The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia (for endonyms, see below), is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea. It is home to the Caucasus Mountains, including Europe's highest mountain (Mount Elbrus).
Politically, the Caucasus region is separated between Northern and Southern parts.
Ushguli or Ushkuli (Georgian: უშგული) is a community of villages located at the head of the Enguri gorge in Upper Svaneti, Georgia. Ushguli comprises four villages:
Zhibiani (Georgian: ჟიბიანი) some 2100 m above sea level; Chvibiani or Chubiani (Georgian: ჩვიბიანი); Chazhashi or Chajashi (Georgian: ჩაჟაში); Murqmeli (Georgian: მურყმელი).
The Ushguli villages contain buildings that are part of the UNESCO Heritage site of Upper Svaneti.
Altitude claims vary from 2,086 to 2,200 metres. Ushguli is considered to be the highest inhabited village in Europe.
It is located at the foot of Shkhara, one of the highest Caucasian summits. About 70 families (about 200 people) live in the area, enough to support a small school. The area is snow-covered for 6 months of the year, and often the road to Mestia is impassable.
Typical Svanetian protective towers are found throughout the village. The Ushguli Chapel located on a hilltop near the village dates back to the 12th century.
The Mikhail Kalatozov documentary Salt for Svanetia was filmed in Ushguli.