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Denis-Benjamin Viger

Denis-Benjamin Viger (August 19, 1774 – February 13, 1861) was a 19th-century politician, lawyer, and newspaper publisher in Lower Canada, who served as joint premier of the Province of Canada for over two years. A leader in the Patriote movement, he was a strong French-Canadian nationalist, but a social conservative in terms of the seigneurial system and the position of the Catholic church in Lower Canada.

Viger came from a well-connected middle class family. Trained as a lawyer, he invested in land and gradually became one of Montreal’s largest landowners. He held public office for most of his adult life, often working alongside his cousin, Louis-Joseph Papineau, a fiery nationalist. From 1808 to 1829, he was a member of the elected Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada, then from 1829 to 1838 he was a member of the appointed Legislative Council, the upper house of the Parliament of Lower Canada.

Imprisoned during the Lower Canada Rebellion in 1838, he was subsequently elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada in 1841. From 1843 to 1846, he served as a joint-premier of the province, which triggered criticism from his former party colleagues. He was later appointed to the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada, serving from 1848 to 1858.

In his later years, Viger lived quietly in Montreal, surrounded by his well-stocked library. He remained fond of entertaining, and his wine-cellar was said to be one of the best in Montreal. He died in 1861, at the age of 86.

Early life and family
Viger was born in Montreal to Denis Viger and Périne-Charles Cherrier, daughter of François-Pierre Cherrier, a merchant and notary.

The Viger family was part of a rising middle class. Denis-Benjamin's grandfather, Jacques Viger, had been a shoemaker. Denis-Benjamin’s father, Denis Viger, began as a carpenter, branched out into small construction projects, and then developed a business selling potash to English markets. Denis Viger represented the electoral constituency of Montreal East in the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada from 1796 to 1800. Denis Viger's two brothers, Jacques Viger and Joseph Viger, were also members of the Assembly. Jacques' son Jacques Viger fils (cousin to Denis-Benjamin), became the first mayor of Montreal. Another cousin, Louis-Michel Viger, became one of the founding partners of the Banque du Peuple.

Through his mother, Denis-Benjamin was related to the Cherrier and Papineau families: Louis-Joseph Papineau, the future leader of the Parti patriote, was his cousin, as was Jean-Jacques Lartigue, future Bishop of Montreal. In 1801, Denis-Benjamin's parents took in one of his cousins, Côme-Séraphin Cherrier, aged three when his mother died, and raised him in their family. Côme-Séraphin was later elected to the Assembly as well.

In 1782, Viger's father sent him to the Collège Saint-Raphaël, run by the Sulpician order. He had no difficulty in completing his studies. Upon graduation, he trained in the law from 1794 to 1799, first under Louis-Charles Foucher, the solicitor-general for the province, then under Joseph Bédard, brother of the leader of the Parti canadien, and finally under Jean-Antoine Panet, the speaker of the Legislative Assembly. In addition to learning the law, he learnt about the allure of politics, coupled with a commitment to public service.

Viger joined the militia as a lieutenant in 1803. By the time of the War of 1812, he was a captain. Like many other French-Canadians he fought alongside English-Canadians against the Americans. He retired from the militia in 1824 with the rank of major.

In 1808, Viger married Marie-Amable Foretier. They had one child who died in infancy in 1814. Marie-Amable was the daughter of Pierre Foretier, a seigneur who had a well-established business in connection with the fur trade. By their marriage, Viger entered the established, aristocratic class. When her father died in 1815, Marie-Amable became an heir to his estate, but the estate was tied up in litigation for twenty-five years. It was not until 1842 that Marie-Amable finally obtained her father's seigneurie on Île Bizard, one of the Montreal islands. Throughout her life, Marie-Amable was involved in charitable activities, focussing on the underprivileged. She was a founder of the Institution pour les Filles Repenties, and was president of the Orphelinat Catholique de Montréal.

Legal career, journalism and landholdings
Viger entered the legal profession in 1799. Although skilled in the law and idealistic, he lacked charisma or personal presence. As time went on, he became very comfortable financially, but it is not clear how much of that came from his legal practice, and how much from land investments. He bought land and houses himself, and in 1823 inherited substantial land holdings from his parents, becoming one of the most important landowners in Montreal. At one point he donated a plot of land to his cousin, Jean-Jacques Lartigue, Bishop of Montreal, for a new building. There was some malicious gossip that the donated land was close to many of his other landholdings, which would likely increase their value as a result.

Even before he completed his legal studies, Viger began writing articles on political issues for the newspapers, with the first appearing in 1792 in the Montreal Gazette. He gradually acquired financial interests in other newspapers, including the Canadian Spectator, La Minerve and L'Ordre. His writings at this time indicated an early interest in political issues, taken from an intellectual point of view. Throughout his life he wrote books and articles on political issues, particularly relating to the constitutional position of Lower Canada. He was a good writer, logical, thoughtful, and showing a depth of knowledge. He was also an enthusiastic book-buyer, focussing on law and politics, but he was not very interested in fiction.

When Viger was an established lawyer, he took in law students. One of his students was Augustin-Norbert Morin, who was also a future joint premier. During his time with Viger, Morin taught Latin and mathematics in order to earn additional money. Viger did not have a reputation of generosity towards his law clerks.

Member of the Legislative Assembly, 1808 to 1829

In 1804, at age 30, Viger entered electoral politics, unsuccessfully contesting a seat in Montreal. Four years later, in 1808, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada from Montreal West, and was re-elected in 1809. He was elected in Leinster county in 1810 and 1814, and then regularly elected in Kent county from 1816 until 1827, until appointed to the Legislative Council of Lower Canada in 1829.

Viger's younger cousin, Louis-Joseph Papineau, was also elected for the first time in 1808. Papineau was much more dynamic and charismatic than Viger, who was considered retiring and not eloquent. The two worked together, allying themselves with the Parti canadien. They followed the older leaders of the party, first Pierre-Stanislas Bédard, later James Stuart. Eventually, Papineau became the undoubted leader of the party, as it developed into the Parti patriote. Viger helped to develop the intellectual framework for the party.

Viger was a strong admirer of the British constitution, which he considered was an excellent balancing of the royal, aristocratic, and popular elements of the country. Socially conservative, he was distrustful of the various constitutional developments in French, and did not consider American republicanism as an option, unlike his cousin Papineau. He believed that French-Canadian culture and existence was threatened by immigration from the United States and from Britain.

The Parti canadien was focussed on obtaining greater control of the government for the elected Legislative Assembly, and weakening the authority of the appointed Legislative Council and ultimately, the governors, appointed by the British government. They tried different tactics at different times. Under Bédard, the party challenged the Assembly's lack of control over public finances. Stuart brought impeachment hearings against some of the judges who also held positions in the Legislative Council and the Executive Council. When Papineau became Speaker in 1815, he continued the financial tactics, along with a trend towards developing nationalist arguments for French-Canadian control. He also worked on outreach to English-speaking politicians who shared concerns over popular control over public finances, such as John Neilson, who worked closely with Papineau.

Viger was one of the leaders of the party, and was involved in developing its tactics and ideology. In the Assembly and its committees, he defended the seigneurial system, the use of the customary law of Paris in Lower Canada, and the Catholic church. When his cousin, Jean-Jacques Lartigue, became the first Bishop of Montreal, Viger supported Lartigue in a dispute with the Sulpician order. Viger later acted as a go-between for his two cousins, Lartigue and Papineau, when tensions rose between the church and the Parti canadien in the lead-up to the Lower Canada Rebellion in 1837.

Delegations to London
In 1822, an issue arose which united most Lower Canada political groups. The British government proposed to unite Lower Canada with Upper Canada into a single province. Papineau and Viger organised opposition to the proposal, with local committees meeting to pass petitions against union. Viger was so heavily involved that opposition to union became known as "Vigerism". Papineau and Neilson were then chosen to be envoys to London, to make the opposition to union known to the British government. They were successful, and the union proposal was shelved.

Six years later, in 1828, there was another delegation to London. Papineau and the Parti canadien had continued to press for greater control of the public finances by the Legislative Assembly. They adopted the same tactic of popular meetings and petitions in support of greater financial control. This time, the delegation to London to press their demands was composed of Neilson, Viger, and Austin Cuvillier, armed with petitions with more than 80,000 signatures. Reform movements were growing in Britain, and the Lower Canada delegation had a favourable reception, both with the Colonial Secretary and before a parliamentary committee set up to consider governance of Lower Canada. The British parliamentary committee issued a report which accepted most of the positions of the delegation.

Member of the Legislative Council
The next year, 1829, Viger was appointed to the Legislative Council, the upper house of the Parliament of Lower Canada, but did not take his seat until 1831. He did not play a major role in the Council, because that same year the members of the Legislative Assembly appointed him as the Assembly's representative in Britain, over the objections of the Legislative Council. He stayed there from 1831 to 1834, but did not have as successful a time as in the previous delegation.

The increasing radicalisation of the Parti patriote was leading the British government to fear that Papineau and his supporters were seeking republicanism and ultimately independence. It was also driving Neilson and other English-speaking Lower Canadians away from the party, as well as more moderate French-Canadians who had previously supported the Parti canadien, such as Frédéric-Auguste Quesnel. In consequence, the British government was not receptive to Viger's representations, nor those of Augustin-Norbert Morin, whom the Assembly sent over in 1834 to press their concerns. Viger returned to Lower Canada towards the end of 1834. In 1835, he succeeded his cousin Jacques Viger as the second president of the Saint Jean Baptiste Society of Montréal.

Viger remained a member of the Legislative Council until the suspension of the constitution of Lower Canada in 1838, a result of the Lower Canada Rebellion. He was highly critical of the Special Council of Lower Canada, appointed by the Governor General to replace the Parliament.

