The main Caucasian ridge. Caucasus - the highest mountains in Russia

21.10.2019

Russia is a huge country in terms of territory. It is not surprising that it has all the terrain that is found in nature. Among the plains and steppes, a special place is occupied by mountain ranges and tops. They attract travelers and researchers, scientists and tourists, archaeologists and climbers. What mountains are in Russia? What you should pay attention to?

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Origin

Mountain regions are formed through complex processes. In the crust of the earth, tectonic crushing, faults and rock breaks occur. They are carried out continuously during the entire existence of the planet, in ancient time eras, such as the Paleozoic, Mesozoic or Cenozoic. Those who are in the Far East, in Kamchatka and the Kuriles are considered young. Seismic activity and volcanoes erupt frequently in these areas.

In the European part of Russia there is a large plain, which has a geographical border in the east in the form of. These are unique natural sculptures that cause national pride.

Interesting! Only in the Urals nature reserve protecting mineralogy. In the Ilmensky place there is a huge variety of minerals, unique and amazing in their structure and structure.

There are many in the Urals tourist bases, they are located ski resorts. Climbers conquer these majestic elevations.

Variants of the highlands of Russia

Baikal and Transbaikalia;
Altai;
Sayans;
ridges Verkhoyansk and Stanovoy;
Chersky ridge.

Each of the districts is interesting and beautiful, the names of the mountains in their composition are unique and owe their origin to the peoples who inhabit the nearby territories. These lands beckon with harsh conditions, tests for the body and spirit. Altai is one of the most popular destinations for tourists. But the Chersky ridge is on the map, but so far little has been studied, but experts suggest that it will also become an attractive place for travelers.

Diversity of territories

The Far East is a region consisting mainly of mountainous terrain. The southern territorial part consists of medium and low, but in the north - high ridges. highest point far east – Klyuchevskaya Sopka is a volcano with a height of 4750 m.

The mountains in this region are constantly growing, they are located at the junction of plates that are in motion, and therefore there are many volcanoes. In addition to them, there is a unique object for which it is worth going to Kamchatka - the Valley of Geysers.

Important! Sikhote-Alin, located in the Primorye region, is part of world heritage. This system is rich not only in the diversity of flora and fauna. This point of Russia on the map is the birthplace of the Far Eastern leopard and the Amur tiger.

Caucasus

The Caucasus deserves a separate description. This massif stretches from the Black to the Caspian, its length is more than 1200 km. The Caucasian ridge is divided into the Northern part and Transcaucasia.

The height of the Caucasus Mountains fluctuates along the entire length of the range. It is he who has the highest point of the whole country and Europe is Elbrus. The mountain was formed as a result of a volcanic eruption. It has a height above sea level of 5600 m. Elbrus is located in such a place that it can be seen from all sides. Travelers approached him in the early 19th century. At its peak, the temperature does not rise above -14 degrees. Snow falls on the mountain all the time, which makes its snow cap perfect. This peak feeds the two largest ones - Kuban and Terek.

The three highest mountains of Russia are located in the Greater Caucasus:

Elbrus;
Dykhtau;
Kazbek.

Interesting! In addition to the Caucasus Mountains, Kamchatka and Altai are famous for their large hills, among them: Klyuchevskaya Sopka, Belukha, Ichinskaya Sopka.

10 high mountains

A little more about each of the largest hills:

It is already clear about Elbrus, this is an inactive volcano, which is part of national park. Its height is 5642 meters.
Dykhtau occupies the second largest place among the mountain peaks of the country. This mountain, which is part of the Caucasus Range, rises to 5200 m. The ascent to this peak was first carried out only in 1888.
The third highest mountain in the country located on the border of Russia and Georgia. This is Pushkin Peak. It rises next to Dykhtau in the center of the Caucasus range. His conquest took place in 1961. Interestingly, this ascent was made not by professionals, but by the players of the Spartak club. The height of the peak is 5100 meters.
A little lower, namely one hundred meters, Kazbek rises. It is also related to the Greater Caucasus, located in its lateral part in the Khokh mountain range. Three London climbers conquered this peak in the middle of the 19th century.
Near the border of Georgia and Kabardino-Balkaria, there is a fifth highest point largest in Russia called Gestola. At its top, glaciers have accumulated that date back to the Paleozoic era. The most famous of them is Adishi.
Sixth in the top ten is Shota Rustaveli's pick. Although the name on the map of the peak is of a famous person of Georgian origin, it still refers to the Russian part of the Caucasus. The peak stands on the border, no wonder both countries claim rights to it. The mountain has 4895 meters.
A little lower (4780 meters) is Mount Jimara. It is located in Alanya, at the very border of Russia and Georgia. Again, this is part Greater Caucasus.
In ninth place is Mount Saukhokh, again from the Greater Caucasus, located in North Ossetia. The height of the peak is 4636 meters. She refers to unconquered heights, as well as Kukurtli-Kolbashi. This mountain completes the list of the ten largest peaks in Russia, its height is 4324 meters.

