The largest lake in the world is the Caspian Sea. Caspian Sea or lake? In which city is the Caspian Sea located?

The Caspian Sea is located at the junction of two parts of the Eurasian continent - Europe and Asia. The Caspian Sea is shaped like the Latin letter S, 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° E).

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

According to one hypothesis, the Caspian Sea received its name in honor of the ancient tribes of horse breeders - the Caspians, who lived BC on the southwestern coast of the Caspian Sea. Throughout the history of its existence, the Caspian Sea had about 70 names among different tribes and peoples: the Hyrcanian Sea; The Khvalyn Sea or the Khvalis Sea is an ancient Russian name, derived from the name of the inhabitants of Khorezm who traded in the Caspian Sea - Khvalis; Khazar Sea - name in Arabic (Bahr al-Khazar), Persian (Darya-e Khazar), Turkish and Azerbaijani (Khazar denizi) languages; Abeskun Sea; Sarayskoye Sea; Derbent Sea; Xihai and other names. In Iran, the Caspian Sea is still called the Khazar or Mazandaran Sea. (after the name of the people inhabiting the coastal province of Iran of the same name).

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.

Large peninsulas of the Caspian Sea: Agrakhan Peninsula, Absheron Peninsula, Buzachi, Mangyshlak, 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 Dashi, Khara-Zira, Sengi-Mugan, Chechen (island), Chygyl.

Large bays of the Caspian Sea: Agrakhansky Bay, Komsomolets (bay) (formerly Dead Kultuk, formerly Tsesarevich Bay), Kaydak, Mangyshlak, Kazakh (bay), Turkmenbashi (bay) (formerly Krasnovodsk), Turkmen (bay), Gizilagach, Astrakhan (bay), Gyzlar, Girkan (formerly Astarabad) and Anzeli (formerly Pahlavi).

On the eastern coast is the salt lake Kara Bogaz Gol, which until 1980 was a bay-lagoon of the Caspian Sea, connected to it by a narrow strait. In 1980, a dam was built separating Kara-Bogaz-Gol from the Caspian Sea, and in 1984 a culvert was built, after which the level of Kara-Bogaz-Gol dropped by several meters. In 1992, the strait was restored, through which water flows from the Caspian Sea to Kara-Bogaz-Gol and evaporates there. Every year, 8 - 10 cubic kilometers of water flow from the Caspian Sea to Kara-Bogaz-Gol (according to other sources - 25 thousand kilometers) and about 150 thousand tons of salt.

130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, of which 9 rivers have a delta-shaped mouth. Large rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea - 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.

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.

The Caspian Sea washes the shores of five coastal states:

• Russia (Dagestan, Kalmykia and Astrakhan region)- in the trap 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

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 southeast of the Absheron Peninsula, there is an oil workers’ settlement called Neftyanye Kamni, whose structures 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 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 in the southern (Iranian) coast, the largest of them is Anzeli.

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 Lake 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.

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.), lowest - in 1977 (-29.0 m.), since 1978 the water level has risen and in 1995 reached −26.7 m; since 1996, a downward trend has emerged again. Scientists associate the reasons for changes in the water level of the Caspian Sea with climatic, geological and anthropogenic factors.

Water temperature is subject to significant latitudinal changes, most clearly expressed in winter, when the temperature varies from 0 - 0.5 °C at the ice edge in the north of the sea to 10 - 11 °C in the south, that is, the difference in water temperature is about 10 °C. For shallow water areas with depths less than 25 m, the annual amplitude can reach 25 - 26 °C. On average, the water temperature off the west coast is 1 - 2 °C higher than that on the east, and in the open sea the water temperature is 2 - 4 °C higher than on the coasts. 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 of the surface layer, which begins in March, disrupts the uniformity of temperature distribution with depth. In June-September, horizontal uniformity 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 water surface (7 - 15 °C). Horizontal temperature gradients reach 2.3 °C on the surface and 4.2 °C at a depth of 20 m. The source of upwelling gradually shifts from 41 - 42° N. in June to 43 - 45° N. 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, at the end of May - beginning of 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.

