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Falls into the Caspian. Caspian Sea, map

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 in most of its territory are low-lying and smooth. In the northern part, the coastline is indented by water streams and islands of the Volga and Ural deltas, the shores are low and swampy, and the water surface is covered with thickets in many places. The east coast is dominated by limestone shores adjacent to semi-deserts and deserts. The most winding coasts are on the west coast in the area of the Apsheron Peninsula and on the east coast in the area of the Kazakh Gulf and Kara-Bogaz-Gol.

Peninsulas of the Caspian Sea

Large peninsulas of the Caspian Sea:
* Agrakhan Peninsula
* Absheron peninsula, located on the western coast of the Caspian Sea in the territory of Azerbaijan, at the northeastern end of the Greater Caucasus, the cities of Baku and Sumgayit are located on its territory
* Buzachi
* Mangyshlak, located on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, on the territory of Kazakhstan, on its territory is the city of Aktau.
* Miankale
* Tub-Karagan

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

The largest islands:

* Ashur-Ada
* Garasu
* Gum
* Dash
* Zira (island)
* Zyanbil
* Kur Dasha
* Hara Zira
* Sengi-Mugan
* Chechen (island)
* Chygyl

Large bays of the Caspian Sea:

* Agrakhan Bay,
* Komsomolets (bay),
* Mangyshlak,
* Kazakh (bay),
* Turkmenbashi (Gulf) (former Krasnovodsk),
* Turkmen (bay),
* Gyzylagach,
* Astrakhan (Bay)
* Gyzlar
* Hyrcanus (former Astarabad) and
* Anzali (former Pahlavi).

Rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea

130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, of which 9 rivers have a mouth in the form of a delta. 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. The largest river flowing into the Caspian Sea is the Volga, its average annual runoff is 215-224 cubic kilometers. The Volga, Ural, Terek and Emba provide up to 88 - 90% of the annual drainage of the Caspian Sea.

Caspian Sea Basin

The area of the Caspian Sea basin is approximately 3.1 - 3.5 million square kilometers, which is approximately 10 percent of the world's closed water basins. The length of the Caspian Sea basin from north to south is about 2,500 kilometers, from west to east - about 1,000 kilometers. The Caspian Sea basin covers 9 states - Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan.

coastal states

The Caspian Sea washes the shores of five coastal states:
* Russia (Dagestan, Kalmykia and Astrakhan region) - in the west and north-west, the length of the coastline is 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

Cities on the coast of the Caspian Sea

The largest city - a port on the Caspian Sea - Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, which is located in the southern part of the Absheron Peninsula and has 2,070 thousand people (2003). Other large Azerbaijani Caspian cities are Sumgayit, which is located in the northern part of the Absheron Peninsula, and Lankaran, which is located near the southern border of Azerbaijan. To the South-East of the Absheron Peninsula, there is a settlement of oil workers Neftyanye Kamni, whose facilities are located on artificial islands, overpasses and technological sites.

Large Russian cities - the capital of Dagestan Makhachkala and the southernmost city of Russia Derbent - are located on the western coast of the Caspian Sea. 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.

On the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea is the Kazakh city - the port of Aktau, in the north in the Ural delta, 20 km from the sea, the city of Atyrau is located, south of Kara-Bogaz-Gol on the northern shore of the Krasnovodsk Bay - the Turkmen city of Turkmenbashi, formerly Krasnovodsk. Several Caspian cities are located on the southern (Iranian) coast, the largest of them is Anzali.

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 was approximately 392,600 square kilometers, the volume of water was 78,648 cubic kilometers, which is approximately 44 percent 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

The water level in the Caspian Sea is subject to significant fluctuations. According to modern science, over the past 3 thousand years, the amplitude of changes in the water level of the Caspian Sea has amounted to 15 meters. Instrumental measurement of the level of the Caspian Sea and systematic observations of its fluctuations have been carried out since 1837, during this time the highest water level was recorded in 1882 (-25.2 m.), the lowest - in 1977 (-29.0 m.) , since 1978 the water level has been rising and in 1995 it reached -26.7 m, since 1996 there has again been a downward trend in the level of the Caspian Sea. Scientists associate the causes of changes in the water level of the Caspian Sea with climatic, geological and anthropogenic factors.

