A vast space between the Black and Caspian Seas, from Taman to the Absheron peninsula majestic mountains of the Greater Caucasus.
from the Russian Plain Caucasus separated Kuma-Manych depression, in the place where in the distant past there was a strait connecting the Black Sea and Caspian Sea basins. The structure consists of the Caucasus Caucasus, Greater Caucasus and the Transcaucasus. The highest part - the Greater Caucasus. Here are the highest peaks of Russia - the two-headed Elbrus and Kazbek. To Russia are the only Ante and the northern slopes of the Greater Caucasus.
Caucasus - a young mountain range, formed during the Alpine folding. Fluctuations of the Earth's crust accompanied by a gibami terrestrial strata, their tension fractures and breaks. As flawed from great depths to the surface magma flowed. The process of mountain building have not yet completed. In the Caucasus there are many inactive volcanoes, but considering that they can not be extinguished, not uncommon in these parts, and earthquakes. Due to the volcanic activity in the Caucasus region formed a lot of ore deposits. In the central part of the Greater Caucasus mined ores, tungsten, copper, mercury, molybdenum. In Ante are large deposits of oil and gas. In the mountains and foothills of the North Caucasus open a lot of mineral springs, near which were established resorts have received worldwide fame: Kislovodsk, Mineral Waters, Pyatigorsk, Kislovodsk, Zheleznovodsk, Macesta. Sources vary in chemical composition and temperature and their water helps in times of personal illness.
North Caucasus - a region located on the border of the temperate and subtropical zones. Latitudinal zonation is replaced by vertical zonation. By the nature of this area applies the epithet "most-most».
Due to its geographical position the climate of the North Caucasus is soft and warm in the plains of summer lasts from 4 to 6 months, and winter lasts two to three months, with the thermometer rarely falls below 10 degrees. The abundance of warmth and light allows plants to grow in the next 8-10 months, so you can get two crops per year. In the mountains the climate very different: more rain falls, the air temperature decreases with altitude, and at an altitude of 3800 m is the boundary of the eternal ice.
largest rivers in the Caucasus - Kuban, Terek, and Egorlyk Kalaus - fed by water from melting snow and glaciers.
wealth of the Caucasus - in its fertile black earth and chestnut soils, which are used for orchards, berries, grapes, citrus fruits, rice and tea plantations. In the mountains of the Greater Caucasus clearly expressed the wife of high-altitude zone. The lower belt cover deciduous forests, thickets of beech are above that height to go first in the mixed, and then in the spruce-fir forests. Is followed by sub-alpine meadows with thickets of Caucasian rhododendron, shifting low-grass alpine meadows. Above is the area of snowfields and glaciers. North Caucasus - the most multicultural area of Russia. Even before our era, he roamed the plains of the Scythians.
in the mountains lived many settled tribes. They came here the Greeks, Huns, Mongols and Polovtsy, Circassians, and the Alans, Khazars and Maeotae. The Slavs first appeared here in the IX century AD This Russian colonization began in the late XV century. Promotion of Russia to the south was a long and bloody. Only in the second half of the XIX century as a result of nearly 50 years of her Caucasian War, the North Caucasus was annexed to Russia. Historical grievances and contemporary pro contradiction between nations have led and lead to conflict, so the North Caucasus remains a painful point on the map of Russia.
