by groups such as frigana and shilyak.

In the mountains of the Greater Caucasus, forests occupy the largest areas. The lower part of the forest belt is represented by forests dominated by oak or beech. Dark coniferous forests are common in the upper part. In the southern regions of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, there are depleted relict Colchis broad-leaved forests. Above the forests in the mountains, subalpine and alpine meadows are common.

3. Conclusion.

So leave unnecessary disputes -
I have already proved everything to myself:
Only mountains can be better than mountains,
Where no one has been!

The nature of the Caucasus is rich and diverse, the beauty of its landscapes is unique. Bare rocks, eternal snows and glaciers. Highlands, dense coniferous and lush broad-leaved forests, covering mountains, open steppe and semi-desert plains with dried up from the heat of the sun, cracked soil, abundantly watered subtropical forests and plantations - all this is located next to each other, making up striking contrasts.

The Caucasus Mountains are one of the parts of the southern borders of our country. There is a great variety of natural zones here due to the altitudinal zonality, special microclimates are formed, which is why interesting species of flora and fauna are found in nature.

Historically, this territory has housed a large number of peoples and their national flavor is of interest to many tourists.

List of used literature:

1.Caucasus. http://sir35.narod.ru/Caucas/1_080817.htm

2.Legend about the origin of the Caucasus Mountains www. http://sasw.chat.ru/rasskazi2.htm

3. Regional reviews of the nature of Russia http://www.ecosystema.ru/08nature/world/geoussr/3-5-4.htm#68jiv

4. North Caucasus http://geography.kz/slovar/severnyj-kavkaz/

Annex 1

Rivers of the Caucasus

Rice. 1 Kuma River

Rice. 2 River Rioni

Rice. 3 Terek River

Fig.4 Kura River

Annex 2

The Caucasus is a mountain system located in Eurasia between the Black and Caspian Seas. The mountain chain stretches for 1100 km from the Taman Peninsula and Anapa to the Absheron Peninsula near the city of Baku.

It is customary to divide this territory according to several criteria: into the Greater and Lesser Caucasus, as well as into the Western (from the Black Sea to Elbrus), Central (from Elbrus to Kazbek) and Eastern (from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea). The mountain system reaches its greatest width in the central part (180 km). The mountain peaks of the Central Caucasus are the highest on the Main Caucasian (Dividing) Range.

The most famous mountain peaks of the Caucasus are Mount Elbrus (5642 m) and Mount Kazbek (5033 m). Both peaks are stratovolcanoes. Moreover, Kazbek is considered to be extinct, which cannot be said about Elbrus. The opinions of experts on this matter vary. The slopes of the two highest mountains of the Caucasus are covered with snow and glaciers. The Central Caucasus accounts for up to 70% of modern glaciation. For more than a century of observations of the glaciers of the Caucasus, their area has significantly decreased.

To the north, from the foot of the Greater Caucasus, an inclined plain extends, which ends with the Kumo-Manych depression. Its territory is dissected by lateral ridges and river valleys. The largest rivers in this area can be considered the river. Kuban and Terek. To the south of the Greater Caucasus are the Colchis and Kura-Araks lowlands.

The Caucasus Mountains can be considered young. They were formed in the era of Alpine folding about 28-23 million years ago. Their formation is due to the movement of the Arabian lithospheric plate to the north to the Eurasian one. The latter, pressed by the African plate, moves several centimeters a year.

Tectonic processes in the depths of the Caucasus continue to this day. The geological structure of Elbrus speaks of the great activity of the volcano in the recent past. Several powerful earthquakes occurred in the Caucasus in the 20th century. The most devastating was the earthquake in Armenia in 1988.

Seismic stations operating throughout the Caucasus annually register several hundred earthquakes. Experts say that some sections of the Caucasus Range "grow" by several centimeters per year.

Caucasus in Europe or in Asia?

This issue should be considered more in political and historical aspects. The Caucasus Mountains are located in the center of the Eurasian Plate, so the division can only be conditional. The border between Europe and Asia was proposed by the Swedish officer and geographer F. Stralenberg in 1730. The border that passed through the Ural Mountains and the Kuma-Manych depression was accepted by many scientists.

Despite this, several alternative proposals were proposed at different times, which justified the division of Europe and Asia along the Caucasus Mountains. Despite ongoing disputes, Elbrus is still considered the highest point in Europe. The history of the region suggests the special position of the Caucasus at the crossroads between European and East Asian cultures.