Water temperature

The water temperature is subject to significant latitudinal changes, most pronounced in winter, when the temperature changes from 0-0.5 °C at the ice edge in the north of the sea to 10-11 °C in the south, i.e. the water temperature difference 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 near the western coast is 1-2 °C higher than that of the eastern one, and in the open sea the water temperature is 2-4 °C higher than near the coasts. By the nature of the horizontal structure of the temperature field in the annual cycle of variability, three time interval in the upper 2-meter layer. From October to March, the water temperature increases in the south and east, which is especially evident in the Middle Caspian. Two stable quasi-latitudinal zones can be distinguished, where the temperature gradients are elevated. This is, firstly, the border between the North and Middle Caspian, and, secondly, between the Middle and South. At the ice edge, in the northern frontal zone, the temperature in February-March increases from 0 to 5 °C, in the southern frontal zone, in the area of the Apsheron threshold, from 7 to 10 °C. During this period, the least chilled waters are in the center of the South Caspian, which form a quasi-stationary core.

In April-May, the area of minimum temperatures moves to the Middle Caspian, which is associated with faster warming of waters in the shallow northern part of the sea. True, at the beginning of the season in the northern part of the sea, a large amount of heat is spent on melting ice, but already in May the temperature rises here to 16-17 °C. In the middle part, the temperature at this time is 13-15 °C, and in the south it rises to 17-18 °C.

The spring warming of the water evens out the horizontal gradients, and the temperature difference between the coastal areas and the open sea does not exceed 0.5 °C. The heating of the surface layer, which begins in March, breaks the uniformity in the temperature distribution with depth. In June-September, horizontal uniformity is observed in the temperature distribution in the surface layer. In August, which is the month of the greatest warming, the water temperature throughout the sea is 24-26 °C, and in the southern regions it rises to 28 °C. In August, the water temperature in shallow bays, for example, in Krasnovodsk, can reach 32 °C. The main feature of the water temperature field at this time is upwelling. It is observed annually along the entire eastern coast of the Middle Caspian and partially penetrates even into the South Caspian.

The rise of cold deep waters occurs with varying intensity as a result of the influence of northwestern winds prevailing in the summer season. The wind of this direction causes the outflow of warm surface waters from the coast and the rise of colder waters from the intermediate layers. Upwelling starts in June, but it reaches its highest intensity in July-August. As a result, a decrease in temperature (7-15 °C) is observed on the surface of the water. Horizontal temperature gradients reach 2.3 °C at the surface and 4.2 °C at a depth of 20 m.

The center of upwelling is gradually shifting from 41-42° N. latitude in June, to 43-45 ° north. latitude in September. Summer upwelling is of great importance for the Caspian Sea, radically changing the dynamic processes in the deep water area. In the open areas of the sea, in late May - early June, the temperature jump layer begins to form, which is most pronounced in August. Most often, it is located between the horizons of 20 and 30 m in the middle part of the sea and 30 and 40 m in the southern part. Vertical temperature gradients in the shock layer are very significant and can reach several degrees per meter. In the middle part of the sea, due to the surge near the eastern coast, the shock layer rises close to the surface.

Since there is no stable baroclinic layer in the Caspian Sea with a large potential energy reserve similar to the main thermocline of the World Ocean, with the cessation of the effect of the prevailing winds that cause upwelling, and with the onset of autumn-winter convection in October-November, the temperature fields are rapidly reorganized to the winter regime. In the open sea, the water temperature in the surface layer drops in the middle part to 12-13 °C, in the southern part to 16-17 °C. In the vertical structure, the shock layer is washed out due to convective mixing and disappears by the end of November.

Water composition

The salt composition of the waters of the closed Caspian Sea differs from that of the ocean. There are significant differences in the ratios of the concentrations of salt-forming ions, especially for the waters of areas under the direct influence of continental runoff. The process of metamorphization of sea waters under the influence of continental runoff leads to a decrease in the relative content of chlorides in the total amount of salts of sea waters, an increase in the relative amount of carbonates, sulfates, calcium, which are the main components in the chemical composition of river waters. The most conservative ions are potassium, sodium, chlorine and magnesium. The least conservative are calcium and bicarbonate ion. In the Caspian, the content of calcium and magnesium cations is almost two times higher than in the Sea of Azov, and sulfate anion is three times higher. The salinity of the water changes especially sharply in the northern part of the sea: from 0.1 units. psu in the mouth areas of the Volga and Urals up to 10-11 units. psu on the border with the Middle Caspian.

Mineralization in shallow saline bays-kultuks can reach 60-100 g/kg. In the Northern Caspian, during the entire ice-free period from April to November, a quasi-latitudinal salinity front is observed. The greatest desalination associated with the spread of river runoff over the sea area is observed in June. The formation of the salinity field in the Northern Caspian is greatly influenced by the wind field. In the middle and southern parts of the sea, salinity fluctuations are small. Basically, it is 11.2-12.8 units. psu, increasing in the southern and eastern directions. Salinity increases insignificantly with depth (by 0.1–0.2 psu).