Interesting! So far, no one has conquered the mountain formations that are on the 8th, 9th and 10th places on the list. This can push travelers to new feats.

The lowest mountains

In addition to the highest mountain peaks, it is interesting to know the rating of the lowest ones. Such a concept as the most low mountain, very difficult. It turns out that it is not so easy to name it. Mountains can only be called what is higher

A report about the Caucasus Mountains, a majestic attraction and a highlight of the Caucasus, is presented in this article.

Message about the Caucasus Mountains

Caucasus mountains geographic location

They are spread between Asia and Europe, the Middle and Near East. The mountains of the Caucasian region are divided into 2 systems - the Lesser and Greater Caucasus. The Greater Caucasus is located almost to Baku from Taman and includes the Western, Central and Eastern Caucasus. But the Lesser Caucasus is a mountain range near the Black Sea. They are located between the Black Sea and Caspian coasts, covering the territories of such countries as South Ossetia, Russia, Abkhazia, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan.

In translation, their name means "mountains hold the sky." The length of the Caucasus Mountains is 1100 km, and their width is 180 km. The most famous and highest peaks of the system are Mount Elbrus and Kazbek.

How old are the Caucasus Mountains?

The Caucasian mountain system is the same age as the Alps and has a 30-million history inscribed in Greek myths and biblical lines. According to legend, when Noah released a dove from the ark in search of land, he brought a twig to Noah from the mountains of the Caucasian system. And the myths indicate that Prometheus, the man who gave fire to people, is chained here.

What do the Caucasus Mountains look like?

The mountains are fraught with many unusual things. On their peaks one can find preserved glaciation. Until now, earthquakes have been observed here, since the Caucasus Mountains are young from a geological point of view.

Them appearance due to the relief, which is represented by different forms. Soared under the sky Mountain peaks with sharp peaks. With their outlines, they look like the walls of a castle with towers, then Pyramids of Egypt. In the mountains there are also glaciers, rivers and areas with a surface heavily damaged by wind erosion.

Climate

Climate mountain system The Caucasus is quite diverse. These places have a pronounced zonality. These mountains are a natural barrier that prevents the movement of air masses, thereby determining the diversity of the climate. The southern and western slopes receive much more precipitation than the northern and eastern slopes. The Caucasus Mountains are located in almost all climatic zones: from humid subtropics with wet and warm winters, dry hot summers to dry continental climate, turning into semi-desert in the east.

Near the foothills, snowy cold winters with dry summers are observed, and the higher the mountains, the lower the temperature. At an altitude of 3.5 thousand km. it reaches -4 0 C.

Flora and fauna

The mountains of the Caucasus are inhabited by unique animals. Among them are chamois, wild boars, mountain goats, foxes and bears, mountain jerboa and ground squirrel, and bears and leopards live in remote places. On the way from the foot to the top, meadow alpine grasses and coniferous forests grow, which “feed” on rivers, lakes, waterfalls, mineral water springs.

For the first time, a man climbed the highest peak of the Caucasus Mountains on July 22, 1829.
There are a lot of invertebrate species in the Caucasus, for example, about 1000 species of spiders still live there.
In the Caucasus 6349 species of flowering plants, including 1600 native species.

In the Caucasus many endemic representatives- slightly less than 1600 species of flora, 32 species of mammals and 3 species of birds.
Permafrost starts at altitude 3000-3500 m.

We hope that the report about the Caucasus Mountains helped you prepare for the lesson. And you can leave your message about the Caucasus Mountains through the comment form below.

Caucasian mountains

The Caucasus Mountains are located on the isthmus between the Caspian and Black Seas. The Kuma-Manych depression separates the Caucasus from the East European Plain. The territory of the Caucasus can be divided into several parts: Ciscaucasia, Greater Caucasus and Transcaucasia. Within the territory of Russian Federation located only Ciscaucasia and Northern part Greater Caucasus. The last two parts together are called the North Caucasus. However, for Russia, this part of the territory is the southernmost. Here, along the ridge of the Main Range, the state border of the Russian Federation passes, behind which lie Georgia and Azerbaijan. The entire system of the Caucasus Range occupies an area of approximately 2600 m2, with its northern slope occupying about 1450 m2, while the southern one is only about 1150 m2.