The highest mountains of the Caucasus

• Elbrus (5642 m). KBR, KChR. The highest point in Russia
• Dykhtau (5204 m). CBD
• Koshtantau (5122 m). CBD
• Pushkin Peak (5100 m). CBD
• Dzhangitau (5058 m). CBD
• Shkhara (5201 m). CBD. The highest point of Georgia
• Kazbek (5034 m). The highest point of North Ossetia
• Mizhirgi Western (5022 m). CBD
• Tetnuld (4974 m). Georgia
• Katyntau (4970 m). CBD
• Peak Shota Rustaveli (4960 m). CBD
• Gestola (4860 m). CBD
• Jimara (4780 m). Georgia, North Ossetia
• Ushba (4690 m). Georgia, North Ossetia
• Gulchitau (4447 m). CBD
• Tebulosmta (4493 m). The highest point of Chechnya
• Bazarduzu (4466 m). The highest point of Dagestan and Azerbaijan
• Shan (4451 m). The highest point of Ingushetia
• Adai-Khokh (4408 m). North Ossetia
• Diclosmta (4285 m). Chechnya
• Shahdag (4243 m). Azerbaijan
• Tufandag (4191 m). Azerbaijan
• Shalbuzdag (4142 m). Dagestan
• Aragats (4094). The highest point of Armenia
• Dombay-Ulgen (4046 m). KCHR

How many five-thousanders are in the Caucasus?

It is customary to call Caucasian five-thousanders mountains whose height exceeds five kilometers. From the list above, it is clear that Caucasus eight mountains "five-thousanders«:

• Elbrus(5642 m) is a dormant volcano and the highest mountain in Russia. The mountain consists of two peaks Western (5642 m) and Eastern (5621 m), connected by a saddle (5416 m).
• Dykhtau(5204 m) - mountain peak of the Lateral Range of the Greater Caucasus. The mountain consists of two peaks (both over 5000 m high), connected by a steep narrow saddle. The first ascent to the mountain took place in 1888. To date, about ten routes have been laid to the top of Dykhtau with a difficulty of 4A (according to the Russian classification).
• Koshtantau(5122 m) - a mountain peak on the border of Bezenga and the mountainous region of Balkaria.
• Pushkin Peak(5100 m) - being part of the Dykhtau mountain range, it is a separate peak. Named after A.S. Pushkin to the 100th anniversary of his death.
• Dzhangitau(5058 m) - a mountain peak in the central part of the Greater Caucasus. There are three peaks in the Dzhangitau massif, all of which have a height of more than five kilometers.
• Shkhara(5201 m) - a mountain peak of the Central Caucasus, which is part of the Bezengi wall.
• Kazbek(5034 m) is an extinct stratovolcano, the easternmost five-thousander of the Caucasus. The first ascent of the mountain was made in 1868.
• Mizhirgi Western(5022 m) - a mountain peak as part of the Bezengi wall. The name of the mountain is translated from Karachay-Balkar as "connecting".

They are no less famous in the world than the Cordillera, a mountain system that stretches along the western outskirts of North and South America for as much as eighteen thousand kilometers in length and in width for 1600 kilometers, with the highest peak of Denali at 6190 meters above sea level in North America, in also Aconcagua - 6963 meters above sea level in South America. Many countries border the Cordillera - Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. No less famous is the Cordillera mountain system of the Himalayas with the highest peak Chogori - 8611 meters above sea level on the border of China and Pakistan and with another peak Lhotse, exceeding a height of eight kilometers on the border of China and Nepal. On the globe, Tibet is also admired with the highest peak in the world, Everest - 8852 meters above sea level. However, on Earth there are other mountain systems on different continents that attract attention and which thousands and thousands of brave conquerors of peaks strive to climb.

From the legendary Taman to the gray Caspian

The Great Caucasus Mountains are essentially two mountain systems - the Greater and Lesser Caucasus in Eurasia. They stretched for more than 1,100 kilometers from northwest to southeast, and more specifically, from the Taman Peninsula in the region and along the Black Sea coast to the Absheron Peninsula near the gray Caspian and near the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku. The maximum width of the mountain system is 180 kilometers. Compared to the Cordillera, this is almost a ninth, but nevertheless noticeable and being the root cause of the appearance of a subtropical zone in Russia. In which over 15 million of our fellow citizens and guests from near and far abroad improve their health and have a good rest every year. The Greater Caucasus is divided into three parts: Western - from the Black Sea to Elbrus; Central - from Elbrus to Kazbek and finally the Eastern Caucasus - from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea. As for the height above sea level, at Everest it is 5642 meters, at Kazbek 5033. The total area of ​​the Great Caucasus Mountains is 1400 square kilometers. In part, this is the land of eternal snows and glaciers. The area of ​​glaciers goes off scale for 2050 square kilometers. A major center of icing is Mount Elbrus plus the Bezengi wall - 17 kilometers.

