Where are Caucasian languages spoken?

Caucasian languages are indigenous to the Caucasus region, a geographically complex area situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. These languages are spoken in territories located both north and south of the Greater Caucasus mountain range.1

The distribution of these languages generally follows their classification into three primary families:

• South Caucasian (Kartvelian): Primarily spoken in the Republic of Georgia and western Transcaucasia. Beyond Georgia, these languages are also found in adjacent regions of Azerbaijan, northeastern Turkey, and in parts of Iran.23
• North Caucasian (Northwest and Northeast): These groups are concentrated in the North Caucasus region, including areas within Russia, such as the Chechnya and Dagestan republics.24

It is important to note that the term "Caucasian languages" refers specifically to these indigenous groups and excludes languages introduced to the region in historical times, such as Indo-European or Turkic languages.1