Role in the Rebellion

It is not clear exactly what role Viger played in the Lower Canada Rebellions of 1837 and 1838. He was still heavily involved in the Parti patriote with Papineau, and so he is assumed to have participated in planning for the public meetings which were held to increase popular support for the  Patriote movement. There is some evidence which suggests that Papineau, Viger and Côme-Séraphin Cherrier had discussions around the time of the most significant of the public meetings, the Assembly of the Six Counties, in which Viger argued against rapid developments, and to wait for the winter freeze-up. He did not appear at the Assembly of the Six Counties, where one of the leaders of the movement, Wolfred Nelson, openly called for rebellion. Nor was he a member of the nascent para-military group, the Société des Fils de la Liberté, but he allowed them to train on his lands.

There were also suspicions that the Banque du Peuple, in which his cousin Louis-Michel Viger was a major investor, was funnelling money to the Patriotes for the purchase of arms. It is not clear what connection Denis-Benjamin Viger had with the Banque, although two historians, Fernand Ouellet and André Lefort, assume that Viger had close links with the directors of the Banque; he was featured on the ten-dollar notes issued by the Banque. The Banque eventually felt it necessary to issue a public denial that they had been providing money for the rebellion.

It is clear that Viger and his newspaper, La Minerve, were strong supporters of the Patriotes. For example, in the summer of 1837, his cousin, Bishop Lartigue of Montreal, issued an episcopal letter, condemning the drift of the Parti patriote towards radicalism. Viger in turn published an editorial in La Minerve, strongly critical of the bishop, and equating the bishop's letter to a second edition of the Governor General's critique of the Patriote movement. After La Minerve temporarily ceased publication in November 1837, two other newspapers sprang up to take its place as supporters of the Patriotes and the possibility of independence: La Quotidienne (1837 to 1838) and Le Temps (1838). Although François Lemaitre (later one of the Frères chasseurs) was the editor of both papers, Viger was suspected to own both of them.

It is also clear that when the colonial government moved to arrest leaders of the Rebellion in November 1837, Viger was in a position to alert Papineau that a warrant for his arrest was likely. Viger also gave encouraging words to Papineau:

Viger also assured Papineau that they could expect help from the Americans to overthrow the British, and possibly also from the Indian population.

Whatever his connections to the Rebellion in 1837, Viger initially did not come under serious scrutiny from the British authorities. His house was searched once, in November 1837, but thereafter he was left alone for a year, even after the government declared martial law in the Montreal district on December 5, 1837. However, when the Rebellion broke out a second time the next year, Viger was arrested on November 4, 1838, denounced by the Montreal Herald as the promoter of seditious newspapers. In December 1838, the superintendent of police offered him bail, but he refused, insisting instead that he be put on trial. For the first two months of his detention, he was kept in close confinement, denied pen, paper and newspapers, and not allowed exercise. He was also denied the solace of playing his flageolet, a small recorder-like instrument, which was one of his few hobbies. He was not released until May 1840, without ever standing trial.

Opposition to union

Following the rebellion in Lower Canada, and the similar rebellion in 1837 in Upper Canada (now Ontario), the British government decided to merge the two provinces into a single province, as recommended by Lord Durham in the Durham Report. The Union Act, 1840, passed by the British Parliament, abolished the two provinces and their separate parliaments, and created the Province of Canada, with a single Parliament for the entire province, composed of an elected Legislative Assembly and an appointed Legislative Council. The Governor General initially retained a strong position in the government.

Upon his release from prison in 1840, Viger threw himself into opposition to the proposed union, which he had opposed when it had first been suggested nearly twenty years earlier. Now in his mid-60s, a political veteran and nicknamed Le Vénérable, Viger was worried that the union proposal was designed to assimilate French-Canadians and undercut their culture. He was specifically critical of the provision that barred the use of French in the new Parliament. He also critiqued the provision that would make the new Province of Canada liable for all debts of Upper Canada and Lower Canada: Upper Canada's public debt was larger than Lower Canada's debt, but the payment of the combined debt would fall jointly on all residents of the new Province.

In the first general elections in 1841, Viger stood for election to the new Legislative Assembly. He campaigned against the union and won the riding of Richelieu, defeating a unionist candidate. He realigned with Neilson, who had broken with Papineau in the increasing radicalism leading to the Rebellion, but who shared Viger's opposition to the union. Neilson was also elected to the Assembly. The two became the leaders of the French-Canadian Group of twenty members from Lower Canada, opposed to the union. In the first session of the new Parliament, the French-Canadian Group voted against the union.

Responsible government and the Governor General

Throughout the term of the first Parliament, there were running disputes over the balance of powers between the elected Legislative Assembly and the appointed Governor General. During the first session of the Parliament, the members of the French-Canadian Group, led by Viger and Neilson, were consistent opponents of Governor General Lord Sydenham, who was hostile to the concept of responsible government and took the position that as governor of a colony, he was the head of the government, simply assisted by the elected officials.

Viger cooperated with Robert Baldwin, leader of the Reformers from Canada West, in introducing a series of resolutions affirming the role of the Legislative Assembly in reviewing the actions of the executive. Although the final version was watered down by Sydenham's supporters, the resolutions were the first statement by the Assembly of the concept of responsible government. A year later, when Baldwin lost his seat in the Assembly in a ministerial by-election, Viger offered to resign his seat to allow Baldwin an opportunity to re-enter the Assembly. Ultimately, a backbench member in another seat in Canada East resigned and Baldwin was elected to represent Rimouski.

Sydenham died suddenly in 1841 and was replaced as governor general by Sir Charles Bagot, who was more conciliatory. He appointed Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine from the French-Canadian Group, and Robert Baldwin from Canada West, to lead the Executive Council. They had substantial support in the Legislative Assembly. However, when Governor General Sir Charles Metcalfe succeeded Bagot in 1843, he asserted that while he would consult with the Executive Council, he could act independently, particularly in the appointments to government positions.

Matters came to a head in November of 1843, when the LaFontaine–Baldwin ministry resigned because of Metcalfe's refusal to consult the Executive Council on various appointments. Only one member of the Executive Council, Dominick Daly, remained in office. There was a major debate in the Legislative Assembly, which passed a motion supporting the former members of the Executive Council and criticising Metcalfe for his actions. The motion passed with a strong majority (46–23), composed of Reformers and the French-Canadian Group, but with two major exceptions: Viger and Neilson both voted in support of the Governor General. While both wanted the Assembly to have greater control, neither were convinced that the new concept of responsible government, advanced by LaFontaine and Baldwin, was workable. Neilson considered it a trick "to humbug the people".

Joint premier of the Province of Canada

Following the resignation of the LaFontaine–Baldwin ministry, Governor General Metcalfe was left with only one member in the Executive Council, the Provincial Secretary, Dominick Daly. Metcalfe tried to put together a broad-based ministry to exclude LaFontaine and Baldwin and reject the idea of responsible government. Although he canvassed several leading politicians opposed to Baldwin and LaFontaine, they could not agree on forming a ministry together. In December, Metcalfe persuaded Viger to accept office as joint premier, along with a moderate conservative Tory from Canada West, William Draper. For the next nine months, the Executive Council only had the three members. In light of the Assembly's strong political opposition to his policies, Governor General Metcalfe prorogued Parliament indefinitely. The first Parliament was never called back into session.

Viger was heavily criticised by his former party companions for taking office under a Governor General who was hostile to responsible government and French-Canadians. He was accused by some former Parti patriote colleagues of treason. He was also criticised by William Lyon Mackenzie, who had led the Upper Canada Rebellion. Political commentators at the time, and historians since, have found it difficult to understand Viger's decision to take office under Governor General Metcalfe, along with Draper, a Tory who had opposed the rebellions and strongly supported the ties with the United Kingdom. One theory is that Viger believed that ultimately the united Province of Canada would fall apart, leaving the path open for Lower Canada to become fully independent. He opposed LaFontaine's efforts to build a fully functioning alliance with Baldwin and the Reformers, because in his view that would delay the ultimate break-up. He was prepared to work with Metcalfe and Draper in the meantime. At around this time he proposed the concept of the "double majority": that the Executive Council should be composed of members who represented a majority in each section, and that bills in the Assembly would need majority support from both section to pass.

Viger and Draper appear to have envisaged building a moderate conservative ministry, but they found it difficult to attract support. LaFontaine had developed a firm grip on the leadership of the French-Canadian Group, and few considered joining the Draper–Viger ministry. Viger's only success was to attract his cousin, Denis-Benjamin Papineau (younger brother of Louis-Joseph Papineau, still in exile) to accept a position as Commissioner of Crown Lands. The appointment triggered even more Patriote criticism, this time accusing the Papineau family of betraying the French-Canadian cause.

In October, 1844, nearly a year since the last sitting of Parliament, Metcalfe called a general election. The Draper–Viger ministry, already with little support in Canada East, lost even that support. Viger was defeated in his riding of Richelieu by Wolfred Nelson, the former leader in the Rebellion, now returned from exile and supporting LaFontaine. As was permitted at that time, Viger stood for election in a second riding, Montreal County. He was also defeated there, by André Jobin. Viger remained without a seat in the Assembly until 1845, when he won a by-election in the Three Rivers riding after the death of the incumbent member. Neilson, who was not a member of the ministry but supported it, was also defeated, as were other supporters, such as Austin Cuvillier. Viger's cousin Denis-Benjamin Papineau was the only member of the ministry re-elected in Canada East.

The Draper–Viger ministry stayed in power for another year, but with narrow majorities. It was sustained by the support of the Governor General, and by Draper's majority from Canada West in the Assembly. Finally, on June 17, 1846, Viger resigned his position in the Executive Council. He was succeeded as joint premier from Canada East by his cousin, Denis-Benjamin Papineau.

Viger did not stand for election in the general elections of 1847.