The land of five dozen nations

The Great Caucasus Mountains are densely populated. Meaning its foothills. Abkhazians, Ingushs, Ossetians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Adygs (Circassians) and many other nationalities live here, united by a common name - the Caucasian peoples. Most of them are Muslims. But Christians are also widely represented - Ukrainians, Georgians, Russians, Armenians, as well as a noticeable part of Ossetians and Abkhazians. By the way, Armenian and Georgian churches are the oldest in the world. Thanks largely to them, these two peoples of the Great Caucasus have retained their identity, customs and customs. We add to this - the Caucasian peoples for a hundred years were under foreign control - the Turks, Persians, Russians. Now others have gained independence, become sovereign.

twenty-five sky-high peaks

That is how many of them the Great Caucasus has from Elbrus to Dombay-Ulgen - 4046 meters above sea level. Popular with climbers: Dykhtau - 5204 meters above sea level; Pushkin peak - 5100 m., we have already mentioned Kazbek; Shota Rustaveli - 4960m., Gulchi-Tau - 4447 meters, etc.

The Great Caucasus is abundant in rivers, lakes and waterfalls

Originating at the mountain peaks, some flow into - Bzyb, Kodor, Ingur (Inguri), Rioni, Mzymta, etc. B - the largest Kuban in the Krasnodar Territory. And in the Caspian - Kura, Samur, Terek, Sunzha, Baksan - there are more than two dozen of them in total. Among the majestic Caucasus Mountains is the world-famous Lake Sevan (Armenia). It is located at an altitude of 1900 meters above sea level. Its area is 1240 square kilometers, the depth is from twenty to over eighty meters. 28 rivers flow into the lake, but only one flows out - Hrazdan, a tributary of the Araks. By the way, it will be noted - both the Caspian and the Black Seas are the remnants of the once world ocean Tethys. The names of the Black Sea have changed since ancient times - Khazar, Sugde, Temarun, Cimmerian, Akhshaena, Blue, Tauride, Holy and even Ocean. The current name is due to its color in raging storms. It really does look black. In the old days, he was also fearfully called not hospitable, angry. The Caspian reservoir got its name from the tribes of horse breeders who once lived near its shores - the Caspians. It was also called Girkansky, Dzhurazhansky, Khvalynsky, Derbent - more than seven dozen names in total.

And about one more unique water body of the Great Caucasus - the Zeygalan waterfall, which is fantastic in terms of natural beauty (otherwise it is also called the Great Zeygelan waterfall). It is located in North Ossetia in the valley of the Midagrabindon River, seven kilometers south of the village of Dzhimara. The height of the fall is 600 meters. Translated from Ossetian - "falling avalanche". It is one of the ten most grandiose and famous waterfalls in the world. It pushes back fellow Gavarni in France - 422 meters high and Krimml in Austria - 380 meters. It originates from under the hanging glacier at an altitude of 650-700 meters. The peak flow occurs in the summer months of July-August. In winter it dries up and is marked only by ice smudges on the rocks. The waterfall area is part of the Kazbek-Dzhimarai mountain junction, the largest not only in North Ossetia, but in the entire Great Caucasus. The place is delightful in its beauties - on the slopes of the mountains, a sea of ​​​​flowers, herbs, aromas of alpine meadows are dizzy. But you should be careful - the waterfall is dangerous for people: rockfalls happen, sometimes pieces from a melting glacier fly from above. Nevertheless, the waterfall is actively visited. Tourists shoot a grandiose panorama of the waterfall with a camera or TV camera.

Flora and fauna of the Great Caucasus

As for the flora, it is represented by almost six and a half thousand flowering plants. Of these, 166 are unique to mountains. The subtropics are famous for dozens of palm species. Relic juniper and pistachio grow here; Pitsunda pine, oaks, hornbeams, mimosa, tulip tree, magnolias, bamboo - you can’t list all the tree species. Individual patriarchal oaks over a thousand years old. Tourists are advised to walk in the juniper groves. Especially for those with asthma or bronchitis. The breath of juniper kills all microbes and viruses in a person in minutes. A day, two, three walks, and you seem to be born again! This is also facilitated by sea air, thickly infused with salts of bromine, calcium, potassium, etc.

As for the fauna of the Great Caucasus Mountains, it is also rich and diverse here. You will also come across wild boars (beware of mothers and fathers with cubs: the fangs of males are sharp, and there were cases when a meeting with wild boars ended in serious injuries or, worse, death!). There are also chamois, mountain goats, and bears. Once lived both lynxes and leopards. Asiatic lions and tigers. The Caucasian bison became extinct in 1925. The last elk was killed in 1810. A great variety of invertebrates - only spiders in a thousand species. The Great Caucasus is also the habitat of golden eagles, which are caught by poachers and sold abroad for big money. They like to hunt with golden eagles in the Caucasus itself, and in Kazakhstan, and in Kyrgyzstan, and in Saudi Arabia, in other regions and countries of the planet.

