Caspian Sea or Lake as. Caspian Sea, Map
What countries located on the banks of the Caspian Sea can not list everything.
Countries on the banks of the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea It is the largest in the area in the inland reservoir of our planet. It also does not have outflow. The Caspian Sea is classified in different ways: as the world's largest lake and as a full-fledged sea. Its surface is 371,000 km 2 (143 200 miles 2), and the volume of the reservoir is 78,200 km 3. Maximum depth of 1025 m. The salinity of the sea is about 1.2% (12 g / l). The water level in the sea is constantly fluctuated from tectonic movements and high air temperature. Today it is 28 m below for the level of the world's ocean.
More ancient residents who inhabited the coast of the Caspian Sea, perceived it as a real ocean. It seemed to them limitless and very large. The word "Caspian" occurred from the language of these peoples.
Which countries are located on the banks of the Caspian Sea?
The water of the sea is washed by the shore of 5 coastal states. It:
- Russia. The distinguished area covers Kalmykia, Dagestan and the Astrakhan region in the north-west and west. The length of the coastline is 695 km.
- Kazakhstan. The distinguished area covers the East, North and Northeast of the state. The length of the coastline is 2320 km.
- Turkmenistan. The distinguished area covers the southeast of the country. The length of the coastline is 1200 km.
- Iran. The distinguished area covers the southern part of the state. The length of the coastline is 724 km.
- Azerbaijan. The distinguished zone covers the southwest of the country. The length of the coastline is 955 km.
In addition, this water volume is the main object of the international society, as there are huge stocks of natural gas and oil. The Caspian Sea is only 700 miles long, however, there are six pools with hydrocarbon reserves. Most of them are not mastered by man.
Caspian Sea It is internal as in extensive mainland depression at the border of Europe and Asia. The Caspian Sea does not have a connection with the ocean, which formally allows him to call him the lake, however it has all the nature of the sea, since in past geological epochs dealt with the ocean.
Today, Russia has a way out only to the Northern Caspiana and the Dagestan part of the west coast of the Middle Caspian Sea. The water of the Caspian Sea is washed by the shores of countries such as Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan.
The seaside area is 386.4 thousand km2, the volume of water is 78 thousand m3.
The Caspian Sea has an extensive catchment pool, with an area - about 3.5 million km2. The nature of landscapes, climatic conditions and types of rivers are different. Despite the vastness of the catchment basin, only 62.6% of its area falls on the waste area; About 26.1% - on faceless. The square of the Caspian Sea is 11.3%. 130 rivers fall into it, but almost all of them are located in the north and west (and the eastern shore does not have a single river reaching the sea). The largest river of the Caspian basin is a Volga, providing 78% of the river water entering the sea (it should be noted that more than 25% of Russia farms are located in the basin of this river, and this is undoubtedly determines many hydrochemical and other features of the water of the Caspian Sea), as well as rivers Kura, Zhayik (Ural), Terek, Sulak, Samur.
In physical and geographical terms, and by the nature of the underwater terrain, the sea is divided into three parts: North, middle and south. The conditional boundary between the northern and middle parts passes through the line of Chechen-Cape Tub-Karagan, between the middle and southern - the island of the island of the Kouley's residential.
The Caspian Sea's shelf is based on the depths of about 100 m. The mainstream, which begins below the shelf's brow, ends in the middle part about 500-600 m, in the southern part, where it is very cool, at 700-750 m.
The northern part of the sea shallow, its average depth is 5-6 m, the maximum depths of 15-20 m are located on the border with the middle of the sea. Relief bottom is complicated by the presence of cans, islands, Borozdin.
The middle part of the sea is a separate hollow, the area of \u200b\u200bmaximum depths of which is Derbent Vpadina - shifted to the West Bank. The average depth of this part of the sea is 190 m, the greatest - 788 m.
The southern part of the sea is separated from the middle Apsheron threshold, which is a continuation of the Greater Caucasus. The depths of this underwater crest do not exceed 180 m. The most deep-water part of the South Caspian depression with a maximum depth of 1025 m is located east of the chicken delta. Over the bottom of the bottom, several underwater ridges rise up to 500 m high.
ShoresThe Caspian Sea is distinguished by a variety. In the northern part of the sea, they are quite raised. Here are the bays of Kizlyarsky, Agrahan, Mangyshlak and many shallow bays. Noticeable Peninsula: Agrachan, Buzachi, Tuba Karagan, Mangyschlak. Large islands in the northern part of the sea - seals, kulala. In the Volga and Ural deltas, the coastline is complicated by many islands and ducts that often change their position. Many small islands and cans are located on other sections of the coastline.
The middle part of the sea has a relatively smooth coast. On the west coast on the border with the southern part of the semorator of the Absheron Peninsula. To the east of him, the islands and banks of the Apsheron archipelago, of which the largest island of residential is distinguished. The East Coast of Middle Caspian Sea is more cut, here the Kazakh bay with Cenderly Bay and several cavities stand out. The largest bay of this coast is Kara-Bog-goal.
The south of the Absheron Peninsula is the islands of the Baku Archipelago. The origin of these islands, as well as some cans of the eastern coast of the southern sea of \u200b\u200bthe sea, is associated with the activities of underwater mud volcanoes lying at the bottom of the sea. On the eastern shore, the large bays of Turkmenbash and Turkmen, and near him Ozurchinsky island.
