Why is the Caspian Sea considered a lake? Caspian Sea, map Where is the Caspian

, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Azerbaijan

Geographical position

Caspian Sea - view from space.

The Caspian Sea is located at the junction of two parts of the Eurasian continent - Europe and Asia. The length of the Caspian Sea from north to south is approximately 1200 kilometers (36°34"-47°13" N), from west to east - from 195 to 435 kilometers, on average 310-320 kilometers (46°-56° c. d.).

The Caspian Sea is conventionally divided according to physical and geographical conditions into 3 parts - Northern Caspian, Middle Caspian and Southern Caspian. The conditional border between the Northern and Middle Caspian runs along the line of the island. Chechen - Cape Tyub-Karagansky, between the Middle and Southern Caspian Sea - along the line of the island. Residential - Cape Gan-Gulu. The area of the Northern, Middle and Southern Caspian Sea is 25, 36, 39 percent, respectively.

Coast of the Caspian Sea

Coast of the Caspian Sea in Turkmenistan

The territory adjacent to the Caspian Sea is called the Caspian region.

Peninsulas of the Caspian Sea

Ashur-Ada
Garasu
Zyanbil
Khara-Zira
Sengi-Mugan
Chygyl

Bays of the Caspian Sea

Russia (Dagestan, Kalmykia and Astrakhan region) - in the west and northwest, the length of the coastline is about 1930 kilometers
Kazakhstan - in the north, northeast and east, the length of the coastline is about 2320 kilometers
Turkmenistan - in the southeast, the length of the coastline is about 650 kilometers
Iran - in the south, the length of the coastline is about 1000 kilometers
Azerbaijan - in the southwest, the length of the coastline is about 800 kilometers

Cities on the Caspian Sea coast

On the Russian coast are the cities of Lagan, Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, Izberbash and the southernmost city of Russia, Derbent. Astrakhan is also considered a port city of the Caspian Sea, which, however, is not located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, but in the Volga delta, 60 kilometers from the northern coast of the Caspian Sea.

Physiography

Area, depth, volume of water

The area and volume of water in the Caspian Sea varies significantly depending on fluctuations in water levels. At a water level of −26.75 m, the area is approximately 371,000 square kilometers, the volume of water is 78,648 cubic kilometers, which is approximately 44% of the world's lake water reserves. The maximum depth of the Caspian Sea is in the South Caspian depression, 1025 meters from its surface level. In terms of maximum depth, the Caspian Sea is second only to Baikal (1620 m) and Tanganyika (1435 m). The average depth of the Caspian Sea, calculated from the bathygraphic curve, is 208 meters. At the same time, the northern part of the Caspian Sea is shallow, its maximum depth does not exceed 25 meters, and the average depth is 4 meters.

Water level fluctuations

Vegetable world

The flora of the Caspian Sea and its coast is represented by 728 species. The predominant plants in the Caspian Sea are algae - blue-green, diatoms, red, brown, characeae and others, and flowering plants - zoster and ruppia. In origin, the flora is predominantly of Neogene age, but some plants were brought into the Caspian Sea by humans deliberately or on the bottoms of ships.

History of the Caspian Sea

Origin of the Caspian Sea

Anthropological and cultural history of the Caspian Sea

Finds in the Khuto Cave off the southern coast of the Caspian Sea indicate that man lived in these areas approximately 75 thousand years ago. The first mentions of the Caspian Sea and the tribes living on its coast are found in Herodotus. Around the V-II centuries. BC e. Saka tribes lived on the Caspian coast. Later, during the period of settlement of the Turks, in the period of the 4th-5th centuries. n. e. Talysh tribes (Talysh) lived here. According to ancient Armenian and Iranian manuscripts, Russians sailed the Caspian Sea from the 9th-10th centuries.

Research of the Caspian Sea

Research of the Caspian Sea was started by Peter the Great, when, on his order, an expedition was organized in 1714-1715 under the leadership of A. Bekovich-Cherkassky. In the 1720s, hydrographic research was continued by the expedition of Karl von Werden and F. I. Soimonov, and later by I. V. Tokmachev, M. I. Voinovich and other researchers. At the beginning of the 19th century, instrumental surveys of the shores were carried out by I. F. Kolodkin, in the mid-19th century. - instrumental geographical survey under the direction of N. A. Ivashintsev. Since 1866, for more than 50 years, expeditionary research on the hydrology and hydrobiology of the Caspian Sea was carried out under the leadership of N. M. Knipovich. In 1897, the Astrakhan Research Station was founded. In the first decades of Soviet power, geological research by I.M. Gubkin and other Soviet geologists was actively carried out in the Caspian Sea, mainly aimed at searching for oil, as well as research into the study of water balance and level fluctuations in the Caspian Sea.