Stele of the Soaring Eagle

It appeared in 2013 near the resort villages and Supsekh, not far from Varvarovka, from where the Turkish Stream gas pipeline originates, and was opened as a race for the Day of Russia. Nine kilometers from Anapa. The authors are the sculptor V. Polyakov in collaboration with the architect Y. Rysin.

The monument is made of cold bronze, which guarantees its durability and which is not afraid of any weather changes. A soaring eagle with a wide wingspan and head proudly raised to the sky means the beginning of the Great Caucasus Mountains. In front of the stele there is a platform for vehicles. Tourists, and here they are, passing to other resort villages of Bolshoi and Maly Utrish, thousands and thousands will definitely stop and take pictures or film the monument on a video camera. By the way, the "Soaring Eagle" offers a stunning view of Anapa and the bays, in which the city is freely spread out (in ancient times it bore the mysterious ancient Greek name Gorgippia, and the slave trade was actively conducted in it, its own coins were minted, and representatives of the nobility from different regions of the Caucasus came and sailed here for white-faced brides!). In good weather, the coast is visible right up to the bank of Mary Magdalene, which is near the village - and where divers come and flock not only from all over Russia, but also from abroad. So, the Great Caucasus Mountains begin from the foothills and, in particular, from Bald Mountain with a height of only 319 meters above sea level, other hills are even lower. The foothills enter the very beginning of the Semisamsky ridge, which is part of the chain of the Caucasus Mountains. And Bald Mountain is called because of the absence of any vegetation on it at all. No, no, herbs and flowers are found there. But not more. Let us remind you once again - from the center of Anapa to Bald Mountain is nine kilometers, and from the outskirts of the city it is three times less. And with your hand, as they say, file up to the Small and. And these places are well known to tourists.

Near Bolshoi Utrish, one of the main attractions of the beginning of the Great Caucasus is a dolphinarium on the high seas and with a theater. During the high season, several performances are given daily. Artists are sea animals. Towards the end of a kind of performance, bottlenose dolphins deftly jump onto the platform and willingly take pictures with everyone or filmed on a television camera. You can hug them heartily, kiss them or swim in the waters of the dolphinarium. Meanwhile, the seal, leaning on its tail, recklessly applauds the audience with its flippers. On the Big Utrish, according to legends, the hero Prometheus was chained to one of the rocks, who gave people the sacred fire and thereby caused fierce anger from the main god of Olympus, Zeus the Thunderer. Zeus ordered the disobedient to be chained to a rock with strong chains, and a bloodthirsty eagle flew to the martyr to torment his liver with sharp claws. True, residents of neighboring Sochi Anapa object, de Prometheus was chained in the Eagle Rocks area near the former capital of the 2014 Winter Olympics. And they even built a monument to the hero - Prometheus is standing on a mountain with chains torn in his hands, and he has a proud look of a winner! And yet, the assertion of the Sochi residents raises doubts: Eagle Rocks are located far from the sea, near a fast river. But in the open-air museum in the center of Anapa "Gorgippiya" they found a crypt with frescoes of the exploits of another mythological hero - Hercules. And from the myths of Ancient Greece it is known for certain that it was Hercules who freed Prometheus from the chains. He drove the bloodthirsty eagle away. Who is right and who is wrong - let the experts decide. But in Anapa, which is no less than two and a half thousand years old, they stubbornly believe that the rock of Prometheus is still located on Bolshoi Utrish. In their opinion, another legend is irrefutable - de the Argonauts, led by their brave captain Jason, sailed past the rocks of the Big Utrish in search of the Golden Fleece. These are the secrets shrouded in the beginning of the Great Caucasus Mountains near Anapa and the stele of the Soaring Eagle.