One of the most striking phenomena of the Caspian Sea is the periodic variability of its level. In historical time, the Caspian Sea had a lower level than the world ocean. The oscillations of the Caspian Sea level are so great that not only scientists attract attention for more than a century. Its feature is that its level has always been lower than the world's ocean. Since the beginning of instrumental observations (since 1830), behind the sea level, its vibrations amounted to almost 4 m, from -25.3 m in the eighties of the XIX century. Up to -29 m In 1977, in the past century, the level of the Caspian Sea changed significantly twice. In 1929, he stood at about -26 m, and since he was close to this mark for almost a century, this level position was considered as a mean and age or century. In 1930, the level began to decline rapidly. Already by 1941, he dropped almost 2 m. This led to the beauty of the extensive coastal areas of the bottom. Lowering the level, with small oscillations (short-term minor level rise in 1946-1948 and 1956-1958), continued until 1977 and reached the mark -29.02 m, that is, the level took the lowest position for last 200 years.
In 1978, it began, contrary to all forecasts, raising the sea level. As of 1994, the Caspian Sea level was at 26.5 m, that is, over 16 years, the level rose more than 2 m. The speed of this raising is 15 cm per year. The increment of the level in some years was higher, and in 1991 reached 39 cm.
The total fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea are superimposed by its seasonal changes, which reaches 40 cm, as well as the hint of the phenomenon. The latter are especially pronounced in the Northern Caspian. For the north-west coast, large arrivals are characterized by predominant, especially during the cold period of the year, the storms of the eastern and south-eastern directions. Here, over the past decades, a number of large (more than 1.5-3 m) surges have been observed. Especially large hooking with catastrophic consequences was noted in 1952. The fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea brings great damage to the states surrounding it by the water area.
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Climate. The Caspian Sea is located in moderate and subtropical climatic zones. Climatic conditions are changed in the meridional direction, since from north to south the sea stretches almost 1200 km.
Various atmospheric circulation systems interact in the Caspian region, however, the winds of Eastern Ruimes (the effect of the Asian maximum) prevail during the year. The position in rather low latitudes provides a positive balance of heat inflow, so the Caspian Sea most of the year serves as a source of heat and moisture for passing air masses. The average annual air temperature in the northern part of the sea is 8-10 ° C, in the middle - 11-14 ° C, in the southern - 15-17 ° C. However, in the northernmost areas of the sea, the average January temperature is from -7 to -10 ° C, and the minimum during the invasion of the arctic air is up to -30 ° C, which causes the formation of ice cover. In the summer over the entire region under consideration, quite high temperatures are dominant - 24-26 ° C. Thus, the most sharp temperature fluctuations are subject to the Northern Caspian.
For the Caspian Sea, a very small amount of precipitation is characterized by a year - only 180 mm, and most of them fall on the cold season of the year (from October to March). However, the North Caspian differs in this respect from the rest of the pool: here and the average annual rate of precipitation is less (for the western part of only 137 mm), and the distribution of seasons is more uniform (10-18 mm per month). In general, we can talk about the proximity of climatic conditions for arid.
Water temperature. Distinctive features of the Caspian Sea (Large Differences of the Depths in various parts of the sea, the nature of the bottom relief, isolation) have a certain effect on the formation of thermal conditions. In shallow northern Caspian, the whole stratum of water can be considered as a homogeneous (the same applies to shallow bays located in other parts of the sea). In the middle and southern Caspian, surface and deep masses are separated, separated by the transition layer. In the Northern Caspian and in the surface layers of the Middle and South Caspian Sea, the water temperature changes in a wide range. In winter, temperatures are changed in the direction from north to south from less than 2 to 10 ° C, the water temperature at the west coast is 1-2 ° C higher than that of the East, the temperature is higher than that of coasts: 2-3 ° C In the middle and 3-4 ° C in the southern part of the sea. In winter, the temperature distribution with a depth of more homogeneous, which is facilitated by the winter vertical circulation. In moderate and harsh winters in the northern part of the sea and shallow bays of the east coast, the water temperature drops to the freezing temperature.
In summer, the temperature changes in space from 20 to 28 ° C. The highest temperatures are observed in the southern part of the sea, also quite high temperatures in a well-warmed shallow-water Northern Caspian. The distribution zone of the lowest temperatures is adjacent to the east coast. This is explained by the rise to the surface of cold deep water. Relatively low temperature and in a poorly heated deep-sea central part. In the open areas of the sea at the end of May-early June, the formation of a layer of a leap of temperature, which is most clearly expressed in August begins. Most often, it is located between the horizons 20 and 30 m in the middle part of the sea and 30 and 40 m in the South. In the middle part of the sea, due to the corner of the east coast, the leak of the jump rises close to the surface. In the bottom layers of the sea, the temperature during the year is about 4.5 ° C in the middle part and 5.8-5.9 ° C in South.
Salinity. Salinity values \u200b\u200bare determined by such factors as river stock, water dynamics, including mainly wind and gradient flows, resulting water exchange between the Western and Eastern parts of the Northern Caspian Sea and between the Northern and Medium Caspian, the Relief of the bottom, which determines the location of water with different salinity, mainly Along the willow, evaporation, providing a shortage of freshwater and a fear of more salty. These factors affect the aggregate and seasonal differences in salinity.
Northern Caspians can be viewed as a pond of constant mixing of river and Caspian waters. The most actively mixing occurs in the western part, where directly go both river and the Middlecapian water. Horizontal salinity gradients can reach 1 km.
The eastern part of the Northern Caspian Sea is characterized by a more homogeneous field of salinity, since most of the river and maritime (medium-in) waters enters this area of \u200b\u200bthe sea in a transformed form.