Economy of the Caspian Sea

Mining of oil and gas

Many oil and gas fields are being developed in the Caspian Sea. Proven oil resources in the Caspian Sea are about 10 billion tons, total oil and gas condensate resources are estimated at 18-20 billion tons.

Oil production in the Caspian Sea began in 1820, when the first oil well was drilled on the Absheron shelf near Baku. In the second half of the 19th century, oil production began on an industrial scale on the Absheron Peninsula, and then in other territories.

Shipping

Shipping is developed in the Caspian Sea. There are ferry crossings on the Caspian Sea, in particular, Baku - Turkmenbashi, Baku - Aktau, Makhachkala - Aktau. The Caspian Sea has a shipping connection with the Sea of Azov through the Volga, Don and Volga-Don Canal rivers.

Fishing and seafood production

Fishing (sturgeon, bream, carp, pike perch, sprat), caviar production, as well as seal fishing. More than 90 percent of the world's sturgeon catch occurs in the Caspian Sea. In addition to industrial mining, illegal fishing of sturgeon and their caviar flourishes in the Caspian Sea.

Recreational resources

The natural environment of the Caspian coast with sandy beaches, mineral waters and healing mud in the coastal zone creates good conditions for recreation and treatment. At the same time, in terms of the degree of development of resorts and the tourism industry, the Caspian coast is noticeably inferior to the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. At the same time, in recent years, the tourism industry has been actively developing on the coasts of Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Russian Dagestan. In Azerbaijan, the resort area in the Baku region is actively developing. At the moment, a world-class resort has been created in Amburan, another modern tourist complex is being built in the area of the village of Nardaran, and holidays in the sanatoriums of the villages of Bilgah and Zagulba are very popular. A resort area is also being developed in Nabran, in northern Azerbaijan. However, high prices, a generally low level of service and a lack of advertising lead to the fact that there are almost no foreign tourists at the Caspian resorts. The development of the tourism industry in Turkmenistan is hampered by a long-term policy of isolation, in Iran - by Sharia laws, due to which mass holidays of foreign tourists on the Caspian coast of Iran are impossible.

Ecological problems

Environmental problems of the Caspian Sea are associated with water pollution as a result of oil production and transportation on the continental shelf, the flow of pollutants from the Volga and other rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea, the life of coastal cities, as well as the flooding of individual objects due to rising levels of the Caspian Sea. Predatory production of sturgeon and their caviar, rampant poaching lead to a decrease in the number of sturgeon and to forced restrictions on their production and export.

International status of the Caspian Sea

Legal status of the Caspian Sea

After the collapse of the USSR, the division of the Caspian Sea has long been and still remains the subject of unresolved disagreements related to the division of Caspian shelf resources - oil and gas, as well as biological resources. For a long time, negotiations were ongoing between the Caspian states on the status of the Caspian Sea - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan insisted on dividing the Caspian along the median line, Iran insisted on dividing the Caspian by one-fifth between all Caspian states.

In relation to the Caspian Sea, the key is the physical-geographical circumstance that it is a closed inland body of water that does not have a natural connection with the World Ocean. Accordingly, the norms and concepts of international maritime law should not automatically apply to the Caspian Sea, in particular, the provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Based on this, in relation to the Caspian Sea it would be unlawful to apply such concepts as “territorial sea”, “exclusive economic zone", "continental shelf", etc.

The current legal regime of the Caspian Sea was established by the Soviet-Iranian treaties of 1921 and 1940. These treaties provide for freedom of navigation throughout the sea, freedom of fishing with the exception of ten-mile national fishing zones and a ban on vessels flying the flag of non-Caspian states sailing in its waters.

Negotiations on the legal status of the Caspian Sea are currently ongoing.

Delineation of sections of the Caspian seabed for subsoil use

The Russian Federation concluded an agreement with Kazakhstan on delimiting the bottom of the northern part of the Caspian Sea in order to exercise sovereign rights to subsoil use (dated July 6, 1998 and the Protocol thereto dated May 13, 2002), an agreement with Azerbaijan on delimiting adjacent areas of the bottom of the northern part of the Caspian Sea (dated September 23, 2002), as well as the trilateral Russian-Azerbaijani-Kazakh agreement on the junction point of the demarcation lines of adjacent sections of the bottom of the Caspian Sea (dated May 14, 2003), which established the geographical coordinates of the dividing lines limiting the sections of the bottom within which the parties exercise their sovereign rights in the field of exploration and production of mineral resources.

The Caspian Sea is one of the most amazing closed bodies of water on Earth.

Over the centuries, the sea has changed more than 70 names. The modern one came from the Caspians - tribes inhabiting the central and southeastern part of Transcaucasia 2 thousand years BC.

Geography of the Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea is located at the junction of Europe and Asia and, according to its geographical location, is divided into the South, North and Middle Caspian. The middle and northern parts of the sea belong to Russia, the southern to Iran, the eastern to Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, and the southwestern to Azerbaijan. For many years, the Caspian states have been dividing the Caspian waters among themselves, and quite sharply at that.

