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Caucasus facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Caucasus or Caucasia is a region in Eurasia bordered on the south by Iran, on the southwest by Turkey, on the west by the Black Sea, on the east by the Caspian Sea, and on the north by Russia. The Persian name for the region is Qafqâz. Caucasia includes the Caucasus Mountains and surrounding lowlands.

The Caucasus Mountains are commonly known as a line between Asia and Europe, and the lands in Caucasia are different considered to be in one or both continents. The northern portion of the Caucasus is known as the Ciscaucasus and the southern portion as the Transcaucasus. The highest peak in the Caucasus is Mount Elbrus (5,642 m) which, in the western Ciscaucasus in Russia, is generally considered the highest point in Europe.

Countries in Caucasus

Regions of Russian Federation in Caucasus

Myths and Legends

The Biblical Mount Ararat where Noah's Ark landed is known as the landmark of the ancient Armenian realm. The peak of Ararat is seasonally capped with snow. In Greek mythology, the Caucasus or Kaukasos was one of the pillars supporting the world. Prometheus was chained there by Zeus. The Roman poet Ovid placed Caucasus in Scythia and said it was a cold and stony mountain which was the abode of personified hunger.

Related pages

  • Caucasus: A Journey to the Land Between Christianity and Islam By Nicholas Griffin
  • Small Nations and Great Powers: A Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict in the Caucasus By Svante E. Cornell
  • The Caucasus By Ivan Golovin

Images for kids

  • Bazarduzu robl

    Mount Bazardüzü

  • Şahdağ Mountain, Qusar, 2013

    Mount Shahdagh

  • Gobustan ancient Azerbaycan full

    Petroglyphs in Gobustan, Azerbaijan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, dating back to 10,000 BC

  • Georgian empire with tributaries

    Kingdom of Georgia at the peak of its might, early 13th century.

  • CircassianCoastBattle

    Circassian strike on a Russian military fort in the Caucasus, 1840

  • View of the village Zrikh in Dagestan, RF

    View of the Caucasus Mountains in Dagestan, Russia

  • Arabika from Aibga

    Rosa Khutor alpine ski resort near Krasnaya Polyana, Sochi, Russia, the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics venue

  • Ejmiadzin Cathedral2

    Etchmiadzin Cathedral in Armenia, original building completed in 303 AD, a religious centre of Armenia. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  • Svetitskhoveli Cathedral - Mtskheta – 03

    Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Georgia, original building completed in the 4th century. It was a religious centre of monarchical Georgia. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

  • Caftan MET DT1115

    Northwest Caucasus caftan, 8-10th century, from the region of Alania.

  • Ushguli towers in Svaneti, Georgia

    Svaneti defensive tower houses

  • Şirvanşahlar saray kompleksi

    Palace of the Shirvanshahs, 13-th-15th centuries

  • Ashura in South Caucasus 19th century. Celebration of Shakhsey-Vakhsey (Persian)

    Celebration of Ashura, (Persian:Shakhsey-Vakhsey),19th century

  • Street in Shamakhi, 19th century, Azerbaijan

    Shamakhi, 19th century

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Cáucaso para niños

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Caucasus Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.