Map of the Caspian Sea. Where is the Caspian Sea

Africa

November 29th, 2015

Is it correct to call the Caspian a sea?

It is known that the sea is part of the oceans. From this geographically correct point of view, the Caspian cannot be considered a sea, because it is separated from the ocean by huge land masses. The shortest distance from the Caspian to the Black Sea, the closest of the seas included in the system of the World Ocean, is 500 kilometers. Therefore, it would be more correct to speak of the Caspian as a lake. This is the world's largest lake, often referred to simply as the Caspian or lake-sea.

The Caspian Sea has a number of features of the sea: its water is salty (however, there are other salt lakes), the area is not much inferior to the area of ​​such seas as the Black, Baltic, Red, North, and even exceeds the area of ​​Azov and some others (however, the Canadian Lake Superior also has a huge area , like the three Seas of Azov). In the Caspian, fierce storm winds and huge waves are frequent (and this is not uncommon in Baikal).

So, after all, the Caspian Sea is a lake? That's Wikipedia says it Yes and big Soviet Encyclopedia replies that no one has yet been able to give a precise definition of this issue - "A generally accepted classification does not exist."

Do you know why this is very important and fundamental? And here's why...

The lake belongs to inland waters - the sovereign territories of coastal states, to which the international regime does not apply (the principle of non-intervention of the UN in the internal affairs of states). But the water area of ​​the sea is divided differently, and the rights of coastal states are completely different here.

In my own way geographic location The Caspian itself, in contrast to the land territories surrounding it, has not been the object of any targeted attention on the part of the coastal states for many centuries. Only at the beginning of the XIX century. between Russia and Persia, the first treaties were concluded: Gyulistan (1813) 4 and Turkmanchay (1828), summing up the results of the Russian-Persian war, as a result of which Russia annexed a number of Transcaucasian territories and received the exclusive right to keep a navy in the Caspian sea. Russian and Persian merchants were allowed to freely trade on the territory of both states and use the Caspian Sea to transport goods. The Turkmanchay Treaty confirmed all these provisions and became the basis for maintaining international relations between the parties until 1917.

After the October Revolution of 1917, in a note of the new Russian government that came to power on January 14, 1918, it renounced its exclusive military presence in the Caspian Sea. The agreement between the RSFSR and Persia of February 26, 1921 declared invalid all agreements concluded before it by the tsarist government. The Caspian Sea became a body of water for the common use of the parties: both states were granted equal rights of free navigation, except in cases where the crews of Iranian ships could include citizens of third countries using the service for unfriendly purposes (Article 7). Treaty of 1921 maritime border between the parties did not provide.

In August 1935, the following treaty was signed, the parties to which were new subjects of international law - the Soviet Union and Iran, which acted under the new name. The parties reaffirmed the provisions of the 1921 agreement, but introduced into the agreement a new concept for the Caspian Sea - a 10-mile fishing zone, which limited the spatial limits for its participants to conduct this fishery. This was done in order to control and conserve the living resources of the reservoir.

In the context of the outbreak of World War II, unleashed by Germany, an urgent need arose to conclude a new treaty between the USSR and Iran on trade and navigation in the Caspian. The reason for this was the concern of the Soviet side, caused by Germany's interest in intensifying its trade relations with Iran and the danger of using the Caspian Sea as one of the stages of the transit route. The agreement between the USSR and Iran 10 signed in 1940 protected the Caspian Sea from such a prospect: it repeated the main provisions of the previous agreements, which provided for the presence in its waters of ships of only these two Caspian states. It also included a provision for its indefinite validity.

collapse Soviet Union radically changed the regional situation in the former Soviet space, in particular in the Caspian region. Among the large number of new problems, the problem of the Caspian Sea has also arisen. Instead of two states - the USSR and Iran, which previously bilaterally resolved all emerging issues of maritime navigation, fishing and the use of its other living and non-living resources, now there are five of them. Of the former, only Iran remained, Russia took the place of the USSR on the rights of succession, the remaining three are new states: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan. They used to have access to the Caspian, but only as republics of the USSR, and not as independent states. Now, having become independent and sovereign, they have the opportunity to participate on an equal footing with Russia and Iran in the discussion and decision-making in the consideration of all the above issues. This was also reflected in the attitude of these states to the Caspian, since all five states that had access to it showed equal interest in the use of its living and non-living resources. And this is logical, and most importantly, justified: the Caspian Sea is rich in natural resources, both fish stocks and black gold - oil and blue fuel - gas. Exploration and production of the last two resources have long been the subject of the most heated and protracted negotiations. But not only them.

