Caspian Sea location. Caspian Sea: description, depth, width, interesting facts. What rivers flow into the Caspian Sea

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

Coast of the Caspian Sea

Coast of the Caspian Sea in Turkmenistan

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

Peninsulas of the Caspian Sea

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

Bays of the Caspian Sea

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

Cities on the Caspian Sea coast

On the Russian coast there are cities - Lagan, Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, Izberbash and the most Southern City 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 north coast Caspian Sea.

Physiography

Area, depth, volume of water

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

Water level fluctuations

Vegetable world

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

History of the Caspian Sea

Origin of the Caspian Sea

Anthropological and cultural history of the Caspian Sea

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

Research of the Caspian Sea

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

Economy of the Caspian Sea

Mining of oil and gas

Many oil and gas fields are being developed in the Caspian Sea. Proven oil resources in the Caspian Sea amount to about 10 billion tons, shared resources 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 near Baku. In the second half of the 19th century, oil production began on an industrial scale on the Absheron Peninsula, and then in other territories.

Shipping

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

Fishing and seafood production

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

Recreational resources

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

Ecological problems

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

International status of the Caspian Sea

Legal status of the Caspian Sea

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

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

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

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

Delineation of sections of the Caspian seabed for subsoil use

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

On Sunday, August 12, in Aktau, Kazakhstan, the presidents of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan signed the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea. Previously, its status was regulated by Soviet-Iranian treaties, in which the Caspian Sea was defined as a closed (inland) sea, and each Caspian state had sovereign rights to a 10-mile zone and equal rights to the rest of the sea.

Now, according to the new convention, each country is assigned its own territorial waters (zones 15 miles wide). In addition, the provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea will not apply to the Caspian Sea, the seabed will be delimited into sectors, as is done by neighboring seas, and sovereignty over the water column will be established on the basis of the principle that it is a lake.

Why is the Caspian considered neither a lake nor a sea?

To be considered a sea, the Caspian Sea must have access to the ocean; this is one of the most important conditions for which a body of water can be called a sea. But the Caspian Sea has no access to the ocean, so it is considered a closed body of water not connected to the World Ocean.

The second feature that distinguishes sea waters from lake waters is their high salinity. The water in the Caspian Sea is indeed salty, but in its salt composition it occupies an intermediate position between the river and the ocean. In addition, in the Caspian Sea, salinity increases towards the south. The Volga delta contains 0.3‰ salts, and in the eastern regions of the Southern and Middle Caspian Sea the salinity reaches 13-14‰. And if we talk about the salinity of the World Ocean, it averages 34.7 ‰.

Due to the specific geographical and hydrological characteristics, the reservoir received a special legal status. The summit participants decided that the Caspian Sea is an inland body of water that does not have a direct connection with the World Ocean, and therefore cannot be considered a sea, and at the same time, due to its size, water composition and bottom features, cannot be considered a lake.

What has been achieved since the signing of the Convention?

The new treaty expands opportunities for cooperation between countries and also involves limiting any military presence of third countries. According to political scientist, director of the Institute of Modern States Alexey Martynov, the main achievement of the last summit is that its participants managed to stop any talk about the possible construction of military bases and NATO infrastructure facilities in the Caspian Sea.

“The most important thing that was achieved was to fix that the Caspian Sea will be demilitarized for all Caspian states. There will be no other military personnel there except those representing the countries that signed the Caspian Agreement. This is a fundamental and main question that was important to fix. Everything else, what is divided proportionally into zones of influence, zones of extraction of biological resources, zones of extraction of shelf resources, was not so important. As we remember, in the last twenty years the military has been actively seeking to enter the region. The United States even wanted to build its own military base there,” says Martynov.

In addition to the distribution of each country's shares in the oil and gas fields of the Caspian basin, the Convention also provides for the construction of pipelines. As stated in the document, the rules for laying them provide for the consent of only neighboring countries, and not all countries of the Caspian Sea. After signing the agreement, Turkmenistan, in particular, stated that it was ready to lay pipelines along the bottom of the Caspian Sea, which would allow it to export its gas through Azerbaijan to Europe. The consent of Russia, which previously insisted that the project could only be implemented with the permission of all five Caspian states, is now no longer required. They plan to subsequently connect the gas pipeline to the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline, through which natural gas will flow through the territory of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey to Greece.

