Caucasus

Introduction
Physical features
- Physiography
- Geology
- Drainage
- Climate
- Plant life
- Animal life
People
Economy
- Resource utilization
- Transportation
Study and exploration

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Snow-covered peaks and ridges of the Caucasus Mountains in Russia stretch across the landscape under a pale sky.

Visit the Persian ibex in the Caucasus Mountains

Mount Elbrus, highest peak of the Caucasus mountains

Caucasus foothills: Zheleznovodsk, Russia

Color-coded thematic map of Europe showing the distribution of major ethnic culture areas, with distinct regions representing groups such as Celtic, Germanic, Slavic, Romance, Baltic, Finno-Ugric, and others, as indicated by the legend at the bottom. Boundaries highlight cultural rather than political divisions.

At a Glance

Caucasus summary

Quizzes

Blue Ridge Mountains. Blue Ridge Parkway. Autumn in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, United States. Appalachian Highlands, Ridge and Valley, The Appalachian Mountain system

All About Mountains Quiz

Related Questions

How are Prometheus and the Argonauts connected with the Caucasus in Greek mythology?
How are the Kartvelian languages related to the Caucasian language groups?
How did Azerbaijani culture become Turkic after earlier Persian influence?
How did Russia annex eastern Georgia in 1801?
How did ancient Mesopotamian culture spread into the Caucasus?
How did mountain ravines help preserve small ethnic groups in the Caucasus?
How did rivalry between the Ottoman Empire and Iran affect the Caucasus?
How did the Russo-Persian wars change control of eastern Transcaucasia?
How did traditional mountain villages differ from villages in the western Caucasus?
How do the Greater Caucasus and Lesser Caucasus ranges differ in location?
How does the Greater Caucasus affect the movement of cold air into Transcaucasia?
How does the climate of the Kolkhida Lowland differ from the climate of the Kura-Aras Lowland?
How is river water used for farming in the dry parts of the Caucasus?
How large is the Caucasus region?
How long is the Greater Caucasus range?
How many glaciers are found in the Greater Caucasus?
Where does the Greater Caucasus range begin and end?
Which Caucasus cities have had populations of more than one million?
Which Caucasus languages are considered indigenous to the region?
Which ancient nomadic peoples were the ancestors of the Ossetes?
Which areas are called Ciscaucasia and Transcaucasia?
Which countries contain parts of the Caucasus region?
Which countries does the Lesser Caucasus range cross?
Which crops are grown in the humid subtropical areas of Transcaucasia?
Which geographic features are used in different proposed boundaries between Europe and Asia in the Caucasus?
Which invading peoples entered Caucasia before the 14th century?
Which kinds of rocks form the core of the Greater Caucasus?
Which lake is the largest in the Caucasus region?
Which languages belong to the Northwest Caucasian family?
Which mountain is the highest peak in the Caucasus Mountains?
Which natural resources are extracted in the Caucasus region?
Which religions have traditionally been most important in the Caucasus?
Which rivers flow from the Caucasus into the Caspian Sea?
Which seas lie on either side of the Caucasus Mountains?
Which three countries make up Transcaucasia?
Which traditional crafts are important in Dagestan, Armenia, and Azerbaijan?
Why are most Greater Caucasus glaciers found on the northern slopes?
Why are the Black Sea coast and the Rioni River valley densely populated?
Why are the alpine areas and Caspian coastal lowlands sparsely populated?
Why did Georgia form an alliance with Russia in 1783?
Why did the Caucasus become a gateway for migrations from Central Asia to Southwest Asia?
Why do many Caucasus rivers flood during spring and summer?
Why do the south- and southwest-facing slopes of the Greater Caucasus receive especially heavy rainfall?
Why does the Armenian Highland have a continental climate despite its proximity to the Black Sea?
Why is hydroelectric power important in the Caucasus?
Why is sheep and cattle raising common in the higher parts of the Caucasus?
Why is the Caucasus called the Mountain of Languages?
Why is the boundary between Europe and Asia in the Caucasus debated?
Why was Transcaucasia an early center of bronze working?
Who was the first Roman emperor?
Why did the Roman Empire fall?
How salty is the Caspian Sea?
Where did the Ottoman Empire start?
How did the Ottoman Empire start?
Why was the Ottoman Empire called “the sick man of Europe”?
How did the Ottoman Empire end?
What happened to Russia after the Soviet Union dissolved?

Geography & Travel Geographic Regions

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External Websites

Library of Congress - Research Guides - The Caucasus: Cartographic Resources in the Library of Congress
Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences - The Caucasus, Its Peoples, and Its History
Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine - Caucasia
Encyclopaedia Iranica - Caucasus and Iran

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Caucasus - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Caucasus

region and mountains, Eurasia

Also known as: Caucasia, Caucasus Mountains, Kavkaz, Kavkazsky Mountains(Show More)

Written by

Lewis Owen

Assistant Professor of Geology, University of California, Riverside. Author of An Introduction to Global Environmental Issues and Environmental Management: Readings and Case Studies.

Lewis OwenAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 12, 2026 •History

Caucasus, mountain system and region lying between the Black Sea (west) and the Caspian Sea (east) and occupied by Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. The great historic barrier of the Caucasus Mountains rises up across the wide isthmus separating the Black and Caspian seas in the region where Europe and Asia converge. Trending generally from northwest to southeast, the mountains consist of two ranges—the Greater Caucasus (Russian: Bolshoy Kavkaz) in the north and the Lesser...

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