In the deep-water part of the Caspian Sea, in the vertical salinity profile, characteristic troughs of isohalines and local extrema are observed in the area of the eastern continental slope, which indicate the processes of near-bottom creep of waters becoming saline in the eastern shallow waters of the South Caspian. The salinity value also strongly depends on the sea level and (which is interrelated) on the amount of continental runoff.

Bottom relief

The relief of the northern part of the Caspian is a shallow wavy plain with banks and accumulative islands, the average depth of the Northern Caspian is about 4-8 meters, the maximum does not exceed 25 meters. The Mangyshlak threshold separates the Northern Caspian from the Middle. The Middle Caspian is quite deep, the depth of water in the Derbent depression reaches 788 meters. The Apsheron threshold separates the Middle and South Caspian. The South Caspian is considered deep water, the depth of water in the South Caspian depression reaches 1025 meters from the surface of the Caspian Sea. Shell sands are widespread on the Caspian shelf, deep-water areas are covered with silty sediments, and in some areas there is an outcrop of bedrock.

Climate

The climate of the Caspian Sea is 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 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 is 44 degrees.

The average annual rainfall is 200 millimeters per year, ranging from 90-100 millimeters in the arid eastern part to 1,700 millimeters off the southwestern subtropical coast. Evaporation of water from the surface of the Caspian Sea is about 1000 millimeters per year, the most intense evaporation in the area of the Absheron Peninsula and in the eastern part of the South Caspian is up to 1400 millimeters per year.

Winds often blow on the territory of the Caspian Sea, their average annual speed is 3-7 meters per second, north winds prevail in the wind rose. In the autumn and winter months, the winds increase, the wind speed often reaches 35-40 meters per second. The most windy territories are the Apsheron Peninsula and the environs of Makhachkala - Derbent, where the highest wave was recorded - 11 meters.

currents

The circulation of water in the Caspian Sea is connected with the runoff and winds. Since most of the water flow falls on the Northern Caspian, northern currents predominate. An intense northern current carries water from the Northern Caspian along the western coast to the Absheron Peninsula, where the current is divided into two branches, one of which moves further along the western coast, the other goes to the Eastern Caspian.

Animal world

The fauna of the Caspian is represented by 1809 species, of which 415 are vertebrates. 101 species of fish are registered in the Caspian world, and most of the world's stocks of sturgeon are concentrated in it, as well as such freshwater fish as vobla, carp, pike perch. The Caspian Sea is the habitat of such fish as carp, mullet, sprat, kutum, bream, salmon, perch, pike. A marine mammal, the Caspian seal, also lives in the Caspian Sea. Since March 31, 2008, 363 dead seals have been found on the coast of the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan.

Vegetable world

The flora of the Caspian Sea and its coast is represented by 728 species. Of the plants in the Caspian Sea, algae predominate - blue-green, diatoms, red, brown, char and others, of flowering - zoster and ruppia. By origin, the flora belongs mainly to the Neogene age, however, some plants were brought into the Caspian Sea by man either consciously or on the bottoms of ships.

Origin of the Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea is of oceanic origin - its bed is composed of oceanic-type earth's crust. It was formed about 10 million years ago, when the closed Sarmatian Sea, which lost contact with the world ocean about 70 million years ago, was divided into two parts - the "Caspian Sea" and the Black Sea.

Anthropological and cultural history of the Caspian Sea

Finds in the Khuto cave near the southern coast of the Caspian Sea indicate that a person lived in these parts about 75 thousand years ago. The first mention of the Caspian Sea and the tribes living on its coast are found in Herodotus. Approximately in the V-II centuries. BC e. Saka tribes lived on the coast of the Caspian Sea. Later, during the period of the settlement of the Turks, in the period of the IV-V centuries. n. e. Talysh tribes (Talysh) lived here. According to ancient Armenian and Iranian manuscripts, the Russians sailed the Caspian Sea from the 9th - 10th century.

Exploration of the Caspian Sea

The exploration of the Caspian Sea was started by Peter the Great, when, on his orders, an expedition was organized in 1714-1715 under the leadership of A. Bekovich-Cherkassky. In the 1820s, hydrographic studies were continued by I.F. Soyomov, and later by I.V. Tokmachev, M.I. Voinovich and other researchers. At the beginning of the 19th century, instrumental surveying of the coast was carried out by I.F. Kolodkin, in the middle of the 19th century. - instrumental geographic survey under the guidance of N. A. Ivashintsev. Since 1866, for more than 50 years, expeditionary research on the hydrology and hydrobiology of the Caspian Sea has been carried out under the leadership of N. M. Knipovich. In 1897, the Astrakhan Research Station was founded. In the first decades of Soviet power in the Caspian Sea, geological research by I. M. Gubkin and other Soviet geologists was actively carried out, mainly aimed at finding oil, as well as research on the study of the water balance and fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea.