“Turkmenistan is not a foreign country to us, but our partner, a country that we consider very important for us on the territory post-Soviet space. We cannot be against them receiving an additional impetus for development through such pipeline projects. Gas has long been coming from Turkmenistan and other countries through another pipeline system, somewhere it is even mixed with Russian gas, and there is nothing wrong with that. If this project works, everyone will benefit, including Russia. Under no circumstances should the project be considered as some kind of competition. The European market is so large and insatiable, I mean the energy market, that there is enough room for everyone,” says Martynov.

Today, almost all Turkmen gas is supplied to China, where Russia also intends to supply blue fuel. For this purpose, in particular, a large-scale project for the construction of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline is being implemented. Thus, the geography of gas supplies for both countries can expand - Turkmenistan will gain access to the European market, and Russia will be able to increase its gas supplies to China.

The Caspian Sea is the largest closed body of water. And although the water in it is salty, and the bed is lined with rocks of the oceanic type, it is located at a distance from the world ocean and is a giant endorheic lake.

The Caspian Sea is located in two parts of the world at once. Its western shore washes the European part of the continent, and the eastern shore is part of Asia. Its length from north to south is 1030 km, and from west to east 435 km at its maximum. Sea coordinates: 36°34’–47°13’ north latitude and 46°–56° east longitude.

You can get to the Caspian Sea from anywhere in Russia. One of the main destinations for Russians will be Astrakhan and the region, with both air and rail flights from the capital and other large cities all year round. It is not so easy to get from remote cities, since often train stations do not offer direct flights to Astrakhan.

Another popular route runs through Dagestan and leads to Makhachkala, Kaspiysk or Derbent - the main cities for tourists. Airplanes from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Krasnoyarsk fly to the capital of the republic all year round. It is also possible to get there by train, but in the summer they are usually crowded.

Historical facts

The lake was formed from the Sarmatian Sea tens of millions of years ago, when Caucasus Mountains did not divide it into the Black and Caspian seas. The Sarmatian Sea itself finally lost direct access to the ocean more than 70 million years ago.

Some of the first written mentions of the Caspian Sea were found on clay tablets dating back to the 9th century. BC e. They were found during excavations in Assyria, the territory of which mainly belongs to modern Iraq and Syria. Later, the Caspian was mentioned by Herodotus, Aristotle and the “father of geography” Hecataeus of Miletus. Their knowledge was generalized and expanded by Arab scientists in the 9th - 10th centuries.

How the Caspian Sea was formed

With the development of medieval trade relations, information about the Caspian Sea spread to Europe and Turkey. The famous navigator and traveler Marco Polo described it in the 13th century. With the further passage of time, knowledge about the lake only expanded, more detailed and truthful maps were created.

As for the name, over the thousands of years of its existence on it, people have given the lake more than 70 names. Thus, the ancient peoples called it Hyrcanian, and the Arabs called it Khazar. The Chinese gave it the name Sihai, the Iranians - Kolzum, the Turks - Küçük-Deniz.

The Russians called it the “Blue Sea”, Khvalynsky or Khozemsky. The name also changed depending on the adjacent states. At one time it was called Sarai, Turkmen, Avar, Persian and many other names. It took its modern name from the ancient nomadic cattle-breeding tribes - the Caspians, who lived on its right bank around the 2nd millennium BC.

Characteristic

Of all the characteristics of the Caspian Sea, the most interesting are its unique flora and fauna, which have collected many rare species of plants and animals, the determination of its origin and problems associated with the ecology and pollution of the reservoir.

Bottom topography and depth

The Caspian Sea is divided into three geographical zones: North, Middle and South. The north is a sea plume with an average depth of no more than 5 m. It accounts for the smallest amount of lake water - about 1%. The second largest was the Middle Caspian, where the bottom at its maximum point goes 780 m. It contains more than 30% of water reserves.

The southern part is equal in area to the Middle part, but is deeper and contains more than 60% of the water mass.

It is here that the deepest point of the lake is located today - 1025 meters under water.

The boundaries between the parts are quite arbitrary, but they exist.

Between the North and the Middle, the border became the island of Chechen and Cape Tyub-Karagansky, and between the Middle and the South - the island of Zhiloy and Cape Gan-Gulu.

