They include Abkhaz, Circassian, Chechen, Lezghian, and Georgian. The mountain system was formed near the edge of the Alpine Geosyncline, about 25 million years ago. The Greater Caucasus, the main range, separates temperate and subtropical climate zones. Mineral resources include petroleum, natural gas, manganese, copper, tungsten, and molybdenum. Livestock is raised on the heavily forested slopes.
Wheat is grown in the northern piedmont and citrus fruits, cotton, and tea in the warmer valleys.
The Caucasus has been a natural refuge for persecuted people for centuries. More than 40 different languages are spoken among the region's inhabitants, who reflect a broad ethnic pattern.