According to the values \u200b\u200bof the horizontal gradients of salinity, the contact zone of the river - the sea with salinity of water from 2 to 10, in the eastern part of 2 to 6, can be distinguished in the western part of the Northern Caspian.
Significant vertical salty gradients in the Northern Caspian form are formed as a result of the interaction of river and seawater, the decisive role is played by the stock. An increase in vertical stratification also contributes to the unequal thermal state of water layers, since the temperature of the surface desalinated waters coming in the summer from the seaside is 10-15 ° C higher than the bottom.
In deep-water depressions of the Middle and South Caspian, the oscillations of salinity in the upper layer are 1-1.5. The greatest difference between the maximum and minimum salinity is marked in the region of the Absheron threshold, where it is 1.6 ‰ in the surface layer and 2.1 ‰ on the horizon of 5 m.
Lowering salinity along the western coast of the Southern Caspian in a layer of 0-20 m is caused by the flow of the river Kura. The influence of Kurinsky flow with a depth decreases, on the horizons 40-70 m of the salinity oscillations of not more than 1.1. Along the entire west coast to the Absheron Peninsula, a strip of desalinated waters with salinity of 10-12.5, coming from the Northern Caspian, stretches.
In addition, in the Southern Caspian, the increase in salinity occurs during the removal of solenic water from bays and bays on the eastern shelf under the action of southeastern winds. In the future, these water is transferred to the middle Caspian.
In the deep layers of the middle and southern Caspian Sea of \u200b\u200babout 13. In the central part of the Middle Caspian Sea, such salinity is observed on the horizons below 100 m, and in the deep sea part of the South Caspian Sea, the upper boundary of water with increased salinity is lowered to 250 m. It is obvious that in these parts of the sea, the vertical mixing of waters is difficult.
Circulation of surface waters. The flows into the sea are mainly wind character. In the western part of the Northern Caspian Sea, the currents of Western and Eastern quarters are most often observed, in Eastern - South-Western and South. The flows caused by the flow of the Volga and Ural rivers are traced only within the mouth seaside. The prevailing velocities of the currents of 10-15 cm / s, in the open areas of the Northern Caspian Sea, the maximum speeds of about 30 cm / s.
In the coastal areas of the middle and southern parts of the sea, in accordance with the directions of the wind, the currents of the North-West, Northern, South-Eastern and South Directions are observed, the eastern coast often has the flow of the eastern direction. Along the western coast of middle part of the sea, the most stable flows are southeast and southern. The speed of flows on average about 20-40 cm / s, the maximum reach 50-80 cm / s. Other types of flows are also played in the circulation of the sea water, other types of flows are played: gradient, seishcheye, inertial.
Ice formation. The Northern Caspian annually in November is covered with ice, the area of \u200b\u200bthe freezing part of the water area depends on the severity of the winter: in the cruel winter ice covered the entire Northern Caspian, in the soft ice is held within 2-3 meters. The appearance of ice in the middle and southern parts of the sea falls on December-January. The eastern coast of the ice of local origin, the western - most often from the northern part of the sea. In the harsh winters of the eastern coast of the middle part of the sea, the shallow-water bays freeze, the coasts will make up and solder, the west coast of the drifting ice in abnormally cold winters applies to the Absheron Peninsula. The disappearance of ice cover is observed in the second half of February-March.
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Oxygen content. The spatial distribution of dissolved oxygen in the Caspian Sea has a number of patterns. The central part of the water area of \u200b\u200bthe Northern Caspian is characterized by a rather uniform oxygen distribution. Increased oxygen content is found in the distant seaside areas of the Volga River, down - in the southwestern part of the Northern Caspian. In the middle and southern Caspian, the greatest concentrations of oxygen are confined to coastal shallow regions and the predominant seaside of the rivers, with the exception of the most contaminated areas of the sea (Baku Bay, the area of \u200b\u200bSumgait, etc.). In summer, due to the significant warming of water masses and the activation of photosynthesis processes, the leading factors for the formation of an oxygen regime, in surface waters are photosynthetic processes, in the bottom - biochemical oxygen consumption with bottom sediments. Due to the high water temperature, the stratification of the aqueous thickness, the large influx of the organic matter and its intensive oxidation, oxygen is rapidly spent with its minimal admission to the lower layers of the sea, as a result of which the oxygen deficit zone is formed in the Northern Caspian. Intensive photosynthesis in the open waters of deep-water regions of the Middle and South Caspianis covers the upper 25-meter layer, where oxygen saturation is more than 120%. |
- Northern Caspian, which is an extensive zone of mixing the river and seawater, is characterized by significant spatial gradients in the distribution of biogenic substances;
- in average Caspian cyclonic nature of circulation contributes to raising deep waters with a high content of biogenic substances in the overlying layers of the sea;
- In the deep-sea areas of the Middle and South Caspian Sea, the vertical distribution of biogenic substances depends on the intensity of the convective stirring process, and with the depth of their content increase.
On the dynamics of concentrations biogenic substances During the year, in the Caspian Sea, such factors as seasonal fluctuations in biogenic flow in the sea, the seasonal ratio of production and destructive processes, the intensity of the exchange between the soil and water mass, ice conditions in the winter in the Northern Caspian, the processes of winter vertical circulation in deep-sea areas seas.
In winter, the considerable water area of \u200b\u200bthe Northern Caspian is covered with ice, but biochemical processes are actively developing in ice water and ice. The ice of the North Caspian, being a kind of battery of nutrients, transforms these substances entering the sea with a river drain and from the atmosphere.