The topography of the lake bottom is quite uniform, but varies in different zones.

In Severnaya it is flat shallow water with small alluvial areas. The middle one goes deep and is covered with silt or shells. The southern one, being the deepest, is also covered with silt, and in some places with bedrock ledges.

Area and length

The surface area of the lake is approximately 370,000 square meters. km. The water level is subject to cyclical changes: it sometimes falls, sometimes it rises. Scientists have found that over the last millennium, the water level in the lake has fluctuated within ten meters. This is a very large indicator.

It is associated primarily with human activity, as well as geological factors that constantly affect the reservoir. According to confirmed data, the water level is only rising. The South, Middle and North each account 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 7,000. The coasts themselves are quite smooth, without large hills. In the north, the lowland coast is represented by channels and islands formed by the Volga.

The area here is swampy and covered with dense thickets of reeds. The eastern coastal areas are adjacent to deserts and consist of limestone or shells. The most “mountainous” were the coasts of the Absheron Peninsula and the Kazakh Gulf.

The Caspian Sea is located in an area where there are many islands and peninsulas. The largest and most significant peninsulas are: the Agrakhan Peninsula, the Absheron Peninsula, on which Baku is located, the Mangyshlak Peninsula, which has the Kazakh city of Aktau, the Buzachi, Miankale and Tyub-Karagan peninsulas.

There are about 50 large and medium-sized islands in the lake. Their total area is 350 sq. m. km. The most famous of them are: Chechen, Gum, Dash, Zyanbil, Seal Islands, Chygyl, Garasu and Ashur-Ada.

Water composition

The composition of water is different from that observed in the seas and oceans. This is due not only to the fact that the Caspian Sea is closed, but is also subject to significant influence of continental runoff waters. This greatly reduces the content of chlorides and salts in the water, but increases the amount of calcium, carbonates and sulfates inherent in river water.

In the Azov Sea, for example, there are two times less calcium cations than in the Caspian Sea. Despite this, the water in the lake is salty - from 0.05 ppm at the confluence of the Volga to 11-13 ppm in the southern part.

	Carbonates (CaCO3)	Sulfates CaSO4, MgSO4	Chlorides NaCl, KCl, MgCl2	Average water salinity ‰
Ocean	0,21	10,34	89,45	35
Caspian Sea	1,24	30,54	67,90	12,9

The sea basin and its relationship with the World Ocean

The Caspian Sea basin is 3.1 million square meters. km. It includes such rivers as the Volga, Kuma, Uluchai, Samug, Sudak, Terek. The Volga is the largest and deepest river flowing into the lake. More than two hundred large rivers flow into it, and the number of its tributaries totals more than 5,000.

Its delta, which is the largest in Europe, begins from the Astrakhan region. The Volga receives the bulk of its water from melting snow, rain and springs. In addition to these rivers, more than 100 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea.

Today, the Caspian Sea does not have a direct connection with the ocean, but an indirect connection is provided through the Volga-Don Canal. Through it, ships and fleets can get from the Caspian and Volga to the Don, Azov and Black Sea.

Climate

The Caspian Sea is located 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 becomes subtropical. The temperature there ranges from +8 °C in winter to +27 °C in summer.

The middle part of the Caspian Sea is located in a temperate climate with average temperatures. The highest temperature recorded on the east coast was +44 °C.

Water temperature is also subject to significant changes and depends on latitude. During the cold season in the northern part, the water can freeze or cool to 0 - 1 °C, and in the south the temperature does not drop below 10 °C. In summer, the water warms up from +20 °C to +27 °C depending on the region.

As for precipitation, the average annual norm is 200 mm. Again, it all depends on the climate and varies from 100 mm in the eastern part to 1700 mm in the southern subtropics. The best time to visit the Caspian Sea is in the summer at the end of July or August. Ideal resorts would be Baku, Makhachkala and Astrakhan.

Flora and fauna

The fauna of the Caspian Sea is diverse and rich. It somewhat replicates other bodies of water, but is unique in its own way. Ancient sturgeon and salmon species of fish live here, as well as several species of herring, carp, pike perch, carp, sprat, mullet, bream, pike, and roach. There are about 100 species of fish in total.

The volume of sturgeon accounts for 90% of all world reserves. The only and unique species 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 Gizylagaj.

