Lesser Caucasus

The Lesser Caucasus, also called Caucasus Minor, is the second of the two main mountain ranges of Caucasus mountains, of length about 600 km (370 mi). The western portion of the Lesser Caucasus overlaps and converges with the Turkish part of the high Armenian plateau, in the far northeast of Turkey.

Lesser Caucasus
Aragats mount in Armenia
Highest point
PeakAragats[1]
Elevation4,090 m (13,420 ft)
Listing
Dimensions
Length600 km (370 mi) NW-SE
Geography
Satellite image; the snowy mountains to the south are the Lesser Caucasus.
CountriesArmenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Turkey
Range coordinates41°N 44°E
Parent rangeCaucasus Mountains
Borders onGreater Caucasus

It runs parallel to the Greater Caucasus, at a distance averaging about 100 km (62 mi) south from the Likhi Range (Georgia) and limits the Armenian Highland from the north and north-east.

It is connected to the Greater Caucasus by the Likhi Range (Georgia) and separated from it by the Kolkhida Lowland (Georgia) in the west and Kura-Aras Lowland (Azerbaijan) (by the Kura River) in the east.

The highest peak is Aragats, 4,090 m (13,420 ft).[1]

The borders between Georgia, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran run through the range, although its crest does not usually define the border.

Naming controversy

The range was historically called Anticaucasus or Anti-Caucasus (Greek: Αντι-Καύκασος, Russian: Антикавка́з, Анти-Кавка́з). This usage is commonly found in older sources.[2][3][4] Current usage tends towards using the name Lesser Caucasus, but Anticaucasus can still be found in modern texts.[5][6]

References
  1. "Mount Aragats | mountain, Armenia". Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2016-05-07.
  2. The Encyclopædia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and General Information. [Cambridge] University Press. 1911.
  3. Reclus, Onésime (1892). A Bird's-eye View of the World. Ticknor. p. 264. anti caucasus.
  4. The Encyclopaedia Britannica ...: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences and General Literature ... in Thirty Volumes with New American Supplement. Werner Company. 1902.
  5. Sharma, h s (1981). Perspective in Geomorphology Volume I.
  6. Maisuradze, G.M. (1989-08-15). "Anthropogene of the anticaucasus". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology - PALAEOGEOGR PALAEOCLIMATOL. 72: 53–62. doi:10.1016/0031-0182(89)90131-4.


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