Georgia , a country at the intersection of Europe and Asia. is a former Soviet republic that's home to Caucasus Mountain Vilages and Black Sea beaches. it is famous for Vardzia, a sprawling cave monastery dating to the 12th century, and the ancient wine-growing region Kakheti. The capital, Tblisi is known or the diverse architectyre and mazelika, cobblestone streets of it old town. The great historic barrier of the Caucasus Mountains rises up across the wide isthmus separting the Black and Caspian seas in the region where Europe and Asia converge. Trending generally from northwest to southeas, the mountains consist of two ranges - the Greater Caucasus ( Russian : Bolshoy Kavkaz) in the north and the Lesser Caucasus ( Maly Kavkaz ) in the south. Mount Elbrus in the Greater Caucasus ranger, at 18,510 feet ( 5.642 metres ) is the highest peak. The watershed of the Greater Caucasus, the backbone of the system, traditionally has been part of the line dividing Europe and Asia, sout Europe's esatern boundary has been the subject of much debate. One widely accepted scheme draws the dividing line along the crest of the Greater Caucasus ranger, putting the portion of the region north of the line in Europe and the portion south of it in Asia. Another puts the western portion of the Caucasus region in Europe and the eastern part ( the bulk of Azerbaijan and small portions of Armenia, Georgia, and Russia's Caspian Sea coast) in Asia. Still another scheme identifies the Aras River and the Turkish Border as the line of continental demacration , thereby locating Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia in Europe.