The vegetation includes more than 700 species. The most significant for maintaining favorable conditions for animals are blue-green, red, brown and diatoms. The flora for the most part represents the Neogene period of the ancient Caspian Sea, however, some species were brought into the sea specifically or accidentally due to shipping.

Ecological situation

The current environmental situation in the Caspian Sea is not the best. The main polluting factor was oil and its processing. As you know, it began to be mined here 150 years ago in Azerbaijan.

In this regard, the development of finoplankton and blue-green algae began to be suppressed, the oxygen concentration in the water decreased, which affected the reproduction of sturgeon fish, waterfowl and other living organisms.

The mass reproduction of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis, which penetrated into the Caspian Sea from the Black and Azov Seas through the Volga-Don Canal, also brought a lot of troubles. The ctenophore feeds on the same plankton as Caspian fish.

This reduced their food supply and brought sturgeon to the brink of extinction. The number of valuable sturgeon fish has decreased due to poaching, which, according to unofficial data, accounts for more than half of the catch.

The unique biological and hydrocarbon riches of the Caspian Sea are also destroyed by phenols and heavy metals that enter it with wastewater from industrial enterprises located near the reservoir.

Countries bordering the Caspian Sea

The waters of the sea wash the territories of modern:

The main cities located on the coast are Astrakhan, Baku, Aktau, Bender-Anzeli, Makhachkala and Turkmenbashi.

Tourist infrastructure on the Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea is located around developed countries and its tourism infrastructure is represented by a large number of coastal resort towns with many recreation centers and hotels. Tourists have at their disposal not only active recreation in the form of fishing or water parks, but also beaches where for little money you can relax from morning until late evening, renting sun loungers, hammocks or gazebos.

Resorts on the Caspian Sea

Baku has become one of the most prestigious resorts. The capital of Azerbaijan, with a population of 2.5 million people, provides the opportunity not only to relax on the beach, but also to visit many attractions, some of which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

It’s still better to go to the beaches in the suburbs of Baku, where Shikhovo, Mardakan or Zagulba are located. The resort infrastructure of the Caspian Sea is at a high level. The beaches are clean and well-groomed, hotel complexes provide a wide range of accommodation close to the shore. IN

All this is located 30 minutes drive from Baku. Sumgait should not be written off either. It is located 30 km from Baku, but has more extensive shell-type beaches. It has less city bustle, but the service and service are not inferior to the capital.

Kazakhstan also has several resorts in major cities. Aktau and Atyrau became the most popular. Despite the fact that Aktau is located in the desert and began to recreate the tourism infrastructure relatively recently, it has new hotel complexes with decent quality of service.

Atyrau has ceased to be in demand, since the Caspian Sea in these places has become shallow and the beaches have ceased to exist. In general, Kazakh resorts are in little demand among foreign and Russian holidaymakers.

The Caspian Sea washes several large Turkmen cities, including Turkmenbashi and Avaza. The second city is in tourist demand. Here, the construction of hotels and complexes also began relatively recently, but the resort has already managed to find its adherents.

One of its features are sand and shell beaches, stretching for kilometers. The resorts of Turkmenistan also cannot be called popular among foreigners, since there is a rather complicated visa system for entering the country.

In Russia, the two most popular resorts are Astrakhan and Dagestan, represented by Astrakhan itself, Makhachkala, Derbent, Kaspiisky and a couple of other small cities. One of the most picturesque is Derbent. Thanks to its landscapes and ancient buildings, included in the UNESCO heritage, the city has become popular not only among tourists from Russia, but also among foreigners.

Beaches on the Caspian Sea

Most interesting beaches The Russian resorts are Jami, Goryanka, Laguna and the beach of the Caspian sanatorium, located on the territory of Dagestan. Unfortunately, according to reviews of tourists in Astrakhan, there are few good beaches, and most coastal areas are located in reed thickets.

Jami Beach, like the Caspian Sea, belongs to hotel and sanatorium apartments located on the shore. That is why they are well equipped in terms of recreation and service. Goryanka Beach is different in that only women and boys under 6 years old can enter its territory.

Among the beaches of Kazakhstan, the beaches of Manila, Nur Plaza, Dostar, and Marakesh deserve the greatest attention. The beaches of Manila and new Marrakesh are very popular, as entry is free and they are open until late in the evening.