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 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 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. Water salinity changes especially sharply in the northern part of the sea: from 0.1 units. psu in the mouth 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. The formation of the salinity field in the Northern Caspian Sea 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 slightly with depth (by 0.1 - 0.2 psu units). 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 processes of bottom sliding of waters salinizing in the eastern shallow waters of the South Caspian. The salinity value also strongly depends on sea level and (which is related) on the volume of continental runoff.

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.

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.

On the territory of the Caspian Sea, winds often blow, their average annual speed is 3-7 meters per second, and northern winds predominate in the wind rose. 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.

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.

The fauna of the Caspian Sea is represented by 1810 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.

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.

The Caspian Sea is rightfully the largest lake on the entire planet and this sea-lake is located at the junction of two significant parts of the world: Asia and Europe.

There are still disagreements about the name of the Caspian Sea: is it a sea or a lake. And it is called the sea due to the large size of the reservoir.

Origin of the sea

The Caspian Sea is of oceanic origin. It was formed approximately 10 million years ago as a result of the division of the Sarmatian Sea.

According to one legend, the Caspian reservoir received its modern name in honor of the Caspian tribes living on the southwestern shores. Over all this time, the Caspian Sea has changed its name approximately 70 times.

Currents

The waters of the Caspian Sea can be divided into the following three parts:

• southern (39% of the area)
• medium (36% of total area)
• northern part (25% of the area).

The currents of a reservoir are formed as a result of the following influences: the general influence of the wind regime, differences in density in individual areas and the flow of inflowing rivers.

Along the western coast of the middle part of the Caspian Sea, southern and southeastern currents predominate. Depending on the direction of the winds, the middle and southern parts of the Caspian Sea are characterized by currents in the northern, northwestern, southern and southeastern directions. In the eastern part of the Caspian Sea, eastern currents predominate.

The following currents also play an important role in the circulation of Caspian waters:

• seiche;
• gradient;
• inertial.

What rivers flow into the Caspian Sea

The bulk of river waters enter the Caspian Sea through the Volga River. In addition to the Volga, the following rivers flow into this reservoir:

• Samur, flowing on the border of Azerbaijan and Russia;
• Astarachay, flowing on the border of Iran and Azerbaijan;
• Kura, located in Azerbaijan;
• Heraz, Sefudrud, Tejen, Polerud, Chalus, Babol and Gorgan flowing in Iran;
• Sulak, Kuma, located on the territory of the Russian Federation;
• Emba and Ural, flowing in Kazakhstan;
• Atrek, located in Turkmenistan.

Sulak river photo

Where does the Caspian Sea flow into?

The Caspian reservoir has no connection with the ocean, since it is a closed reservoir. The Caspian Sea has dozens of bays. The largest of them can be distinguished: Komsomolets, Gyzlar, Kara-Bogaz-Gol, Mangyshlaksky, Kazakhsky, Krasnovodsky and others. Also in the waters of the Caspian Sea there are about 50 islands of different sizes, with a total area of ​​more than 350 km2. Some of the islands are united into archipelagos.

Relief

The following forms can be distinguished in the relief of the Caspian Sea bottom: in the south of the reservoir there are deep-sea depressions; a continental slope starting just below the shelf boundary and descending in the southern part of the Caspian to 750m, and in the middle part of the Caspian - up to 600m. shelf, the length of which from the depth to the coastline is 100 m and is covered with shell sands, and in deep water - with silty sediments.

Derbent photo

The coastline of the northern region of the sea is low, quite indented, and flat in some areas. The western shore of the reservoir is rugged and mountainous. In the east, the shores are distinguished by hills. The southern coastline is mostly mountainous. The Caspian Sea is located in a zone of increased seismicity. Also, mud volcanoes often erupt here, most of which are located in the southern part of the reservoir.