Lake or sea?

In fact, the Caspian Sea is the world's largest lake, but has a number of marine characteristics. These include: a large body of water, strong storms with high waves, high and low tides. But the Caspian Sea does not have a natural connection with the World Ocean, which makes it impossible to call it a sea. At the same time, thanks to the Volga and artificially created channels, such a connection appeared. The salinity of the Caspian Sea is 3 times lower than the usual sea salinity, which does not allow the reservoir to be classified as a sea.

There were times when the Caspian Sea was truly part of the World Ocean. Several tens of thousands of years ago the Caspian Sea was connected to the Sea of Azov, and through it to the Black and Mediterranean. As a result of long-term processes occurring in the earth's crust, the Caucasus Mountains were formed, which isolated the reservoir. The connection between the Caspian and Black Seas was carried out for a long time through the strait (Kuma-Manych depression) and gradually ceased.

Physical quantities

Area, volume, depth

The area, volume and depth of the Caspian Sea are not constant and directly depend on the water level. On average, the area of the reservoir is 371,000 km², the volume is 78,648 km³ (44% of all world lake water reserves).

(The depth of the Caspian Sea in comparison with lakes Baikal and Tanganyika)

The average depth of the Caspian Sea is 208 m; the northern part of the sea is considered the shallowest. The maximum depth is 1025 m, noted in the South Caspian depression. In terms of depth, the Caspian Sea is second only to Baikal and Tanganyika.

The length of the lake from north to south is about 1200 km, from west to east on average 315 km. The length of the coastline is 6600 km, with islands - about 7 thousand km.

Shores

Basically, the coast of the Caspian Sea is low-lying and smooth. In the northern part it is heavily indented by the river channels of the Urals and Volga. The swampy shores here are located very low. The eastern shores adjoin semi-desert zones and deserts and are covered with limestone deposits. The most winding shores are in the west in the area of the Absheron Peninsula, and in the east in the area of the Kazakh Bay and Kara-Bogaz-Gol.

Sea water temperature

(Temperature of the Caspian Sea at different times of the year)

The average winter water temperature in the Caspian Sea ranges from 0 °C in the northern part to +10 °C in the southern part. In Iranian waters, the temperature does not drop below +13 °C. With the onset of cold weather, the shallow northern part of the lake is covered with ice, which lasts for 2-3 months. The thickness of the ice cover is 25-60 cm, at especially low temperatures it can reach 130 cm. In late autumn and winter, drifting ice floes can be observed in the north.

In summer, the average sea surface temperature is + 24 °C. In most parts the sea warms up to +25 °C…+30 °C. Warm water and beautiful sandy, occasionally shell and pebble beaches create excellent conditions for a good beach holiday. In the eastern part of the Caspian Sea, near the city of Begdash, abnormally low water temperatures remain in the summer months.

Nature of the Caspian Sea

Islands, peninsulas, bays, rivers

The Caspian Sea includes about 50 large and medium-sized islands, with a total area of 350 km². The largest of them are: Ashur-Ada, Garasu, Gum, Dash and Boyuk-Zira. The largest peninsulas are: Agrakhansky, Absheronsky, Buzachi, Mangyshlak, Miankale and Tyub-Karagan.

(Tyuleniy Island in the Caspian Sea, part of the Dagestan Nature Reserve)

The largest bays of the Caspian include: Agrakhansky, Kazakhsky, Kizlyarsky, Dead Kultuk and Mangyshlaksky. In the east is the salt lake Kara-Bogaz-Gol, which was previously a lagoon connected to the sea by a strait. In 1980, a dam was built on it, through which water from the Caspian goes to Kara-Bogaz-Gol, where it then evaporates.

130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, located mainly in its northern part. The largest of them are: Volga, Terek, Sulak, Samur and Ural. The average annual drainage of the Volga is 220 km³. 9 rivers have delta-shaped mouths.

Flora and fauna

The Caspian Sea is home to about 450 species of phytoplankton, including algae, aquatic and flowering plants. Of the 400 species of invertebrates, worms, crustaceans and molluscs predominate. There are a lot of small shrimp in the sea, which are the object of fishing.

More than 120 species of fish live in the Caspian Sea and its delta. Fishing objects include sprat (“Kilkin fleet”), catfish, pike, bream, pike perch, kutum, mullet, roach, rudd, herring, white fish, pike perch, goby, grass carp, burbot, asp and pike perch. Stocks of sturgeon and salmon are currently depleted, however, the sea is the largest supplier of black caviar in the world.

Fishing in the Caspian Sea is allowed all year round, with the exception of the period from late April to late June. There are many fishing bases with all amenities on the coast. Fishing in the Caspian Sea is a great pleasure. In any part of it, including in large cities, the catch is unusually rich.