Nur Plaza and Dostar are paid. Entrance costs from 35 to 80 rubles. This price already includes umbrellas, sun loungers and other amenities. It is possible to cheaply rent gazebos, barbecues and park cars.

The beaches of Turkmen Avaza stretch for 30 km and have good infrastructure and huge hotel complexes. But not everything is so good. Many note the many shortcomings of hotels and service for fairly high ticket prices. Among them: cold water in the sea, low population, odors from oil refineries that are located near the Caspian Sea.

The beaches of Azerbaijan are rightfully considered the most developed. There are a huge variety of them here for every taste and budget. Almost the entire coastal zone of Baku is built up with hotel complexes, recreation centers and beaches.

The most famous is the beach of the Shikhovo water park. It has everything for active rest not only adults, but also children. Waterslides and the attractions will not make you bored, but a large number of sun loungers will accommodate everyone who wants to just lie in the sun. But don’t forget about beaches such as Nabran, Sumgaiti, Novkhani and other places.

Sights of the Caspian Sea

There are many attractions in Russia that are worth visiting when you come to the resort. In Astrakhan they were the Astrakhan Kremlin, the Bridge of Lovers, and the “Wedding Waltz” fountain. In Makhachkala you can visit the Juma Mosque, many museums and theaters, and in Derbent the ancient Naryn-Kala fortress and the 150-year-old Derbent lighthouse are often visited.

Azerbaijan has unique architectural objects of its kind. Located in the suburbs of Baku Maiden's Tower and a whole complex of walls with the palace of the Shirvanshahs, the Gobustan landscape with ancient rock paintings. There is something to see in the city center. There are modern hotels, galleries and museums here. For example, the Carpet Museum, TV Tower, Cultural Center Heydar Aliyev.

There are not many attractions in Turkmen Avaza. Among them are several yacht clubs, a park, a Congress center and a water park with attractions. In Kazakh Aktau there are no special attractions, nor any streets. The entire city is divided into districts.

Entertainment and active recreation on the Caspian Sea

For people who love active recreation, there are special fishing tours to Astrakhan. Prices start from 20,000 rubles. and include accommodation, boat rentals, and facilities for freezing and cooking fish.

In Kazakhstan, for lovers of active recreation, there are bases with fitness centers, shady courts and much more. Among them, the Kenderli base stands out. Its only drawback: it is located 300 km from the coast.

The Azerbaijani coast has everything for a good time. Water parks Shikhov and Resort will not let children and adults who love active entertainment. Like the Turkmen water park in Avaza.

Prices for hotels in the Caspian Sea

Resort prices in Russia are the cheapest. Accommodation in apartments in Astrakhan will cost 600-700 rubles, and in hotels from 1200 to 3600 rubles. per day. The hotels in greatest demand are Corvette, Bonotel, and Novomoskovsky. In Dagestan, the average price for a hotel will be 1,500 rubles. Coastal hotels: Argo, Pegasus, Assorted, Sharhistan, Versailles.

In the Kazakh Aktau there are hotels Rakhat, Aktau, Victoria. Prices depend on the quality of services, but on average they start from 2,000 thousand rubles. Apartment rental starts from 600 rubles.

Baku hotels provide the best conditions and service, however, the prices here are by no means the highest. The average price is 2000 rubles. Popular hotels include Consul, Bosfor, and Safran. It is also possible to rent apartments and individual rooms.

But Turkmen hotels are the most expensive. Prices here start from $70. Despite this, many complain that for the money the service leaves much to be desired.

The Caspian Sea is a unique body of water with its own unique flora and fauna. There are 5 states on its shores, most of which provide good tourism infrastructure and services at reasonable prices. The coastal towns are home to ancient sites that are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Article format: Mila Friedan

Video about the Caspian Sea

Review of holidays on the Caspian Sea:

The coastline of the Caspian Sea is estimated at approximately 6,500 - 6,700 kilometers, with islands - up to 7,000 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 banks are low and swampy, and the water surface in many places is covered with thickets. The east coast is dominated by limestone shores adjacent to semi-deserts and deserts. The most winding shores are on the western coast in the area of the Absheron Peninsula and on the eastern coast in the area of the Kazakh Gulf and Kara-Bogaz-Gol.