Cities

The following states have access to the waters of the Caspian Sea:

• Russia. The largest city is Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan. Also in Dagestan are the cities of Kaspiysk and Izberbash. In addition to the above cities in the Russian Federation on the Caspian Sea, it is necessary to note Derbent, the southernmost city of Russia located on the western coast of the Caspian Sea, Olya in the Astrakhan region.
• Azerbaijan: The port city of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is located in the southern part of the Absheron Peninsula. Another large city is Sugmait, located in the northern part of the peninsula. Also worth noting are the resorts of Nabran and Lankaran. The latter is located near the southern border of Azerbaijan.
• Turkmenistan with the port city of Turkmenbashi.
• Iran: Bandar-Torkemen, Anzali, Noushehr.

Makhachkala photo

Flora and fauna

The entire fauna of the Caspian Sea can be divided conditionally into the following groups:

• The first group consists of descendants of ancient organisms: representatives of herrings (bellied, Volga, Kessler and Brazhnikovskaya herring); representatives of the Caspian gobies (golovach, puglovka, Berg, Baer, ​​Knipovich and bubyr); sprat; a large number of crustaceans; some types of shellfish.
• The second group includes representatives of fauna that entered the sea from the north during the post-glacial era of desalination of the reservoir: seal; fish species: perch, carp, nelma, whitefish and brown trout; some representatives of crustaceans: sea cockroaches, mysid crustaceans and others.
• The third group includes species that entered the Caspian Sea from the Mediterranean Sea: the following fish species: singil, flounder and needle fish; representatives of mollusks; representatives of crustaceans: shrimps, amphipods, crabs.
• The fourth group includes representatives of freshwater fish that entered the Caspian Sea from fresh rivers: stellate sturgeon, beluga, sturgeon, Caspian fisherman, red-lipped asp, barbel, pike perch, catfish.

sturgeon photo

The waters of the Caspian Sea are the main and main habitat of sturgeon representatives on the entire planet. Almost 80% of all sturgeon in the world live in the sea. Sharks and various predatory fish that pose any danger to humans do not live in this reservoir.

The flora of the Caspian Sea is represented by more than 700 species of lower plants (phytoplankton), as well as 5 species of higher ones (spiral and sea hornwort, comb pondweed, zoster, sea naiad). Here you can find various waterfowl. Some of them fly here for the winter from the north (waders, loons, gulls, geese, swans, ducks, geese), some fly from the south for nesting (eagles).

Characteristic

Let's get acquainted with the main characteristics of the Caspian Sea:

• The length from north to south was approximately 1200 km;
• The width of the basin from west to east is approximately 200-435 km;
• The total area of ​​the Caspian Sea is approximately 390,000 km2;
• The volume of sea waters is 78,000 km3.
• The maximum sea depth is about 1025m.
• Water salinity averages up to 13.2%.

Sea level is located below the level of the World Ocean. The North of the Caspian Sea is characterized by a continental climate. The middle Caspian has a temperate climate. The southern part of the sea is characterized by a subtropical climate. In winter, the average temperature in the north varies from 8 to 10 degrees below zero, and in the south from 8 to 10 degrees below zero. In summer, the average temperature in the north is 24-25 degrees above zero, and in the south 26-27 degrees Celsius.