Member of the Legislative Council
In 1848, Viger was appointed to the Legislative Council. Draper recommended the appointment to the new Governor General, the Earl of Elgin, to strengthen the Draper ministry in the Council. However, Viger's interest in politics was waning. His last speech in the Council was in 1849, when he opposed the controversial Rebellion Losses Bill, put forward by the new LaFontaine–Baldwin ministry. Although the purpose of the bill was to compensate individuals in Canada East who had suffered property damage during the Rebellion, he argued that it was too costly for the provincial government.

In articles written for the newspapers, Viger opposed the abolition of seigneurial tenure, a major land reform brought in by Lafontaine. Viger critiqued it as pillaging the property rights of the seigneurial class. He also wrote articles opposing the Montreal Annexation Manifesto, which proposed that the Province of Canada should be annexed by the United States.

Viger rarely appeared in the Council. In 1858, fifty years after he was first elected to the Assembly of Lower Canada, he lost his seat in the Council for failure to attend two sessions of the Parliament.

Later life and death
Viger's wife died in 1854. Thereafter, he mainly kept to himself in his house in Montreal. Amédée Papineau, son of Louis-Joseph Papineau, said that Viger had the finest art collection and library in Montreal. His wine cellar was said to be one of the best in Montreal. He maintained a social life, entertaining friends and families.

Viger died in Montreal in 1861. He left most of his fortune to his younger cousin, Côme-Séraphin Cherrier, whom Viger's parents had taken in when Cherrier's mother had died. Viger left his library to the Séminaire de Saint-Hyacinthe.

His funeral was celebrated at Notre-Dame in Montreal. He is buried in Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery.

Legacy
Joseph Royal, former editor of La Minerve, eulogised Viger:

The Montreal Gazette commented shortly after Viger's death that his life could be summed up by "a desire to secure the blessings of free government for his fellow countrymen."

Viger's home is listed on the federal listing of Canada's Historic Places, and also on the Répertoire du patrimoine culturel du Québec.

The Montreal West Island Integrated University Health and Social Services Centre operates the Centre d'hébergement Denis-Benjamin-Viger, providing psychosocial, nursing, pharmaceutical, medical and rehabilitation services. It is located on Cherrier Street, L'Île-Bizard, Montreal, the same street as the Manoir Denis-Benjamin-Viger.

There is a long-term care and housing centre for retired individuals, the CHSLD Denis-Benjamin-Viger, also on Cherrier Street, Île-Bizard, Montreal.

Works

 * Considérations sur les effets qu'ont produit en Canada, la conservation des établissemens du pays, les moeurs, l'éducation, etc., de ses habitans [...] (Montréal, 1809)
 * Analyse d'un entretien sur la conservation des établissements du Bas-Canada [...] (Montréal, 1826)
 * Considérations relatives à la dernière révolution de la Belgique (Montréal, 1831)
 * Observations sur la réponse de Mathieu, lord Aylmer, à la députation du Tattersall, [...] sur les affaires du Canada [...] (Montréal, 1834)
 * Observations de l'hon. D.B. Viger, contre la proposition faite dans le Conseil législatif [...] de rejeter le bill de l'Assemblée, pour la nomination d'un agent de la province (Montréal, 1835)
 * Mémoires relatifs à l'emprisonnement de l'honorable D.B. Viger (Montréal, 1840)
 * La Crise ministérielle et Mr. Denis Benjamin Viger [...] (Kingston, 1844).

title: Denis-Benjamin Viger


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Talk:Caucasus

Caucasus
Iran is not a Caucasian nation, the Caucasus ends at the border with Iran.Azerbaijani 21:49, 28 April 2007 (UTC)

 * I took Iran out, because as far as I know, no part of Iran is in the Caucasus. The border with Iran marks the end of the Caucasus and the beginning of the Iranian plateau (relatively ofcourse).Azerbaijani 21:24, 2 June 2007 (UTC)
 * Some part of Iran are in Caucasus, Most parts of Caucasus was under control and a part of Iran at Qajar Dynasty, which was given to Russian under several wars. By the way, Iran had a long time of history and culture within Caucasus. Amiria703 (talk) 15:35, 28 July 2023 (UTC)

Anyone who considers Greece, the Caucasus or anything in that region European, seriously needs to actually live in these places to appreciate their profound ignorance. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.254.81.209 (talk) 14:05, 5 December 2007 (UTC)
 * Greece not European? What the heck do you mean by that?  ''It was the Greeks who came up with the concept of Europe in the first place! Wardog (talk) 15:41, 17 August 2011 (UTC)

 * Europe is an invented continent. It's really just part of the larger Eurasian land mass. But based on conventional definitions Greece is clearly European. In fact, it was the Greeks who invented the idea of Europe as a separate continent. They considered themselves Europeans back then and still do today. So by all accounts, they are more "European" than anyone else. They symbolize the origins of the concept of Europe. Now do tell us how Greece is not European and how one can realize this by living there? What, just because it has some cultural differences than other parts of Europe? Do you think all European cultures are the same? Europe is not a monolith. Of course there is going to be differences between regions. It's a highly diverse and fragmented place. Is France like Latvia? Is Ireland like Romania? Is Finland like Italy? By your logic Hindu India is not part of "Asia" because it doesn't adhere to the Islamic and Confucian traditions that dominate the continent.      — Preceding unsigned comment added by TheyCallMeTheEditor (talk • contribs) 22:31, 8 September 2012 (UTC)

Ethno-Linguistic groups in the Caucasus region- that map is totally wrong. It shows in eastern Turkey language is Kurdish. But in East Turkey there are 3 million Kurdish, and 25 million Turkish. So, what is it? just a biased map... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.228.61.2 (talk) 12:49, 13 August 2008 (UTC)

Image
A more recent map should be used here to show current countries BigEyedFish (talk) 07:46, 10 January 2008 (UTC)

 * I agree with the proposal and think this image is suitable. As caucasus is a geographical region this picture is more suitable for the article that the other images on the wikicommons which are political maps mostly. [[Image:Caucasus region 1994.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Geographical map of Caucasus with national borders shown]] -ArazZeynilitalkcontrib19:21, 12 January 2008 (UTC)

To the author - since when Abkhazia became southern Russia and is disputed? It's de facto independent, but for the entire world, it's still part of Georgia.

definition not correct
"The Caucasus or Caucasia is a region in Eurasia bordered on the north by Russia, on the southwest by Turkey, on the west by the Black Sea, on the east by the Caspian Sea, and on the south by Iran." I think the defintion is not correct. The region is not bordered with Turkey's and Russia's borders as it is bordered with Black Sea, Caspian and Iran. So a reader may get a meaning that Caucasia ends with border of Russia and Turkey, which is not correct part of these countries are included in Caucasian region. We should rephrase the first definition sentence.-ArazZeynilitalkcontrib19:43, 12 January 2008 (UTC)

Image addition?
An image of this particular region would be swell... not just maps. - tbone (talk) 14:43, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

You should remove the biblical references. The human genome project proves where modern man originated from over almost 200,000 years ago. From Adam to Noah there was only a thousand years. Anyone living in the Caucus region would have been far removed from the geneology of Noah by at least 190,000 years. Even the ability of humans to speak and spread oral history is relatively new, and the ability to write is even newer. The Garden of Eden was located at the convergence of three rivers near southern Iraq, which is where the Sumarian civilization first began to write. The migration from there to the Caucasus region would have taken thousands of years. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 63.110.172.227 (talk) 06:58, 31 March 2010 (UTC)

Caucasian
I accidentally posted the following question in South Caucasus' talk page, but meant to have it here: "Does this article need to address whether or not South Caucasus has any link at all, direct or indirect, to the nationality known as "Caucasian"? (I confess that I have no idea.) Thanks." 98.202.38.225 (talk) 15:19, 31 May 2008 (UTC) There's no such a thing as nationality Caucasian. Maybe you meant race? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mchedela (talk • contribs) 07:05, 21 June 2008 (UTC)

Demographics and ethno-linguistic families
I'm perplexed how the article jumps from the Georgians to the Chechens in terms of largest ethnolinguistic groups. I think you missed the Armenians and the Azeris. I suggest a little research an re-writing. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.205.53.50 (talk) 01:26, 8 August 2008 (UTC)
 * The article says "The largest peoples of the Caucasian language family..." — Armenian and Azeri don't belong to the Caucasian languages. Of course, there's no such thing as "one Caucasian language family", but it's very probable that it refers to people with languages indigenous to the Caucasus region. — N-true (talk) 12:59, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

Although, Armenian is classified as a Indo-European language and Azeri, Turkic, it's still misleading not to discuss them when the page is a discussion of the whole territory of the Caucasus. I quickly found this link for info, but there may be others: http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Caucasian-languages —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.205.53.50 (talk) 15:24, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

Etymology
Any idea what the etymology of the word Caucasia or Caucasus is? I couldn't find anything in dictionaries. Thanks. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.106.83.224 (talk) 05:13, 18 August 2008 (UTC) Hi there this part of the article has some syntax issues both in English as well as Persian (where you read kuhkāf in stead of kāfkuh). Wikijamin (talk) 00:15, 2 June 2009 (UTC)

And what is this malarky? "Etymology The word Caucasus derives from Caucas, the ancestor of the North Caucasians.[2] He was a son of Togarmah, grandson of Biblical Noah's third son Japheth. According to Leonti Mroveli after the fall of the Tower of Babel and the division of humanity into different languages, Togarmah settled with his sons: Kartlos, Haik (Georgian:ჰაოს, Haos), Movakos, Lekos (Lak people), Heros (Kindgom of Hereti), Kavkas, and Egros (Kingdom of Egrisi) between two inaccessible mountains, presumably Mount Ararat and Mount Elbrus." Come on religion based hearsay as an etymology?