Peninsulas of the Caspian Sea

Large peninsulas of the Caspian Sea:
* Agrakhan Peninsula
* The Absheron Peninsula, located on the western coast of the Caspian Sea on the territory of Azerbaijan, at the northeastern end of the Greater Caucasus, on its territory the cities of Baku and Sumgait are located
* 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.

Most large islands:

* Ashur-Ada
* Garasu
*Hum
* Dash
* Zira (island)
* Zyanbil
* Cure Dasha
* Khara-Zira
* Sengi-Mugan
* Chechen (island)
* Chygyl

Large bays of the Caspian Sea:

* Agrakhan Bay,
* Komsomolets (bay),
* Mangyshlak,
* Kazakh (bay),
* Turkmenbashi (bay) (formerly Krasnovodsk),
* Turkmen (bay),
* Gizilagach,
* Astrakhan (bay)
* Gyzlar
* Hyrcanus (formerly Astarabad) and
* Anzeli (formerly Pahlavi).

Rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea

130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, of which 9 rivers have a delta-shaped mouth. Large rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea are 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 flow is 215-224 cubic kilometers. The Volga, Ural, Terek and Emba provide up to 88 - 90% of the annual runoff of the Caspian Sea.

Basin of the Caspian Sea

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 basin area. The length of the Caspian Sea basin from north to south is about 2500 kilometers, from west to east - about 1000 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, coastline length 695 kilometers
* Kazakhstan - in the north, northeast and east, coastline length 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, coastline length 955 kilometers

Cities on the Caspian Sea coast

The largest city and port on the Caspian Sea is Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, which is located in the southern part of the Absheron Peninsula and has a population of 2,070 thousand people (2003). Other major Azerbaijani Caspian cities are Sumgait, 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, the oil workers’ village of Neftyanye Kamni is located, the buildings of which stand 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 there is a 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, former Krasnovodsk. Several Caspian cities are located on the southern (Iranian) coast, the largest of them is Anzeli.

Area, depth, volume of water

The area and volume of water of 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 been 15 meters. Instrumental measurements of the level of the Caspian Sea and systematic observations of its fluctuations have been carried out since 1837, during which 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 risen and in 1995 reached −26.7 m; since 1996, there has again been a downward trend in the level of the Caspian Sea. Scientists associate the reasons for changes in the water level of the Caspian Sea with climatic, geological and anthropogenic factors.

Water temperature

Water temperature is subject to significant latitudinal changes, most clearly expressed in winter, when the temperature varies from 0-0.5 °C at the ice edge in the north of the sea to 10-11 °C in the south, that is, the difference in water temperature is about 10 °C. For shallow water areas with depths less than 25 m, the annual amplitude can reach 25-26 °C. On average the water temperature is west coast 1-2 °C higher than in the eastern sea, and in the open sea the water temperature is 2-4 °C higher than near the coasts. Based on the nature of the horizontal structure of the temperature field in the annual cycle of variability, three time periods can be distinguished in the upper 2-meter layer. From October to March, the water temperature increases in the southern and eastern regions, which is especially clearly visible in the Middle Caspian. Two stable quasi-latitudinal zones can be distinguished, where temperature gradients are increased. This is, firstly, the border between the Northern and Middle Caspian, and, secondly, between the Middle and Southern. 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 Absheron threshold, from 7 to 10 °C. During this period, the least cooled waters are in the center of the South Caspian Sea, which form a quasi-stationary core.

In April-May, the area of minimum temperatures moves to the Middle Caspian Sea, which is associated with faster heating 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 here rises to 16-17 °C. In the middle part the temperature at this time is 13-15 °C, and in the south it increases to 17-18 °C.

Spring warming of water evens out horizontal gradients, and the temperature difference between coastal areas and the open sea does not exceed 0.5 °C. Warming up of the surface layer, starting in March, disrupts the homogeneity in the temperature distribution with depth. In June-September, horizontal homogeneity in the temperature distribution in the surface layer is observed. In August, which is the month of 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 Southern Caspian.

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

The source of upwelling gradually shifts from 41-42° north. 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 open areas of the sea, in late May - early June, the formation of a temperature jump layer begins, which is most clearly expressed in August. Most often it is located between 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 off the eastern coast, the shock layer rises close to the surface.