In addition to the presence of rich mineral resources, about 120 species and subspecies of fish live in the waters of the Caspian Sea, here is the world gene pool of sturgeons, the extraction of which, until recently, accounted for 90% of their total world catch.

Due to its location, the Caspian has traditionally and long been widely used for navigation, acting as a kind of transport artery between the peoples of the coastal states. Along its banks are such large seaports, as the Russian Astrakhan, the capital of Azerbaijan Baku, the Turkmen Turkmenbashi, the Iranian Anzeli and the Kazakh Aktau, between which trade, cargo and passenger sea transport routes have long been laid.

And yet, the main object of attention of the Caspian states is its mineral resources - oil and natural gas, to which each of them can lay claim within the limits that should be determined by them collectively on the basis of international law. And to do this, they will have to divide between themselves both the Caspian Sea and its bottom, in the depths of which its oil and gas are hidden, and develop rules for their extraction with minimal damage to a very fragile environment, especially the marine environment and its living inhabitants.

The main obstacle in resolving the issue of the beginning of a wide extraction of the mineral resources of the Caspian Sea for the Caspian states continues to be its international legal status: should it be considered a sea or a lake? The complexity of the issue lies in the fact that these states themselves must solve it, and so far no agreement has been observed in their ranks. But at the same time, each of them seeks to start production of Caspian oil as soon as possible and natural gas and make their sale abroad a permanent source of funds for the formation of their budget.

Therefore, the oil companies of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, without waiting for the end of the settlement of existing disagreements on the territorial division of the Caspian, have already begun active production of its oil, in the hope of ceasing to be dependent on Russia, turning their countries into oil producers and, in this capacity, begin to build their own long-term trading relations with neighbors.

However, the issue of the status of the Caspian Sea remains unresolved. Regardless of whether the Caspian states agree to consider it a "sea" or a "lake", they will have to apply the principles corresponding to the choice made or develop their own in this case to the territorial division of its water area and bottom.

Kazakhstan was in favor of recognizing the Caspian as a sea. Such recognition will make it possible to apply to the division of the Caspian the provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on Internal Waters, the Territorial Sea, the Exclusive Economic Zone, and the Continental Shelf. This would allow the coastal states to gain sovereignty over the subsoil of the territorial sea (Article 2) and exclusive rights to explore and develop the resources of the continental shelf (Article 77). But the Caspian cannot be called a sea from the position of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of ​​1982, since this body of water is closed and has no natural connection with the oceans.

In this case, the option of sharing its water area and bottom resources is also excluded.

In the treaties between the USSR and Iran, the Caspian Sea was considered as a border lake. With the legal status of a "lake" given to the Caspian Sea, it is expected to be divided into sectors, as is done with respect to border lakes. But there is no rule in international law obliging states to do just that: division into sectors is an established practice.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly made statements that the Caspian is a lake, and its waters and subsoil are the common property of the coastal states. Iran also considers the Caspian Sea as a lake from the position fixed in the treaties with the USSR. The country's government believes that this status implies the creation of a consortium for the unified management of production and use of its resources by the Caspian states. Some authors also share this opinion, for example, R. Mammadov believes that with such a status, the extraction of hydrocarbon resources in the Caspian Sea by these states should be carried out jointly.

In the literature, there has been a proposal to give the Caspian Sea the status of a “sui generis” lake, and in this case we are talking about a special international legal status of such a lake and its special regime. Under the regime is assumed the joint development by states of their own rules for the use of its resources.

Thus, the recognition of the Caspian Sea as a lake does not require its mandatory division into sectors - each coastal state has its own part. In addition, in international law there are no norms on the division of lakes between states at all: these are their good will behind which certain internal interests may be hidden.

