It's a real place (albeit a less common name for it, from what I can tell) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Caucasus

The North Caucasus,or Ciscaucasia, is a region in Europe governed by Russia. It constitutes the northern part of the wider Caucasus region, which forms the natural border between Eastern Europe and Western Asia.

Bonus hamster: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciscaucasian_hamster