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South Caucasus

geography Maturity 7-9 Next article →

The South Caucasus is a very important part of our world.

Caucasus regions map2
Caucasus regions map2

It sits right on the border between Europe and Asia. This region covers the southern part of the Caucasus Mountains. It stretches from the Black Sea in the west to the Caspian Sea in the east. The land includes many different shapes, like high mountains and flat lowlands. These lowlands are known by names like the Colchis and Kura-Aras lowlands.

Caucasus region 1994
Caucasus region 1994

Most of the area is made up of three modern countries. These are Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan.

Nature provides many useful things in this region. People there grow citrus fruits and tea. They also make wine and find oil in the ground. The land also has manganese ore. The geography is a mix of mountains and different types of plains. You can find the Lesser Caucasus mountains and the Talysh Mountains here. The area also includes parts of the Armenian Highlands. These different lands help shape how people live and work.

This region has a very long and busy history. Many different groups of people have lived here for a long time. In the Middle Ages, people like the Huns and Mongols settled in the area. Many strong empires once ruled this land. These included the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires. They also included many Iranian empires like the Sassanid and Safavid. These empires brought new religions and new ways of life to the people.

Gruzinskaja SSR (1944-1955)
Gruzinskaja SSR (1944-1955)

Ancient kingdoms like Colchis and Armenia also lived here long ago.

In the 1800s, many changes happened because of wars. The Russian Empire took control of much of the region from Iran. Two big wars between Russia and Persia changed the borders. One war happened from 1804 to 1813. Another war took place from 1826 to 1828. After these wars, the Russian Empire ruled most of the area. Later, the region was part of the Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union ended in 1991, the three countries became independent.

Life expectancy in the South Caucasus
Life expectancy in the South Caucasus

This made Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan their own nations.

Today, the South Caucasus is a place of many connections. The three countries have different ways of working with their neighbors. Georgia has started to work closely with Europe and NATO. Armenia keeps ties with Russia but also talks to the European Union. Azerbaijan works closely with Turkey. All three countries are members of groups like the Council of Europe. They also take part in the EU's Eastern Partnership.

European Union Eastern Partnership
European Union Eastern Partnership

This shows how the region links to the rest of the world.

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🖼️ Images & Media (6)
File:Caucasus region 1994.jpg
Caucasus region 1994.jpg
File:Caucasus regions map2.svg
Caucasus regions map2.svg
File:Gruzinskaja SSR (1944-1955).jpg
Gruzinskaja SSR (1944-1955).jpg
File:European Union Eastern Partnership.svg
European Union Eastern Partnership.svg
File:Life expectancy in the South Caucasus.png
Life expectancy in the South Caucasus.png
File:Life expectancy in the South Caucasus and its neighbours.png
Life expectancy in the South Caucasus and...
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