Caspian Sea. birds photo

• To this day, scientists are debating: what status should the Caspian sea or lake be given? After all, this reservoir is closed and drainless. At the same time, this body of water prevails in size over some other seas.
• The bottom at the deepest point is separated from the water surface of the Caspian Sea by a distance of more than a kilometer. The water level in the Caspian Sea is unstable and tends to decrease.
• This reservoir had approximately 70 names, which were given to it by different tribes and peoples living on its banks.
• There is a scientific theory that claims that the Caspian and Black Seas were united into one sea in ancient times.
• The Volga River provides the Caspian Sea with most of the river water.
• Since the Caspian Sea is the main sturgeon habitat on the planet, most of the world's black caviar is produced here.
• The waters of the Caspian reservoir are constantly renewed every 250 years. The name of the reservoir, according to legend, comes from the name of the tribe that lived on its banks.
• The area of ​​the Caspian Sea is larger than the area of ​​Japan and slightly less than the area of ​​Germany.
• If this body of water is considered a lake, it will take third place in depth in the world, after Baikal and Tanganyika. The Caspian is also the largest lake on the planet.
• The Caspian Sea is very rich in natural resources. Oil, gas, limestone, salts, clay, stones and sand are mined here.
• The Caspian Sea has recently faced the following environmental problems: Marine pollution. Oil is the main sea pollutant, suppressing the development of phytoplankton and phytobenthos. In addition to oil, phenols and heavy metals enter the Caspian Sea. All this leads to a decrease in oxygen production, resulting in the death of a large number of fish and other organisms. Pollution also leads to illness of living organisms in the sea. Poaching is one of the main reasons for the sharp decline in sturgeon catches. Changes in natural biogeochemical cycles. Construction on the Volga deprives fish of natural habitats.
• The Caspian Sea is a very important object in the field of shipping and economics. This body of water is absolutely closed and isolated from the world ocean. This is the distinctive uniqueness of 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 are the cities of Lagan, Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, Izberbash and the southernmost city of Russia, Derbent. Astrakhan is also considered a port city of the Caspian Sea, which, however, is not located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, but in the Volga delta, 60 kilometers from the northern coast of the Caspian Sea.

Physiography

Area, depth, volume of water

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

Water level fluctuations

Vegetable world

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

History of the Caspian Sea

Origin of the Caspian Sea

Anthropological and cultural history of the Caspian Sea

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

Research of the Caspian Sea

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

Economy of the Caspian Sea

Mining of oil and gas

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

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

Shipping

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

Fishing and seafood production

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

Recreational resources

The natural environment of the Caspian coast with sandy beaches, mineral waters and healing mud in the coastal zone creates good conditions for recreation and treatment. At the same time, in terms of the degree of development of resorts and the tourism industry, the Caspian coast is noticeably inferior to the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. At the same time, in recent years, the tourism industry has been actively developing on the coasts of Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Russian Dagestan. In Azerbaijan, the resort area in the Baku region is actively developing. At the moment, a world-class resort has been created in Amburan, another modern tourist complex is being built in the area of ​​​​the village of Nardaran, and holidays in the sanatoriums of the villages of Bilgah and Zagulba are very popular. A resort area is also being developed in Nabran, in northern Azerbaijan. However, high prices, a generally low level of service and a lack of advertising lead to the fact that there are almost no foreign tourists at the Caspian resorts. The development of the tourism industry in Turkmenistan is hampered by a long-term policy of isolation, in Iran - 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 bottom of the Caspian Sea (dated May 14, 2003), which established the geographical coordinates of the dividing lines limiting the sections of the bottom within which the parties exercise their sovereign rights in the field of exploration and production of mineral resources.

The Caspian Sea is the largest lake on our planet, which is located in a depression of the earth’s surface (the so-called Aral-Caspian Lowland) on the territory of Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Iran. Although they consider it as a lake, because it is not connected with the World Ocean, but by the nature of the formation processes and history of origin, by its size, the Caspian Sea is a sea.

The area of ​​the Caspian Sea is about 371 thousand km 2. The sea, stretching from north to south, has a length of about 1200 km and an average width of 320 km. The length of the coastline is about 7 thousand km. The Caspian Sea is located 28.5 m below the level of the World Ocean and its greatest depth is 1025 m. There are about 50 islands in the Caspian Sea, mostly small in area. The large islands include such islands as Tyuleniy, Kulaly, Zhiloy, Chechen, Artem, Ogurchinsky. There are also many bays in the sea, for example: Kizlyarsky, Komsomolets, Kazakhsky, Agrakhansky, etc.