Oil and gas

Many oil and gas fields are being developed in the Caspian Sea. The proven oil resources in the 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 the 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 on other territories.

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

Shipping

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

Fishing and seafood

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

Recreational resources

Environmental problems

The 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 vital activity of coastal cities, as well as the flooding of individual objects due to the rise in the level of the Caspian Sea. Predatory harvesting of sturgeons and their caviar, rampant poaching lead to a decrease in the number of sturgeons and forced restrictions on their production and export.

Border dispute over the 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 unsettled disagreements related to the division of the resources of the Caspian shelf - oil and gas, as well as biological resources. For a long time there were negotiations 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 - on dividing the Caspian along one-fifth part between all the Caspian states. In 2003, Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on the partial division of the Caspian Sea along the median line.

Coordinates: 42.622596 50.041848

Many geographical names can mislead people who are not fond of geography. Could it be that the object marked on all maps as the sea is in fact a lake? Let's figure it out.

The history of the appearance of the Caspian Sea?

14,000,000 years ago, the Sarmatian Sea existed on the planet. It included modern, Black, Caspian and Azov seas. About 6,000,000 years ago, due to the rise of the Caucasus Mountains and the lowering of the water level in the Mediterranean Sea, it split, forming four different seas.

The Caspian is inhabited by many representatives of the fauna of Azov, which once again confirms that once these reservoirs were one. This is one of the reasons why the Caspian Sea is considered a lake.

The name of the sea comes from the ancient tribes of the Caspians. They inhabited its shores in the first millennia BC and were engaged in horse breeding. But over the long hundreds of years of its existence, this sea has had many names. It was called Derbent, Sarai, Girkan, Sigay, Kukkuz. Even in our time, for the inhabitants of Iran and Azerbaijan, this lake is called Khazar.

Geographic location

Two parts of the world - Europe and Asia, are washed by the waters of the Caspian Sea. The coastline covers the following countries:

Turkmenistan
Russia
Azerbaijan
Kazakhstan

The length from north to south is about one thousand two hundred kilometers, the width from west to east is about three hundred kilometers. The average depth is about two hundred meters, the greatest depth is about a thousand kilometers. The total area of the reservoir is more than 370,000 square kilometers and is divided into three climatic and geographical zones:

Northern
Average
South Caspian

The water area has six large peninsulas and about fifty islands. Their total area is four hundred square kilometers. The largest islands are Dzhambaisky, Ogurchinsky, Chechen, Tyuleniy, Konevsky, Zyudev and Absheron Islands. About one hundred and thirty rivers flow into the Caspian, including the Volga, Ural, Atrek, Sefirud, Terek, Kura and many others.

Sea or lake?

The official name used in documentation and cartography is the Caspian Sea. But is this true?

In order to have the right to be called a sea, any body of water must be connected to the oceans. In the case of the Caspian, this is not the reality. From the nearest sea, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea is separated by almost 500 km of land. This is a completely enclosed reservoir. The main differences of the seas:

The seas can be fed by water arteries - rivers.
The outer seas are directly connected with the ocean, that is, they have access to it.
The inland seas are connected to other seas or oceans by straits.

The Caspian received the right to be called a sea primarily because of its impressive size, which is more characteristic of seas rather than lakes. In terms of area, it surpasses even Azov. Also, the fact that not a single lake washes the shores of five states at once played a significant role.

It should be noted that the structure of the bottom of the Caspian Sea belongs to the oceanic type. This happened due to the fact that it was once part of the ancient oceans.

Compared to other seas, the percentage of salt saturation in it is very weak and does not exceed 0.05%. The Caspian is fed only by rivers flowing into it, like all lakes on the globe.

Like many seas, the Caspian is famous for its powerful storms. The height of the waves can reach eleven meters. Storms can occur at any time of the year, but they are most dangerous in autumn and winter.

In fact, the Caspian Sea is the largest lake in the world. Its waters are not subject to international maritime laws. The territory of the waters is divided between countries on the basis of laws adopted for lakes, and not for seas.

The Caspian Sea has rich mineral resources such as oil and gas. Its waters are inhabited by more than one hundred and twenty species of fish. Among them are the most valuable sturgeons, such as stellate sturgeon, sturgeon, sterlet, beluga, and spike. 90% of the world's sturgeon catch goes to the Caspian Sea.