Peaks from Novorossiysk to Gelendzhik

Today there are five resort areas: Sochi, Gelendzhik, Tuapse, Anapa and Taman. From each of them to the other, as they say, within easy reach. And all of them stretched along the Black Sea coast with the exception of Taman, which also has access to the Sea of ​​Azov. And the Black Sea coast is mostly protected by mountains. Except for Anapa, where, as we have noticed, the Great Caucasus Mountains begin, but in general the municipality goes from the sea to the steppe expanses. And only in the region of Novorossiysk, as a continuation of the Semisamsky ridge with Lysa Gora, the foothills gradually rise, passing into the Markotkhsky ridge or on the Adygsky to Markotkh, stretching from Novorossiysk towards Gelendzhik for more than ninety kilometers. The highest mountain towering over Novorossiysk is Sugarloaf (558 meters above sea level). Gradually rising, the Markotkhsky ridge in some places goes up more than 700 meters. It consists of limestone, sandstone, clay, but its main component is marl, which is used to make cement. This is especially noticeable near Novorossiysk - factories for the production of this type of building materials are operating, and dust is around the pillar. Markotkhsky ridge, we note, runs parallel to and south of the Main Caucasian ridge. There are many sights between Novorossiysk and Anapa. In particular, the natural monument is the Sheskharis juniper forest. We talked about the healing properties of the relic juniper above, therefore we will not repeat ourselves, we only emphasize that it is especially useful in the treatment of asthma and bronchi. From Anapa to Novorossiysk directly 40 kilometers, along the highway - 52. You can overcome them in a little more than forty minutes. And if you drive another 14 kilometers towards Gelendzhik, then you will find yourself on the Abrau Peninsula, at the southern end of which is Bolshoi Utrish with its famous dolphinarium on the high seas and a theater. But the main feature of the peninsula is undoubtedly the place Abrau-Dyurso, nestled among the mountains and part of the municipality of the resort city of Novorossiysk.

Specific estate of Russian sovereigns

The village has a double name -. And this has its own reason. One village is located in the mountains, among fantastically beautiful nature. There is a river of the same name and the largest freshwater lake in the Caucasus with the same name as the village. With a population of about three thousand, living like in paradise. Mild climate, warm winters and vineyards, vineyards, vineyards. Lake Abrau is 3100 meters long, 630 meters wide, 8 to 11 meters deep, by the way, there are fish in it. Gorgeous embankment - with gazebos, benches. In summer, the water is warm, and you can swim in the lake with pleasure. But you can plunge into the Black Sea. At the second village of the royal estate - Durso. Today there are recreation centers and health resorts where you can relax and get medical treatment.

The village of Abrau is known in the world for its exquisite taste of Russian champagne. At the origins of its production was Prince Lev Golitsyn. And the baton was picked up, surprisingly, by Joseph Stalin, who ordered the production of domestic champagne in the southern regions of the country and in Abrau, in particular. And such an indication of his was contained in a government decree of 1936. As for the production of champagne under the patronage of Golitsyn, its first batch was produced in 1898. And two years later, a powerful winery appeared in Abrau. A highway was laid from Novorossiysk to the village. Now in Abrau there is a museum of famous wines, as well as a company store where tourists can buy Russian champagne under the Abrau-Durso brand, dry wines and even cognac if they wish. There are many entertainments on the coast in Durso - water rides, "bananas", "pills", you can rush through the waves on jet skis with a breeze. And in Abrau, horseback riding along the local foothills, mountain tourism, including jeeping or extreme trips, but already on mountain bikes, are popular.

Markoth near Gelendzhik

To the famous no less than Anapa, a resort from Novorossiysk, the distance is mere trifles - directly three dozen kilometers, ten kilometers more along the highway. The trip will take somewhere a little over forty minutes. And now you will see the longest embankment in the world - 14 kilometers. With a graceful figure of a bride made of white marble, which is clearly visible from the height of the Markoth Range at 762 meters above sea level. Translated from the Adyghe "Markotkh" literally means "berry places", and here you can collect really tasty blackberries in buckets. It pricks, it's true, but what is called "you can't even catch a fish from a pond without difficulty!". There are several high peaks in the vicinity of Gelendzhik - Shakhan near the Zhane River (700 meters above sea level); Pshada - 741 meters near the river of the same name and 43 kilometers long, flowing into the Black Sea; Gebius - 735 meters above sea level. The Markothsky Range itself stretches along the Gelendzhik Bay - charmingly beautiful from a bird's eye view, and even more so from the tops of the surrounding mountains. The resort is famous for its Safari Park, where lions, tigers, bears and other animals live in natural conditions. You can also watch their life from the chairlift. At the top of the Mrkotkh Ridge there is a fantastic forest with a goblin, a mermaid on the branches of a tree, Baba Yaga and other fairy tale characters. From the observation deck, yachts and other vessels in the bay, gulls, cormorants, petrels, soaring over the blue sea with white crests of waves, are clearly visible.

And the mountains are getting higher, and the mountains are getting steeper!