The North Caucasian mountains are relatively young. Their relief was created by different tectonic structures. Located in the southern part fold-block mountains and foothills of the Greater Caucasus. They were formed when deep trough zones were filled with sedimentary and volcanic rocks, which were later folded. Tectonic processes here were accompanied by significant bends, extensions, ruptures and faults of earth layers. As a result, a large amount of magma poured onto the surface (this led to the formation of significant ore deposits). The uplifts that took place here in the Neogene and Quaternary periods led to the elevation of the surface and the type of relief that exists today. The rise of the central part of the Greater Caucasus was accompanied by the lowering of the layers along the edges of the ridge being formed. Thus, the Terek-Caspian trough was formed in the east, and the Indal-Kuban trough in the west.

Often the Greater Caucasus is presented as the only ridge. In fact, this is a whole system of various ridges, which can be divided into several parts. The Western Caucasus is located from Black Sea coast to Mount Elbrus, then (from Elbrus to Kazbek) follows the Central Caucasus, and to the east from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea - the Eastern Caucasus. In addition, two ridges can be distinguished in the longitudinal direction: Vodorazdelny (sometimes called the main one) and Lateral. On the northern slope of the Caucasus, the Rocky and Pasture Ranges, as well as the Black Mountains, are distinguished. They were formed as a result of the interbedding of layers composed of sedimentary rocks of different hardness. One slope of the ridge here is gentle, and the other breaks off rather abruptly. As you move away from the axial zone, the height of the mountain ranges decreases.

The chain of the Western Caucasus begins at the Taman Peninsula. At the very beginning, it is rather not even mountains, but hills. They begin to rise towards the east. The highest parts of the North Caucasus are covered with snow caps and glaciers. The highest peaks of the Western Caucasus are the Fisht (2870 meters) and Oshten (2810 meters) mountains. Most high part mountain system of the Greater Caucasus is the Central Caucasus. Even some passes at this point reach a height of 3 thousand meters, and the lowest of them (Cross) lies at an altitude of 2380 meters. Here are the highest peaks of the Caucasus. So, for example, the height of Mount Kazbek is 5033 meters, and the two-headed dormant volcano Elbrus is indeed the highest peak in Russia.

The relief here is strongly dissected: sharp ridges, steep slopes and rocky peaks prevail. Eastern part The Greater Caucasus is mainly made up of the numerous ranges of Dagestan (in translation, the name of this region means "mountainous country"). There are complex branching ridges with steep slopes and deep canyon-like river valleys. However, the height of the peaks here is less than in the central part of the mountain system, but still they exceed the height of 4 thousand meters. The uplift of the Caucasus Mountains continues in our time. Quite frequent earthquakes in this region of Russia are connected with this. To the north of the Central Caucasus, where the magma rising along the cracks did not spill onto the surface, low, so-called island mountains formed. The largest of them are Beshtau (1400 meters) and Mashuk (993 meters). At their base there are numerous sources of mineral waters.

The so-called Ciscaucasia is occupied by the Kuban and Tersko-Kuma lowlands. They are separated from each other by the Stavropol Upland, the height of which is 700-800 meters. The Stavropol Upland is dissected by wide and deeply incised valleys, gullies and ravines. At the base of this area lies a young slab. Its structure is made up of Neogene formations covered with limestone deposits - loess and loess-like loams, and in the eastern part there are also marine deposits of the Quaternary period. The climate in this area is quite favorable. Enough high mountains serve as a good barrier to cold air penetrating here. The proximity of the long cooling sea also has an effect. The Greater Caucasus is the border between two climatic zones - subtropical and temperate. On the Russian territory, the climate is still moderate, but the above factors contribute to rather high temperatures.

Mountains of the Caucasus As a result, winters in Ciscaucasia are quite warm ( average temperature in January is about -5°С). This is facilitated by those coming from outside Atlantic Ocean warm air masses. On the Black Sea coast, the temperature rarely drops below zero (the average January temperature is 3°C). IN mountainous areas the temperature is naturally lower. Thus, the average temperature in the plains in summer is about 25°C, and in the upper reaches of the mountains - 0°C. Precipitation in this area falls mainly due to cyclones coming from the west, as a result of which their amount gradually decreases towards the east.