Interesting features:

Scientists around the world have not come to an unambiguous opinion why the Caspian Sea is considered a lake. Some experts even suggest considering it a "lake-sea" or "inland" sea, like the Dead Sea in Israel;
The deepest point of the Caspian is more than one kilometer;
Historically, it is known that the general water level in the reservoir has changed more than once. The exact reasons for this are still not understood;
This is the only body of water separating Asia and Europe;
The largest waterway that feeds the lake is the Volga River. It is she who carries the bulk of the water;
Thousands of years ago the Caspian Sea was part of the Black Sea;
In terms of the number of fish species, the Caspian Sea loses to some rivers;
The Caspian Sea is the main supplier of the most expensive delicacy - black caviar;
The water in the lake is completely renewed every two hundred and fifty years;
The territory of Japan is smaller than the area of the Caspian Sea.

Ecological situation

Intervention in the ecology of the Caspian Sea regularly occurs due to the extraction of oil and natural resources. There are also interventions in the fauna of the reservoir, cases of poaching and illegal catching of valuable species of fish are frequent.

The water level in the Caspian Sea is falling every year. This is due to global warming, due to the influence of which the water temperature on the surface of the reservoir increased by one degree and the sea began to actively evaporate.

It is estimated that the water level has fallen by seven centimeters since 1996. By 2015, the fall was about one and a half meters, and the water continues to fall.

If this continues, in a century the smallest part of the lake may simply disappear. This will be the part that washes the borders of Russia and Kazakhstan. In the case of increased global warming, the process can accelerate and this will happen much earlier.

It is known that long before the onset of global warming, the water level in the Caspian was undergoing changes. The water stayed and then fell. Scientists still cannot say exactly why this happened.

The territory of Russia is washed by twelve seas belonging to the basins of three oceans. But one of these seas - the Caspian - is often called a lake, which sometimes confuses people who are poorly versed in geography.

Meanwhile, it is really more correct to call the Caspian a lake, not a sea. Why? Let's figure it out.

A bit of geography. Where is the Caspian Sea located?

Occupying an area that exceeds 370,000 square kilometers, the Caspian Sea stretches from north to south, dividing Europe and Asia with its water surface. Its coastline belongs to five different countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Iran. Geographers conditionally divide its water area into three parts: Northern (25% of the area), Middle (36% of the area) and South Caspian (39% of the area), which differ in climate, geological setting and natural features. The coastline is mostly flat, indented by river channels, covered with vegetation, and in the northern part, where the Volga flows into the Caspian, it is also swampy.

The Caspian Sea has about 50 large and small islands, about a dozen bays and six large peninsulas. In addition to the Volga, about 130 rivers flow into it, and nine rivers form fairly wide and branched deltas. The annual drainage of the Volga is about 120 cubic kilometers. Together with other large rivers - the Terek, the Urals, the Emba and the Sulak - this accounts for up to 90% of the total annual runoff to the Caspian.

Why is the Caspian called a lake?

The main feature of any sea is the presence of straits connecting it with the ocean. The Caspian is a closed, or endorheic body of water, which receives river water, but does not connect with any ocean.

Its water contains a very small amount of salt compared to other seas (about 0.05%) and is considered slightly salty. Due to the lack of at least one strait connecting to the ocean, the Caspian is often called the largest lake in the world, since the lake is a completely closed reservoir, which is fed only by river water.

The waters of the Caspian Sea are not subject to international maritime laws, and its water area is divided among all countries that adjoin it, in proportion to the coastline.

Why is the Caspian called the sea?

Despite all of the above, most often in geography, as well as in international and domestic documents, the name “Caspian Sea” is used, and not “Caspian Lake”. First of all, this is due to the size of the reservoir, which is much more typical for the sea than for the lake. Even, which is much smaller in area than the Caspian, the locals often call the sea. There are no other lakes in the world whose shores belong to five different countries at the same time.

In addition, attention should be paid to the structure of the bottom, which near the Caspian Sea has a pronounced oceanic type. Once the Caspian Sea, most likely, was connected with the Mediterranean, but tectonic processes and drying up separated it from the World Ocean. More than fifty islands are located in the Caspian Sea, and the area of some of them is quite large, even by international standards they are considered large. All this makes it possible to call the Caspian a sea, not a lake.

origin of name

Why is this sea (or lake) called Caspian? The origin of any name is often associated with the ancient history of the area. Different peoples who lived on the shores of the Caspian called it differently. More than seventy names of this reservoir have been preserved in history - it was called the Hyrcanian, Derbent, Sarai Sea, etc.

Iranians and Azerbaijanis still call it the Khazar Sea. It began to be called Caspian by the name of the ancient tribe of nomadic horse breeders who lived in the steppes adjacent to its coast - a large tribe of Caspians. It was they who gave the name to the largest lake on our planet - the Caspian Sea.