---I find the above comment funny. Seriously though, the statement of the name descended from a folkloric person should not be presented as a cold hard fact unless there is other evidence to support it. I am surprised this got by. Few English speaking people probably read about the Caucasus. I read a little Russian, but not much. It looks like the Etymology section of the Russian wiki page mentions Herodotus. 74.101.163.144 (talk) 22:11, 6 May 2011 (UTC)

Etymonline says: "Caucasus: mountain range between Europe and the Middle East, from Gk. kaukhasis, said by Pliny ("Natural History," book six, chap. XVII) to be from a Scythian word similar to kroy-khasis, lit. "(the mountain) ice-shining, white with snow." But possibly from a Pelasgian root *kau- meaning "mountain." —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.91.190.226 (talk) 19:11, 12 January 2010 (UTC)

between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East
It surely isn't between these places. It must surely be in one, some or all of them. Also, the middle east is in Asia. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.140.57.113 (talk) 11:43, 17 August 2009 (UTC)

Ethnic Groups In Caucasus Region 2009.jpg
first politologia should explain this edit.--Bouron (talk) 08:16, 15 April 2010 (UTC)

 * And please explain this edit. --KoberTalk 08:16, 9 May 2010 (UTC)

 * Why I should explain it. File:Caucasus-ethnic en.svg was put to the article earlier. compare there dates.

 * Lets not to start edit war. we have talk page to discuss new edits what is politologias edit.--Bouron (talk) 08:53, 9 May 2010 (UTC)

 * Politologia's edit does not contradict any of Wikipedia's policies, while your's does. You have reverted him/her several times without any explanation given on talk.--KoberTalk 08:58, 9 May 2010 (UTC)
 * I reverted her one time. see history.--Bouron (talk) 09:47, 9 May 2010 (UTC)

I was waiting for explanations for politologia's map is better CIA's map. --Bouron (talk) 17:49, 10 May 2010 (UTC)

Map
The map used in this article, claiming to show the Caucasus, shows only the North Caucasus plus Georgia. In addition, it appears that it is a copyright violation, and likely to be deleted. Can anyone find a suitable map that covers the whole region? Skinsmoke (talk) 23:05, 8 July 2012 (UTC)
 * Map substituted. It's not exactly the best map, but is better than anything else available on Wikimedia Commons.  Skinsmoke (talk) 23:13, 8 July 2012 (UTC)

Partially recognised states
South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Nagomo Karabakh are not independent states and should not be listed as such at the beginning of the article. I realise they've been put in italics to indicate that they are partially recognised, but they should also be listed under the countries they officially belong to. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.102.43.72 (talk) 23:03, 8 September 2012 (UTC)
 * They're all functionally independent. It makes more sense to put them as italicised states than italicised autonomous regions, especially as both Nagorno-Karabakh and South Ossetia don't at all match administrative divisions of their claimant. CMD (talk) 17:06, 22 September 2012 (UTC)

It doesn't matter if you consider them to be functionally independent. These areas are officially part of Georgia and Azerbaijan and this is not acknowledged in the list. It's fine to mention that they are partially recognised as independent states but to have no mention of the countries these places officially belong to is ridiculous. 86.17.19.215 (talk) 09:46, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
 * Good point. We should add that to the note at the bottom. CMD (talk) 10:15, 5 October 2012 (UTC)

The note at the bottom doesn't tell us which countries these areas officially belong to. The only sensible (and neat) way to include all the information is to list the areas under their respective countries and mention in the footnote that they are partially recognised as independent. There is also an NPOV issue in listing unrecognised countries as sovereign states in the main list and only mentioning their disputed status in a footnote. It should be the other way round. The official information should be in the main list and the unofficial recognition should be mentioned in the footnote. Seems pretty obvious that the official info. should take precedence. 86.17.19.215 (talk) 11:45, 5 October 2012 (UTC)
 * Hence "we should add". I've now done this. Official information is not more neutral than unofficial information, and actually has far more reason to hold a POV. CMD (talk) 17:23, 15 October 2012 (UTC)

Not in an encyclopaedia. I still think it's dumb (and far less neutral) to have unrecognised states listed as sovereign nations with their true status only mentioned in a footnote, but I don't care sufficiently to change it. 86.17.19.215 (talk) 16:47, 21 October 2012 (UTC)

Abkhazia, Karabakh
Abkhazia and karabakh is recognized by UN, EU Nato and by 99% of world government as parts of Georgia and Azerbaijan. excluding Russia nauru vanautu tuvalu and venezuela. Chipmunksdavis u are provoking separatism and radicalism, if karabakh is listed as country than Chechnya must be listed as country too, Ingushetia, Dagestan Circassia Kabardia must be listed as countries too. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 176.73.210.231 (talk • contribs)
 * Chechnya, Ingushetia, etc. have no strong de facto control over their territories. More information can be found at sovereignty and list of states with limited recognition. CMD (talk) 15:38, 30 October 2012 (UTC)

Chimpunkdavis is vandal person. Abkhazia and Karabakh are official territories of Azerbaijan and Georgia. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 176.73.208.159 (talk • contribs)

For crying out loud, now Nagomo Karabakh is under azerbaijan but the georgian ones are still listed as independent. So now it's both wrong an inconsistent. It really shouldn't be this hard to compile a list of countries. I'm fixing it to be in accordance with official statuses and mentioning the partial recognition in the footnote. Hopefully that will be the end of this. 86.17.19.215 (talk) 03:06, 21 November 2012 (UTC)
 * That was another IP. The official status of NKR and South Ossetia according to Azerbaijan and Georgia is that they don't even exist as administrative entities, despite what our table would imply. The current footnote even notes which countries the breakaway states are considered to be part of. Wikipedia doesn't just follow official positions. See WP:Official name as an example. CMD (talk) 11:43, 24 November 2012 (UTC)

National borders and statuses are arbitrary man made concepts. There is no metaphysically true position here. Official international recognition is the only standard we have to work from. I have the united nations and 99% of the world on my side. On your side you have recognition from a handful of nations, some of which are not even recognised themselves. Give me one good reason why your version of events should take precedence over the official version. 86.17.19.215 (talk) 23:10, 25 November 2012 (UTC)
 * It's not my version of events, it's the reality on the ground. You don't need a metaphysical position to say that Georgia has absolutely no control in Sukhumi, or Azerbaijan in Stepanakert. As much as the Nagorno-Karabakh border may be a man made concept, it's also a bloody long trench in the ground. CMD (talk) 00:18, 26 November 2012 (UTC)

Yout perception of the situation on the ground is not an objective standard. This is an article about a geopolitical area. The question is whether these places are independent sovereign nations; not whether Tbilisi has real control over them. There's more to being an independent sovereign nation than having control.86.17.19.215 (talk) 00:39, 26 November 2012 (UTC)
 * It's not my perception of the situation, it is the actual situation, which is pretty objective, as far as standards go. Please see the Declarative theory of statehood. There's more than one way to define a state. The dispute over their statehood is indicated by the italics, and by the footnote. CMD (talk) 11:17, 26 November 2012 (UTC)

And the dispute over their statehood is mentioned in my version in the footnote. A footnote is where it belongs. The fact that abkhazia and south ossettia enjoy a high degree of autonomy does not mean that they are free states with the same status as Russia or Georgia. They should not be on the same level of the list as them. They are bound, by international law, to Georgia and should be listed under it. Their de facto independence is noteworthy, which is why it's included in the footnote. Nagorno-Karabakh is on even shakier ground because it's not even recognised by any real country. 86.17.19.215 (talk) 15:53, 26 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Abkhazia and South Ossetia don't "enjoy a high degree of autonomy", they function completely separately from Georgia. Euphemisms won't change this. Placing them on the level of subdivisions gives the misleading impression that they function as such, when they are, as you say, de facto independent. Nagorno-Karabakh is also completely independent, totally outside of the control of the Azerbaijani government. CMD (talk) 18:30, 26 November 2012 (UTC)

It seems completely clear that these entities should be under their own flag because of the fact that they are de facto independent. For me, thats it. We,as wikipedia cannot take a side in this dispute - simply present things as they are. The fact is they exist and this should be represented. Outback the koala (talk) 02:54, 28 November 2012 (UTC)
 * Agree on flags, but the main dispute here is whether they should be listed under their claimant states in the same way as the autonomous regions are, or in line with states (in both cases italicised). CMD (talk) 12:28, 28 November 2012 (UTC)
 * I would list them with states. If they are italicised then that would handle the dispute issue. Outback the koala (talk) 23:32, 28 November 2012 (UTC)
 * If those breakaway regions are considered de-jure parts of certain states, that connection should be demonstrated. Completely detaching them I believe is wrong. Grand  master  17:40, 29 November 2012 (UTC)
 * It's demonstrated in their being italicised, and explicitly noted, state by state, in the note below. CMD (talk) 18:22, 29 November 2012 (UTC)
 * That may not be sufficient. Listing the unrecognized statelets in almost the same manner as de-jure states gives a wrong impression that they all have the same status. While the footnotes provide explanation of their status, the visual display kind of contradicts that. I think this causes most of objections. Italicising is not so much visible. I think the unrecognized entities should somehow be grouped together with the states they are recognized to be parts of. Grand  master  08:02, 30 November 2012 (UTC)
 * The italicising is part of the visual display, which in no way contradicts the note. Let's not belittle readers by assuming they can't put two and two together (3 including the map). CMD (talk) 17:25, 30 November 2012 (UTC)

As Russian citizen, I can proove that Tbilisi has NO control over Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Georgian laws have no power in these regions, people of these regions don't have Georgian citizenship, they don't study Georgian language and there's no titles on this language; these territories have their own flag, coat of arms and hymn, own vehicle registration plates. As a national currency uses Russian ruble but not Georgian lari.217.66.156.142 (talk) 08:20, 30 November 2012 (UTC)