Most precipitation falls on the southwestern slopes of the Greater Caucasus. Their number on the Kuban Plain is about 7 times lower. In the mountains of the North Caucasus, glaciation is developed, in terms of the area of \u200b\u200bwhich this region ranks first among all regions of Russia. The rivers flowing here are fed by water formed during the melting of glaciers. The largest Caucasian rivers are the Kuban and Terek, as well as their numerous tributaries. Mountain rivers, as usual, are fast-flowing, and in their lower reaches there are swampy areas overgrown with reeds and reeds.

Geographical position

Stretched between the Black and Caspian Seas, the Caucasus Mountains are the natural border between Asia and Europe. They also separate the Near and Middle East. Because of their vast territory, they can be safely called "the country of ridges and highlands." There are two versions of the origin of the word "Caucasus". According to the first, that was the name of the epic king from the Shahnameh poem - Kavi-Kaus. The second hypothesis ascribes a name to the translation: "Supporters of the sky." Geographically, the Caucasus is divided into two mountain systems: Big and Small. In turn, they also have divisions into ridges, chains and highlands.

Height of the Caucasus Mountains

The Caucasus often appears in the list of "most-most". For example, the highest permanent settlement of Ushguli (Georgia) is located here. It lies on the slope of Shkhara (5068 m above sea level) and is included in the UNESCO list. Ushba gained gloomy fame among climbers as the most difficult peak to conquer - the "four-thousander". The mysterious Ararat is surrounded by biblical legends. Is here and alpine lakes- Ritsu, for example. And Zeygalan waterfall ( North Ossetia) is the largest in Russia (600 m). This attracts many climbers, athletes and just tourists to the region. The highest snow-capped peaks, glaciers shining in the sun, hard-to-reach passes, narrow gorges, waterfalls and turbulent, bubbling rivers - all these are the Caucasus Mountains. The height of the largest peaks - Elbrus (5642) and Kazbek (5034) - exceeds Mont Blanc (4810), which is considered the culminating point of Western Europe.

Myths and legends

The Caucasus is mentioned in the Bible. In the Book of Genesis, the ark of the righteous Noah landed during the great flood on Mount Ararat, and from there a dove brought an olive branch. To the country of sorcerers Colchis (the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus) Jason sailed for the Golden Fleece. Here the eagle of Zeus punished Prometheus for giving people fire. The Caucasus Mountains also have their own regional legends. Each people living on the slopes of this majestic country of glaciers and snowy peaks - and there are about fifty of them - composes legends and myths about them.

Geology

The Caucasus is a young mountain system. It was formed relatively recently - about 25 million years ago, in the Tertiary period. Thus, the Caucasus Mountains belong to the Alpine folding, but with little volcanic activity. Eruptions have not been observed for a long time, but earthquakes are frequent. The largest last happened in 1988. In Spitak (Armenia) then 25 thousand people died. The main geological wealth of the mountains is oil. The field reserves are estimated at 200 billion barrels.

Flora and fauna

The Caucasus Mountains are home to many species of wild animals. Bears live in the gorges, as well as golden eagles, chamois, wild boars, and argali. There are also endemics - species that, except for the Caucasus, you will not find anywhere else on the planet. These include local species of leopard, lynx. Prior to the beginning of our era, manuscripts mention the presence of Caspian tigers and Asiatic lions. The biodiversity of this region is rapidly declining. The last Caucasian bison died out in 1926, the local subspecies - in 1810. In this region of subtropical forests, alpine meadows and high mountain lichens, 6350 plant species have been recorded. Of these, more than one and a half thousand are endemic.

State budgetary educational institution secondary general education secondary school No. 509 of the Moscow region

city of St. Petersburg

ESSAY

in the discipline "Geography"

on the topic: « Caucasian mountains».

Completed: students of grade 8 "A"

Gaisyonok Julia

Ahmedova Rukiyat

Leader: geography teacher

Kovaleva Natalya Nikolaevna

St. Petersburg 2012

1. Introduction. …………………………………………………………...........3

2.Main part

2.1 Legend about the origin of the Caucasus Mountains………………………...4

2.2 Physical and geographical location………………………………..5

2.3 Climate……………………………………………………………………7

2.4 Rivers and lakes…………………………………………………………...8

2.5 Animal world …………………………………………………………..9

2.6 Plant world…………………………………………………....11

3.Conclusion……………………………………………………………..12

4. References…………..…………………………………….…..13

5..Appendix 1……………………………………………………………14

6.Appendix 2…………………………………………………………….16

1. Introduction

Since ancient times our Russian Parnassus

Drawn to unfamiliar countries,
And most of all, only you, the Caucasus,
It rang with a mysterious mist.