At present, all the Caspian states recognize that the modern legal regime was established by the established practice of its use, but now the Caspian is in actual common use not by two, but by five states. Even at the meeting of foreign ministers held in Ashgabat on November 12, 1996, the Caspian states confirmed that the status of the Caspian Sea could be changed only with the consent of all five coastal states. Later, this was also confirmed by Russia and Azerbaijan in a joint statement dated January 9, 2001 on the principles of cooperation, as well as in the Declaration on cooperation in the Caspian Sea signed between Kazakhstan and Russia dated October 9, 2000.

But in the course of numerous Caspian negotiations, conferences and four summits of the Caspian states (Ashgabat summit on April 23-24, 2002, the Tehran summit on October 16, 2007, the Baku summit on November 18, 2010 and Astrakhan on September 29, 2014), the consent of the Caspian countries it has not been possible to achieve.

More productive so far is cooperation at the bilateral and trilateral levels. Back in May 2003, Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on the junction of the lines of delimitation of adjacent sections of the bottom of the Caspian Sea, which was based on previous bilateral agreements. In the current situation, Russia, by its participation in these agreements, seemed to confirm that the agreements between the USSR and Iran are outdated and do not correspond to existing realities.

In the Agreement of July 6, 1998 between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan on the delimitation of the bottom of the northern part of the Caspian Sea in order to exercise sovereign rights to subsoil use, the delimitation of the sea bottom between adjacent and opposite sides along a modified median line was announced on the basis of the principle of justice and agreement of the parties. At the bottom of the section, the states have sovereign rights, but their common use of the water surface is preserved.

Iran perceived this agreement as separate and violating the previous Treaties with the USSR of 1921 and 1940. However, it should be noted that in the preamble of the 1998 agreement, to which Russia and Kazakhstan were parties, the agreement was considered as a temporary measure pending the signing of the convention by all the Caspian states.

Later, on July 19 of the same year, Iran and Russia made a joint statement in which they proposed three possible scenarios for the delimitation of the Caspian Sea. First: the sea should be shared on the basis of the condominium principle. The second scenario boils down to dividing the water area, waters, bottom and subsoil into national sectors. The third scenario, which is a compromise between the first and second options, suggests dividing only the bottom between the coastal states, and considers the water surface to be common and open to all coastal countries.

The existing options for the delimitation of the Caspian Sea, including those mentioned above, are possible only if there is good political will on the part of the parties. Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have clearly expressed their position from the very beginning of the process of multilateral consultations. Azerbaijan considers the Caspian Sea to be a lake and, therefore, it should be divided. Kazakhstan proposes to consider the Caspian as a closed sea, referring to the 1982 UN Convention (Articles 122, 123), and, accordingly, stands for its division in the spirit of the Convention. Turkmenistan has long supported the idea of ​​joint management and use of the Caspian, but foreign companies already developing resources off the coast of Turkmenistan have influenced the policy of its president, who began to object to the establishment of a condominium regime, supporting the position of dividing the sea.

Azerbaijan was the first of the Caspian states to start using the hydrocarbon resources of the Caspian under the new conditions. After the signing of the "Deal of the Century" in September 1994, Baku expressed a desire to declare the sector adjacent to it an integral part of its territory. This provision was also enshrined in the Constitution of Azerbaijan, adopted in order to exercise sovereign rights to subsoil use, Moscow, July 6, 1998 at a referendum on November 12, 1995 (Article 11). But such a radical position from the very beginning did not correspond to the interests of all other coastal states, especially Russia, which expresses fears that this will open access to the Caspian Sea to countries in other regions. Azerbaijan agreed to a compromise. In the Agreement between the Russian Federation and Azerbaijan on the delimitation of adjacent sections of the Caspian Sea in 2002, a provision was fixed in which the division of the bottom was carried out using the median line, and the water area of ​​the reservoir remained in joint use.

Unlike Azerbaijan, which expressed a desire to completely divide the Caspian, Iran proposes to leave its bowels and water for joint use, but does not object to the option of dividing the Caspian into 5 equal parts. Accordingly, each member of the Caspian five would be allocated 20 percent of the total territory of the reservoir.

