Dagestan’s natural wonders like the Salta Caves have been formed over time by geological processes GEOGRAPHY
1 Dagestan’s total land area is slightly smaller than the country of Costa Rica and roughly twice the size of the U S state of Vermont FOR A RELATIVELY SMALL REPUBLIC Dagestan’s geography is composed of a variety of terrains Its area measures about 19,400 square miles 50,300 square kilometers Mountains foothills high-altitude plateaus and lowlands mark the landscape Perhaps best known for the Caucasus mountain range which crosses its southern and central regions Dagestan also hosts 336 miles 540 km of coast along the Caspian Sea More than 1,800 rivers cross the republic Aside from its eastern seaside border Dagestan is flanked by several Russian entities The Republic of Kalmykia lies to the north on the other side of the Kuma River Dagestan shares its western borders with the Stavropol Territory and Chechnya International borders with Georgia and Azerbaijan lie in the mountainous south
MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS The Caucasus Mountains stretch northwest to southeast between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea They are made up of two main ranges the Greater Caucasus to the north and the Lesser Caucasus to the south The watershed of the Greater Caucasus is a large swath of land that forms a boundary between Europe and Central Asia The Greater Caucasus travel through the southern half of Dagestan where they reach their greatest width The main crest ridge of the Greater Caucasus forms Dagestan’s southern border This is where the region’s highest points can be found Mount Bazardyuzyu also known as Bazardyuze Dagi located on the border with Azerbaijan boasts the highest peak at 14,652 feet 4,466 m Other impressive summits along this ridge are Addala Shukhgelmezr at 13,622 feet 4,152 m and Dyul’tydag at 13,540 feet 4,127 m From the watershed ridge near Dagestan’s southern border the mountainous terrain stretches to the north This area contains a large triangle of mountain ranges known as the Dagestan Interior Highland The Gimrinsky and Andysky-Salatau ranges there are characterized by high crests deep valleys and stunning canyons The Sulak Samur and Kurakh rivers flow through the Interior Highland toward the Caspian Sea Along the Sulak Canyon the highest point towers 6,299 feet 1,920 m above the river It is the deepest canyon in Russia A zone of foreland hills is located north of the Caucasus and the Dagestan Interior Highland The width of this zone fluctuates between 12 and 25 miles 19 and 40 km Foothills in this area can reach up to 3,000 feet 914 m high CASPIAN COAST AND LOWLANDS A narrow strip of land is squeezed between Dagestan’s mountains and the Caspian Sea in the southeast This coastal plain is only 2 miles 3 km wide in some The famous Sulak Canyon draws crowds with its natural beauty The canyon is about 33 miles 53 km long and is navigated by the turquoise Sulak River 12 Dagestan
Major cities in Dagestan include Makhachkala Kaspiysk Derbent Kizlyar Izberbash and Buynaksk places but it broadens out to 20 miles 32 km in others Rivers pass through the area on their way to the sea leaving behind rich sedimentary deposits The coastal plain is where two of Dagestan’s largest cities are located Derbent is an ancient city built along the Caspian shore in southern Dagestan Makhachkala Dagestan’s capital is situated about 79 miles 128 km to the north along the thin coastal strip Dagestan’s Caspian coastline stretches for 336 miles 540 km The sandy beaches and warm waters draw residents and visitors alike for vacationing or for therapeutic treatments at spas However there is a shortage of freshwater through most of the area The Caspian lowlands continue northward Farmers and herders move their livestock from the mountains to these low lying pastures in winter A considerable part of the lowlands lies below the level of the Caspian Sea Agriculture flourishes in the region In contrast the Nogay Steppe is a hot and dry area between the Terek and Kuma Rivers This northern steppe is not friendly to much vegetation besides sagebrush Kaspiysk located along the Caspian Sea is one of the largest cities in Dagestan Geography 13