S.A. Yesenin

This amazing land, one of the most interesting regions of the globe. Combining unique landscapes, becoming the homeland for hundreds of nationalities, it is truly a unique region of the world. The North Caucasus is my homeland which I love.

The pride of the Caucasus is its mountains! The Caucasus is not the Caucasus without mountains. The mountains are unique, majestic and impregnable. The Caucasus is amazingly beautiful. He is so different. You can look at the mountains for hours.

The Caucasus Mountains are the great division between Europe and Asia. The Caucasus is a narrow strip of land between the Black and Caspian Seas. It strikes with an incredible variety of climate, flora and fauna.

Green hills and alpine meadows of the Caucasus, salt deserts, miniature sand dunes give way to high mountains. The beauty of Caucasian landscapes is not inferior to any region of the planet.

The mountain range of the Greater Caucasus is a lot of pastures, forests, as well as amazing natural wonders. More than 2 thousand glaciers descend through narrow gorges. The chain of large mountains stretched for almost one and a half thousand kilometers from the northwest to the southeast. The main peaks exceed 5 thousand meters and significantly affect the weather in the regions.

The clouds that form over the Black Sea are pouring rain, running into the mountain peaks of the Caucasus. On one side of the ridge there is a harsh landscape, and on the other - rough vegetation. Here you can find more than 6 and a half thousand plant species, a quarter of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
The purpose of our essay is to study natural features mountains of the Caucasus.

The material can be used in geography lessons when studying the topic "North Caucasus".

2. Base part

2.1 Legend of the origin of the Caucasus Mountains

A long time ago, when the earth was still very young, a huge plain stretched on the site of the modern territory of the Caucasus. Huge sled heroes lived here in peace and love. They were kind and prudent, they met with joy both day and night, they knew neither evil, nor envy, nor deceit. The ruler of this people was the gray-haired giant Elbrus, and he had a beautiful son, Beshtau, and his son had a charming bride, the beautiful Mashuki. But they had an evil envious - Kite. And he decided to harm the Narts. He prepared a terrible potion in which he mixed the teeth of a wolf, the tongue of a boar and the eyes of a snake. At a big feast, he poured a potion into all the drinks of the Narts. And, having drunk it, they acquired the greed of a boar, the anger of a wolf, and the deceit of a snake. And from that time on, the happy and carefree life of the Narts ended. The father decided to take the young bride away from his son and, sending him on a hunt, wanted to forcefully marry Mashuki. But Mashuki resisted Elbrus. And in an evil battle she lost her wedding ring. I saw the Beshtau ring and hurried to help the bride. And a terrible battle began not for life, but for death, and half of the Narts fought on the side of Elbrus, and the other half on the side of Beshtau. And the battle lasted for several days and nights, and all the sledges perished. Elbrus chopped his son into five parts, and the son, inflicting the last blow, dismembered the gray head of his father into two halves. Mashuki came out after the battle on the battlefield and did not see a single living soul. She approached her lover and plunged the dagger into her heart. So the life of a great and old people stopped.

And now the Caucasian mountains rise in this place: the helmet from the head of Beshtau is Mount Zheleznaya, the ring of Mashuk is Mount Ring, five peaks are Mount Beshtau, nearby is Mount Mashuk and far, far from others - gray-haired or simply snow-covered handsome Elbrus. [ 2 ]

2.2Physical location

The Caucasus Mountains form a natural border between Europe and Asia, located on the isthmus between the Caspian and Black Seas. The Kuma-Manych depression separates the Caucasus from the East European Plain. The territory of the Caucasus can be divided into several parts: Ciscaucasia, Greater Caucasus and Transcaucasia. On the territory of the Russian Federation, only Ciscaucasia and the northern part of the Greater Caucasus are located. The last two parts together are called the North Caucasus. However, for Russia, this part of the territory is the southernmost. Here, along the ridge of the Main Range, the state border of the Russian Federation passes, behind which lie Georgia and Azerbaijan.