As a result of winter vertical circulation of water in deep-water areas of the Middle and South Caspian, during the cold season, there is an enrichment of the active layer of the sea by biogenic substances due to the receipt of them from the underlying layers.
Spring for the water of the Northern Caspian is characterized by a minimum content of phosphates, nitrites and silicon, which is explained by the spring outbreak of phytoplankton's development (silicon is actively consumed by diatomic algae). The high concentrations of ammonium and nitrate nitrogen, characteristic of the water of a significant waters of the Northern Caspian during a flood, are due to intensely washing the river waters of the Volga delta.
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In the spring season in the water exchange area between the Northern and Medium Caspians in the subsurface layer, with the maximum oxygen content, the phosphate content is minimal, which, in turn, indicates a revitalization of the photosynthesis process in this layer.
In the South Caspian, the distribution of biogenic substances in the spring is mainly similar to their distribution in average Caspian.
In summer, in the waters of the North Caspian Sea, the redistribution of various forms of biogenic compounds is detected. It significantly decreases the content of ammonium nitrogen and nitrates, at the same time there is some increase in phosphate concentrations and nitrites and a rather significant increase in silicon concentration. In the middle and southern Caspian, the phosphate concentration decreased due to consumption of them in the process of photosynthesis and the difficulty of water exchange with a deep-sea accumulation zone.
In the fall in Caspian, in connection with the termination of the activities of some types of phytoplankton, the content of phosphates and nitrates increases, and the concentration of silicon decreases, since the autumn flash of the development of diatom algae takes place.
More than 150 years on the shelf of the Caspian Sea is extracted oil.
Currently, the Russian shelf is under the development of large stocks of hydrocarbon raw materials, the resources of which on the Dagestan shelf are estimated at 425 million tons in the oil equivalent (of which 132 million tons of oil and 78 billion m3 of gas), on the shelf of the Northern Caspian Sea - in 1 billion tons of oil .
In total, about 2 billion tons of oil has already been produced on the Caspian.
Losses of oil and products of its processing during mining, transportation and use reaches 2% of the total.
Basic sources of arrival pollutants, Including petroleum products, in the Caspian Sea is a removal with a river drain, discharge of untreated industrial and agricultural effluents, utility wastewater cities and settlements located on the coast, shipping, exploration and operation of oil and gas fields located at the bottom of the sea, Transportation of oil by sea. The places of receipt of pollutants with the river drain by 90% are concentrated in the Northern Caspian, industrial estates are confined, mainly to the region of the Absheron Peninsula, and the increased oil pollution of the Southern Caspian Sea is associated with oil production and oil-based drilling, as well as with active volcanic activities (mud vulcanism) In the zone of oil and gas structures.
From the territory of Russia, about 55 thousand tons of petroleum products come from the territory of Russia, including 35 thousand tons (65%) on the part of the Volga River and 130 tons (2.5%) with the drain of Terek and Sulac rivers.
The thickening of the film on the water surface to 0.01 mm disrupts the processes of gas exchange, threatens the death of hydrobiota. Toxic for fish is the concentration of petroleum products 0.01 mg / l, for phytoplankton - 0.1 mg / l.
The development of oil and gas resources The bottom of the Caspian Sea, the forecast reserves of which are estimated at 12-15 billion tons of conditional fuel, in the coming decades will be the main factor in the anthropogenic load on the ecosystem of the sea.
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Caspian autochthonous fauna. The total number of autochthons - 513 species or 43.8% of the entire fauna to which herring, bulls, mollusks and others include.
Arctic species. The total number of the Arctic Group is 14 species and subspecies, or only 1.2% of the entire fauna of the Caspian Sea (Misida, Sea Tarakan, Belorebitsa, Caspian Salmon, Caspian Seal, etc.). The basis of the Arctic fauna is a crustacean (71.4%), which easily carry the desalination and live at the high depths of the Middle and South Caspian (from 200 to 700 m), since the lowest water temperature is held here throughout the year (4.9- 5.9 ° C).
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Mediterranean species. These are 2 types of clams, needle fish, etc. At the beginning of the 20s of our century, mollusk mitilatre penetrated here, later 2 types of shrimp (with Kefaaly, with their acclimatization), 2 types of Kefali and Kambala. Some Mediterranean species have entered the Caspian after the opening of the Volga-Don Channel. Mediterranean species play a significant role in the feed database of the Caspian Sea fish.
Freshwater fauna (228 species). This group includes passing and semi-pass fish (sturgeon, salmon, pike, somme, carp, as well as provickers).
Sea views. These are infusories (386 forms), 2 types of Foraminifera. Especially many endemics among the higher crustaceans (31 species), buchetic clams (74 species and subspecies), bivalve mollusks (28 species and subspecies) and fish (63 species and subspecies). The abundance of endemics in the Caspian Sea makes it one of the most peculiar brasswater reservoirs of the planet.
The Caspian Sea gives more than 80% of the world's sturgeon catches, the bulk of which falls on the Northern Caspian.
To increase sturgeon catches, dramatically decreased during the years of the sea level, a set of measures is carried out. Among them is a full ban of sturgeon in the sea and regulation of it in rivers, an increase in the scale of factory dilution of sturgeon.
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The Caspian Sea is the largest water-closed. And although the water in it is salted, and the beds are waved by the rocks of the ocean type, it is located in the distance from the World Ocean and is a gigantic unwitting lake.
