How Did The Caucasus Mountains Get Their Name?

The name Caucasus is a Latinized form of Kaukasos, which the ancient Greek geographers and historians used; the Russian Kavkaz is of the same origin. The ultimate derivation is thought to be from Kaz-kaz, the Hittite name for a people living on the southern shore of the Black Sea .

How old is the Caucasus mountains?

Geology. The Caucasus Mountains formed ca. 28.49–23.8 million years ago as the result of a tectonic plate collision between the Arabian plate moving northward with respect to the Eurasian plate.

Why are the Caucasus Mountains famous?

The crest of the Caucasus Mountains usually is taken to define the continental divide between Asia and Europe for the region between the Black and Caspian Seas , which would place Elbrus in Asia.

Are the Caucasus higher than the Alps?

The Caucasus Mountains share many characteristics with the ALPS, but their peaks are generally much taller , averaging 6,000 to 9,000 ft (2,000 to 3,000 m)—over 20 summits are higher than Mont Blanc.

Who owns the Caucasus?

In 1813 and 1828 by the Treaty of Gulistan and the Treaty of Turkmenchay respectively, Persians ceded the Southern Caucasus and Dagestan to Imperial Russia . Russia conquered and annexed the rest of the Northern Caucasus in the course of the 19th century in the Caucasian Wars (1817–1864).

What religion is Caucasian?

Traditionally, the major religions in the Caucasus have been Islam (notably the Turkic groups), the Eastern Orthodox church (chiefly Georgians), the Armenian Apostolic church, and Judaism. There are also numerous minority sects.

Which countries are Caucasian?

What is Circassian descent?

The ethnic group, who also self-identify as the Adyghe, come from the North Caucasus region and the northeast shore of the Black Sea . It’s an area in the southwest of Russia. They’re predominantly Sunni Muslim. The majority of Circassians were forced to flee their homeland in 1864, and have never been able to return.

Is it cold in the Caucasus Mountains?

The northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range are 3 °C (5.4 °F) colder than the southern slopes . The highlands of the Lesser Caucasus Mountains in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia are marked by sharp temperature contrasts between the summer and winter months due to a more continental climate.

Is Georgia in Europe or Asia?

What mountain range separates Europe Asia?

The Ural Mountains . The Urals rise like a long and narrow spine across western Russia, forming a natural divide between Europe and Asia. The mountain range spans 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) passing through Arctic tundra to the north and through forested and semi-desert landscapes to the south.

Is Caucasus Middle Eastern?

Ignoring the Caucasus when crafting Middle East policy will make the latter scenario more likely. Thus, the challenge for Western policy makers is to recognize that the Caucasus is a distinct region from the Middle East , but that the futures of the two regions are increasingly intertwined.

Is Caucasus safe?

Yes: The Caucasus IS Actually Very Safe

Crime is low, including violent crime, so you can stroll through cities like Tbilisi or Yerevan, even at night, without concern for your well-being. ... However, watch out for alcohol — probably the greatest health risk for a visitor to the Caucasus is excessive drunkenness.

When did Russia become Caucasian?

The Russian conquest of the Caucasus mainly occurred between 1800 and 1864 . In that era the Russian Empire expanded to control the region between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea, the territory that is modern Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Iran and Turkey, as well as the North Caucasus region of modern Russia.

What is the Caucasian flag?

The flag of Caucasus is based upon the flag of Georgia , which died out with the country after the 2008 Russia-Georgian war. The previous flag, “five-cross flag”, was red and white, a big red cross in the middle, which is now yellow, and a red cross in each of the four open white spaces.