The North Caucasian mountains are relatively young. Their relief was created by different tectonic structures. These mountains were formed when deep trough zones were filled with sedimentary and volcanic rocks, which were later subjected to folding. Tectonic processes here were accompanied by significant bends, extensions, ruptures and faults of earth layers. As a result, a large amount of magma poured onto the surface (this led to the formation of significant ore deposits).

Often the Greater Caucasus is presented as the only ridge. In fact, this is a whole system of various ridges, which can be divided into several parts. The Western Caucasus is located from the Black Sea coast to Mount Elbrus, then (from Elbrus to Kazbek) follows the Central Caucasus, and to the east from Kazbek to the Caspian Sea - the Eastern Caucasus. In addition, two ridges can be distinguished in the longitudinal direction: Vodorazdelny (sometimes called the main one) and Lateral. On the northern slope of the Caucasus, the Rocky and Pasture Ranges, as well as the Black Mountains, are distinguished. They were formed as a result of interlayering layers composed of sedimentary rocks of different hardness. One slope of the ridge here is gentle, and the other breaks off rather abruptly. As you move away from the axial zone, the height of the mountain ranges decreases.

The chain of the Western Caucasus begins at the Taman Peninsula. At the very beginning, it is rather not even mountains, but hills. They begin to rise towards the east. The highest parts of the North Caucasus are covered with snow caps and glaciers. The highest peaks of the Western Caucasus are the Fisht (2870 meters) and Oshten (2810 meters) mountains. The highest part of the Greater Caucasus is the Central Caucasus. Even some passes at this point reach a height of 3000 meters, and the lowest of them (Krestovy) lies at an altitude of 2380 meters. Here are the highest peaks of the Caucasus. So, for example, the height of Mount Kazbek is 5033 meters, and the two-headed extinct volcano Elbrus is the highest peak in Russia. The relief here is strongly dissected: sharp ridges, steep slopes and rocky peaks prevail.

The eastern part of the Greater Caucasus is mainly made up of the numerous ridges of Dagestan (in the translation of the name of this region means "mountainous country"). There are complex branching ridges with steep slopes and deep canyon-like river valleys. However, the height of the peaks here is less than in the central part of the mountain system, but still they exceed the height of 4 thousand meters. meters. The uplift of the Caucasus Mountains continues in our time. This is associated with fairly frequent earthquakes in this region of Russia. To the north of the Central Caucasus, where the magma rising along the cracks did not spill onto the surface, low, so-called island mountains formed. The largest of them are Beshtau (1400 meters) and Mashuk (993 meters). At their base there are numerous sources of mineral waters.

The so-called Ciscaucasia is occupied by the Kuban and Tersko-Kuma lowlands. They are separated from each other by the Stavropol Upland, the height of which is 700-800 meters.

Fig.1 Dagestan. Red mountain.

2.3Climate

The climate in this area is quite favorable. Quite high mountains serve as a good obstacle to the cold air penetrating here. The proximity of the long cooling sea also has an effect. The Greater Caucasus is the border between two climatic poles - subtropical and temperate. In the Russian territory, the climate is still moderate, but the above factors contribute to high temperatures.

As a result, winters in Ciscaucasia are quite warm (the average temperature in January is about -5 ° C) .This is facilitated by warm air masses coming from the Atlantic Ocean. On the Black Sea coast, the temperature rarely drops below zero (the average temperature is January 3 ° C). Temperatures are naturally lower in mountainous regions. So, the average temperature on the plain in summer is about 25 ° C, and in the upper reaches of the mountains - 0 ° C.

Precipitation in this area mainly falls due to cyclones coming from the west, as a result of which their amount gradually decreases towards the east. Most precipitation falls on the southwestern slopes of the Greater Caucasus. Their number on the Kuban Plain is about 7 times lower.

In the mountains of the North Caucasus, glaciation is developed, in terms of the area of \u200b\u200bwhich this region ranks first among all regions of Russia. The rivers flowing here are fed by water formed during the melting of glaciers. The largest Caucasian rivers are the Kuban and Terek, as well as their numerous tributaries. Mountain rivers, as usual, are fast-flowing, and in their lower reaches there are swampy areas overgrown with reeds and reeds.

most dangerous natural phenomena that occur in these places are landslides, mountain falls and earthquakes.