The Caspian Sea is located immediately in two parts of the world. Western his shore is washes the European part of the mainland, and the East is part of Asia. Its length from north to south is 1030 km, and from west to east 435 km at the point of the maximum. Sea coordinates: 36 ° 34'-47 ° 13 'Northern latitude and 46 ° -56 ° Eastern longitude.
You can get to the Caspian from anywhere in Russia. One of the main destinations for Russians will be Astrakhan and the area with which from the capital and other major cities, all over a year, both air services and railway flights are coming. It's not so easy to get from remote cities, since often the stations do not direct flights to Astrakhan.
Another popular route runs through Dagestan and leads to Makhachkala, Caspian or Derbent - the main cities for tourists. Airplanes from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Krasnoyarsk fly to the capital of the republic all-round. It is possible to get on the train, but in the summer they are usually clogged with people.
Historical facts
The lake was formed from the Sarmatian sea dozens million years ago, when the Caucasian Mountains did not divide it into the Black and Caspian Sea. The Sarmatian Sea itself finally lost direct access to the ocean of more than 70 million years ago.
Some of the first written references to Caspi are found on clay signs dating from the IX century. BC e. They were found during excavations in Assyria, the territory of which mainly belongs to modern Iraq and Syria. Later, the Caspian mention is mentioned Herodotus, Aristotle and "Father of Geography" Pekatay Miretsky. Their knowledge summarizes and expand the Arabic scientists in the IX - X centuries.
How the Caspian Sea formed
With the development of medieval trade relations, the Caspian Sea was separated into Europe, Turkey. The famous navigator and traveler Marco Polo described it in the XIII century. With the further flow of time, the knowledge of the lake was only replenished, more detailed and truthful cards were created.
As for the name, thousands of years of their existence on it, people gave the lake more than 70 items. So, the ancient peoples called His Girkansky, and Arabs - Khazar. The Chinese gave him the name of Sihai, Iranians - we use, Turks - Kucheuk-Deniz.
The Russians called him the "blue sea", puffing or housekeeper. The name has also changed depending on the adjacent states. At one time it was called Sarai, Turkmen, Avar, Persian and many other names. It took the modern name from the ancient nomadic cattle breeding tribes - Caspians, who lived on his right bank of about II of millennia BC.
Characteristic
Its unique flora and fauna, which collected many rare species of plants and animals, the definition of its origin and the problems associated with the environment and pollution of the reservoir are the greatest interest among all the characteristics of the Caspian Sea.
Relief bottom and depth
The Caspian Sea is divided into three geographic areas: north, middle and south. The North is a sea loop with a medium depth of no more than 5 m. It accounts for the smallest amount of water of the lake - about 1%. The second largest Caspian became the second largest, where the bottom in its maximum point leaves 780 m. It contains more than 30% of water reserves. 
The southern part is equal to the middle area, but is deepler and places more than 60% of the aqueous mass.
It is here that the lake dot to date is 1025 meters under water.
The boundaries between the parts are sufficiently conditional, but they are.
The island of Chechen and Cape Tuba Karagan, and between the middle and south, the island of residential and Cape Gan-Gulu are located between the north and middle of the border.
The terrain of the lake is quite uniform, but differs in different zones.
In Northern, this is even shallow water with small straight sections. The average goes deep into and covered with il or shells. Southern, being the deepest, also covered with sludge, and some places and protractions of indigenous rocks.
Square and length
The surface area of \u200b\u200bthe lake is approximately 370,000 square meters. km. The water level is subject to cyclic changes: it is lowered, it rises. Scientists found out that over the last millennium, the water level in the lake ranges within a dozen meters. This is a very large indicator.
It is bound primarily with the activity of people, as well as geological factors that constantly affect the reservoir. Upon confirmed data, the water level is only growing. South, the middle and north accounts for 40, 35, 25% of the area, respectively.
The length of the coastline is 6,700 km, and taking into account the island territories - about 7000. The coast itself is fairly smooth, without high elevations. In the north, the lowland of the coast is represented by the flows and islands formed by the Volga.
The area here is bursting and covered with dense thickets of the root. Eastern coastal areas adjacent to deserts and consist of limestone or seashells. The coasts of the Absheron Peninsula and the Kazakh Gulf coast are the most "mountain". 
The Caspian Sea is located in the area where many islands and peninsulas. The largest and most significant peninsulas are: Agrahanian Persh, Apsheron Pn, on which Baku is located, Mng. Mangyshlak, which has the Kazakh city of Aktau, P-ov Buzachi, Miankale and Tuba Karagan.
Large and medium-sized islands in the lake about 50 pieces. Their total area is 350 square meters. km. The most famous of them are: Chechen, Gum, Dash, Zience, Seal Island, Cheget, Garas and Ashur Ada.
The composition of water
The composition of water is different from the observed in the seas and oceans. This is due not only to the fact that the Caspian Sea is closed, but also exposed to the significant effect of the water of mainland. This largely reduces the content of chlorides and salts in water, but increases the amount of calcium, carbonates and sulfates inherent in river water.
In the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, for example, two times less calcium cations than in Caspian. Despite this, water in the lake salt, - from 0.05 ppm at the location of the Volga to 11-13 ppm in the southern part.
| Carbonates (Caco3) | Sulfates Caso4, MgSO4 | Chlorides NaCl, KCL, MGCL2 | The average salinity of water | |
| Ocean | 0,21 | 10,34 | 89,45 | 35 |
| Caspian Sea | 1,24 | 30,54 | 67,90 | 12,9 |
Sea pool and its global relationship
The Caspian Sea pool is 3.1 million square meters. km. It includes such rivers like a Volga, Kuma, Rulday, Self, Sudak, Terek. The Volga is the biggest and largest river flowing into the lake. More than two hundred and large rivers fall into her itself, and the amount of its tributaries has more than 5000.