Russia's point of view was changing. For a long time Moscow insisted on the establishment of a condominium, but wanting to build a long-term policy with neighbors who did not benefit from considering the Caspian as the property of five coastal states, it changed its position. This then prompted the states to start a new stage of negotiations, at the end of which, in 1998, the above Agreement was signed, where Russia declared that it was “ripe” for the division of the Caspian Sea. Its main principle was the position "the water is common - we divide the bottom."

Taking into account the fact that some Caspian states, namely Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russia, have reached agreements on the conditional delimitation of spaces in the Caspian, we can conclude that they are actually satisfied with the already established regime with the division of its bottom along a modified median line and the joint use of the surface reservoir for navigation and fishing.

However, the lack of complete clarity and unity in the position of all countries of the coast prevents the Caspian states themselves from developing oil production. And oil is of key importance to them. There are no unequivocal data regarding their reserves in the Caspian Sea. According to the US Energy Information Agency in 2003, the Caspian was ranked second in oil reserves and third in gas reserves. The data of the Russian side is different: they speak of an artificial overestimation by Western experts of the energy resources of the Caspian Sea. Differences in assessments are due to the political and economic interests of regional and external players. The data distortion factor was the geopolitical significance of the region, with which the foreign policy plans of the US and the EU are connected. Zbigniew Brzezinski back in 1997 expressed the opinion that this region is the "Eurasian Balkans".

The coastline of the Caspian Sea is estimated at about 6500 - 6700 kilometers, with islands - up to 7000 kilometers. The shores of the Caspian Sea in most of its territory are low-lying and smooth. In the northern part, the coastline is indented by water streams and islands of the Volga and Ural deltas, the shores are low and swampy, and the water surface is covered with thickets in many places. On the east coast limestone coasts adjoining semi-deserts and deserts predominate. The most winding coasts are on the western coast near the Apsheron Peninsula and on the eastern coast near the Kazakh Gulf and Kara-Bogaz-Gol.

Peninsulas of the Caspian Sea

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

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

The largest islands:

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

Large bays of the Caspian Sea:

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

Rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea

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

Caspian Sea Basin

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

coastal states

The Caspian Sea washes the shores of five coastal states:
* Russia (Dagestan, Kalmykia and Astrakhan region) - in the trap and northwest, length coastline 695 kilometers
* Kazakhstan - in the north, northeast and east, the length of the coastline is 2320 kilometers
* Turkmenistan - in the southeast, the length of the coastline is 1200 kilometers
* Iran - in the south, coastline length - 724 kilometers
* Azerbaijan - in the southwest, the length of the coastline is 955 kilometers

Cities on the coast of the Caspian Sea

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

Large Russian cities - the capital of Dagestan Makhachkala and the most Southern City Russia's Derbent - 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 east coast The Kazakh city - the port of Aktau is located on the Caspian Sea, in the north in the Ural delta, 20 km from the sea, the city of Atyrau is located, south of Kara-Bogaz-Gol on the northern shore of the Krasnovodsk Bay - the Turkmen city of Turkmenbashi, formerly Krasnovodsk. Several Caspian cities are located on the southern (Iranian) coast, the largest of them is Anzali.

Area, depth, volume of water

The area and volume of water in the Caspian Sea varies significantly depending on fluctuations in water levels. At a water level of -26.75 m, the area was approximately 392,600 square kilometers, the volume of water was 78,648 cubic kilometers, which is approximately 44 percent of the world's lake water reserves. The maximum depth of the Caspian Sea is in the South Caspian depression, 1025 meters from its surface level. In terms of maximum depth, the Caspian Sea is second only to Baikal (1620 m) and Tanganyika (1435 m). The average depth of the Caspian Sea, calculated from the bathygraphic curve, is 208 meters. At the same time, the northern part of the Caspian Sea is shallow, its maximum depth does not exceed 25 meters, and the average depth is 4 meters.