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on the planet Earth, located on the continent of Eurasia - in the border area of the states of Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Azerbaijan. In fact, it is a giant lake left after the disappearance of the ancient Tethys ocean. Nevertheless, there is every reason to consider it as an independent sea (this is indicated by salinity, a large area and decent depth, the bottom of the oceanic crust and other signs). In terms of maximum depth, it is the third among closed reservoirs - after lakes Baikal and Tanganyika. In the northern part of the Caspian Sea (a few kilometers from the northern coast - parallel to it) there is a geographical border between Europe and Asia.

Toponymy

Other names: throughout the history of mankind, different peoples of the Caspian Sea had about 70 different names. The most famous of them are: Khvalynskoe or Khvalisskoe (it took place in the times of Ancient Russia, arose by the name of the people praise, who lived in the Northern Caspian and traded with the Russians), Girkan or Dzhurdzhan (derived from the alternative names of the city of Gorgan, located in Iran), Khazar, Abeskun (after the name of the island and city in the Kura delta - now flooded), Saray, Derbent, Sikhay .
Origin of name: according to one of the hypotheses, the Caspian Sea received its modern and most ancient name from a tribe of nomadic horse breeders the Caspians who lived in the 1st millennium BC on the southwestern coast.

Morphometry

Catchment area: 3,626,000 km².
Mirror area: 371,000 km².
Coastline length: 7,000 km.
Volume: 78,200 km³.
Average depth: 208 m
Max Depth: 1025 m.

Hydrology

The presence of a constant flow: no, it's pointless.
Tributaries:, Ural, Emba, Atrek, Gorgan, Heraz, Sefidrud, Astarchay, Kura, Pirsagat, Kusarchay, Samur, Rubas, Darvagchay, Ulluchay, Shuraozen, Sulak, Terek, Kuma.
Bottom: very varied. At shallow depths, sandy soil with an admixture of shells is common, in deep water places - silty. Pebble and rocky places can be found in the coastal strip (especially where mountain ranges adjoin the sea). In the estuarine areas, the underwater soil consists of river sediments. The Kara-Bogaz-Gol bay is notable for the fact that its bottom is a powerful layer of mineral salts.

Chemical composition

Water: brackish.
Salinity: 13 g / l.
Transparency: 15 m.

Geography

Rice. 1. Map of the Caspian Sea basin.

Coordinates: 41°59′02″ s. sh., 51°03′52″ E d.
Height above sea level:-28 m.
Coastal landscape: Due to the fact that the coastline of the Caspian Sea is very long, and it is located in different geographical zones, the coastal landscape is diverse. In the northern part of the reservoir, the shores are low, swampy, in places of the deltas of large rivers they are indented by numerous channels. The eastern shores are mostly limestone - desert or semi-desert. The western and southern shores adjoin mountain ranges. The greatest indentation of the coastline is observed in the west - in the area of the Apsheron Peninsula, as well as in the east - in the area of the Kazakh and Kara-Bogaz-Gol bays.
Settlements on the coast:
- Russia: Astrakhan, Derbent, Kaspiysk, Makhachkala, Olya.
- Kazakhstan: Aktau, Atyrau, Kuryk, Sogandyk, Bautino.
- Turkmenistan: Ekerem, Karabogaz, Turkmenbashi, Khazar.
- Iran: Astara, Balboser, Bender-Torkemen, Bender-Anzeli, Neka, Chalus.
- Azerbaijan: Alyat, Astara, Baku, Dubendi, Lankaran, Sangachali, Sumgayit.

interactive map

Ecology

The ecological situation in the Caspian Sea is far from ideal. Almost all large rivers flowing into it are polluted by the effluents of industrial enterprises located upstream. This could not but affect the presence of pollutants in the waters and bottom sediments of the Caspian - over the past half century, their concentration has increased markedly, and the content of some heavy metals has already exceeded the permissible limits.

In addition, the waters of the Caspian Sea are constantly polluted by domestic wastewater from coastal cities, as well as during oil production on the continental shelf, and during its transportation.

Fishing in the Caspian Sea

Fish species:
Artificial settlement: not all of the above fish species in the Caspian Sea are native. About 4 dozen species came by chance (for example, through channels from the basins of the Black and Baltic Seas), or were deliberately populated by humans. An example is the mullet. Three Black Sea species of these fish - striped mullet, sharp-nosed mullet and golden mullet - were released in the first half of the 20th century. The striped mullet did not take root, but the blackfin with golden mullet have successfully acclimatized, and by the current moment they have settled in virtually the entire water area of the Caspian Sea, having formed several commercial herds. At the same time, fish feed faster than in the Black Sea, and reach larger sizes. In the second half of the last century (starting from 1962), attempts were also made to populate such Far Eastern salmon fish as pink salmon and chum salmon in the Caspian Sea. In total, several billion fry of these fish were released into the sea within 5 years. Pink salmon did not survive in the new range, but on the contrary, chum salmon successfully took root and even began to spawn in the rivers flowing into the sea. However, she could not reproduce in sufficient quantities and gradually disappeared. There are as yet no favorable conditions for its full-fledged natural reproduction (there are very few places where spawning and development of fry could successfully occur). To ensure them, river reclamation is needed, otherwise, without human help (artificial sampling of eggs and its incubation), fish will not be able to maintain their numbers.