The Caspian Sea is fed by more than 130 rivers. The largest amount of water (about 88% of the total flow) is brought by the rivers Ural, Volga, Terek, Emba, which flow into the northern part of the sea. About 7% of the flow comes from the large rivers Kura, Samur, Sulak and small ones that flow into the sea on the west coast. The rivers Heraz, Gorgan, and Sefidrud flow into the southern Iranian coast, bringing only 5% of the flow. Not a single river flows into the eastern part of the sea. The water in the Caspian Sea is salty, its salinity ranges from 0.3‰ to 13‰.

Shores of the Caspian Sea

The shores have different landscapes. The shores of the northern part of the sea are low and flat, surrounded by low-lying semi-desert and somewhat elevated desert. In the south, the shores are partly low-lying, they are bordered by a small coastal lowland, behind which the Elburz ridge runs along the coast, which in some places comes close to the shore. In the west, the Greater Caucasus ranges approach the coast. In the east there is an abrasion coast, carved out of limestone, and semi-desert and desert plateaus approach it. The coastline changes greatly due to periodic fluctuations in water levels.

The climate of the Caspian Sea is different:

Continental in the north;

Moderate in the middle

Subtropical in the south.

At the same time, there are severe frosts and snowstorms on the northern shore, while fruit trees and magnolias bloom on the southern shore. In winter, strong storm winds rage at sea.

On the coast of the Caspian Sea there are large cities and ports: Baku, Lankaran, Turkmenbashi, Lagan, Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, Izberbash, Astrakhan, etc.

The fauna of the Caspian Sea is represented by 1809 species of animals. More than 70 species of fish are found in the sea, including: herring, gobies, stellate sturgeon, sturgeon, beluga, white fish, sterlet, pike perch, carp, bream, roach, etc. Of the marine mammals, only the smallest in the world, the Caspian seal, is found in the lake. not found in other seas. The Caspian Sea lies on the main migratory route of birds between Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Every year, about 12 million birds fly over the Caspian Sea during migration, and another 5 million usually winter here.

Vegetable world

The flora of the Caspian Sea and its coast includes 728 species. Basically, the sea is inhabited by algae: diatoms, blue-greens, red, characeae, brown and others, of the flowering ones - rupee and zoster.

The Caspian Sea is rich in natural resources; many oil and gas fields are being developed in it; in addition, limestone, salt, sand, stone and clay are also mined here. The Caspian Sea is connected by the Volga-Don Canal with the Sea of ​​Azov, and shipping is well developed. A lot of different fish are caught in the reservoir, including more than 90% of the world's sturgeon catch.

The Caspian Sea is also a recreation area; on its shores there are holiday homes, tourist centers and sanatoriums.

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Where Europe meets Asia, there is one of the unique bodies of water, which is officially called a sea, and unofficially called a lake - the Caspian Sea, which washes the shores of several countries with its waters. , or rather, its northeastern part, overlooks the Caspian coast. What mysteries does the Caspian Sea hold, how big a role does it play in the life of the country, and how can people benefit the sea itself?

Geography of the Caspian Sea

Researchers are still arguing about what the Caspian Sea really is – a lake or a sea. The fact is that this reservoir is the largest of all drainless ones. These are those that have no connection with the World Ocean.

All rivers of the Caspian Sea originate on land, but do not reach the ocean shores. Thus, it is closed and can well be called a lake. However, the Caspian Sea is quite large, and its bottom is the earth’s crust, which is of the oceanic type. This indicates that the sea appeared here millions of years ago.

The fact that once upon a time on the planet, or rather, on the territory where Europe and Asia are located today, a huge prehistoric Sarmatian Sea splashed - this is the name scientists gave it. This was 12 million years ago. Water covered the entire area of ​​the current landmass.

