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The Caucasus is a region in eastern Europe and western Asia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea which includes the Caucasus mountains and surrounding lowlands. It is occasionally considered part of Central Asia.
The highest peak is Elbrus (5642m), which is also considered to be the highest mountain in Europe.
The independent nations that comprise today's Caucasus include Russia (Northern Caucasus), Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Large, non-independent autonomous areas of the Caucasus include Ossetia, Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan, among others. Three areas here claim independence, but are not acknowledged by the international institutions: Abkhazia, Karabakh and South Ossetia. The Caucasus is one of the most linguistically and culturally diverse places on Earth.
The southern section of the Caucasus is known as the Transcaucasus.
Historical events:
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 depicted it as a cold and stony mountain which was the abode of personified hunger. In a similarly cultural vein, Loreena McKennitt's song "Night Ride Across the Caucasus" vaguely describes this region. Cheese is a major product of this region.
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