Water level fluctuations

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

Water temperature

The water temperature is subject to significant latitudinal changes, most pronounced in winter, when the temperature changes from 0-0.5 °C at the ice edge in the north of the sea to 10-11 °C in the south, i.e. the water temperature difference is about 10 °C. For shallow water areas with depths less than 25 m, the annual amplitude can reach 25-26 °C. The average water temperature at west coast 1-2 °C higher than that of the eastern one, and in the open sea the water temperature is 2-4 °C higher than that of the coasts. According to the nature of the horizontal structure of the temperature field in the annual cycle of variability, three time intervals can be distinguished in the upper 2-meter layer. From October to March, the water temperature increases in the south and east, which is especially evident in the Middle Caspian. Two stable quasi-latitudinal zones can be distinguished, where the temperature gradients are increased. This is, firstly, the border between the North and Middle Caspian, and, secondly, between the Middle and South. At the ice edge, in the northern frontal zone, the temperature in February-March increases from 0 to 5 °C, in the southern frontal zone, in the area of ​​the Apsheron threshold, from 7 to 10 °C. During this period, the least chilled waters are in the center of the South Caspian, which form a quasi-stationary core.

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

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

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

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

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

Water composition

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

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

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

Bottom relief

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

Climate

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

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

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

currents

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

Animal world

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

Vegetable world

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

Origin of the Caspian Sea

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

Anthropological and cultural history Caspian Sea

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

Exploration of the Caspian Sea

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

Oil and gas

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

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

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

Shipping

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

Fishing and seafood

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

Recreational resources

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

Ecological problems

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

Border dispute over the status of the Caspian Sea

After the collapse of the USSR, the division of the Caspian Sea has long been and still remains the subject of unsettled disagreements related to the division of the resources of the Caspian shelf - oil and gas, as well as biological resources. For a long time there were negotiations between the Caspian states on the status of the Caspian Sea - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan insisted on dividing the Caspian along the median line, Iran - on dividing the Caspian along one-fifth part between all the Caspian states. In 2003, Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on the partial division of the Caspian Sea along the median line.

Coordinates: 42.622596 50.041848

Location

Geographical position

  • The Caspian Sea is located at the junction of two parts of the Eurasian continent - Europe and Asia. The Caspian Sea is similar in shape to 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 conditionally 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 North and Middle Caspian is passed along the line Chechen (island) - Tyub-Karagansky cape, between the Middle and South Caspian - along the line Zhiloy (island) - Gan-Gulu (cape). The area of ​​the Northern, Middle and Southern Caspian is 25, 36, 39 percent respectively.


Caspian Sea- the largest lake on Earth, located at the junction of Europe and Asia lake Water level of the oceans

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

Coast of the Caspian Sea

Peninsulas of the Caspian Sea

  • Large peninsulas of the Caspian Sea:

  • Absheron peninsula, located on the western coast of the Caspian in the territory of Azerbaijan, at the northeastern end of the Greater Caucasus, the cities of Baku and Sumgayit are located on its territory

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

Islands of the Caspian Sea

  • 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:

Bays of the Caspian Sea

  • Large bays of the Caspian Sea:

  • Turkmenbashi (bay) (former Krasnovodsk),

  • Hyrcanus (former Astarabad) and

  • Anzali (former Pahlavi).

Rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea

  • Delta of the Volga. View from space.

    • 130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, of which 9 rivers have a mouth in the form of a delta. Large rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea - 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 drainage is 215-224 cubic kilometers. The Volga, Ural, Terek and Emba give up to 88 - 90 annual drainage of the Caspian Sea.

Caspian Sea Basin

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

coastal states

  • The Caspian Sea washes the shores of five coastal states:

  • Russia (Dagestan, Kalmykia and Astrakhan region) - in the west and north-west, the length of the coastline is 695 kilometers

  • Kazakhstan - in the north, northeast and east, the length of the coastline is 2320 kilometers

  • Turkmenistan - in the southeast, the length of the coastline is 1200 kilometers

  • Iran - in the south, the length of the coastline - 724 kilometers

  • Azerbaijan - in the southwest, the length of the coastline is 955 kilometers

Cities on the coast of the Caspian Sea

  • Historical part of the city of Baku, view of the Caspian Sea

    • The largest port city 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 (2003). Other major Azerbaijani Caspian cities are Sumgayit, which is located in the northern part of the Absheron Peninsula, and Lankaran, which is located near the southern border of Azerbaijan. To the South-East of the Absheron Peninsula, there is a settlement of oil workers Oil Rocks, whose facilities are on artificial islands, overpasses and technological sites.