The lake is famous for its wide variety of waterfowl. Geese, ducks, loons, gulls, waders, eagles, geese, swans and many others fly to the Caspian Sea during the migration or nesting period. The largest number of birds - over 600 thousand individuals - is observed at the mouths of the Volga and Ural, in the Turkmenbashi and Kyzylagach bays. During the hunting season, a huge number of fishermen come here not only from Russia, but also from countries near and far abroad.

The Caspian Sea is home to the only mammal. This is the Caspian seal or seal. Until recently, seals swam close to the beaches, everyone could admire the amazing animal with round black eyes, and the seals behaved very friendly. Now the seal is on the verge of extinction.

Cities on the Caspian Sea

The largest city on the Caspian Sea coast is Baku. The population of one of the most beautiful cities in the world is over 2.5 million people. Baku is located on the picturesque Absheron Peninsula and is surrounded on three sides by the waters of the warm and oil-rich Caspian Sea. Smaller cities: the capital of Dagestan - Makhachkala, Kazakh Aktau, Turkmen Turkmenbashi and Iranian Bender-Anzeli.

(Baku Bay, Baku - a city on the Caspian Sea)

Interesting Facts

Scientists are still arguing about whether to call a body of water a sea or a lake. The level of the Caspian Sea is gradually decreasing. The Volga delivers most of the water to the Caspian Sea. 90% of black caviar is mined in the Caspian Sea. Among them, the most expensive is the albino beluga caviar “Almas” ($2 thousand per 100 g).

Companies from 21 countries are taking part in the development of oil fields in the Caspian Sea. According to Russian estimates, hydrocarbon reserves in the sea amount to 12 billion tons. American scientists claim that a fifth of the world's hydrocarbon reserves are concentrated in the depths of the Caspian Sea. This is more than the combined reserves of oil-producing countries such as Kuwait and Iraq.

The Caspian Lake is one of the most unique places on Earth. It keeps many secrets related to the history of the development of our planet.

Position on physical map

The Caspian Sea is an internal, drainless salt lake. The geographical location of the Caspian Lake is the continent of Eurasia at the junction of parts of the world (Europe and Asia).

The length of the lake shoreline ranges from 6500 km to 6700 km. Taking into account the islands, the length increases to 7000 km.

The coastal areas of the Caspian Lake are mostly low-lying. Their northern part is cut by the channels of the Volga and Ural. The river delta is rich in islands. The surface of the water in these areas is covered with thickets. Large areas of land are swampy.

The eastern coast of the Caspian Sea adjoins the On the shores of the lake there are significant deposits of limestone. The western and part of the eastern coasts are characterized by a winding coastline.

The Caspian Lake is represented on the map by its considerable size. The entire territory adjacent to it was called the Caspian region.

Some characteristics

The Caspian Lake has no equal on Earth in terms of its area and volume of water. It stretches from north to south for 1049 kilometers, and its longest length from west to east is 435 kilometers.

If we take into account the depth of the reservoirs, their area and volume of water, then the lake is comparable to the Yellow, Baltic and Black Seas. According to the same parameters, the Caspian Sea surpasses the Tyrrhenian, Aegean, Adriatic and other seas.

The volume of water available in the Caspian Lake is 44% of the supply of all lake waters on the planet.

Lake or sea?

Why is the Caspian Lake called a sea? Was it really the impressive size of the reservoir that became the reason for assigning such a “status”? More precisely, this became one of these reasons.

Others include the huge mass of water in the lake, the presence of large waves during stormy winds. All this is typical for real seas. It becomes clear why the Caspian Lake is called a sea.

But one of the main conditions that must exist in order for geographers to classify a body of water as a sea is not mentioned here. We are talking about a direct connection between the lake and the World Ocean. It is precisely this condition that the Caspian Sea does not meet.

Where the Caspian Lake is located, a depression was formed in the earth’s crust several tens of thousands of years ago. Today it is filled with the waters of the Caspian Sea. According to scientists, at the end of the 20th century, the water level in the Caspian Sea was 28 meters below the level of the World Ocean. The direct connection between the waters of the lake and the ocean ceased to exist approximately 6 thousand years ago. The conclusion from the above is that the Caspian Sea is a lake.

There is one more feature that distinguishes the Caspian Sea from the sea - the salinity of its water is almost 3 times lower than the salinity of the World Ocean. The explanation for this is that about 130 large and small rivers carry fresh water to the Caspian Sea. The Volga makes the most significant contribution to this work - it “gives” up to 80% of all water to the lake.

The river played another important role in the life of the Caspian Sea. It is she who will help find the answer to the question of why the Caspian Lake is called a sea. Now that man has built many canals, it has become a fact that the Volga connects the lake with the World Ocean.

