Caucasus Mountains extend from the eastern shores
of the Black Sea to the southwest coast of the Caspian Sea. This beautiful
panoramic photograph (right) pictures a region of enormous physiographic
complexity because this mountain range has created an almost impenetrable
barrier to north-south ground transportation. Mountain ridges commonly exceed
3960 m above sea level, and Mount Elbrus (the large snow-covered peak near the
western end of the Caucasus Mountains) 5633 m above sea level (the highest of
Europe). The Caucasus Mountains are a relatively young mountain system, and
frequent earthquakes testify that the Earth’s crust is unstable in this area.
Historically, this region has been (and continues to be) a battleground of
different cultures and religions. The plains area north of the Caucasus
Mountains belongs to Russia; however, this is the region where many republics
(e.g., Chechnya) are trying to establish independent states. On the south slopes
of the Caucasus Mountains and in the valleys immediately south of the mountains
are the three political entities of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The light
blue, elongated lake in the valley immediately south of the mountains near the
southeastern edge of the photograph is Lake Mingechaur in Azerbaijan; the darker
blue lake in the next valley to the south is Lake Sevan in Armenia. The two
larger blue lakes toward the horizon are Lake Urmina in Iran and Lake Van in
Turkey (NASA - 1994).
Caucasus
Mountains
Caucasus Region
(Source
U.S. Geological Survey)
Images
of Continents