Clarification needed
Perhaps there should be a brief NPOV mention of disputed territories in this region with a or  template:
 * For further information on disputed territories in this region, see [this], [that] and [the other].
 * -or-

~E:74.60.29.141 (talk) 10:02, 10 November 2012 (UTC)
 * There should probably be a section on states and disputed territories. We can just shift the list from the lead. CMD (talk) 12:21, 10 November 2012 (UTC)

backward
The following paragraph needs to be bumped ahead of the paragraph immediately above it: "In modern times, the Caucasus became a region of war among the Ottoman Empire, Iran and Russia, and was eventually conquered by the latter (see Caucasian Wars)." The article on Caucasian Wars says they took place between 1817–1864, which is a century before the 1918 conquest by the new Soviet Union. The indicated paragraph follows directly from the final sentence of the paragraph it should follow. 71.163.114.49 (talk) 17:45, 25 June 2013 (UTC)
 * ✅, thanks! CMD (talk) 19:53, 25 June 2013 (UTC)

Possible copyright problem
This article has been revised as part of a large-scale clean-up project of multiple article copyright infringement. (See the investigation subpage) Earlier text must not be restored, unless it can be verified to be free of infringement. For legal reasons, Wikipedia cannot accept copyrighted text or images borrowed from other web sites or printed material; such additions must be deleted. Contributors may use sources as a source of information, but not as a source of sentences or phrases. Accordingly, the material may be rewritten, but only if it does not infringe on the copyright of the original or plagiarize from that source. Please see our guideline on non-free text for how to properly implement limited quotations of copyrighted text. Wikipedia takes copyright violations very seriously. Diannaa (talk) 01:53, 15 March 2014 (UTC)

This is a GORGEOUS article!!!!
Just happened by it and wanted to say kudos... I love all the info, the flags, all the pictures, the terms in different languages, etc... Really well done! I'm nominating it for a Good Article. Wikimandia (talk) 21:46, 23 January 2015 (UTC)

Added Kurdish and Ukrainian to Modern Endonyms
Ukrainians/Cossacks and Kurds/Yazidis both have significant populations in the region, so I included Ukrainian and Kurdish to the Modern Endonyms subsection. Adorkable Corgi (talk) 08:56, 10 August 2015 (UTC)

People of the Caucasus and Adorkable Corgi (talk) 09:38, 24 October 2015 (UTC)

Caucasus region
One explanation for my edit. Caucasus is located in between Iran and Turkey. But that does not mean Iran and Turkey a part of the Caucasus. Bruskom  talk to me 03:25, 27 January 2016 (UTC) <-- Blocked sock of User:Iraqi man10

On Transcription of Tehraner Persian (Received Pronunciation) قفقاز
Dear User:LouisAragon, Generally the letter "q" stands for the phoneme /q/ (Voiceless uvular stop). There is no such a phoneme in Tehraner Persian. The Perso-Arabic letter "qaf" in a typical RP of Tehraner Persian syllable structure pronounces /ɢ/ or /ɣ/ (intervocalic positions). On the other hand, despite the historical Persian vowel system that the vowel pairs differ in length /a/ vs. /a:/ (quantitative distinction), in RP Tehraner Persian they differ in quality /æ/ (near-open front unrounded vowel) vs. /ɒ/ (open back rounded vowel). So "Ghæfghaz" is a better Romanisation/Transcription for قفقاز. X.goodarzie 13:30, 1 March 2016 (UTC)

Geographic Map
Current geographic map is required to be changed. Regions are labeled with nor current legal names neither ones in any other period. The region which is on north east part of Turkish Republic is labeled with utterly irrelevant name. This map is incorrect and inappropriate. It is required to be changed. Aruperusaidu (talk) 06:57, 19 April 2016 (UTC)

Partially or unrecognized states
Armenia is not recognized by the Pakistani government, so we must add Armenia to Partially or unrecognized states.

''Pakistan was the first country along with Turkey to recognize Azerbaijan after its independence. Pakistan does not recognize Armenia and will never do so. We speak with one voice on NagornoKarabakh. On 14th March, 2008 we together passed the first Resolution 882 on Nagorno-Karabakh. Azerbaijan has supported us on Kashmir and we are thankful to you for that.''

Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed

Pakistan has not recognized Armenia nor established diplomatic relations with that country

Eldar Ibrahimov

Beshogur (talk) 14:23, 8 July 2016 (UTC)

 * That section is for countries that either have no recognition or some. Armenia is recognized by every other country in the world. Also partially means: only in part; to a limited extent. How is one country out of close to 200 partially?Ninetoyadome (talk) 18:12, 10 July 2016 (UTC)
 * Armenia is not recognized by all countries. Get your facts! Beshogur (talk) 14:05, 11 July 2016 (UTC)
 * According to Pakistan, they are the only country that doesnt recognize Armenia. http://defence.pk/threads/pakistan-the-only-country-not-recognizing-armenia.298703/ Maybe you should get your facts straight. Ninetoyadome (talk) 16:25, 11 July 2016 (UTC)
 * @Beshogur; I hope you're actually joking with your proposal, because otherwise you're blatantly violating WP:GAME. Bests - LouisAragon (talk) 17:45, 11 July 2016 (UTC)

English-language Caucasus map?
Is anyone able to make an English-language version of the used in this article? I added the English translations of the French places names in the comments section of this Graphics Lab request. Thank you! Ketone16 (talk) 20:37, 16 July 2016 (UTC)
 * Never mind; I created my own English version and added it to the article. Ketone16 (talk) 04:06, 24 July 2016 (UTC)

External links modified
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Demonym/adjective?
Should it be included in the infobox? And which one? It's either Caucasian or Caucasic, or both.--46.172.130.105 (talk) 23:36, 2 December 2016 (UTC)

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Infobox
I accept that Iran and Turkey are not in the Caucusus, but then, do you know to reformat the infobox? Leo1pard (talk) 04:45, 18 January 2018 (UTC)

Never mind, fixed it. Leo1pard (talk) 07:27, 18 January 2018 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 5 July 2018
Please add the flags of Iran and Turkey, in the right hand side table under the map of the region. There should be six countries which are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Russia, Turkey, not four. Jacob485 (talk) 04:08, 5 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Red information icon with gradient background.svg Not done: Iran and Turkey are not Caucasus. —  LeoFrank   Talk 07:05, 5 July 2018 (UTC)

Map is misleading since it obscures most of North Caucasus
@LouisAragon I don't know how you can say a map which misleads readers as to the extent of the region is more "useful". It's the first image they will see in the entire article and it clearly infers the region is much smaller then it actually is. Also you can't see any of the labels at the size it is in the infobox, that's why locator maps typically go in the infobox and more detailed maps go in the article body. I can't find a detailed map showing the whole region, but I'm pretty sure it's far more preferred that we have a map which shows the actual extent of the region as the first thing the reader is going to see. Rob984 (talk) 14:53, 24 July 2018 (UTC)

 * I understand what you mean, but it can be argued both ways. Yeah, a detailed map showing the whole region would be ideal. Anyways, lets see what other editors of this topic area think  . Do you prefer this map for the infobox or this one? - LouisAragon (talk) 20:03, 24 July 2018 (UTC)
 * I do not have a strong opinion on this, any of the two maps would be fine.--Ymblanter (talk) 20:11, 24 July 2018 (UTC)

Recent reverts
I'm adding quotes from the Britannica source now but in the future, but I don't think you reviewed the Britannica source before reverting. Please make sure the content is actually verified by the inline citations. If there are other reliable sources with different views we can discuss that here, but we can't cite Britannica for the statement that A less common definition also includes portions of northwestern Iran and northeastern Turkey. when Britannica itself uses that definition. (The 1910 Britannica doesn't, but the most recent one that we've cited does:

Britannica is also a pretty heavyweight source, so whatever sources are brought to bear on this would need to be equally authoritative. I'm absolutely not going to get behind miscited sources the way it was done in this article. Seraphim System ( talk ) 22:28, 26 November 2018 (UTC)

Polinarok
I am sorry I take back Polinarok's changes because I see already LouisAragon earlier takes back same changes for "POV" and Polinarok gave reason "Caucasus is a borderland" but current article already says this. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Agamede (talk • contribs) 00:18, 10 February 2019 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the nomination page. —Community Tech bot (talk) 07:17, 15 April 2019 (UTC)
 * Gubernias del Caucaso.png

Countries of the Caucasus
I added three countries to the list, since parts of Iran, Iraq and Turkey are also considered by many as being part of the Transcaucasus and therefore, part of the Caucasus. I quote, from this source, page 72 : "Transcaucasia is in many respects part of the Middle East and more specifically of a broader area encompassing parts of northwestern Iran, northern Iraq and eastern Turkey." ---Wikaviani  (talk) (contribs)  22:37, 29 May 2019 (UTC)

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The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the. —Community Tech bot (talk) 21:52, 14 August 2019 (UTC)
 * Georgian empire with tributaries.png

Armenian and Circassian genocide
I see nothing about the Armenian genocide in this article. This, and to a lesser extent, the Circassian genocide, are important to the history of this region.Naddruf (talk) 03:50, 18 September 2019 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the. —Community Tech bot (talk) 06:33, 14 October 2020 (UTC)
 * Caucasus-ethnic en.svg

Autonomous republics and federal regions
As per the USSR administration, the autonomous republics and oblasts are referred to the regions with limited autonomy, not the ones with full independence. This concept was applied to all non-abolished autonomous entities after the union republics became independent in 1991. The term "autonomous" does not mean the central government has no control over the territory, but rather it means that the territory has certain autonomy. Georgia and Azerbaijan abolished South Ossetia Autonomous Oblast and Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast respectively in 1990-1991. Officially there are no such autonomies recognized by the central governments. I propose to remove Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) from the list of "Autonomous republics and Federal regions", but to retain that under "Partially recognized states". Same is already applied to South Ossetia in this article and why not to do the same with Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) for accuracy and consistency? KHE'O (talk) 18:37, 12 January 2021 (UTC)