Since in the Caspian Sea there is no stable baroclinic layer with a large reserve of potential energy similar to the main thermocline of the World Ocean, then with the cessation of the prevailing winds causing upwelling and with the beginning of autumn-winter convection in October-November, a rapid restructuring of temperature fields to the winter regime occurs. 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 eroded 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 the oceanic one. There are significant differences in the ratios of concentrations of salt-forming ions, especially for waters in areas directly influenced by continental runoff. The process of metamorphism 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 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 ions. In the Caspian Sea, the content of calcium and magnesium cations is almost two times higher than in the Sea of Azov, and the sulfate anion is three times higher. The salinity of water changes especially sharply in the northern part of the sea: from 0.1 units. psu in the estuary areas of the Volga and Ural up to 10-11 units. psu on the border with the Middle Caspian.

Mineralization in shallow salty bays-kultuks can reach 60-100 g/kg. In the Northern Caspian, during the entire ice-free period from April to November, a salinity front of a quasi-latitudinal location is observed. The greatest desalination, associated with the spread of river flow across the sea, is observed in June. On the formation of the salinity field in the Northern Caspian Sea big influence exerts a 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. With depth, salinity increases slightly (by 0.1-0.2 units psu).

In the deep-sea part of the Caspian Sea, in the vertical profile of salinity, characteristic deflections of isohalines and local extrema are observed in the area of the eastern continental slope, which indicate the processes of bottom sliding of waters salinizing in the eastern shallow waters of the South Caspian. The magnitude of salinity also strongly depends on sea level and (which is interconnected) on the volume of continental runoff.

Bottom relief

The relief of the northern part of the Caspian Sea is a shallow undulating plain with banks and accumulative islands, the average depth of the Northern Caspian Sea is about 4-8 meters, the maximum does not exceed 25 meters. The Mangyshlak threshold separates the Northern Caspian from the Middle Caspian. The Middle Caspian is quite deep, the water depth in the Derbent depression reaches 788 meters. The Absheron threshold separates the Middle and Southern Caspian Seas. The Southern Caspian is considered deep-sea; the water depth in the South Caspian depression reaches 1025 meters from the surface of the Caspian Sea. Shell sands are widespread on the Caspian shelf, deep-sea 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 and subtropical in the southern part. In winter, the average monthly temperature of the Caspian Sea varies from −8 −10 in the northern part to +8-10 in the southern part, in summer - from +24-25 in the northern part to +26-27 in the southern part. The maximum temperature recorded on the east coast was 44 degrees.

The average annual precipitation is 200 millimeters per year, ranging from 90-100 millimeters in the arid eastern part to 1,700 millimeters along 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 Sea 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, the wind rose is dominated by north winds. In the autumn and winter months, winds become stronger, with wind speeds often reaching 35-40 meters per second. The most windy areas are the Absheron Peninsula and the environs of Makhachkala - Derbent, where the highest wave was recorded - 11 meters.

Currents

Water circulation in the Caspian Sea is related to runoff and winds. Since most of the drainage occurs in the Northern Caspian Sea, northern currents predominate. An intense northern current carries water from the Northern Caspian along the western coast to the Absheron Peninsula, where the current divides 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 Sea is represented by 1809 species, of which 415 are vertebrates. 101 species of fish are registered in the Caspian world, where most of the world's sturgeon reserves are concentrated, as well as freshwater fish such as roach, carp, and pike perch. The Caspian Sea is the habitat of fish such as carp, mullet, sprat, kutum, bream, salmon, perch, and pike. The Caspian Sea is also home to a marine mammal, the Caspian seal. 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. Among the plants in the Caspian Sea, the predominant algae are blue-green, diatoms, red, brown, characeae and others, and among the flowering plants - zoster and ruppia. In origin, the flora is predominantly of Neogene age, but some plants were brought into the Caspian Sea by humans deliberately or on the bottoms of ships.

Origin of the Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea is of oceanic origin - its bed is composed of oceanic-type crust. It was formed approximately 10 million years ago, when the closed Sarmatian Sea, which lost contact with the world's oceans approximately 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 off the southern coast of the Caspian Sea indicate that humans lived in these areas approximately 75 thousand years ago. The first mentions of the Caspian Sea and the tribes living on its coast are found in Herodotus. Around the V-II centuries. BC e. Saka tribes lived on the Caspian coast. Later, during the period of settlement of the Turks, in the period of the IV-V centuries. n. e. Talysh tribes (Talysh) lived here. According to ancient Armenian and Iranian manuscripts, Russians sailed the Caspian Sea from the 9th - 10th centuries.