From the Astrakhan region, her delta begins, which is the largest in Europe. The bulk of the water Volga receives snow, rain and spring. In addition to these rivers, more than 100 rivers flow into the Caspian.
To date, direct communication with the ocean does not have the Caspian Sea, however, the indirectly is provided through the Volga-Don Canal. Through it, ships and fleet can get from the Caspian Sea and Volga in Don, Azov and Black Sea.
Climate
The Caspian Sea is in several climatic zones, and the climate depends on its parts. In the northern part it is continental with temperatures from -10 ° C in winter and up to +25 ° C in summer. In the southern part, the climate goes into subtropical. The temperature there is from + 8 ° C in winter to +27 ° C in summer. 
The middle part of the Caspian Sea is located in a moderate climate with average temperatures. The highest temperature is registered on the east coast and amounted to +44 ° C.
The water temperature is also susceptible to significant changes and depends on the latitude. In the cold season in the northern part, water can freeze or cooled to 0 - 1 ° C, and in the south the temperature does not fall below 10 ° C. In summer, water is heated from +20 ° C to +27 ° C depending on the region.
As for precipitation, the average annual value is 200 mm. Again, it all depends on the climate and varies within 100 mm in the eastern part to 1700 mm in the southern subtropics. Attending the Caspian Sea is best in the summer at the end of July or in August. The perfect resorts will be Baku, Makhachkala and Astrakhan.
Flora and fauna
The fauna of the Caspian Sea is diverse and rich. He repeats with something other reservoirs, but in its own way peculiar. There are ancient sturgeon and salmon rocks of fish inhabit, as well as several types of herring, Sazan, Sudak, Carp, Kilka, Kefal, Bream, Pike, Vobla. Total about 100 species of fish. 
The volume of sturgeon is 90% of all reserves of the world. The only and unique kind of mammal living in this area is the Caspian seal, which is the smallest of all seals. Many of the species are protected by three reserves: Astrakhan, Caspian and Gyzybandsky.
Vegetation has more than 700 species. The most significant for maintaining favorable conditions for animals is blue-green, red, brown and diatoms of algae. For most part, the Flora is the unique period of the ancient Caspian Sea, but some species are listed in the sea specifically or accidentally communicating with shipping.
Ecological situation
The modern environmental situation in the Caspian Sea is not the best. The main pollutant factor was oil and its processing. As you know, it began to get it here 150 years ago in Azerbaijan.
In this regard, the suppression of the development of finnoplankton and blue-green algae began, the concentration of oxygen in water was reduced, which influenced the reproduction of sturgeon rocks of fish, waterfowl and other living organisms. 
Many troubles brought a mass reproduction of Mnemiopsis Grebnevik, penetrated into the Caspian Sea from Black and Azov through the Volga-Don Canal. Feeding in Grevenik the same plankton as Caspian fish.
It reduced their feed base and put sturgeon to the edge of extinction. The number of valuable sturgeon fish decreased and connected to poaching, which for unofficial data accounts for more than half of the catch.
By nature, by nature, the biological and hydrocarbon wealth of the Caspian Sea is also destroyed by phenols and heavy metals that fall into it with the wastewater of industrial enterprises that are located the blizzards of the reservoir.
Caspian Sea Countries
The waters of the sea are washed by the territories of modern:
The main cities located on the coast are Astrakhan, Baku, Aktau, Bender Enzeli, Makhachkala and Turkmenbashi.
Tourist infrastructure in the Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is around developed countries and its tourist infrastructure is represented by a large number of coastal resort cities with many recreation bases and hotels. At the disposal of tourists not only active rest in the form of fishing or water parks, but also the beaches, which for little money you can relax from morning to late evening, renting deck chairs, hammocks or arbors.
Resorts in the Caspian Sea
One of the most prestigious resorts was Baku. The capital of Azerbaijan with a population of 2.5 million people makes it possible not only to relax on the beach, but also to visit many sights, some of which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The beaches are still better to go to the suburb of Baku, where Shhodovo, Mardakian or Zagulba is located. The resort infrastructure of the Caspian Sea is at a high level. Beaches are clean and well maintained, the hotel complexes provide a wide range of housing near the coast. IN
this is a 30-minute drive from Baku. Do not write off with bills and sumps. It is 30 km from Baku, but has more extensive shell beaches. It has less urban fuss, but the service and service are not inferior to the capital. 
Kazakhstan also has several resorts in large cities. The most popular became Aktau and Atyrau. Despite the fact that Aktau is in the desert and began to recreate the tourism infrastructure relatively recently, it has new hotel complexes with decent quality of service.
Atyrau stopped being in demand, because the Caspian Sea in these places raised and the beaches stopped their existence. In general, Kazakh resorts enjoy small demand among foreign and Russian vacationers.
Caspian washes a few large Turkmen cities, including Turkmenbashi and Avaz. The second city is used by tourist demand. Here, the construction of hotels and complexes has also began relatively recently, but the resort has already managed to find his adherents.
Sand-of-shell beaches, stretched for kilometers, were one of his features. The resorts of Turkmenistan should not be called popular among foreigners, since there is a rather complicated visa system at the entrance to the country.