 * Seems that we both have our definitions of autonomy relating to this topic, albeit both seem to be correct (Artsakh is ultimately an autonomous country). But meh, it's a minor gripe, go ahead, I retract my objection. --HistoryofIran (talk) 19:15, 12 January 2021 (UTC)

 * Thanks --KHE'O (talk) 19:19, 12 January 2021 (UTC)

Artsakh Autonomy
Hello. It seems there is an active edit war ongoing on the article. Please try to settle it here. I accidentally got involved when I did the same edit, not knowing that it was subject to an edit war between you guys. Personally, it doesn't make much sense for Artsakh to be in the list of Autonomous territories since, firstly, Republic of Artsakh is a breakaway, de-facto independent state, not an autonomous republic and within Azerbaijan's legislature, there is no autonomy given yet to Nagorno-Karabakh (it was abolished in 1991). So, currently, only autonomous region in Azerbaijan is Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. If Azerbaijan controls Artsakh or not doesn't matter since a territory's autonomy is decided by its de-jure country (and not even Artsakh claims it's autonomous since it claims to be independent). — CuriousGolden (T·C)  19:11, 12 January 2021 (UTC)

 * Thank you for a third party view. --KHE'O (talk) 19:20, 12 January 2021 (UTC)

uzbekistan
uzbekistan in part of kavkaz so why isn’t it on the page? 2A02:1810:2426:3C00:DC55:6014:3620:3E8F (talk) 22:48, 2 December 2021 (UTC)

The population in the "total" column is incorrect. 172.220.35.10 (talk) 17:23, 6 March 2023 (UTC)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Talk:Caucasus


text:
Dan Spivey

Daniel Eugene Spivey (born October 14, 1952) is an American retired professional wrestler best known under the ring names "Dangerous" Dan Spivey, Dangerous Dan, The Left Hand Man, Danny Spivey, Mr. America, and Waylon Mercy, initially working under the name Starship Eagle. Throughout his career, he has worked extensively for World Championship Wrestling, the World Wrestling Federation, and All Japan Pro Wrestling. He retired from wrestling in 1995 due to injuries and now works in alcoholism counselling in his native Florida.

Spivey spent a lot of his career as part of various tag teams and is especially known in the U.S. for teaming with Sid Vicious and then with "Mean" Mark Callous as "The Skyscrapers" in WCW and teaming with Mike Rotunda to form The American Express in WWF. He started his career teaming with Starship Coyote, collectively known as "American Starship". In Japan he teamed with various wrestlers over the years winning the World Tag Team Championship with Stan Hansen and teaming with Johnny Ace for long periods of time.

His last wrestling persona, Waylon Mercy, was inspired by Robert De Niro's portrayal of Max Cady in the 1991 remake of Cape Fear. While he only worked a few matches under that name, he later inspired the creation of the Bray Wyatt character as Spivey worked with Windham Rotunda to initially develop it.

Early life
Spivey was born in Tampa, Florida. He attended the University of Georgia, where he played football for the Georgia Bulldogs for three seasons as a defensive end and was named an All-American football player in his sophomore year. Spivey aimed to play football professionally and was drafted by the New York Jets but did not sign with the Jets, instead deciding to sign with the Jacksonville Express of the World Football League in June 1975. He was released by the Express in late July 1975, before the start of the regular season. Spivey spent several years working in a number of jobs in Tampa before meeting professional wrestler Dusty Rhodes, who offered to train him to wrestle.

Championship Wrestling from Florida (1983–1984)
Spivey was trained as a wrestler by Dusty Rhodes, the then-booker for Championship Wrestling from Florida (CWF) and made his debut in 1983. Spivey and Scott Hall formed a tag team in CWF called "American Starship". Spivey adopted the ring name "Eagle" and Hall the ring name "Coyote". The men wore furry boots, bright masks and silver pants.

Jim Crockett Promotions (1984–1985)
In 1984, Rhodes moved from Championship Wrestling from Florida to the Charlotte, North Carolina-based Jim Crockett Promotions, bringing Spivey and Hall with him. Initially, American Starship worked only sporadically. At first, they were booked so sparingly that the two were given a job for the Charlotte Orioles (which Jim Crockett owned at the time) as part of the ground crew. When the two men did get into the ring it was with little success. The highlight of their stay in Jim Crockett Promotions was being defeated by Arn and Ole Anderson when the rookies challenged for the NWA National Tag Team Championship.

After working in MACW the duo joined Bob Geigel's NWA Central States territory based in Kansas City in 1985. The duo had a shot at the NWA Central States Tag Team Champions Marty Jannetty and "Bulldog" Bob Brown but did not manage to win the titles. Spivey's stay in the Central States territory was short-lived, according to Scott Hall Spivey did not like Kansas City. Spivey returned to the Carolinas where he worked as "American Starship" Eagle.

World Wrestling Federation (1985–1988)
In the fall of 1985, Spivey signed with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and started wrestling without a mask and under his real name. Spivey was brought into team with Mike Rotunda as The U.S. Express after Barry Windham left the federation.

The team had their first match together on November 1, 1985 less than a month after Spivey joined the WWF. The team was sometimes billed as "The American Express", but most people referred to them as the U.S. Express II since the patriotic gimmick of the original U.S. Express was recycled with Spivey taking Barry Windham's place. The team continued the U.S. Express' feud with the Dream Team, but once they were proven unsuccessful, the two did not team from January to May as Rotundo briefly left the WWF. During this time Spivey took part in the WrestleMania 2 "Wrestlers and Football players" Battle Royal. Spivey was eliminated by The Iron Sheik without much fanfare. Once the American Express reunited, they feuded with The Moondogs, The Hart Foundation, and The Islanders, whom the team faced in their last match together on February 9, 1987.

Not long before Rotundo left the WWF, Spivey began to be billed as "Golden Boy" Danny Spivey which continued for his singles run after Rotundo left. His in-ring appearance at the time led to many fans labelling him a Hulk Hogan clone. As the "Golden Boy", Spivey wrestled in yellow trunks and boots, this colour choice combined with his height, build and blond hair saw him resemble the then WWF Champion. Spivey took part in the 1986 King of the Ring tournament, losing to Nikolai Volkoff in the first round. He also tried a new tag team partner. In March 1987 Spivey teamed with Tito Santana to unsuccessfully challenge the Hart Foundation for the tag team titles. Spivey was also part of the 1987 King of the Ring. This time he lost to Rick Martel in the first round. Spivey stayed with the WWF until the spring of 1988, becoming a heel and competing mainly against such low carders as Lanny Poffo and Outback Jack.

In 1991, Spivey testified that Dr George Zaharian had illegally supplied him with anabolic steroids in the late 1980s. Zaharian was ultimately found guilty.

All Japan Pro Wrestling (1988–1995)
After working exclusively in the United States since his debut, while making some appearances in Puerto Rico for the World Wrestling Council, Bruiser Brody talked to Spivey about going to Japan, Spivey started to tour with All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) in the summer of 1988 and kept touring with the company every year until 1995, when he signed with the WWF. In his first tour, Spivey gained ring experience by competing with Japanese wrestling legend Genichiro Tenryu. Spivey also teamed with Johnny Ace, a man he would team with many times during his Japanese tours.

1989
In early 1989, Spivey returned to the NWA and Jim Crockett. Spivey was made a member of The Varsity Club as a replacement for Rick Steiner, who left the group. Spivey's background as a football player at the University of Georgia was touched upon to lend credibility to his inclusion in the group. While in the Varsity Club, Spivey feuded with Rick Steiner and the Road Warriors, acting more as back-up while former tag team partner Mike Rotunda and Steve Williams were pushed as the stars of the group. When the Varsity Club disbanded, Spivey came under the management of ex-referee Teddy Long and started teaming with newcomer Sid Vicious under the name of The Skyscrapers. The Skyscrapers' (so named due to their height and leaness) first taste of success came at the Great American Bash pay-per-view, where they first co-won a Two-Ring King of the Hill Battle Royal with Sid being the survivor in one ring and Spivey surviving in the other. The rules called for the two to fight each other but manager Teddy Long convinced them to shake hands and share the prize money. Later in the night, the Skyscrapers defeated The Dynamic Dudes due to their overwhelming size and power.

The Skyscrapers quickly became involved in a feud with the Road Warriors, sparked by Teddy Long's actions while he was still a referee. The two teams were very evenly matched in power and intensity, creating a series of matches that did not favor one team over the other. Spivey and Vicious were disqualified against the Road Warriors at Halloween Havoc. Shortly after Halloween Havoc, the Skyscrapers faced the Steiner Brothers at Clash of the Champions IX in a hard hitting match. Sid Vicious suffered a punctured lung due to a broken rib. With Vicious out of action, Teddy Long brought in another tall newcomer in the same mold as Sid Vicious and Dan Spivey and dubbed him "Mean" Mark Callous. At the same time while working for the NWA as one of the Skyscrapers, Spivey also competed in his home state of Florida, winning the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship in late 1989. However, this title win was not referred to on NWA Television. Spivey would go on to hold the title until July 1992, when he lost it to Lou Perez.

1990
The New Skyscrapers immediately picked up the feud with the Road Warriors and kept on having inconclusive matches with them. At Clash of the Champions X the Skyscrapers finally got the better of the Road Warriors, not in the match, but afterwards when they beat the Road Warriors down. At this point in time, no one had ever been able to physically dominate the Road Warriors, something that pointed that big things had been planned for the Skyscrapers. However, in the days before the scheduled Chicago Street Fight at WrestleWar 1990, Dan Spivey suddenly left WCW, leaving the bookers to scramble for a replacement. Spivey stated in a shoot interview that he left the company over money issues, as well as his dislike of the Road Warriors themselves for taking what he perceived as liberties with his tag-team partner "Mean" Mark Callous.