History of the lake

The modern appearance and geographical position of the Caspian Lake are determined by continuous processes occurring on the surface of the Earth and in its depths. There were times when the Caspian was connected to the Sea of Azov, and through it to the Mediterranean and Black Sea. That is, tens of thousands of years ago the Caspian Lake was part of the World Ocean.

As a result of processes associated with the rise and fall of the earth's crust, mountains appeared that are located on the site of the modern Caucasus. They isolated a body of water that was part of a huge ancient ocean. Tens of thousands of years passed before the basins of the Black and Caspian Seas separated. But for a long time the connection between their waters was carried out through the strait, which was on the site of the Kuma-Manych depression.

Periodically, the narrow strait was either dried up or filled with water again. This happened due to fluctuations in the level of the World Ocean and changes in the appearance of the land.

In a word, the origin of the Caspian Lake is closely connected with the general history of the formation of the Earth's surface.

The lake received its modern name because of the Caspian tribes that inhabited the eastern parts of the Caucasus and the steppe zones of the Caspian territories. Over the entire history of its existence, the lake has had 70 different names.

Territorial division of the lake-sea

The depth of the Caspian Lake is very different in different places. Based on this, the entire water area of the lake-sea was conditionally divided into three parts: the Northern, Middle and Southern Caspian.

Shallow water is the northern part of the lake. The average depth of these places is 4.4 meters. The highest level is 27 meters. And on 20% of the entire area of the Northern Caspian the depth is only about a meter. It is clear that this part of the lake is of little use for navigation.

The Middle Caspian has the greatest depth of 788 meters. The deep-water part is occupied by lakes. The average depth here is 345 meters, and the greatest is 1026 meters.

Seasonal changes at sea

Due to the large extent of the reservoir from north to south, the climatic conditions on the coast of the lake are not the same. Seasonal changes in the areas adjacent to the reservoir also depend on this.

In winter, on the southern coast of the lake in Iran, the water temperature does not drop below 13 degrees. During the same period, in the northern part of the lake off the coast of Russia, the water temperature does not exceed 0 degrees. The Northern Caspian is covered with ice for 2-3 months of the year.

In summer, almost everywhere the Caspian Lake warms up to 25-30 degrees. Warm water, excellent sandy beaches, and sunny weather create excellent conditions for people to relax.

Caspian Sea on the political map of the world

There are five states on the shores of the Caspian Lake - Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

The western regions of the Northern and Middle Caspian Sea belong to the territory of Russia. Iran is located on the southern shores of the sea, it owns 15% of the entire coastline. The eastern coastline is shared by Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Azerbaijan is located in the southwestern territories of the Caspian region.

The issue of dividing the lake’s waters between the Caspian states has been the most pressing for many years. The heads of five states are trying to find a solution that would satisfy everyone's needs and requirements.

Natural resources of the lake

Since ancient times, the Caspian Sea has served as a water transport route for local residents.

The lake is famous for valuable fish species, in particular sturgeon. Their reserves account for up to 80% of the world's resources. The issue of preserving the sturgeon population is of international importance; it is being resolved at the level of the government of the Caspian states.

The Caspian seal is another mystery of the unique sea-lake. Scientists have still not fully unraveled the mystery of the appearance of this animal in the waters of the Caspian Sea, as well as other species of animals of northern latitudes.

In total, the Caspian Sea is home to 1,809 species of different groups of animals. There are 728 species of plants. Most of them are “indigenous inhabitants” of the lake. But there is a small group of plants that were brought here intentionally by humans.

Of the mineral resources, the main wealth of the Caspian Sea is oil and gas. Some information sources compare the oil reserves of the Caspian Lake fields with Kuwait. Industrial sea mining of black gold has been carried out on the lake since the end of the 19th century. The first well appeared on the Absheron shelf in 1820.

Today, governments unanimously believe that the region cannot be viewed only as a source of oil and gas, while ignoring the ecology of the Caspian Sea.

In addition to oil fields, in the Caspian region there are deposits of salt, stone, limestone, clay and sand. Their production also could not but affect the ecological situation of the region.

Sea level fluctuations

The water level in the Caspian Lake is not constant. This is evidenced by evidence dating back to the 4th century BC. The ancient Greeks, who explored the sea, discovered a large bay at the confluence of the Volga. The existence of a shallow strait between the Caspian and the Sea of Azov was also discovered by them.

There are other data on the water level in the Caspian Lake. The facts suggest that the level was much lower than what exists now. The proof is provided by ancient architectural structures discovered on the seabed. The buildings date back to the 7th-13th centuries. Now the depth of their flooding ranges from 2 to 7 meters.

In 1930, the water level in the lake began to decline catastrophically. The process continued for almost fifty years. This caused great concern among people, since all economic activity in the Caspian region is adapted to the previously established water level.

From 1978 the level began to rise again. Today he has become more than 2 meters higher. This is also an undesirable phenomenon for people living on the coast of the lake-sea.

