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Trans-Caucasia
This mountain area is distinguished
by two parallel ranges running from the Caspian Sea
in the east to the Black Sea in the west. The northern
one, the Greater Caucasus, extends about 1,200 km along
the southern boundary of Russia. It is a young mountain
range of great height with many glaciers. Although folded
ridges are predominant, the highest peak, Mount Elbrus
(5,642m), is an extinct volcano; evidence of intrusion.
The range acts as a climatic barrier between the wet
west and arid east sides. Grasslands on upper slopes
support sheep grazing as the main economic activity.
Reconstruction of climatic change over the last 100
years showed the equilibrium line of glaciers to have
retreated 300-500m higher due to a decrease in precipitation
over the period in the nival-glacial zone (Krenke et
al. 1991). In the lower zone (500-12,000m), the forested
area has decreased significantly due to human impact.
The southern range, the Little Caucasus, is a part of
the faulted Armenian plateau extending into Iran and
Anatolia. It is connected to the Greater Caucasus by
the low (c. 500m) Suram Range. Elsewhere, the
two are separated by the Kura and Rioni valleys. The
Little Caucasus has numerous extinct volcanoes and is
subject to frequent earthquakes. Mount Ararat (5,161m)
is found in its south-western section which intrudes
into Turkey. The Trans-Caucasia presently includes four
political units: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Russia.
However, the area has been a natural refuge for various
peoples over the centuries. It is an area of immense
ethnic diversity where over 40 different languages are
spoken.
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