2.4 Rivers and lakes

The rivers of the Caucasus belong to the basin of the Caspian (Kura with Araks, Sulak, Terek, Kuma), Black (Rioni, Inguri, etc.) and Azov (Kuban) seas. The distribution of runoff and the regime of rivers depend mainly on climatic conditions and topography. The Greater Caucasus is characterized by rivers with a long (about 6 months) high water in the warm part of the year; Eternal snow and ice and seasonal snow that melts late in the highlands participate in their nutrition. Close to this type is the regime of rivers starting in the highest ridges and massifs of the Transcaucasian highlands (Aragats, Zangezur ridge, Murovdag) and in those parts of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus where there are no glaciers. The rest of the rivers of the Transcaucasian Highlands are characterized by spring floods. On the rivers of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus, along with spring floods, summer floods are characteristic. The rivers of Ciscaucasia, with the exception of those flowing from the Greater Caucasus, have spring floods and winter freeze-up, become very shallow in summer, and partly dry up. Stavropol artificially watered from the river. Kuban. The rivers of the Caucasus, which originate in areas without stable snow cover, are characterized by floods from heavy rains and rapid snowmelt. Groundwater serves as an additional source of their nutrition. Floods occur throughout the year (the Black Sea coast south of Sochi, the Colchis lowland, etc.), during the warm season (in the front ranges of the northern slope of the Greater Caucasus, in the Terek basin) and in the cold half-year (the western tip of the Greater Caucasus and the northern part of the Black Sea coast) . Mudflows are characteristic of many rivers in the Eastern and part of the Central Caucasus. The advanced limestone ridges of the Greater Caucasus have karst rivers, which in places disappear underground and reappear on the surface. Their regime, as well as the rivers of the volcanic region of the Armenian Highlands, is regulated due to the large participation in the supply of groundwater. Large rivers that receive tributaries from different areas have a combined regime. Majority major rivers The Caucasus in the upper reaches have a mountainous character and flow in trough valleys and gorges, while in the lower reaches they flow more calmly in wide valleys.

The lower reaches of the Kura, Kuban and Rioni are navigable. The waters of many rivers are used to irrigate the arid regions of Ciscaucasia, the Kura depression and the Middle Araks basin. Many hydroelectric power plants have been built on the rivers of the Caucasus (Mingachevirskaya and Zemo-Avchalskaya on the Kura, Khramskaya, Rionskaya, a number of hydroelectric power plants on the rivers of the Greater Caucasus).

Of the lakes of the Caucasus, the largest is Sevan. In the highland region of the Greater Caucasus, there are many car lakes; there are also dammed, karst and other lakes. On the coasts of the seas - firth lakes. Most of the lakes are fresh, but in the arid regions of the eastern part of the Caucasus they are salty.

2.5Animal world

Animal world The Caucasus is very diverse, which is due to significant spatial variability within its boundaries of environmental conditions and the history of the formation of the faunal complex. There is a significant group of endemics here: Caucasian and Dagestan turs (stone goats), Caucasian hamster, Promethean mouse, Caucasian black grouse, Caucasian snowcock, etc. The degree of endemism is especially high in the upper parts of the mountains. Ancient representatives of broad-leaved forests live in the forests: bison, red deer, wild boar, pine marten. The fauna of Ciscaucasia developed mainly in the pre-Quaternary period.

The steppes of the Western and Middle Ciscaucasia are inhabited by the same animals as the steppes of the Russian Plain. Lesser ground squirrel, large jerboa, hamster, mole voles, hare, steppe polecat are common here, in some places the banded ferret has been preserved, the number of foxes and wolves is large. Animals of semi-deserts and deserts live on the Tersko-Kuma lowland Central Asia and Kazakhstan: corsac fox, earthen hare, upland jerboa, long-eared hedgehog, combed gerbil and midday gerbil, etc. There is a steppe antelope - saiga. There are also endemics here: the Nogai jerboa, Ciscaucasian gerbil, small vole.

Reptiles are abundant in the Ciscaucasia (steppe viper, boa constrictor, snakes, green and steppe lizards, etc.). Of the birds, the steppe lark, quail, eagles, harrier, kite, kestrel are characteristic, there are bustards, demoiselle cranes, and little bustards.

The jungle cat (Fig. 2), jackals, and wild boars live in the reed beds of the Terek and Sulak deltas. In the deltas of these rivers and the Kuban, there are many waterfowl and marsh birds.

Fig. 2 Reed cat

The Greater Caucasus is inhabited mainly by forest and alpine animals. Deer, Siberian roe deer, wild boars, badger, Caucasian squirrel, dormouse, and many forest mice are found in broad-leaved forests. Stone marten and forest cat live in many areas.