And this is true if you go from Gelendzhik to the Bolshoi - the southern capital of Russia, stretching along the Black Sea coast for as much as one hundred and forty-five kilometers. There is only one city in the world longer than the former capital of the last Winter Olympic Games, in which our team triumphantly won and which amazed the planet with their colorful opening and closing ceremonies - the capital of Mexico, Mexico City - 200 kilometers. And in the native Fatherland, Sochi is ahead of Volgograd in length, stretching along the great Volga River for more than 90 kilometers. So about the height of the local mountains. Having overcome the distance from Gelendzhik to Sochi of 246 kilometers in almost four hours (the game is worth the candle!), You can climb, including as part of excursion groups, one of the surrounding peaks. You can start small - Mount Akhun - 663 meters above sea level. And then the height of the mountains will increase: Sugar, fifteen kilometers from the city - 1555 meters; Przegishva - 2216 meters; Big Weaver - 2368 meters; Achishkho - 2391 meters; Bzerli peak - 2482 meters; Perevalnaya South - 2503 meters; Stone pillar - 2509 meters; Pshekho-Su - 2743 meters; Oshten - 2804 meters; Fisht - 2853 meters; Peak Kozhevnikov - 3070 meters; Peak Needle - 3168 meters; Sugar Pseashkho - 3189 meters; Atheist - 3256 meters and finally the highest peak of the entire Kuban Tsakhvoa - 3346 meters above sea level. This is not so little, considering that the highest peak of the Great Caucasus Mountains and even Europe is Elbrus, 5642 meters above sea level.

The famous ski resort "Krasnaya Polyana"

It is located in the middle reaches of the mountain river Mzymta, which is translated from the Adyghe - "mad", uncontrollable", "indomitable" - there are other interpretations. It flows into the Black Sea. It is 39 kilometers long. Over the gorge above it, the famous pedestrian suspension bridge is the most longest in the world. From it, extreme sports lovers jump into the abyss on an elastic cable. Here, a popular attraction is a giant swing with a pendulum span of half a kilometer. From the west near Mount Achishkho, from the east - the Aibga ridge. Immediately in the vicinity is Fisht peak, in honor of which was named the stadium where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games were held in 2014. Krasnaya Polyana is a ski resort that can compete with its counterparts in the same Switzerland or in other mountainous places on the planet. They have at their disposal more than a hundred kilometers of snow slopes of various difficulty levels - 6 green, 8 blue, 16 red and 6 black. Experienced skiers and beginners and children can feel it. Among the independent ski resorts are Rosa-Khutor, Alpika-Service, Gorki Gorod and the GTZ Gazprom. Skiing during the day, discos, karaoke in the evening, pleasant evenings in cafes, restaurants, casinos. There will be enough places for everyone - hotels, guest houses, you can rent a cottage. There are no problems with transport. Adler is forty kilometers away. You can fly there by direct flights from many regions of Russia. And then rail transport with the famous "Swallows", or regular buses, even faster personal cars. The road will not seem tedious to you. Especially with such fantastic natural beauties! By the way, in Krasnaya Polyana there are enough bases for renting skis, snowboards, sleds and so on.

Arriving in Sochi for rest and treatment (it receives more than five million tourists a year, not including those who prefer snow slopes that operate from November to April inclusive, and sometimes taking the beginning of May), be sure to visit the Olympic Park. It is located near the Black Sea. With the stadium "Fisht" and other sports facilities built for the White Olympics. All of them have unique architecture. The Ice Palace resembles the Beijing Opera - in the form of an icy drop. And the Olympic cauldron! She looks like the Firebird from a Russian folk tale. In the Olympic Park there is a Formula 1 track, and the competition for pilots leaves no one indifferent. Fans come from all parts of the world and remain in great delight. The park has its own "Disneyland" with dozens of rides. Souvenirs, including the mascots of the Games, can be bought as a keepsake in local places. Just keep in mind - you can't get around the park in one day. It covers an area of ​​almost two hundred hectares. In the Imeretinskaya lowland. Do not go around it in a day and on electric cars: there are so many sights in it. Natural beauty of Tuapse

The famous resort town is located between Gelendzhik and Sochi. It is 117 kilometers away from the southern capital of Russia - less than two hours away. From Gelendzhik - 129 kilometers, a little over two hours drive. The mountains that protect the resort from the evil northern winds, on average, are from 1352 to 1453 meters above sea level. But there are exceptions - the top of Chessy ascended to the sky at 1839 meters. Among the attractions are Mount Semiglavaya, the Wolf Gorge, the rock of Alexander Kiselev, protruding into the sea and named after the artist. In the city itself - subtropical plants. In the foothills, both locals and tourists are happy to collect European blackberries. In the resort area there are sanatoriums, boarding houses, children's health camps. Both cargo and passenger ships moor in the seaport. You can rent a yacht, go to the open sea on it, go fishing, swim in the clearest water or sunbathe on the deck. Tourists love to arrange picnics during boat trips.