The main reason affecting fluctuations in the lake is climate change. This entails an increase in the volume of river water entering the Caspian Sea, the amount of precipitation, and a decrease in the intensity of water evaporation.

However, it cannot be said that this is the only opinion that explains the fluctuation in water level in the Caspian Lake. There are others, no less plausible.

Human activities and environmental issues

The area of the Caspian Lake's drainage basin is 10 times larger than the surface of the reservoir itself. Therefore, all changes occurring in such a vast territory in one way or another affect the ecology of the Caspian Sea.

Human activity plays an important role in changing the environmental situation in the Caspian Lake region. For example, pollution of a reservoir with harmful and dangerous substances occurs along with the influx of fresh water. This is directly related to industrial production, mining and other human activities in the watershed.

The state of the environment of the Caspian Sea and adjacent territories is of general concern to the governments of the countries located here. Therefore, the discussion of measures aimed at preserving the unique lake, its flora and fauna has become traditional.

Each state has an understanding that only through joint efforts can the ecology of the Caspian Sea be improved.

, Kura

42° N. w. 51° east d.HGIO

L Caspian Sea

- the largest closed body of water on Earth, which can be classified as the largest closed lake, or as a full-fledged sea, due to its size, and also because its bed is composed of oceanic-type crust. Located at the junction of Europe and Asia. The water in the Caspian Sea is brackish, from 0.05 ‰ near the mouth of the Volga to 11-13 ‰ in the southeast. The water level is subject to fluctuations, according to 2009 data it was 27.16 m below sea level. The area of the Caspian Sea is currently approximately 371,000 km², the maximum depth is 1025 m.

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Subtitles

Geographical position

Etymology

The Caspian Sea is located at the junction of Europe and Asia. The length of the sea from north to south is approximately 1200 kilometers (36°34"-47°13" N), from west to east - from 195 to 435 kilometers, on average 310-320 kilometers (46°-56° in .d.).

According to physical and geographical conditions, the Caspian Sea is conventionally divided into three parts - the Northern Caspian (25% of the sea area), the Middle Caspian (36%) and the Southern Caspian (39%). The conditional border between the Northern and Middle Caspian runs along the line Chechen Island - Cape Tyub-Karagan, between the Middle and Southern Caspian - along the line Chilov Island - Cape Gan-Gulu.

The territory adjacent to the Caspian Sea is called the Caspian region.

Coast

Peninsulas
Absheron Peninsula, located on the western coast of the Caspian Sea on the territory of Azerbaijan, at the northeastern end of the Greater Caucasus, on its territory the cities of Baku and Sumgait are located

Mangyshlak, located on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, on the territory of Kazakhstan, on its territory is the city of Aktau

Islands

There are about 50 large and medium-sized islands in the Caspian Sea with a total area of approximately 350 square kilometers.

Largest islands:

Bays

Large bays:

On the eastern coast is the salt lake Kara-Bogaz-Gol, which until 1980 was a bay-lagoon of the Caspian Sea, connected to it by a narrow strait. In 1980, a dam was built separating Kara-Bogaz-Gol from the Caspian Sea, and in 1984 a culvert was built, after which the level of Kara-Bogaz-Gol dropped by several meters. In 1992, the strait was restored, through which water flows from the Caspian Sea to Kara-Bogaz-Gol and evaporates there. Every year, 8-10 cubic kilometers of water (according to other sources - 25 cubic kilometers) and about 15 million tons of salt flow into Kara-Bogaz-Gol from the Caspian Sea.

Rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea

130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, of which 9 rivers have a delta-shaped mouth. Large rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea are Volga, Terek, Sulak, Samur (Russia), Ural, Emba (Kazakhstan), Kura (Azerbaijan), Atrek (Turkmenistan), Sefidrud (Iran). The largest river flowing into the Caspian Sea is the Volga, its average annual flow is 215-224 cubic kilometers. The Volga, Ural, Terek, Sulak and Emba provide up to 88-90% of the annual flow into the Caspian Sea.

Basin of the Caspian Sea

Coastal states

According to the Intergovernmental Economic Conference of the Caspian States:

The Caspian Sea washes the shores of five coastal states:

Cities on the Caspian Sea coast

On the Russian coast are the cities of Lagan, Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, Izberbash, Dagestanskie Ogni and the southernmost city of Russia, Derbent. Astrakhan is also considered a port city of the Caspian Sea, which, however, is not located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, but in the Volga delta, 60 kilometers from the northern coast of the Caspian Sea.

Physiography

Area, depth, volume of water

Water level fluctuations

Vegetable world

The flora of the Caspian Sea and its coast is represented by 728 species. The predominant plants in the Caspian Sea are algae - blue-green, diatoms, red, brown, characeae and others, and flowering plants - zoster and ruppia. In origin, the flora is predominantly of Neogene age, however, some plants were brought into the Caspian Sea by humans deliberately, or on the bottoms of ships.