Spivey kept on touring with AJPW while working for the NWA, mainly teaming with Stan Hansen. Spivey and Hansen formed a very popular Gaijin team that almost won AJPW's "World's Strongest Tag Determination League" in 1990. On September 1, Spivey made his return to WCW when he substituted for former partner Sid Vicious against Lex Luger at a house show in Greensboro, NC, losing via countout. Spivey returned to television on the September 14 edition of the WCW Power Hours, where he discussed facing Brian Pillman. On the same show he would defeat Lou Perez. On the September 16 edition of WCW Main Event, Spivey prevented Pillman from running the Gauntlet and won $5,000.

Spivey's next appearance came at Halloween Havoc 1990, where he threw a cowbell to AJPW partner Stan Hansen to use in a match against United States Champion Lex Luger. Hansen used the weapon and ended Luger's record title reign; this would in turn lay the groundwork for an eventual feud between Luger and Spivey. But before this could take place it was announced that the original Skyscrapers would reunite at Starrcade (1990). This took place, and he and Sid Vicious made short work of The Big Cat and The Motor City Madman.

1991
With Sid Vicious being part of the Four Horsemen, the Skyscraper reunion was short-lived. Instead, Spivey started to focus on his singles career in WCW, challenging WCW U.S. Champion "The Total Package" Lex Luger at the February 24, 1991 PPV WrestleWar. Spivey did not win the title, although he continued to receive opportunities during house shows in March 1991. However, he would not receive another high-profile title opportunity on television while with the company. In April, he found himself teaming with various combinations of the Four Horsemen and reunited with manager Teddy Long. In May he formed a short-lived tag-team with The Angel of Death (Dave Sheldon), the duo making their debut on the June 6 edition of WCW Pro and defeating Larry Santo and Keith Hart.

On May 19 at the inaugural SuperBrawl PPV, Spivey defeated Ricky Morton. That month he also began teaming with Stan Hansen in WCW; the duo having already captured the All Japan Pro Wrestling World Tag-Team Championship from Terry Gordy and Steve Williams in Tokyo, Japan on April 18, 1991. On June 22, 1991, Spivey and Hansen were booked to face Rick Steiner and Tom Zenk and Spivey was told to lose the match to Zenk. Spivey refused since the duo were the World Tag Team Champions. After further discussions, Dan Spivey once again left WCW. Stan Hansen would depart a day later after being booked to be a part of The Desperados angle that was airing on WCW programming.

Spivey and Hansen would lose the tag-team titles back to Gordy and Williams. After the title loss, Spivey started to team with other wrestlers, mainly with Johnny Ace, but also linked up with Jim Brunzell, Kendall Windham and Jim Steele.

1992
Spivey managed to mend fences with WCW and was brought in by new WCW Executive Vice President Bill Watts at the start of the summer of 1992. He made his televised return on July 4 edition of WCW Pro, defeating Gary Jackson. Spivey was given a renewed push and was undefeated in the summer against lower-level opposition. He also found himself frequently teaming with fellow new signing, The Barbarian. On August 6, 1992, he beat Tom Zenk at a house show in Fayetteville, NC. He was originally booked to team with The Barbarian at the Clash of the Champions XX in a match against Barry Windham and Dustin Rhodes, but was replaced by the newly arrived Butch Reed. He returned in December and suffered his first singles loss of his comeback on December 12, 1992, in Columbus, OH when he was defeated by WCW World Champion Ron Simmons. After another defeat to Simmons the following night, he teamed with Big Van Vader in a loss to Ron Simmons and WCW Television Champion Ricky Steamboat at a house show on December 13 in Greensboro, NC. On television, his biggest match during this time was his appearance at Starrcade where he teamed with Van Hammer to defeat Johnny B. Badd and Cactus Jack to advance in the "Lethal Lottery". Spivey was eliminated from the main event battle royal by eventual winner The Great Muta. His last televised match aired on the January 2, 1993 edition of WCW Worldwide where he lost to Dustin Rhodes. This match, having been previously taped on December 9, 1992, would be his last chronological match with the promotion.

Universal Wrestling Federation (1990, 1994)
In 1990, Spivey made regular American appearances for Herb Abrams' Universal Wrestling Federation (UWF). In 1994 he defeated Johnny Ace at UWF's Blackjack Brawl to become the only UWF Americas Champion.

Return to World Wrestling Federation (1995)
Spivey rejoined the WWF in June 1995, adopting the name "Waylon Mercy" in a character based on Robert De Niro's portrayal of Max Cady in the 1991 remake of Cape Fear. Like Cady, he had jet black hair, wore white attire with a Hawaiian shirt, and sported several strange tattoos, including one of a dagger on his forehead (Spivey's were temporary). The character was introduced through a series of vignettes that always had Spivey speaking in a calm yet sinister manner. In the final vignette before premiering the character in-ring, Spivey predicted that soon, "Lives are gonna be in Waylon Mercy's hands," a phrase that would later feature in his entrance music.

Spivey portrayed a heel despite his character acting as a peaceful southern gentleman outside the ring. Waylon would shake the hands of the fans and thank them for coming to see him wrestle, his opponent, and even the referee before his matches. However, once the bell rang, he became vicious, insincerely apologizing for actions such as kicking or choking a downed opponent. Mercy's finishing move saw him apply a sleeper hold as he revealed a wide-eyed, insane expression. Once the bell rang, he would return to his "peaceful southern gentleman" act.

Mercy was pushed upon his debut with victories over numerous enhancement talents (including a young Jeff Hardy), as well as established stars such as Bob Holly, The 1-2-3 Kid, and Doink The Clown. Soon after, he competed in matches with the top faces of the WWF at the time, such as Bret Hart, Razor Ramon, and WWF World Heavyweight Champion Diesel. Spivey's only pay-per-view appearance as Waylon Mercy came at In Your House 3, where he lost to Savio Vega. Spivey defeated Diesel by countout in his last televised match on September 26 (aired October 14). His last match was a win over Bob Holly in Cologne, Germany on October 10. He retired from WWF in October 1995.

Retirement (1995–present)
Spivey retired in 1995 due to injuries. After retiring, Spivey briefly attempted to forge a career as a fashion model. He went on to work for Spivey Underground Utility Construction Company, a construction company owned by his family. In 2014, Windham Rotunda revealed that his character of Bray Wyatt was given to him by Spivey who was attending the WWE Performance Center at the time and shares a number of similarities with the Waylon Mercy character.

On August 1, 2015, Spivey, at age 62, who hadn't wrestled since 1995 due to injuries, returned to the ring for Dory Funk Jr.'s !BANG! promotion. Spivey and Funk worked a 10-man Japanese Banzai match.

Spivey also voiced Mercy the Buzzard in Bray Wyatt's Firefly Funhouse segments in 2019, as the puppet was based on Waylon Mercy.

Personal life
Spivey was arrested on July 14, 2007, for driving under the influence in Odessa, Florida. He was released on $500 bond. He became sober in April 2009. He now owns his own company, Spivey's Sober Companions, in Odessa and Stamford, Connecticut. Spivey is also the Ambassador for the breakfast restaurant chain, The Breakfast Station in Florida.

Championships and accomplishments

 * All Japan Pro Wrestling
 * World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Stan Hansen
 * World's Strongest Tag Determination League New Wave Award (1988) – with Johnny Ace
 * World's Strongest Tag Determination League Distinguished Award (1990, 1991) - with Stan Hansen
 * Championship Wrestling from Florida
 * FCW Heavyweight Championship (2 times)
 * George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
 * Frank Gotch Award (2022)
 * Pro Wrestling Illustrated
 * Ranked No. 43 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 1992
 * Universal Wrestling Federation
 * UWF Americas Championship (1 time)

title: Dan Spivey


text:
User:Sarg/Welcome

Welcome!

'''Hi,, Welcome  to Wikipedia! '''Welcome to Wikipedia, the collaborative encyclopaedia that anyone can edit! I hope you like the place and decide to stay. We'll certainly be looking forward for your contributions. Here are a few good links for newcomers:'''

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Enfield revolver

The Enfield Revolver was a self-extracting British handgun designed and manufactured at the government-owned Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield, initially in the .476 calibre (actually 11.6 mm).

The .476 calibre Enfield Mk I and Mk II revolvers were the official sidearm of both the British Army and the North-West Mounted Police, as well as being issued to many other Colonial units throughout the British Empire. The term "Enfield Revolver" is not applied to Webley Mk VI revolvers built by RSAF Enfield between 1923 and 1926.

The Enfield No. 2 is an unrelated .38 calibre revolver that was the standard sidearm of British and Commonwealth forces during World War II.

Enfield Mk I and Mk II Revolvers
The first models of Enfield revolver were the .422-calibre Mark I (c.1880) and the .476-calibre Mark II (c.1882). They were the official British military sidearms from 1880 to 1887.

The .476 Enfield cartridge for which the Enfield Mk I/Mk II was chambered fired a 265 gr lead bullet, and was loaded with 18 gr of black powder. The cartridge was found to be underpowered, however, during the Afghan War and other contemporary Colonial conflicts, as it lacked the stopping power believed necessary for military use at the time.