The Caucasus and Crimea were islands in this incredibly large sea. However, it gradually desalinated and dried out due to the slow rise of land. As a result, in place of the Sarmatian Sea, peculiar “puddles” were formed - the Caspian, Black, Aral, and Azov seas.

Finding the Caspian Sea on a geographical map today is quite simple. It is located in the region of Asia Minor and is separated from the Black Sea by the Caucasus, which acts as a kind of isthmus between these two bodies of water. It has outlines elongated from north to south. Its coordinates are 36°34"–47°13" north latitude and 46°–56° east longitude. Modern borders are the coasts of five states:

1. Russia.
2. Azerbaijan.
3. Turkmenistan.
4. Kazakhstan.
5. Iran.

Geographers divide the sea's territory into the Northern, Middle and Southern Caspian, with the southern part occupying about 40% of the area, and the northern part making up only 25%. There are also boundaries to these divisions. Thus, the Middle Caspian is separated from the North by a conventional line drawn from Cape Tyub-Karagan to the island of Chechen. And the border between South and Middle runs along Cape Gan-Gulu and Chilov Island.

Area and depth

Many people are interested in the area of ​​the Caspian Sea, but these parameters change periodically. It all depends on seasonal variations in depth. So, if the water level in the sea is about 27 meters, the reservoir can reach over 370 thousand square kilometers. During these periods, it becomes full-flowing, and holds almost 45% of the total volume of fresh lake water on the planet.

The Caspian Sea is heterogeneous in depth parameters. Thus, the shallowest part is the northern one, its average depth does not exceed 4 meters, and the maximum is 25 meters. The southern part is the deepest, in the area of ​​the South Caspian depression it is 1025 meters. Overall, the researchers found that the average depth of the reservoir is 208 meters according to the bathygraphic curve.

The Caspian Lake is third in depth after lakes Baikal and Tanganyika. As for sea level, it fluctuates significantly. Scientific measurements of the reservoir began in 1837. Scientists, based on historical documents and archaeological research, claim that the highest water level was observed at the turn of the 13th-14th centuries, then it began to decline.

Over the course of three thousand years of our civilization, the water level in the Caspian Sea has changed by 15 meters. The reasons can be very different. First of all, these are geological changes in the state of the earth's crust, as well as climate fluctuations in a given region and human actions.

Temperature and climate

Since today the Caspian basin is home to not only industrial enterprises, but also resorts, the temperature of the Caspian Sea is of keen interest to many. This indicator is also subject to seasonal changes, and they are quite significant.

In winter, the difference in temperature fluctuations is within 10 degrees. In the southern part of the reservoir, the water temperature in winter has an average temperature of 11 degrees, while in the northern part of the sea this temperature is no more than 0.5 degrees, and sometimes even slight glaciation is observed. The northern regions, as the shallowest waters, warm up faster in summer and can reach temperatures of up to 26 degrees. At the same time, the water temperature in the western part of the reservoir is permanently higher than in the eastern part.

The summer period, lasting from June to September, makes temperature indicators more uniform throughout the sea. At this time, in the upper layers the water warms up to 26 degrees, and in the southern part it can increase to 28 degrees. By the velvet season in shallow areas, the water can warm up even more and reach 32 degrees.

In addition, in summer there is a phenomenon such as the rise of deep water layers to the surface. This is the so-called upwelling, but scientists do not observe it throughout the entire water area, but mainly only in the east; sometimes deep waters rise in the southern part of the reservoir. As a result, the water temperature on average can be understood by 10 degrees.

Like other marine bodies of water, the water in the Caspian Sea is salty. However, the level of salt saturation may vary depending on individual areas. The salt concentration is highest in the western and southern parts of the reservoir. In the northern regions, sea water is constantly diluted with fresh water from rivers. However, throughout the sea, salt concentrations vary depending on the season of the year.