Story

Origin

The Caspian Sea is of oceanic origin - its bed is composed of oceanic-type crust. 13 million l. n. the resulting Alps separated the Sarmatian Sea from the Mediterranean. 3.4 - 1.8 million l. n. (Pliocene) there was the Akchagyl Sea, the sediments of which were studied by N. I. Andrusov. It was originally formed on the site of the dried-up Pontic Sea, from which Lake Balakhanskoe (in the southern Caspian Sea) remained. The Akchagyl transgression gave way to the Domashkin regression (a drop of 20 - 40 m from the level of the Akchagyl basin), accompanied by a strong desalination of sea waters, which is due to the cessation of the flow of sea (ocean) waters from the outside. After a short Domashkin regression at the beginning of the Quaternary period (Eopleistocene), the Caspian Sea is almost restored in the form of the Absheron Sea, which covers the Caspian Sea and floods the territories of Turkmenistan and the Lower Volga region. At the beginning of the Absheron transgression, the basin turns into a brackish water body. The Absheron Sea exists from 1.7 to 1 million years ago. The beginning of the Pleistocene in the Caspian Sea was marked by a long and deep Turkic regression (-150 m to −200 m), corresponding to the Matuyama-Brunhes magnetic reversal (0.8 million years ago). The water mass of the Turkian basin with an area of 208 thousand km² was concentrated in the South Caspian and part of the Middle Caspian basins, between which there was a shallow strait in the area of the Absheron threshold. In the early Neopleistocene, after the Turkic regression, there existed an isolated Early Baku and a Late Baku (level up to 20 m) drainage basins (approx. 400 thousand years ago). The Vened (Mishovdag) regression divided the Baku and Urundzhik (middle Neopleistocene, up to −15 m) transgressions at the end of the early - beginning of the late Pleistocene (basin area - 336 thousand km²). Between the marine Urundzhik and Khazar deposits, a large deep Cheleken regression (up to −20 m) was noted, corresponding to the optimum of the Likhvin interglacial (350-300 thousand years ago). In the Middle Neopleistocene there were basins: early Khazar (200 thousand years ago), early Khazar middle (level up to 35-40 m) and early Khazar late. In the late Neopleistocene, there was an isolated late Khazar basin (level up to −10 m, 100 thousand years ago), after which a small Chernoyarsk regression occurred in the second half - the end of the Middle Pleistocene (thermoluminescent dates 122-184 thousand years ago), in in turn, replaced by the Hyrcanian (Gyurgyan) basin.

The deep long-term Atelian regression of the mid-Late Pleistocene at the initial stage had a level of −20 - −25 m, at the maximum stage −100 - −120 m, at the third stage - −45 - −50 m. At the maximum, the basin area is reduced to 228 thousand km² . After Atel regression (−120 - −140 m), approx. 17 thousand l. n. The early Khvalynian transgression began - up to + 50 m (the Manych-Kerch Strait was functioning), which was interrupted by the Eltonian regression. The Early Khvalynsky II basin (level up to 50 m) was replaced at the beginning of the Holocene by a short-term Enotayev regression (from −45 to −110 m), coinciding in time with the end of the Preboreal and the beginning of the Boreal. The Enotayevskaya regression gave way to the Late Khvalynskaya transgression (0 m). The Late Khvalynian transgression was replaced in the Holocene (ca. 9-7 thousand years ago or 7.2-6.4 thousand years ago) by the Mangyshlak regression (from −50 to −90 m). The Mangyshlak regression gave way during the first phase of interglacial cooling and humidification (Atlantic period) to the New Caspian transgression. The New Caspian basin was brackish-water (11-13 ‰), warm-water and isolated (level up to −19 m). At least three cycles of transgressive-regressive phases have been recorded in the development of the Novo-Caspian basin. The Dagestan (Gousan) transgression previously belonged to the initial stage of the New Caspian era, however, the absence of a leading New Caspian form in its sediments Cerastoderma glaucum (Cardium edule) gives grounds for identifying it as an independent transgression of the Caspian Sea. The Izberbash regression, separating the Dagestan and the Neo-Caspian transgressions of the Caspian Sea itself, occurred between 4.3 and 3.9 thousand years ago. Judging by the structure of the Turali section (Dagestan) and radiocarbon analysis data, transgressions were noted twice - about 1900 and 1700 years ago.

Anthropological and cultural history of the Caspian Sea

Shipping

Fishing and seafood production

Fishing (sturgeon, bream, carp, pike perch, sprat), caviar production, as well as seal fishing. More than 90 percent of the world's sturgeon catch occurs in the Caspian Sea. In addition to industrial mining, illegal mining of sturgeon and their caviar flourishes in the Caspian Sea.