Fishing places

In fact, fishing is possible at any point on the coast of the Caspian Sea, which can be reached by land or water. Which species of fish will be caught at the same time depends on local conditions, but to a greater extent on whether rivers flow here. As a rule, in places where estuaries and deltas (especially large watercourses) are located, the water in the sea is strongly desalinated, therefore, freshwater fish (carp, catfish, bream, etc.) usually predominate in catches; rivers (barbels, shemaya). Of the marine species in desalinated areas, those for which salinity does not matter are caught (mullet, some of the gobies). In certain periods of the year, semi-anadromous and migratory species can be found here, feeding in the sea, and entering the rivers for spawning (sturgeon, some of the herring, Caspian salmon). In places where there are no flowing rivers, freshwater species are found in a slightly smaller number, but at the same time, marine fish appear, usually avoiding desalinated areas (for example, sea zander). Away from the coast, fish that prefer salt water and deep-sea species are caught.

It is conditionally possible to distinguish 9 places or areas that are interesting in terms of fishing:

North Shore (RF)- this area is located on the northern coast of the Russian Federation (from the Volga delta to the Kizlyar Bay). Its main features are the insignificant salinity of the water (the lowest in the Caspian Sea), shallow depth, the presence of multiple shoals, islands, and highly developed aquatic vegetation. In addition to the Volga delta with its numerous channels, bays and erics, it also includes the estuarine seaside, called the Caspian peals. These places are popular with Russian fishermen, and for good reason: the conditions for fish are very favorable here, and there is also a good forage base. The ichthyofauna in these parts may not shine with a richness of species, but it is distinguished by its abundance, and some of its representatives reach a very considerable size. Usually the basis of catches are freshwater fish, typical for the Volga basin. Most often caught: perch, pike perch, roach (more precisely, its varieties, called roach and ram), rudd, asp, sabrefish, bream, goldfish, carp, catfish, pike. Bursh, silver bream, white-eye, blue bream are somewhat less common. There are also representatives of sturgeons (sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, beluga, etc.), salmonids (nelma, brown trout - Caspian salmon) in these places, but their catch is prohibited.
Northwestern coast (RF)- this section covers the western coast of the Russian Federation (from Kizlyar Bay to Makhachkala). The Kuma, Terek and Sulak rivers flow here - they carry their waters both along natural channels and artificial channels. In this area there are bays, among which are quite large ones (Kizlyarsky, Agrakhansky). The sea in these places is shallow. Of the fish in the catches, freshwater species predominate: pike, perch, carp, catfish, rudd, bream, barbel, etc., marine species are also caught here, for example, herring (black-backed, shad).
West Bank (RF)- from Makhachkala to the border of the Russian Federation with Azerbaijan. An area where mountain ranges adjoin the sea. The salinity of the water here is somewhat higher than in previous places, therefore, marine species are more common in the catches of fishermen (sea pike, mullet, herring). However, freshwater fish are by no means uncommon.
West Bank (Azerbaijan)- from the border of the Russian Federation with Azerbaijan to the Absheron Peninsula. Continuation of the section where mountain ranges adjoin the sea. Fishing here is even more similar to typical sea fishing, thanks to fish such as hart and golden mullet (mullet) and several types of gobies, which are also caught here. In addition to them, there are kutum, herring, and some typically freshwater species, for example, carp.
Southwest coast (Azerbaijan)- from the Absheron Peninsula to the border of Azerbaijan with Iran. Most of this area is occupied by the delta of the Kura River. Here the same species of fish are caught that were listed in the previous paragraph, but freshwater ones are somewhat more common.
North Shore (Kazakhstan)- this section covers the northern coast of Kazakhstan. The Ural delta and the Akzhaiyk state reserve are located here, therefore fishing directly in the river delta and in some waters adjacent to it is prohibited. Fishing is possible only outside the reserve - upstream from the delta, or in the sea - at some distance from it. Fishing near the Ural delta has much in common with fishing at the confluence of the Volga - almost the same species of fish are found here.
Northeast coast (Kazakhstan)- from the mouth of the Emba to Cape Tyub-Karagan. In contrast to the northern part of the sea, where the water is greatly diluted by large rivers flowing into it, its salinity is slightly increased here, therefore, those fish species appear that avoid desalinated areas, for example, sea zander, which is caught in the Dead Kultuk Bay. Also, other representatives of marine fauna are often found in the catches.
Eastern coast (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan)- from Cape Tyub-Karagan to the border of Turkmenistan and Iran. Differs in the almost complete absence of flowing rivers. The salinity of the water here is at its highest. Of the fish in these places, marine species predominate, the main catches are mullet, pike perch and gobies.
South Shore (Iran)- covers the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. Throughout this section, the Elburs mountain range adjoins the sea. Many rivers flow here, most of which are small streams, there are also several medium and one large river. Of the fish, in addition to marine species, there are also some freshwater, as well as semi-anadromous and anadromous species, for example, sturgeons.