  • Large Russian cities - the capital of Dagestan Makhachkala and the southernmost city of Russia Derbent - are located on the western coast of the Caspian Sea. Astrakhan is also considered a port city of the Caspian Sea, which, however, is not located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, but in the Volga Delta, 60 kilometers from the northern coast of the Caspian Sea.

  • On the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea is the Kazakh city - the port of Aktau, south of Kara-Bogaz-Gol on the northern shore of the Krasnovodsk Gulf - the Turkmen city of Turkmenbashi, formerly Krasnovodsk. Several Caspian cities are located on the southern (Iranian) coast, the largest of them is Anzali.

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 was approximately 392,600 square kilometers, the volume of water was 78,648 cubic kilometers, which is approximately 44 percent of the world's lake water reserves. The maximum depth of the Caspian Sea is in the South Caspian depression, 1025 meters from its surface level. In terms of maximum depth, the Caspian Sea is second only to Baikal (1620 m) and Tanganyika (1435 m). The average depth of the Caspian Sea, calculated from the bathygraphic curve, is 208 meters. At the same time, the northern part of the Caspian Sea is shallow, its maximum depth does not exceed 25 meters, and the average depth is 4 meters.

Water level fluctuations

    The water level in the Caspian Sea is subject to significant fluctuations. According to modern science, over the past 3 thousand years, the amplitude of changes in the water level of the Caspian Sea has amounted to 15 meters. Instrumental measurement of the level of the Caspian Sea and systematic observations of its fluctuations have been carried out since the year, during which time the highest water level was recorded in 1882 (-25.2 m.), The lowest - in the year (-29.0 m.), In 1978, the water level went down and in the year it reached 26.6 m, since 1996 there has been an upward trend again. Scientists associate the causes of changes in the water level of the Caspian Sea with climatic, geological and anthropological factors.

Water temperature

  • The average monthly water temperature of the Caspian Sea ranges from 0 degrees in the northern part to +10 in the southern part, and approximately +23 - +26 throughout the Caspian Sea in the summer months. At great depths, the water temperature is approximately +6 - +7 and practically does not undergo seasonal changes.

    • In winter, part of the surface of the Caspian Sea freezes. In the northern part of the Caspian Sea, the surface is covered with a layer of ice up to 2 meters thick, freezing begins in mid-November, and ice melts in late February. The freezing boundary runs approximately along the line Chechen Island - Mangyshlak, on the Apsheron Peninsula, the formation and drift of ice is observed approximately once every 10-11 years.

Water composition

  • Water composition

  • The salinity of the water of the Caspian Sea varies from 0.3 ppm in the northern part near the Volga delta to 13.5 ppm near the southeastern shores, in most of the Caspian Sea it is 12.6 - 13.2 ppm. In winter, due to the freezing of the Volga, the salinity of the water in the northern part of the Caspian Sea increases.

  • Bottom relief

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

Climate

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

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

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

currents

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

Animal and plant world

  • ,

    • Oil and gas

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

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

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

    • Shipping

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

    Fishing and seafood

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

    • Recreational resources

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

    Ecological problems

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

    International status of the Caspian Sea

    • Border dispute over the status of the Caspian Sea

      • After the collapse of the USSR, the division of the Caspian Sea has long been and still remains the subject of unsettled disagreements related to the division of the resources of the Caspian shelf - oil and gas, as well as biological resources. For a long time there were negotiations between the Caspian states on the status of the Caspian Sea - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan insisted on dividing the Caspian along the median line, Iran - on dividing the Caspian along one fifth between all the Caspian states. In 2003, Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan signed an agreement on the partial division of the Caspian Sea along the median line

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

coastline length Caspian Sea estimated at about 6500 - 6700 kilometers, with the islands - up to 7000 kilometers. coast Caspian Sea in most of its territory - low-lying and smooth. In the northern part, the coastline is indented by water channels and islands of the Volga and Ural deltas, the shores are low and swampy, and the water surface is covered with thickets in many places. The east coast is dominated by limestone shores adjacent to semi-deserts and deserts. The most winding coasts are on the western coast near the Apsheron Peninsula and on the eastern coast near the Kazakh Gulf and Kara-Bogaz-Gol.