Republic of Adygea

It is part of the Southern Federal District with the capital Maykop, with a population of half a million. Part of the North Caucasian economic region. It is surrounded on all sides by the Krasnodar Territory. There are forty-five auls in the republic, there are villages, villages, farms. From the streets of Maykop, the Main Caucasian Range is clearly visible. Sights - Lago-Naki plateau, popular with tourists. Ten waterfalls Rufabgo - each with its own name. Rivers Kuban, Belaya, Laba. The Belaya River is 260 kilometers long. And it is fed by mountain streams and springs of Fisht, Oshten and Abago. The granite canyon is four kilometers long and two hundred meters deep. Sahrai waterfalls. Mountain lake Pseudonakh. Often visited by tourists are the Devil's Finger rock, Monk, Big Weaver, Trident, Camel, Una-Koz ridge. The mountains are quite high, we recall that the top of Fisht ascended to 2868 meters above sea level. It was her name that was given to the stadium where the opening and closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympic Games in 2014 took place, so striking with their colorfulness and originality inherent in the Russian mentality.

Dagestan - a country of mountains

There is also a popular saying about this. It is especially often used in speeches on December 11, when the whole world celebrates International Mountain Day. And the highest of the peaks of the Great Caucasus here - Shalbuzdag - 4150 meters above sea level. In July and August, there is a real pilgrimage to her: here is the grave of the righteous Suleiman. The mountain resembles a pyramid with a jagged top. There is a belief that if you climb it, all desires and dreams will come true. And thousands of tourists are trying to do it. But the capital of Dagestan, Makhachkala, stretches directly along the Tarki-Tau mountain - a unique natural monument from a mountain monolith. It is also well known because in 1722 the army of Peter the Great entered Tarki. The peak of the Great Caucasus under the name of Bazarduzu is considered the southernmost point of Russia. She ascended to a height of 4466 meters above sea level. The first ascent to it was made in 1935.

You can talk about the mountains of Dagestan for a long time. But it has another unique attraction - just fifteen kilometers from Makhachkala, its capital, the gray-haired Caspian splashes - the largest closed reservoir on Earth, the largest drainless lake on the planet at the junction of Europe and Asia. Its area is 371 thousand square kilometers. The depth is more than a kilometer. It is home to more than 140 species of fish, of which the most famous is the beluga, which, if you meet, will get scared: is it really a shark?! There are sturgeons that produce black caviar and species such as bream, asp, bleak, river eel, spike, burbot - you can’t list them all! The great Russian river Volga, 3530 kilometers long, flows into the Caspian Sea (lake), off the coast of which a 300,000-strong Nazi army led by Field Marshal Paulus was taken prisoner near Stalingrad. Every year, thousands and thousands of tourists, both our compatriots and foreigners, come to rest to the Caspian Sea. In particular, there are sanatoriums, boarding houses, and children's health camps near Makhachkala. True, the shores of the Caspian have not yet been very well developed, but a course has been taken to create another popular resort area here. And what? White fine sand, clear water - sunbathe, swim, catch a fish, cook fragrant fish soup from it on the shore!
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The mountains of the Greater Caucasus are located between the Black and Caspian Seas, from the Taman to the Absheron Peninsula. The Caucasus is separated from the Russian Plain by the Kumo-Manych depression, on the site of which in the distant past there was a strait connecting the Black Sea and Caspian sea basins. The Caucasus includes Ciscaucasia, the Greater Caucasus and Transcaucasia. Only Ciscaucasia and the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus belong to Russia. These parts are collectively called the North Caucasus.

Orographic map of the Caucasus. The orography of the Greater Caucasus is quite complex, but individual elements can be clearly distinguished here. From northwest to southeast, the Greater Caucasus can be subdivided into three parts: Western, Central and Eastern Caucasus. The borders between them are Elbrus and Kazbek.

The Central Caucasus has the highest height exceeding m. About 15 of its peaks are covered with eternal snow and glaciers. This is the most mountainous and inaccessible region of Europe and Asia Minor. In the Greater Caucasus, four parallel ridges are clearly expressed, having a northwestern orientation. The axial ridge of the Greater Caucasus is the Main or Dividing Range.

Elbrus is the highest mountain in the Caucasus. The height of the Western peak is m, Eastern m ... And in their circle a two-headed colossus, In a crown of shining ice, Elbrus is huge, majestic Belel in the blue sky. A.S. Pushkin

Mount Elbrus with two peak craters was formed about a million years ago. It is also called the Two-Headed Mountain. First, after the eruptions, a peak appeared in the West, and after that in the East. The distance between the peaks is 1.5 km. Elbrus is covered with snow and ice, which determines the weather and climate of a significant area. There are only 77 glaciers, their area is 144.5 km2.