Unlike most other self-extracting revolvers (such as the Webley service revolvers or the Smith & Wesson No. 3 Revolver), the Enfield Mk I/Mk II was complicated to unload, having an Owen Jones selective extraction/ejection system which was supposed to allow the firer to eject spent cartridges, whilst retaining live rounds in the cylinder. The Enfield Mk I/Mk II had a hinged frame, and when the barrel was unlatched, the cylinder would move forward, operating the extraction system and allowing the spent cartridges to simply fall out. The idea was that the cylinder moved forward far enough to permit fired cases to be completely extracted (and ejected by gravity), but not far enough to permit live cartridges (i.e., those with projectiles still present, and thus longer in overall length) from being removed in the same manner.

The system was obsolete as soon as the Enfield Mk I was introduced, especially as it required reloading one round at a time via a gate in the side (much like the Colt Single Action Army or the Nagant M1895 revolvers). Combined with the cumbersome nature of the revolver, and a tendency for the action to foul or jam when extracting cartridges, the Enfield Mk I/Mk II revolvers were never popular and eventually replaced in 1889 by the .455 calibre Webley Mk I revolver.

Canada: North-West Mounted Police Service
The Enfield Mk. II was the issue sidearm of the North-West Mounted Police in Canada from 1883 until 1911. NWMP Commissioner Acheson G. Irvine ordered 200 Mark IIs in 1882, priced at C$15.75 each, which were shipped by London's Montgomery and Workman in November that year, arriving in December. They replaced the Adams.

Irvine liked them so much that, in one of his final acts as Commissioner, he ordered another 600, which were delivered in September 1885. His replacement, Lawrence W. Herchmer, reported the force was entirely outfitted with Enfields (in all 1,079 were provided) and was pleased with them, but concerned about the .476 round being too potent.

The first batch was stamped NWMP-CANADA (issue number between) after delivery; later purchases were not. They were top-break single- or double-action, and fitted with lanyard rings. Worn spindle arms would fail to hold empty cases on ejection, and worn pivot pins could cause barrels to become loose, resulting in inaccuracy. Its deep rifling would allow firing of slugs of between .449 and .476 in diameter. Complaints began arising as early as 1887, influenced in part by the British switching to Webleys, and by 1896, hinge wear and barrel loosening were a real issue.

Beginning in late 1904, the Mark II began to be phased out in favor of the .45 calibre Colt New Service revolver, but the Enfield remained in service until 1911.

title: Enfield revolver


text:
User talk:InsaneSonikkuFan

Welcome!

Please join us for the next Bootcamp every night at midnight EST (2100 PST, 0500 UTC) to learn the ropes, or leave a message on our talk pages around that time for on-wiki help.

Hello, and welcome to Wikipedia, ! I hope you like the place and decide to keep contributing. Here are a few good links for newcomers:
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I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian. If you have any questions, see the help pages, add a question at the village pump or feel free to ask me on my Talk page. One more quick tip: to sign your name on a Talk page like I did below, the easiest way is just to type four tildes (~~~~). To customize your signature, look here. And remember:Be Bold!
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text:
Maxima (DC Comics)

Maxima is a character appearing in comics published by DC Comics. In her original incarnation, she was a morally ambiguous queen from the planet Almerac who is known for searching for mates among Earth's superhuman male population to be wedded as her king, and became obsessed with Superman for a time. She has also worked as a superheroine member of the Justice League. In her recent incarnations, she is reintroduced as a princess of Almerac and ally of Supergirl. Unlike her previous version, she is lesbian and struggles with following Almerac's traditions in continuing the royal line with finding a male mate.

Outside of comics, Maxima has appeared in the live-action series Smallville and Supergirl, respectively portrayed by Charlotte Sullivan and Eve Torres Gracie.

Publication history
Maxima first appeared in Action Comics #645 (September 1989) and was created by writer Roger Stern and artist George Pérez.

Post-Crisis
The oldest child of the royal family of the planet Almerac, the fiery-tempered Maxima came to Earth in search of a suitable mate to sire her heir, leaving behind Ultraa, her betrothed. Maxima's first appearance in Metropolis was not actually her but a simulacrum of her brought to Earth by her servant Sazu, who took it upon herself to convince Superman to be her mate. The simulacrum was destroyed and Sazu was imprisoned. The real Maxima then appeared to free Sazu and came face to face with Superman. She and Superman, she argued, were genetically compatible; she could "give him what no Earth woman could - children". She was infuriated when Superman rejected her offer, saying he had no desire to father despots.

Maxima later reluctantly worked with Brainiac after he destroys Almerac. However, she eventually rebels against him and joins the Justice League. When the League helped her save Almerac from Starbreaker, the planet's ruling council exiled her. As a Leaguer, she helped in the fight against Doomsday, and when that version of the League disbanded, she became a member of Captain Atom's Extreme Justice team. She considered Captain Atom as a potential mate, but he was not interested. During the period of her flirtation with Captain Atom, a jilted Ultraa angrily attacked him. Maxima eventually stopped the brawl and sent Ultraa back to Almerac. She later had a brief fling with another teammate, Amazing-Man, which lasted until the team was dissolved. While part of the Extreme Justice team, she joined with other heroes on a trip to Hell itself, mistakenly believing that Superman was trapped there. During the battle, Maxima fell and was lost in one of the 'nine rings'. She was sent back to Earth when Neron, the current ruler of Hell, was subdued.

She offered herself sexually to Superman again, hoping that her recent good deeds would offset her earlier ruthlessness. Superman, now married to Lois Lane, was even less interested in her proposal than before. Angry and humiliated, she joined the Superman Revenge Squad. She swore that Superman had rejected, humbled and humiliated her for the last time, and threatened that the next time they meet, it would truly be war.

During the "Our Worlds at War" event, Maxima works with various heroes to battle Imperiex before being killed by Brainiac 13.

The New 52
In 2011, The New 52 rebooted the DC Universe. A younger, revamped Maxima is briefly introduced in Supergirl #36 as a distinguished member of the Crucible Academy, an intergalactic organization that trains some planets' finest specimens to become their planets' protectors. She spends the next few issues bonding with Kara before eventually revealing in issue #40 that she is emotionally and sexually attracted to Kara. Maxima's homosexuality is the reason she left her home world and the demands of her culture to find an opposite-sex partner to produce children with. Additionally, "Maxima" is revealed to be a title rather than simply a name.

Superwoman
An older woman who resembles the more traditional Pre-Flashpoint version of the character in both appearance and personality briefly appeared as a villain and usurped the title. This version was a former Almeracian soldier serving the true Maxima's mother who was disappointed with the younger Maxima's reluctance in finding a male mate on account of her homosexuality. Believing her unworthy of the Maxima title and her royal heritage, the usuper would kidnap the younger woman and attempt to take her place. The older impostor was eventually defeated and imprisoned by the combined might of Supergirl, Superwoman and the real Maxima.

Personality and motivations
Overall, the portrayal of Maxima varied by writer. In her appearances in the various Superman titles, Maxima was typically depicted as a haughty and shallow individual with only self-centered motivations, lacking any real depth as a character. By contrast, in her appearances in the comic book series Extreme Justice and Steel, Maxima was developed as an individual with a warrior's sense of honor and a strong countenance of noble pride that had its humorous moments in relation to other characters. This was evident during Extreme Justice #10 and #11, where Maxima hosted the bachelorette party for Captain Atom's fiancée, Plastique, wearing a stylish and elegant "red carpet" dress while everyone else wore jeans to the event that was held in the party room of a humble Tex-Mex restaurant. This occurred again in later issues of that series, where she is visibly uncomfortable from seeing newly joined members, Zan and Jayna, gorge themselves on junk food at a mall food court.

Powers and abilities
As a scion of the Blood Royale of Almerac, Maxima commands a vast array of immense psionic powers that come from selective breeding and years of gene therapy which she can utilize in a variety of ways. In her first face to face encounter with Superman she displayed a high level of psionic powers, such as psychokinesis and seemingly hypnotic mind control. Maxima can use her psionic powers to give herself superhuman strength, enough to prove an effective opponent in hand-to-hand combat with a resurrected Superman or hold her own against the even stronger Doomsday. Maxima can increase her strength to an unlimited degree, pushing her past those in her tier. She also has enhanced stamina, as well as having such a degree of superhuman speed that she could easily move faster than the speed of light and proven herself to be able to keep up with speedsters such as the Flash. Through skillful application of her psionic powers, Maxima has been shown to emit powerful optical beams that can severely injure even Superman, take out Orion with one bolt, and she can create nearly impervious force fields. She is also capable of teleporting herself and others across vast distances, even from other worlds, which was demonstrated when she brought her adviser Sazu to Earth from a prison world. In the first battle with Doomsday in The Adventures of Superman #498, Maxima is the only one in that incarnation of the Justice League besides Superman who was able to actually hurt and withstand blows from Doomsday. Her various abilities and powers make her a threat potentially for the entire Justice League.

Other versions
An alternate universe incarnation of Maxima who married Superman following Lois Lane's death appears in Armageddon 2001.

Television

 * A character based on Maxima named Neila appears in Superboy, portrayed by Christine Moore. She possesses superhuman strength, speed, and durability, pyrokinesis, the ability to alter her hair, and teleportation.
 * Maxima appears in the Superman: The Animated Series episode "Warrior Queen", voiced by Sharon Lawrence. This version sports a whimsical personality, limited metal manipulation, and a bracelet that allows her to teleport.
 * Maxima appears in the Smallville episode "Instinct", portrayed by Charlotte Sullivan. This version possesses a toxic kiss and empathic powers.
 * Maxima appears in the Supergirl episode "Myriad", portrayed by Eve Torres Gracie. This version attempted to make Superman her mate, but was thwarted and incarcerated by the Department of Extranormal Operations (DEO).

Film
Maxima makes a non-speaking appearance in DC Super Hero Girls: Intergalactic Games as a student of the Korugar Academy.

Video games
Maxima appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.

Miscellaneous
Maxima makes non-speaking appearances in DC Super Hero Girls as a student of the Korugar Academy.

title: Maxima (DC Comics)