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

Map of the Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea washes the shores of five coastal states:

Russia (Dagestan, Kalmykia and Astrakhan region) - in the west and 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, the length of the coastline - 724 kilometers
Azerbaijan - in the southwest, the length of the coastline is 955 kilometers

Water temperature

is subject to significant latitudinal changes, most pronounced 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 water temperature difference is about 10 °C. For shallow water areas with depths less than 25 m, the annual amplitude can reach 25 - 26 °C. On average, the water temperature near the western coast is 1 - 2 °C higher than that of the eastern coast, and in the open sea the water temperature is 2 - 4 °C higher than near the coasts.

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

Animal world

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

Vegetable world

Vegetable world Caspian Sea and its coast is represented by 728 species. From plants to Caspian Sea algae predominate - blue-green, diatoms, red, brown, char and others, from flowering ones - zoster and ruppia. By origin, the flora belongs mainly to the Neogene age, however, some plants were brought into Caspian Sea by a person consciously or on the bottoms of ships.

Oil and gas

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

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

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

Ecological problems

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

Yes, geography can sometimes break my brain quite a bit. You look at the map and see the name - "Caspian Sea". What a normal person would think in such a situation - yes, of course, it would not occur to him that we are talking about ... a lake! So now I'll tell you why the Caspian Sea is not a sea, but a lake, how did it happen and what is this strange whirlwind with names.

The sea is not the sea

Yes, the Caspian Sea - geographical feature, the essence of which does not really coincide with its name.

The fact is that by name it is a sea, but in fact it is a lake. They called it the sea due to the large size and salinity of the water. After all, people did not want to delve into geographical nuances - the name appeared a long time ago.

Only really Caspian lake has no access to the ocean. And this is one of the most important conditions for which a body of water is called a sea. It turns out that without access to the ocean, the Caspian is considered a lake. Big, salty and very similar to the sea - but still a lake.

So, once again I will list what a reservoir should have in order for it to be considered a sea:

A lake is not a lake

The Caspian Sea-Lake, however, is different from other lakes. It is indeed very large - so much so that it washes the territory fives different countries . In addition, it has about fifty fairly large islands.

Yes and water there salty. However, by maritime standards, all the same not enough- which again inclines us towards the fact that this is a lake.

And the abundance of waters of the Caspian decreases over the years. Long time it replenished the Volga, but in recent years it she becomes shallow- respectively, the water level in the Caspian Sea is also decreasing. So, perhaps in a hundred or two years it will turn into a regular-sized lake if global warming does not stop.

Throughout the world, the Caspian Sea is unanimously considered a lake. Even his water territory is divided not according to those international laws that were invented for marine areas, but lake legislation.

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In a huge number of books I read about the Caspian Sea, its greatness and how local people love and respect it. And indeed, I was very surprised when I once found myself on the shore of this sea. But after a while I began to hear that it is called a lake. I was wondering why is this happening? And then I delved into literature in order to understand the situation.

Why the Caspian is a lake

There is one main reason why people no longer consider this beautiful body of water to be the sea - the lack of access to the ocean. Usually the sea must have a strait connecting it with a larger part of a huge water reservoir - the oceans. For example, we can recall the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov, with its Kerch Strait, or the following Black, with the Bosphorus. A succession of such straits and seas leads them to Atlantic Ocean.

But the Caspian Sea is a unique case. There is not a single drain from it. Even the Angara River flows out of the great Baikal.

The only weighty argument for the fact that the Caspian is a sea is its salinity. But the numbers speak against it. The average percentage of water salinity here is 12.9%, while in other seas this figure is 35%.

Where does the Caspian Sea draw water from?

In this, the largest, as I figured out, lake on the planet, five great rivers flow at once:

  • Samur;
  • Volga;
  • Ural;
  • Terek;
  • Kura.

At the confluence of the rivers, the water is almost fresh, but closer to the south, the lake saturates it with its own salt reserves.

Fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea

locals I was told that the Caspian is unstable. The water level is extremely variable. This is due to the change in the level of the rivers, the internal sources of this sea-lake. Climate plays a big role. On the this moment The height of the Caspian Sea is steadily increasing, reaching almost 26 meters below sea level. For comparison: 20 years ago, this figure was almost two meters lower.