The species composition of birds is very rich. The most numerous are jays, finches, nuthatches, owls, etc. In winter, squirrels migrate to dark coniferous forests. The pine marten is associated with coniferous forests. Birds, rodents and shrews feed on fir and spruce seeds. In the Colchis forests of the southwestern slope, there are Persian squirrels, European roe deer, small badgers, and jackals.

Dark coniferous forests and alpine meadows are characterized by seasonal migrations of many animals. Deer and wild boars live in subalpine meadows in summer, but in winter, when the snow thickness in the forest is half that in the meadows, they migrate to coniferous forests. Tours and chamois graze in the alpine meadows in summer, but spend the winter on rocky slopes. forest belt. The leopard lives in the mountain forests (Fig. 3), arranging a den in the crevices of the rocks, but it hunts for chamois and tours in high mountain meadows. The Caucasian black grouse spends a significant part of the time in the thickets of rhododendron.

Fig.3 Leopard

Alpine meadows are the habitats of the Caucasian snowcock, Promethean mouse, common, gray and shrub voles. Of the birds living here: chough, horned lark, snow finch (Fig. 3).

Fig.3 Reel

2.6
Vegetable world

Vegetation cover The Caucasus is also very diverse. Floristic elements of European forests and vegetation of the Eurasian highlands, East European steppes and West Asian deserts, as well as complex plant communities of the Mediterranean, took part in its formation. FROM Greater Caucasus associated with significant regional endemism and the original nature of plant groups. Within its limits there are about 550 endemic species. The percentage of endemics is highest among plants of high mountains and rocky habitats. Among the plant groups, the most peculiar are the vegetation of the upland xerophytes of Dagestan and the relict Colchis broad-leaved forests that enter Russia with their northwestern outskirts.

Western and Central Ciscaucasia in the recent past was covered with steppe vegetation. Now it has survived only in fragments, mainly on slopes that are inconvenient for plowing.

The steppes of the plains and foothills are a direct continuation of the steppes of the south of the Russian Plain. Forb-fescue-feather grass steppes prevailed. On the eastern slope of the Stavropol Upland, they were replaced by turf-cereal (fescue-feather grass and fescue) steppes. Closer to the foothills, on the Kuban, Kabardian, Ossetian and other sloping plains, in the elevated southwestern part of the Stavropol Upland and in the Mineralovodsky region, forb meadow steppes with patches of forests of oak, ash, hornbeam (forest steppe) were common. The upland steppes are confined to the dry slopes of the mountains, more diverse in species composition than the steppes of the plains. In the Eastern Ciscaucasia, cereal-wormwood semi-deserts are common. Saltwort vegetation is common on saline soils. The western and southern outskirts of the Terek-Kuma Plain are occupied by dry wormwood-cereal steppes. In the dry mountainous regions of the Greater Caucasus, upland xerophytic vegetation is widespread, represented by groups such as frigana and shilyak.

In the mountains of the Greater Caucasus largest sites occupy forests. The lower part of the forest belt is represented by forests dominated by oak or beech. Dark coniferous forests are common in the upper part. In the southern regions of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, there are depleted relict Colchis broad-leaved forests. Above the forests in the mountains, subalpine and alpine meadows are common.

3. Conclusion.

So leave unnecessary disputes -
I have already proved everything to myself:
Only mountains can be better than mountains,
Where no one has been!

The nature of the Caucasus is rich and diverse, the beauty of its landscapes is unique. Bare rocks, eternal snows and glaciers. Highlands, dense coniferous and lush broad-leaved forests, covering mountains, open steppe and semi-desert plains with dry, cracked soil, abundantly watered subtropical forests and plantations - all this is located next to each other, making up striking contrasts.

The Caucasus Mountains are one of the parts southern borders our country. There is a great variety here natural areas due to altitudinal zonality, special microclimates are formed, which is why in nature there are interesting views flora and fauna.

Historically, this territory has housed a large number of peoples and their national flavor is of interest to many tourists.

List of used literature:

1.Caucasus. http://sir35.narod.ru/Caucas/1_080817.htm

2.Legend about the origin of the Caucasus Mountains www. http://sasw.chat.ru/rasskazi2.htm

3. Regional reviews of the nature of Russia http://www.ecosystema.ru/08nature/world/geoussr/3-5-4.htm#68jiv

4. North Caucasus http://geography.kz/slovar/severnyj-kavkaz/

Attachment 1

Rivers of the Caucasus