In addition, winds are the reason why water becomes saltier or fresher. For example, in the Southern and Middle Caspian these fluctuations are weakly expressed, in contrast to the Northern.

The climate of this maritime region also varies. The southern part of the sea has a subtropical climate, the middle part has a temperate climate, and the northern part has a continental climate. As a result, the air temperature on the coast varies.

It is worth noting that it is hottest in the south and southeast of the reservoir. Here the temperature can sometimes reach 44 degrees in summer, and the average temperature is 26-27 degrees. The north of the reservoir also cannot complain about the cold in summer - air temperatures up to 25 degrees are recorded here. As for winter, the air temperature in the north can reach -10 degrees, and in the south – up to +10 degrees.

Pool Features

There is no need to assume that the Caspian Sea is just a closed body of water limited by its shores. On the map, the sea has fairly smooth shores, but in reality its borders are indented by small capes and peninsulas, as well as channels and river mouths. The coastline is about 7 thousand kilometers (if you take into account the islands).

The coast of the lake in its northern part looks low, there is some swampiness due to the presence of many channels. From the east, the Caspian coast is mainly limestone, and the territories smoothly turn into semi-desert lands. The tortuosity of the coastal edges is highest in the east and west.

Any large body of water cannot do without islands, and the Caspian Sea is no exception. The islands of the Caspian Sea are diverse, their total number is almost 50 islands of different sizes. The largest include:

• Boyuk-Zira;
• seal;
• Chechen;
• Ashur-Ada;
• Ogurchinsky;
• Cure-Dashi;

The coast of the Caspian Sea is also rich in peninsulas, among which Mangyshlak, Apsheronsky, and Tyub-Karagan stand out. Finally, the geography of the Caspian Sea includes many large and small bays. The most famous of them are:

• Kizlyarsky;
• Kara-Bogaz-Gol;
• Mangyshlaksky;
• Gizilagac;
• Turkmenbashi;
• Astrakhan (Astrakhansky);
• Hyrcanus.

Of these bays, one can especially highlight Kara-Bogaz-Gol, which is located in the eastern part of the sea and today belongs to Turkmenistan. Until the end of the twentieth century, it was a kind of Caspian lagoon, which was connected to the “big water” by the strait. In the 1980s, back during the Soviet era, a dam and then a dam were built here, as a result of which the water level in the bay was reduced.

Today the situation has returned to its original point, since the strait was restored. Water enters the bay in volumes of 10-17 cubic kilometers annually. However, due to the hot climate, it evaporates, so the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay is extremely salty.

The Caspian Sea, like other similar bodies of water, has rich flora and fauna. A variety of algae predominate here, and researchers believe that most of the Caspian is of local origin. However, it is also possible that some algae were brought here artificially - for example, on the bottoms of merchant ships from other seas.

The Caspian Sea is quite diverse. There are more than 100 species of fish. This is where the famous sturgeon and other fish of the same family are found. Basically, the fish of the Caspian are those that live in fresh or low-salt waters: pike, carp, salmon, mullet, perch, carp, some of which are listed in. You can find seals in the sea.

Development of waters and seabed

Who among us does not remember the famous phrase from geography textbooks: “The Volga flows into the Caspian Sea.” This river is the largest of those whose mouth is the Caspian Sea. Every year it delivers up to 224 cubic kilometers of fresh water to the sea. But there are others, smaller ones, who also flock here. In addition to Volga, these are:

1. Terek.
2. Ural.
3. Samur.
4. Sulak.

These rivers flow through the territory of Russia, and in addition to them, the waters of the Atrek (Turkmenistan), Kura (), Sefidrud (Iran), and Emba (Kazakhstan) rivers flow into the Caspian Sea. In total, out of 130 different rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea, the mouths of nine water streams are formed in the form of a delta.