Features of fishing

The most popular and catchy amateur tackle that is used on the Caspian coast is a heavy spinning rod converted into a “sea bottom”. Usually it is equipped with a strong spool, on which a fairly thick line (0.3 mm or more) is wound. The thickness of the fishing line is determined not so much by the size of the fish as by the mass of a rather heavy sinker, which is necessary for an ultra-long cast (in the Caspian it is widely believed that the farther from the shore the casting point is, the better). After the sinker comes a thinner fishing line - with several leashes. As a bait, shrimps and amphipods that live in coastal thickets of algae are used - if it is supposed to catch sea fish, or an ordinary bait like a worm, cockchafer larvae and others - if freshwater species are found in the fishing area.

In estuaries of inflowing rivers, other tackle such as float rod, feeder and traditional spinning can be used.

kasparova2 majorov2006 g2gg2g-61 .

Photo 8. Sunset in Aktau.

, 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° v. d.).

The Caspian Sea is conditionally divided according to physical and geographical conditions into 3 parts - the North Caspian, the Middle Caspian and the South Caspian. The conditional border between the North and Middle Caspian runs along the line of about. Chechnya - Cape Tyub-Karagansky, between the Middle and South Caspian - along the line of about. Residential - Cape Gan-Gulu. The area of the Northern, Middle and Southern Caspian 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 Sea.

Peninsulas of the Caspian Sea

Ashur-Ada
Garasu
Zyanbil
Hara Zira
Sengi-Mugan
Chygyl

Bays of the Caspian Sea

Russia (Dagestan, Kalmykia and Astrakhan region) - in the west and north-west, 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 coast of the Caspian Sea

On the Russian coast there are cities - 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

History of the Caspian Sea

Origin of the Caspian Sea

Anthropological and cultural history of the Caspian Sea

Finds in the Khuto cave near the southern coast of the Caspian Sea indicate that a person lived in these parts about 75 thousand years ago. The first mention of the Caspian Sea and the tribes living on its coast are found in Herodotus. Approximately in the V-II centuries. BC e. Saka tribes lived on the coast of the Caspian Sea. Later, during the period of the 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, the Russians sailed the Caspian Sea from the 9th-10th centuries.

Exploration of the Caspian Sea

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

Economy of the Caspian Sea

Oil and gas

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 on other territories.

Shipping

Fishing and seafood

Recreational resources

The natural environment of the Caspian coast with sandy beaches, mineral waters and therapeutic 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 noticeably loses to the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. At the same time, in recent years, the tourism industry has been actively developing on the coast of Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Russian Dagestan. The resort area in the Baku region is actively developing in Azerbaijan. At the moment, a world-class resort has been created in Amburan, another modern tourist complex is being built near the village of Nardaran, recreation in the sanatoriums of the villages of Bilgah and Zagulba is very popular. A resort area is also being developed in Nabran, in the north of Azerbaijan. However, high prices, a generally low level of service and the lack of advertising lead to the fact that there are almost no foreign tourists in the Caspian resorts. The development of the tourism industry in Turkmenistan is hampered by a long policy of isolation, in Iran - by Sharia law, due to which the mass vacation of foreign tourists on the Caspian coast of Iran is impossible.

Environmental problems

International status of the Caspian Sea

Legal status of the Caspian Sea

With regard to the Caspian Sea, the key is the physical and geographical circumstance that it is a closed inland water body 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 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982, should not automatically apply to the Caspian Sea. Based on this, 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 navigation in its waters of ships flying the flag of non-Caspian states.

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

Delimitation of sections of the bottom of the Caspian Sea for the purpose of subsoil use

The Russian Federation concluded an agreement with Kazakhstan on the delimitation of 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 dated May 13, 2002), an agreement with Azerbaijan on the delimitation of adjacent sections of the bottom of the northern part of the Caspian Sea (dated September 23, 2002), as well as the trilateral Russian-Azerbaijani-Kazakhstan 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.