This has pros and cons. On the one hand, navigation is improving, and on the other, pastures and fields are flooded.

The inhabitants of the coast love the Caspian, despite its unusual nature and violent nature. I liked him very much too!

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Many names, not only toponyms, have always surprised me with their seeming groundlessness. Guinea pigs are not guinea pigs, bats are not related to rodents, and the Caspian Sea is generally a lake.

I didn't say "apparently" for nothing. Every name has a backstory. And often very interesting.

How the sea became a lake

The Caspian Sea is not so undeservedly called the sea. Once it really was part of the ocean.

It even rests in the bed of the earth's crust ocean type.

The Caspian is brackish although the salinity of the water is variable. Near the mouth of the Volga, which flows into it, the salinity of the water is minimal. The size of the Caspian in no way inferior to the sea. Its surface area: 371,000 km².

The main reason why Caspian considered to be lake, it is his isolation from the oceans. He has nothing to do with him.

But it was many years ago.

It all started with Sarmatian Sea, which existed more than 13 million years ago. It was loosely associated with by sea mediterranean, but later lost this connection and began to desalinate. Then it briefly restored contact with the sea, but then lost it again.

6.5 - 5.2 million years ago formed Pontic Sea, which is smaller in area. Which, moreover, was soon divided into several unconnected reservoirs. The resulting Balakhani lake can be considered a grandmother Caspian Sea. It gained and lost access to the sea several more times, raised and lowered the water level, changed in size, until finally something appeared. Caspian Sea as we see it now.

How to consider the Caspian Sea: the sea or the lake

And the disputes here are not so much between geographers, but between politicians.

The Caspian washes the territories at once five states:

  • Kazakhstan;
  • Russia;
  • Turkmenistan;
  • Iran;
  • Azerbaijan.

But Caspian Sea is not only important transport node, but also a storehouse of various natural resources , among which:

  • oil;
  • gas;
  • fish, including sturgeon.

And here comes the problem with legal status of the Caspian. If you count it by sea, then when using it, states should focus on United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982. But the procedure for the use of international rivers and lakes, as a rule, is established by the coastal states themselves, concluding appropriate agreements.

Full agreement between the countries has not yet been reached.

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I rested somehow in the camp. It's no secret that almost every day there are competitions for the entertainment of children and youth. So. Was we have quiz. Question: "Which lake is the largest?" One guy of about fifteen was the first to raise his hand and answer: "Baikal." The strangest thing was that his answer was counted as correct! How so? Isn't the Caspian Sea the largest lake? Now I will explain to you.

How to distinguish the sea from the lake

I will list several signs by which a body of water is defined as a sea.

1. Rivers can flow into the sea.

2. The outer sea has direct access to the ocean.

3. If the sea is inland, then it is connected by straits with other seas or directly with the ocean.

Is the Caspian Sea suitable for the parameters of the sea

Need to check, does the Caspian Sea have signs of a sea. into it really rivers flow, but they flow into many bodies of water: seas, lakes, oceans, and other rivers. The Caspian Sea is surrounded from all sides dry land. Is it really inland sea? Then it must connect with Black or Seas of Azov some strait. Strait too No. Exactly due to the lack of access to the World Ocean, the Caspian Sea is considered a lake.

“But why was it then called the sea, if it is a lake?”- you ask. Answer very simple: due to his large size and salinity. Indeed, The Caspian Sea is several times larger than the Sea of ​​Azov and almost the same size as the Baltic Sea..

Fine! The quiz issue has been resolved. Soap judge!!!

Well then I told, that the Caspian Sea in fact - lake. Now I want to you provide small compilation interesting facts about this lake.

1. The Caspian Sea is below sea level (-28 m), which once again proves that this is a lake.

2. BC around the lake area lived nomadic Caspian tribes,in honor of which he was nicknamed the Caspian.

3. It the deepest enclosed body of water on the planet.

4. Many believe that the name of the group "Caspian cargo" is related to the Caspian Sea. In a way they are right No). Actually the expression "Caspian cargo" can refer to any illegal cargo.

5.Caspian Sea well suitable for tourism. Under the USSR, a large number of sanatoriums were built here. Today same here you can see many hotels, water parks and beaches.

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