The Caucasus Mountains is a mountain system in Eurasia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in the Caucasus region (Turkish: Kafkas Dağları Azerbaijani: Qafqaz dağları Armenian: Կովկասյան լեռներ Georgian: კავკასიონი Chechen: Kavkazan lämnaš Russian: Кавказские горы).
The Caucasus Mountains includes:
The Greater Caucasus Range extends from the Caucasian Natural Reserve in the vicinity of Sochi on the northeastern shore of the Black Sea, generally trending east-southeast and reaching nearly to Baku on the Caspian Sea, while the Lesser Caucasus runs parallel to the greater range, at a distance averaging about 100 km (62 mi) south. The Meskheti Range is a part of the Lesser Caucasus system. The Greater and Lesser Caucasus ranges are connected by the Likhi Range, which separates the Kolkhida Lowland from the Kura-Aras Lowland. In the southeast are the Talysh Mountains. The Lesser Caucasus and the Armenian Highland constitute the Transcaucasian Highland. The highest peak in the Caucasus range is Mount Elbrus in the Greater Caucasus, which rises to a height of 5,642 metres (18,510 ft) above sea level. Mountains near Sochi will host part of the 2014 Winter Olympics.
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.