What does Caucasus mean?

Caucasus refers to the vast area where the Caucasus Mountains are located, including the southwest of Russia and the northern regions of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. The North Caucasus (also known as the former Caucasus) is located in the southwest of Russia. Geographically, this area includes most of the northern slope of the Great Caucasus Mountains and the western end of the mountains.

The Caucasus Mountains extend from northwest to southeast between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, and the highest peak is Mount Elbrus at an altitude of 5,462 meters. Traditionally, the main watershed of the Great Caucasus Mountains is regarded as the dividing line between southern Europe and western Asia. The word Caucasus not only refers to the mountains themselves, but also includes the vast areas on both sides of the mountains, starting from the former Caucasus in the north and reaching Transcaucasia in the south, covering an area of 440,000 square kilometers. The Caucasus extends southward from Kumalo and Manic Basin to the borders of Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Armenia and Azerbaijan, thus including the southernmost part of Russia (including Dagestan, Chechnya, Ingushetia and North Ossetia), Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and several ethnic autonomous regions. The Great Caucasus Mountains extend southeast from the Taman Peninsula in the northern part of the Black Sea to the Apsheron Peninsula in the Caspian Sea, with a length of about 1200 km. The Little Caucasus Mountains lie between the Kura River and the Aras Valley.