Recreational resources

Ecological problems

Legal status

In relation to the Caspian Sea, the key is the physical-geographical circumstance that it is a closed inland body of water that does not have a natural connection with the World Ocean. Accordingly, the norms and concepts of international maritime law, in particular, the provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, should not automatically apply to the Caspian Sea. Based on this, in relation to the Caspian Sea it would be unlawful to apply such concepts as “territorial sea”, “exclusive economic zone”, “continental shelf”, etc.

Negotiations on the legal status of the Caspian Sea are currently ongoing.

Delineation of sections of the Caspian seabed for subsoil use

Caspian Sea- the largest lake on Earth, located at the junction of Europe and Asia, called the sea because of its size. Caspian Sea is a closed lake, and the water in it is salty, from 0.05% near the mouth of the Volga to 11-13% in the southeast.
The water level is subject to fluctuations, currently approximately 28 m below sea level.
Square Caspian Sea currently - approximately 371,000 km2, maximum depth - 1025 m.

Length of coastline Caspian Sea is estimated at approximately 6,500 - 6,700 kilometers, with islands - up to 7,000 kilometers. Shores Caspian Sea Most of its territory is low-lying and smooth. In the northern part, the coastline is indented by water channels and islands of the Volga and Ural deltas, the banks are low and swampy, and the water surface in many places is covered with thickets. The east coast is dominated by limestone shores adjacent to semi-deserts and deserts. The most winding shores are on the western coast in the area of the Absheron Peninsula and on the eastern coast in the area of the Kazakh Gulf and Kara-Bogaz-Gol.

IN Caspian Sea 130 rivers flow in, of which 9 rivers have a delta-shaped mouth. Large rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea are the Volga, Terek (Russia), Ural, Emba (Kazakhstan), Kura (Azerbaijan), Samur (Russian border with Azerbaijan), Atrek (Turkmenistan) and others.

Map of the Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea washes the shores of five coastal states:

Russia (Dagestan, Kalmykia and Astrakhan region) - in the west and northwest, coastline length 695 kilometers
Kazakhstan - in the north, northeast and east, the length of the coastline is 2320 kilometers
Turkmenistan - in the southeast, the length of the coastline is 1200 kilometers
Iran - in the south, coastline length - 724 kilometers
Azerbaijan - in the southwest, the length of the coastline is 955 kilometers

Water temperature

is subject to significant latitudinal changes, most clearly expressed in winter, when the temperature varies from 0 - 0.5 °C at the ice edge in the north of the sea to 10 - 11 °C in the south, that is, the difference in water temperature is about 10 °C. For shallow water areas with depths less than 25 m, the annual amplitude can reach 25 - 26 °C. On average, the water temperature off the west coast is 1 - 2 °C higher than that on the east, and in the open sea the water temperature is 2 - 4 °C higher than on the coasts.

Climate of the Caspian Sea- continental in the northern part, temperate in the middle part and subtropical in the southern part. In winter, the average monthly temperature of the Caspian Sea varies from?8?10 in the northern part to +8 - +10 in the southern part, in summer - from +24 - +25 in the northern part to +26 - +27 in the southern part. The maximum temperature recorded on the east coast was 44 degrees.

Animal world

The fauna of the Caspian Sea is represented by 1809 species, of which 415 are vertebrates. IN Caspian Sea 101 species of fish are registered, and it contains the majority of the world's sturgeon reserves, as well as freshwater fish such as roach, carp, and pike perch. Caspian Sea- habitat for fish such as carp, mullet, sprat, kutum, bream, salmon, perch, pike. IN Caspian Sea also inhabited by a marine mammal - the Caspian seal.

Vegetable world

Vegetable world Caspian Sea and its coastline is represented by 728 species. From plants to Caspian Sea The predominant algae are blue-green, diatoms, red, brown, characeae and others, and flowering algae include zoster and ruppia. By origin, the flora belongs mainly to the Neogene age, however, some plants were brought in Caspian Sea by a person knowingly or on the bottoms of ships.

Mining of oil and gas

IN Caspian Sea Many oil and gas fields are being developed. Proven oil resources in Caspian Sea are about 10 billion tons, the total resources of oil and gas condensate are estimated at 18 - 20 billion tons.

Oil production in Caspian Sea began in 1820, when the first oil well was drilled on the Absheron shelf. In the second half of the 19th century, oil production began on an industrial scale on the Absheron Peninsula, and then in other territories.

In addition to oil and gas production, on the coast Caspian Sea Salt, limestone, stone, sand, and clay are also mined on the Caspian shelf.

Ecological problems

Ecological problems Caspian Sea associated with water pollution as a result of oil production and transportation on the continental shelf, the flow of pollutants from the Volga and other rivers flowing into Caspian Sea, the life activity of coastal cities, as well as the flooding of individual objects due to rising levels Caspian Sea. Predatory production of sturgeon and their caviar, rampant poaching lead to a decrease in the number of sturgeon and to forced restrictions on their production and export.

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