For the first time, a man climbed to the top of Elbrus in 1829, the pioneer was a Kabardian named Kilar Khashirov, who was the guide of the expedition of the Russian Academy of Sciences. And the first person who conquered two peaks at once was the Balkan hunter and shepherd Ahiya Sottaev. A man has visited the great mountain nine times in his long life. He first climbed it at the age of forty, the last ascent he made in 1909, when he was one hundred and twenty-one years old.

The beauty of the Caucasus Mountains was sung by poets. Caucasus below me. Alone in the heights I stand above the snows at the edge of the rapids; An eagle, having risen from a distant peak, Soars motionless with me on a par. From here I see the birth of streams And the first movement of menacing avalanches. Here the clouds humbly walk under me; Through them, falling, waterfalls rustle; Beneath them cliffs naked masses; Down there, the moss is lean, the bush is dry; And there are already groves, green canopies, Where birds chirp, where deer jump. And there already people nest in the mountains, And sheep crawl along the green rapids, And the shepherd descends to the cheerful valleys ... A.S. Pushkin Terek howls, wild and vicious, Between the rocky masses, His cry is like a storm, Tears fly in sprays. But, running across the steppe, He took a sly look And, affectionately caressing, He murmurs to the Caspian Sea: “Part aside, O old man of the sea, Give shelter to my wave! I walked in the open, It would be time for me to rest. I was always ready to argue with the alien power of man. For your sons' fun, I ruined the native Darial And boulders for them, for glory, I drove a whole herd. M.Yu.Lermontov

The climate of the Caucasus is warm and mild, except for the highlands. In the mountains and foothills there is: A large amount of precipitation in the mountains. A decrease in the duration of the warm season due to a decrease in air temperature with height, at an altitude of 3800 m, the border of "eternal ice" passes. The formation of avalanches due to heavy rainfall in winter. Climate diversity due to slope exposure, mountain heights, proximity or distance from the sea. The peculiarity of atmospheric circulation, the formation of local winds foehn (a dry, warm strong wind blowing gustyly from high mountains into valleys) and bora (a cold gusty wind that occurs when a stream of cold air meets a hill on its way, overcoming which it falls into the valley).

The rivers of the Caucasus are divided into flat and mountainous. Stormy mountain rivers are especially numerous, the main source of their food is the melt water of glaciers and snowfields in the mountains, so the rivers are always cold. Only in the lower reaches such large rivers as the Kuban and Terek have a calm flow. There are vast swampy areas covered with reeds and reeds.

TEREK originates on the Zilgakhokh mountain peak in Georgia, flows into the Caspian Sea. The length of the river is 623 km, the basin area is km 2. The main tributaries are Ardon, Malka, Urukh and Sunzha. Upper Terek.

In the mountains of the Caucasus, the lower belt is occupied by broad-leaved forests, above are beech forests, which turn into mixed, then into spruce-fir forests. The upper border of the forest is at a height of m. Behind it are subalpine meadows, alpine meadows (pictured), then a high mountain belt, glaciers.

The vegetation of the Caucasus is rich in species composition and diversity. The number of plant species in the Caucasus is more widespread. Various types of meadows and forests are widespread. Oriental beech, Caucasian hornbeam, Caucasian linden, noble chestnut grow here, there are also small evergreen trees and large shrubs - boxwood, cherry laurel, Pontic rhododendron, some species of oak and maple, wild persimmon, etc. The most important cultivated plants of the Caucasian subtropics are the tea bush and tangerines.

Fauna Fauna of the Caucasus, as well as its vegetation, is very diverse. In the Caucasus, there are brown Caucasian bears, lynxes, forest cats (found up to a height of 2000 meters), foxes, badgers, martens, deer, roe deer, wild boars, bison, chamois, mountain goats (tours), small rodents (forest dormouse, vole). Magpies chirp, thrushes whistle, cuckoos call, jays call to each other, wagtails fuss along streams, woodpeckers tap on the bark of tree trunks. Owls, eagle owls, starlings, crows, goldfinches, kingfishers, tits and other birds fly, and high in the mountains - Caucasian black grouse and mountain turkeys. You can also see large predators - golden eagle and lamb.

Interesting facts In the North Caucasus there are Caucasian and Teberdinsky reserves. Unique flora (yew, boxwood, walnut, noble chestnut) and fauna (tour, chamois, Caucasian deer, etc.) are protected here. Modern glaciation is widespread in the Greater Caucasus. The number of glaciers exceeds 2000; The 2014 Winter Olympics will be held in the city of Sochi, located in the Krasnodar Territory. The construction of Olympic facilities and infrastructure is already underway. It is accompanied by protests from environmentalists who fear for the safety of the unique biosphere of the North Caucasus.