Research of the Caspian Sea

Research of the Caspian Sea was started by Peter the Great, when, on his order, an expedition was organized in 1714-1715 under the leadership of A. Bekovich-Cherkassky. In the 1820s, hydrographic research was 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 surveys of the shores were carried out by I. F. Kolodkin, in the mid-19th century. - instrumental geographical survey under the direction of N. A. Ivashintsev. Since 1866, for more than 50 years, expeditionary research on the hydrology and hydrobiology of the Caspian Sea was carried out under the leadership of N. M. Knipovich. In 1897, the Astrakhan Research Station was founded. In the first decades of Soviet power, geological research by I.M. Gubkin and other Soviet geologists was actively carried out in the Caspian Sea, mainly aimed at searching for oil, as well as research into the study of water balance and level fluctuations in the Caspian Sea.

Mining of oil and gas

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

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

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

Shipping

Fishing and seafood production

Recreational resources

Natural environment of the Caspian coast with sandy beaches, mineral waters and therapeutic mud in the coastal zone creates good conditions for relaxation and treatment. At the same time, in terms of the degree of development of resorts and the tourism industry, the Caspian coast noticeably loses Black Sea coast Caucasus. At the same time, in recent years, the tourism industry has been actively developing on the coasts of Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Russian Dagestan.

Ecological problems

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

Border dispute over the status of the Caspian Sea

Coordinates: 42.622596 50.041848

Many geographical names, can mislead people who are not keen on geography. Could it be that an object designated as a sea on all maps is actually 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 Sea of Azov. About 6,000,000 years ago, due to the rise of the Caucasus Mountains and the decrease in water levels in the Mediterranean Sea, it divided, forming four different seas.

The Caspian is inhabited by many representatives of the fauna of Azov, which once again confirms that these reservoirs were once one whole. 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 Caspian Sea. They inhabited its shores in the first millennia BC and were engaged in horse breeding. But over the many hundreds of years of its existence, this sea has had many names. It was called Derbentsky, Saraisky, Girkansky, Sigai, Kukkuz. Even in our time, for residents of Iran and Azerbaijan, this lake is called Khazar.

Geographical 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. total area The reservoir covers more than 370,000 square kilometers and is divided into three climatic and geographical zones:

Northern
Average
Southern Caspian

The water area includes 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 the Absheron Islands. About one hundred and thirty rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, 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 world's oceans. In the case of the Caspian Sea, this is not reality. The Caspian Sea is separated by almost 500 km of land from the nearest sea, the Black Sea. This is a completely enclosed body of water. The main differences between the seas:

The seas can be fed by waterways - rivers.
The external seas are directly connected to the ocean, that is, they have access to it.
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 typical of seas rather than lakes. In area it surpasses even Azov. Also no small role was played by the fact that not a single lake washes the shores of five states at once.

It is worth noting that the structure of the Caspian Sea bottom is of the oceanic type. This happened due to the fact that it was once part of the ancient World Ocean.

Compared to other seas, the percentage of salt saturation in it is very weak and does not exceed 0.05%. The Caspian Sea 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 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 thorn. 90% of the world's sturgeon catch comes from the Caspian Sea.

Interesting features:

Scientists around the world have not yet come to a clear conclusion as to why the Caspian Sea is considered a lake. Some experts even suggest considering it a “lake-sea” or an “inland” sea, like the Dead Sea in Israel;
The most deep point Caspian Sea - more than one kilometer;
Historically, it is known that the total water level in the reservoir has changed more than once. The exact reasons for this are still not understood;
It is the only body of water separating Asia and Europe;
The largest water artery feeding the lake is the Volga River. It is this that 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 is inferior 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 into 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 fishing of valuable fish species 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 water levels have fallen by seven centimeters since 1996. By 2015, the level of the fall was about one and a half meters, and the water continues to fall.

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

It is known that long before the onset of global warming, the water level in the Caspian Sea underwent changes. The water kept rising and then falling. Scientists still cannot say exactly why this happened.