In Russia, two resorts of Astrakhan and Dagestan, presented by Astrakhan herself, Makhachkala, Derbent, Caspian and a couple of other small cities, enjoy the main popularity. One of the most picturesque is Derbent. Thanks to its landscapes and ancient buildings in the Heritage of UNESCO, the city became popular not only among tourists from Russia, but also foreigners.
Beaches in the Caspian Sea
The most interesting beaches of the Russian resorts were Jami, Hotels, Laguna and Beach Sanatorium Caspian, located on the territory of Dagestan. Unfortunately, on the reviews of tourists in Astrakhan, there are few good beaches, and most coastal sites are in the thickets of the root. 
Beach Jami, like the Caspian, belongs to the hotel and sanatorium apartments located on the shore. That is why they are well equipped in the plan of recreation and maintenance. The hot beach is characterized by the fact that only women and boys can come to its territory for 6 years.
Among the beaches of Kazakhstan, the beaches of Manila, Nur Plaza, Dip, Marakesh deserve the greatest attention. Beaches of Manila and New Marakesh are very popular, as the entrance is free, and they work until late evening.
Nur Plaza and Cubs are paid. The entrance costs from 35 to 80 rubles. This cost already includes umbrellas, sun beds and other benefits. It is possible to cheap rented gazebos, mangals and park cars.
The beaches of Turkmen Avaz are stretched 30 km and have good infrastructure and huge hotel complexes. But not everything is so good. Many celebrate many shortcomings of hotels and services for quite large prices of tickets. Among them: Cold water in the sea, low settlement, smells from refinery, which are the blizzards of the Caspian Sea. 
The beaches of Azerbaijan are considered the most advanced. There are a huge set of them for every taste and budget. Almost the entire coastal zone of Baku is built up with hotel complexes, recreation bases and beaches.
The most famous is the beach Waterpark Shikhovo. It has everything for outdoor activities not only adults, but also children. Water slides and attractions will not get bored, and a large number of sun loungers will fit all those who want to lie down in the sun. But do not forget about such beaches like afloat, Sumgaiti, Novkhans and other places.
Attractions of the Caspian Sea
There are many attractions on the territory of Russia, which should be visited by arriving at the resort. Astrakhan Kremlin, the bridge of lovers, the wedding waltz fountain, became them in Astrakhan. In Makhachkala, you can visit the Juma Mosque, many museums and theaters, and in Derbent, the venue is often the fortress of the old Naryn-Cala and 150 year old Derbent Lighthouse. 
Azerbaijan has unique objects of architecture unique. In the suburbs, Baku is a maiden tower and a whole complex of walls with the Palace of Shirvanshakhov, Gobustan landscape with ancient weak pictures. There is something to see in the city center. Here are modern hotels, galleries and museums. For example, the carpet museum, television, the cultural center of Heydar Aliyev.
In the Turkmen Avasa attractions not so much. There are several yacht clubs among them, Park, Congress Center and Aqua Park with attractions. There are no special attractions in Kazakh Aktau, like streets. The whole city is divided into areas.
Entertainment and outdoor activities in the Caspian Sea
For people who love active rest, there are special fishing tours to Astrakhan. Prices start from 20,000 rubles. And include accommodation, rental boats, devices for freezing fish and its preparation.
In Kazakhstan, there are bases for amateurs of outdoor activities that have fitness centers, shady courts and many others. Among them is the base of Kenderly. Its only drawback: it is 300 km from the coast. 
On the Azerbaijani coast there is everything for a good pastime. Water Parks Shikhov and Resort will not allow children and adults who love active entertainment. Like the Turkmen Water Park in Avaz.
Prices for hotels in the Caspian Sea
Prices for resort in Russia are the cheapest. Accommodation in Astrakhan apartments will cost 600-700 rubles, and in hotels from 1200 to 3600 rubles. per day. Corvette, Bonotel, Novomoskovsky, are used in the greatest demand. In Dagestan, the average price for the hotel will be 1500 rubles. Coastal hotels: Argo, Pegasus, Assorted, Shahistist, Versailles.
In Kazakh Aktau, Rahat, Aktau, Victoria hotels are located. Prices depend on the quality of services, but on average start from 2000 thousand rubles. Apartment Rental begins from 600 rubles.
Baku hotels provide the best conditions and maintenance, however, prices here are not the highest. The average price is 2000 rubles. Hotels of Consul, Bosfor, Safran are popular. Apartments and individual rooms are also possible.
But Turkmen hotels are the most expensive. The price tags here start from $ 70. Despite this, many complain that the service for that kind of money leaves much to be desired.
The Caspian Sea is a unique reservoir with its original vegetative and animal world. On its shores there are 5 states, most of which provide good tourist infrastructure and maintenance at reasonable prices. In coastal cities, there are old attractions that are the World Heritage of UNESCO.
Article clearance: Mila Freidan
Video about the Caspian Sea
Recreation overview in the Caspian Sea:
In dry and hot climate conditions, a large amount of sea water evaporates, water molecules go into the air. So, annually from the surface of the Caspian Sea, such a huge amount of water particles is carried out, that all together they would fill in a bowl of several hundred cubic kilometers. This amount of water could be filled with ten such reservoirs, which will be Kuibyshev.
But can the water from the surface of the sea get into the Caspian bottom layers, at a depth of 900-980 meters?
This is possible, provided that the density of surface layers of water is greater than the density of the bottom layers.
It is known that the density of seawater depends on salinity and temperature. The more salts contain water, it is more dense, and hence harder. Water with high temperatures is less dense than cold water. Only at low temperatures (about 0-4 ° heat) is given a reverse relation when water, heating, becomes more dense.
