Gagra Range (; ka, გაგრის ქედი, tr; russian: Гагрский хребет, Gagrskij hrebet) is a
mountain range
A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...
of the
Greater Caucasus
The Greater Caucasus ( az, Böyük Qafqaz, Бөјүк Гафгаз, بيوک قافقاز; ka, დიდი კავკასიონი, ''Didi K’avk’asioni''; russian: Большой Кавказ, ''Bolshoy Kavkaz'', sometimes translat ...
in
Abkhazia
Abkhazia, ka, აფხაზეთი, tr, , xmf, აბჟუა, abzhua, or ( or ), officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, recognised by most countries as part of Georgia, which v ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to t ...
.The range runs between the valleys of the Bzyb and
Psou
The Psou (; ady, Псыу; ka, ფსოუ; ab, Ҧсоу; russian: Псоу) is a river in the West Caucasus, bordering the Gagra Range to the east. It flows along the southern slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range and forms a part ...
rivers to the south of the
Caucasus Major
The Greater Caucasus ( az, Böyük Qafqaz, Бөјүк Гафгаз, بيوک قافقاز; ka, დიდი კავკასიონი, ''Didi K’avk’asioni''; russian: Большой Кавказ, ''Bolshoy Kavkaz'', sometimes translat ...
, in a general North-South direction. The highest elevation is 3,357 m (
Mount Agepsta
Mount Agepsta (, , ''Agh'aphstha'') is a mountain in the Gagra Range of the Caucasus Mountains system located in Abkhazia, Georgia.
The summit is above sea level in elevation.
Ecology
The slopes of Mount Agepsta, up to an elevation of , are ...
).
The Gagra Range approaches the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, ...
close to the city of
Gagra
Gagra ( ka, გაგრა; Abkhaz and Russian: Гагра) is a town in Abkhazia/Georgia, sprawling for 5 km on the northeast coast of the Black Sea, at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains. Its subtropical climate made Gagra a popular he ...
and plays an important role in moderating the climate of that resort by blocking cold, continental winds from the north and east.
The range is mostly made up of
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms wh ...
, with pronounced
karst topography
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ...
and is characterized by many deep
canyon
A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency to cut ...
s created by rivers. The deepest
cave
A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...
in the world, the
Veryovkina Cave
Veryovkina Cave (also spelled Verëvkina Cave, , ) is a cave in Abkhazia, a breakaway region of Georgia. At 2,212 meters (7,257 ft) deep, it is the deepest-known cave on Earth. Its entrance is 2,285 metres (7,497 ft) above sea level. The entrance ...
Gega Gega may refer to:
* , a tributary of the Bzyb River of Georgia
* Gega, Bulgaria, a village in Bulgaria
* Gega Point, a promontory in Antarctica
* Gega (surname), an Albanian surname (including a list of people with the name)
* Gega Diasamidze (bo ...
Kodori Range
Kodori range ( ka, კოდორის ქედი, tr) is a mountain range in the Western Caucasus, west Greater Caucasus, in the eastern border part of Abkhazia, Georgia (country), Georgia.
Geography
The longest and most branched ridge of ...