About the Caucasus region
The Caucasus is a mountainous isthmus between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, in a triangle of 3 massive peaks: the Elbrus (5642m), the Kazbek (5047m), and the Ararat (5165m).
The region covers 500,000 km² lying within the following nations:- Georgia
- Azerbaijan
- Armenia
- Russia (including Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia, Northern Osetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachai-Cherkesia, and Adigea Autonomous Republics)
- northeastern Turkey
- a small part of northwestern Iran.
The Caucasus is dominated by mountain chains - the Great Caucasus Range, the Small Caucasus Mountain Chain, and the Transcaucasian Uplands.
Climate throughout the region is variable, with annual rainfall from as little as 150 mm in the southeastern part of the region to more than 4,000 mm along the Black Sea coast. The variety of climates allows diverse ecological systems to exist within a relatively small area:
- grassland steppes
- semi-deserts
- wetlands and swamps
- arid shrublands
- broadleaf & coniferous forests
- alpine meadows
WWF lists the region as Caucasus and Northeast Anatolia Temperate Forests - Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Iran, Armenia, Ukraine on its Global 200 list of the world's most important areas.
