Map of Greater Armenia, Colchis, Iberia, and Albania – 1655

This 1655 map created by Nicolas Sanson and Jean Lhuillier is kept at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France in Paris. On the map, you can see Greater Armenia, Colchis, Iberia, and Albania.

Colchis (Ancient Greek: Κολχίς) is the Ancient Greek name of a historical region that has been situated along the eastern coast of the Black Sea and has occupied the Colchian lowlands and its surrounding areas. Today, the territory of Colchis is assigned to modern Georgian provinces of Abkhazeti, Adjara, Guria, Imereti, Racha, Samegrelo, Svaneti, present-day Russian Sochi and Tuapse districts, and modern Turkish provinces of Rize, Trabzon, and Artvin.

Among international audiences, Colchis is first of all renowned for its role in the Greek mythology as the destination of the Argonauts, as well as the home of Medea and the Golden Fleece. These lands have also been described to be rich in gold, iron, wood, and honey that have been mostly exported to Ancient Greece.

Iberia (Georgian: ქართლი, იბერია ანუ ივერია, Armenian: Վիրք, Greek: Ἰβηρία, Latin: Iberia) was a kingdom in the territory of historical Georgia. This region has been mentioned by antique Armenian, Byzantine, Greek, and many other authors.

Albania, which is usually also called Caucasian Albania to distinguish it from the European country Albania, is the name of a historic region in the Eastern Caucasus that is now occupied by the Republic of Azerbaijan. The endonym of Albania is unknown.

In ca. 1st century AD, the regions to the south of Greater Caucasus and north of Lesser Caucasus were divided between Colchis from the west, Iberia in the center, and Albania from the east. To the southwest of this region were located Armenia and southeastern areas of Atropatene.