The high salinity of the surface layers of the sea is created in the hot season, when the water evaporates greatly, the salt remains salt. At this time, the salinity of surface waters is no less, but even a few more salinity of the deep and bottom layers.
The temperature of surface waters in the warm season is everywhere else, about 25-28 °, that is, five times higher than at a depth of 150-200 meters. With the onset of the cold season, the temperature of the surface layers is reduced and at a certain period turns out to be 5-6 ° above zero.
This is the same (5-6 °) the temperature of the bottom and deep (deeper 150-200 m) of the Caspian layers, almost unchanged throughout the year.
Under these conditions, it is possible to lower the larger surface cold and high-headed water into the bottom layers.
Only in the southern regions of the Caspian Sea of \u200b\u200bsurface water, as a rule, is not reduced to 5-6 ° even in winter. And, although directly in these areas, the lowering of surface waters can not happen in the depth, here it is brought here with deep flows of water, descended from the surface in more northern parts of the sea.
Such a phenomenon is observed in the eastern part of the border zone between the Middle and South Caspian, where the cooled surface waters are lowered along the southern slope of the border underwater threshold and then follow the deep flow in the southern areas of the sea.
Such widespread mixing of surface and deep water is confirmed by the fact that oxygen is found at all depths of the Caspian.
Oxygen can only go to the depth only with surface layers of water, where it comes directly from the atmosphere or as a result of photosynthesis.
If there were no continuous intake of oxygen into the bottom layers, it would quickly be absorbed there with animal organisms or spent on oxidation of the soil organic matter. Instead of oxygen, the bottom layers would be saturated with hydrogen sulfide, which is observed in the Black Sea. In it, the vertical circulation is so weak that oxygen in sufficient quantity does not reach the depth, where hydrogen sulfide is formed.
Although oxygen and discovered at all depths of the Caspian Sea, but not in the same amount in different seasons of the year.
The richer oxygen is the water thickness in winter. The harsh winter, that is, the lower the temperature on the surface, the more intense the aeration process, which reaches the deepest seats. Conversely, several warm winters in a row may determine the appearance of hydrogen sulfide in the bottom layers and even the complete disappearance of oxygen. But such phenomena are temporary and disappear in the first more or less harsh winter.
Especially rich in dissolved oxygen, the upper thickness of the water to a depth of 100-150 meters. Here the oxygen content ranges from 5 to 10 cubic meters. See litter. At depths of 150-450 m, oxygen is significantly less - from 5 to 2 cube. See litter.
Deeper than 450 m oxygen is completely small and life is presented very poorly - several types of worms and mollusks, the smallest crustaceans.
The mixing of the aqueous masses is also caused by damage-honesty phenomena and excitement.
Excitement, currents, winter vertical circulation, Signs, arrows constantly and are important factors for mixing waters. It is not surprising, therefore, that in whatever point of the Caspian Sea, we have taken a sample of water, it will be constant everywhere the chemical composition. If there were no waters, all living organisms of large depths were extinct. Life would be possible only in the photosynthesis zone.
Where the water is well mixed and this process flows quickly, for example, in shallow seas and oceans, life is richer.
The constancy of the salt composition of the water of the Caspian Sea is the overall property of the waters of the world's ocean. But this does not mean that the Caspian chemical composition is the same as in the ocean or in any sea, connected to the ocean, consider a table showing the content of salts in the ocean waters, Caspian and Volga.
|
Carbonates (CACO 3) |
Sulfates Caso 4, MgSO 4 |
Chlorides NaCl, KCL, MGCL 2 |
The average salinity of water |
|
|
Ocean |
0,21 |
10,34 |
89,45 |
|
|
Caspian Sea |
1,24 |
30,54 |
67,90 |
12,9 |
|
Volga river |
57,2 |
33,4 |
From the table, it can be seen that the water of the ocean has very little common with river water in terms of salt makeup. According to the salt composition, the Caspian Sea occupies an intermediate position between the river and the ocean, which is due to the greatest influence of the river flow on the chemical composition of the Caspian water. The ratio of salts dissolved in the water of the Aral Sea is more approaching the salt composition of river water. This is understandable, since the ratio of the volume of river flow to the volume of the water of the Aral Sea is much more than for the Caspian Sea. A large number of sulfate salts in the Caspian Sea gives its water a bitter-salty taste that distinguishes it from the water of the oceans and the seas connected to them.
The salinity of the Caspian Sea continuously increases towards the south. In the predominant space of the Volga in a kilogram of water contains hundredth grams of salts. In the eastern regions of the South and Middle Caspian Sea, the salinity reaches 13-14
The concentration of salts in the Caspian water is small. So, in this water you can dissolve the salts of almost twenty times more than they are available in it.
B.A. SHAYMIN. Caspian Sea. 1954.
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The length of the coastline of the Caspian Sea is estimated at about 6500-6700 kilometers, with islands - up to 7000 kilometers. The shores of the Caspian Sea for most of its territory - low and smooth. In the northern part, the coastline is cut by water ducts and the islands of the Volga and Urals delta, the shores are low and wetlands, and the water surface is covered with thickets in many places. On the east coast, limestone shores predominate, adjacent to semi-deserts and deserts. The most winding banks - on the west coast in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Absheron Peninsula and on the Eastern Coast in the Kazakh Bay area and Kara-Bogaz-goal. The territory adjacent to the Caspian Sea is called the Caspian.
