Prelims ask
Elbrus 5,642 m, Russia, Caucasus. Pair it against Mont Blanc 4,809 m, Alps.
Europe · Young fold
Caucasus
- Countries
- Greater Caucasus, northwest to southeast: Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan. The Lesser Caucasus also reaches Armenia.
- Length
- About 1,200 km.
- Orientation
- West-northwest to east-southeast, between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea.
- Mountain type
- Young fold
- Plates
- Arabian plate pushing into Eurasia.
- Highest peak
- Elbrus, 5,642 m, Russia. A dormant volcano on the European side of the Greater Caucasus.
- Rivers that rise here
- Terek and Kuban on the north; Kura and Rioni on the south.
- Climate and rain shadow
- A wall between temperate air to the north and warmer, wetter air toward the Black Sea and the drier Caspian side.
Mains use
Use for the Europe–Asia boundary debate and for a collision belt where a volcano sits on a fold range.