The development of the lake took place over many centuries. Today, the ports of the Caspian Sea connect the shores of the reservoir with trade routes. Of the Russian ports, the most important are Makhachkala and Astrakhan, from which ships are constantly sent to the Kazakh Aktau, the Azerbaijani Baku and other coastal shores of the Caspian Sea. In addition, it is connected to the Sea of ​​Azov, which is reached through the Don and Volga rivers, as well as through the Volga-Don Canal.

An important direction in the economic development of the Caspian basin and the sea itself is oil production. The oil resources of the sea currently amount to approximately 10 billion tons - these are the estimates given by researchers. If we add gas condensate to this, then the reserves double.

Oil production is the most important sector of the economy of the countries of the Caspian region, therefore, for many years, disagreements regarding the use of the resources of the sea have been unresolved. During the existence of the USSR, the territory of the Caspian Sea belonged to the Soviet Union and Iran.

Legal documents on the division of the reservoir and the use of its shelf, which were concluded between Iran and the USSR, are still in force. At the same time, disputes regarding the legal division of territories continue. Thus, Iran proposes to divide it equally between five countries, and three former Soviet republics insist that the reservoir be divided along the median line of demarcation.

This issue remains very serious, because depending on where the sea should be divided, not only the volume of oil production for each Caspian state depends, but also the use of other resources of the reservoir. Here we can talk, first of all, about fisheries, because the sea is very generous with fish stocks.

They harvest not only fish, but also the famous caviar, as well as seal. However, the reproduction of the fish stock today would be much more effective if it were not for the poachers of the Caspian Sea, who organize illegal sturgeon fishing and illegally extract caviar.

Moreover, they exist in almost all Caspian countries, so the fight against them is common to the neighboring countries of the Caspian basin. As a result, sturgeon exports have been limited in recent years, as both Russia and other Caspian countries are interested in preserving this natural wealth of the region.

Poaching is a serious problem, and today Russia, together with Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, are developing measures aimed at legally limiting illegal fishing.

However, there is another big problem of the Caspian Sea - pollution of sea waters. The reason is oil production, as well as oil transportation by sea. We should not forget that large cities located on the shores of a reservoir are a constant source of water pollution. In addition, industrial enterprises, despite strict prohibitions, sometimes still discharge waste into rivers, which then end up in the sea.

Environmental violations lead not only to general pollution of the Caspian waters, but also to changes in the boundaries of the reservoir itself (swamping, drying out, and so on). But it’s not even worth talking about the importance of the Caspian Sea for the entire region.

Holidays at the resorts of the Caspian Sea

In order to understand what human civilization can lose by losing the Caspian Sea, you can look at its photo. This body of water is an amazing place for a good rest, and the sea landscapes invariably impress everyone who comes here. A vacation spent on the Caspian Sea turns out to be no worse than on the Black Sea shores. Fresh air, mild climate and well-maintained beaches - this is what it can give to tourists.

If you decide to go to the Caspian Sea, the prices for holidays will pleasantly surprise you. Tourism is valued largely because it turns out to be inexpensive compared to what awaits tourists going to resorts in other regions of the planet. Residents of Russia can relax very cheaply within their country and at the same time receive excellent service, no different in level from the Mediterranean.

There are several resorts in Russian cities (most of which are in), which are particularly popular with tourists. This:

• Astrakhan;
• Dagestan Lights;
• Kaspiysk;
• Izberbash;
• Lagan.

If tourists go to Derbent, first of all, to see its ancient sights, and to Astrakhan - to enjoy fishing, then vacation spots in Makhachkala are among the most comfortable and cozy beaches of the Caspian Sea.

This resort attracts not only a comfortable holiday, but also the opportunity to improve your health, because there are thermal and mineral springs here. Among the foreign resorts, we can note the Kazakh Aktau, the Azerbaijani Sumgait and the Turkmen recreation area Avaza.

Today the Caspian Sea is one of the world's most important regions economically. Without it, it is impossible to imagine modern Eurasia and, especially, the history of Russia. This means that the state of this reservoir must be protected by the state.