What lakes flow into the Caspian Sea. What is the correct Caspian Sea or lake? Importance of the Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest lake on our planet. It is located between Europe and Asia and is called the sea for its size.
Caspian Sea
The water level is below the level of 28m. The water in the Caspian Sea has less salinity in the north in the delta. The highest salinity is observed in the southern regions.
The Caspian Sea covers an area of 371 thousand km2, the greatest depth is 1025 meters (South Caspian depression). The coastline is estimated from 6500 to 6700 km, and if you take it together with the islands, then more than 7000 km.
The seashore is mostly low-lying and smooth. If you look at the northern part, then there are many islands, water channels, indented by the Volga and the Urals. In these places, the coast is swampy and covered with thickets. From the east, semi-desert and desert terrain with limestone shores approaches the sea. The area of the Kazakh Bay, the Absheron Peninsula and the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay have winding shores.
Bottom relief
The bottom relief is divided into three main forms. The shelf is in the northern part, the average depth here is from 4 to 9 m, the maximum depth is 24 m, which gradually increases and reaches 100 m. The continental slope in the middle part drops to 500 m. The Mangyshlak threshold separates the northern part from the middle part. Here one of the deepest places is the Derbent depression (788 m).
2. Heraz, Babol, Sefudrud, Gorgan, Polerud, Chalus, Tejen - https://site/russia/travel/po-dagestanu.html;
4. Atrek - Turkmenistan;
Samur is located on the border between Azerbaijan and Russia, Astarachay is on the border of Azerbaijan and Iran.
The Caspian Sea belongs to five states. From the west and northwest, the length of the coast of 695 km is the territory of Russia. Most of the coastline with a length of 2320 km belongs to Kazakhstan in the east and northeast. Turkmenistan has 1,200 km in the southeast, Iran has 724 km in the south, and Azerbaijan has 955 km of coastline in the southwest.
In addition to the five states that have access to the sea, the Caspian basin also includes Armenia, Turkey, and Georgia. The Volga (Volga-Baltic Way, White Sea-Baltic Canal) connects the sea with the World Ocean. There is a connection with the Azov and Black Seas through the Volga-Don Canal, with the Moscow River (the Moscow Canal).
The main ports are Baku in Azerbaijan; Makhachkala in ; Aktau in Kazakhstan; Olya in Russia; Nowshahr, Bander-Torkemen and Anzeli in Iran.
The largest bays of the Caspian Sea: Agrakhan, Kizlyar, Kaydak, Kazakh, Dead Kultuk, Mangyshlak, Hasan-kuli, Turkmenbashi, Kazakh, Gyzlar, Enzeli, Astrakhan, Gyzlar.
Until 1980, Kara-Bogaz-Gol was a bay-lagoon, which was connected to the sea by a narrow strait. Now it is a salt lake, separated from the sea by a dam. After the construction of the dam, the water began to decrease sharply, and a culvert had to be built. Through it, up to 25 km3 of water enters the lake annually.
Water temperature
The greatest fluctuations in temperature are observed in winter. In shallow water, it reaches 100 in winter. The difference between summer and winter temperatures reaches 240. On the coast in winter, it is always 2 degrees lower than in the open sea. The optimum warming up of the water occurs in July-August, in shallow water the temperature reaches 320. But at this time, north-western winds raise cold layers of water (upwelling). This process begins already in June and reaches intensity in August. The temperature at the surface of the water drops. The temperature difference between the layers disappears by November.
The climate in the northern part of the sea is continental, in the middle part it is temperate, and in the southern part it is subtropical. On the east coast the temperature is always higher than in the west. Once on the east coast recorded 44 degrees.
The composition of the Caspian waters
About salinity is 0.3%. This is a typical desalinated pool. But the farther south, the higher the salinity. In the southern part of the sea, it already reaches 13%, and in Kara-Bogaz-Gol more than 300%.
Storms are frequent in shallow water areas. They occur due to changes in atmospheric pressure. Waves can reach 4 meters.
The water balance of the sea depends on river flows and precipitation. Among them, the Volga makes up almost 80% of all other rivers.
AT last years there is a rapid pollution of water by oil products and phenols. Their level already exceeds the permissible level.
Minerals
Back in the 19th century, the beginning of hydrocarbon production was laid. These are the main natural resources. There are also mineral, balneological biological resources here. Today, in addition to gas and oil production, sea-type salts (Astrakhanite, mirabalite, halite), sand, limestone, and clay are mined on the shelf.
Animal and plant world
The fauna of the Caspian Sea is up to 1800 species. Of these, 415 are vertebrates, 101 species of fish, and there is a world stock of sturgeons. Freshwater fish such as carp, pike perch, and vobla also live here. They catch carp, salmon, pike, bream in the sea. The Caspian Sea is the habitat of one of the mammals - the seal.
From plants, blue-green algae, brown, red can be noted. Zostera and ruppia also grow, they are classified as flowering algae.
The plankton brought into the sea by birds begins to bloom in spring, the sea is literally covered with greenery, and rhizosolation during flowering paints most of the sea territory in yellow-green color. The accumulation of rhizosolenia is so dense that even waves can calm down. In some places near the coast, literally meadows of algae have grown.
On the coast you can see both local and migratory birds. In the south, geese, ducks winter, birds such as pelicans, herons, flamingos arrange nesting.
The Caspian Sea contains almost 90% of the world's sturgeon stocks. But recently, the environment has been deteriorating, you can often meet poachers who hunt sturgeon because of expensive caviar.
Governments are investing a lot of money to improve the situation. Purify wastewater, build factories for breeding fish, despite these measures, it is necessary to limit the production of sturgeon.
The coastline of the Caspian Sea is estimated at about 6500 - 6700 kilometers, with islands - up to 7000 kilometers. The shores of the Caspian Sea in most of its territory are low-lying and smooth. In the northern part, the coastline is indented by water streams and islands of the Volga and Ural deltas, the shores are low and swampy, and the water surface is covered with thickets in many places. The east coast is dominated by limestone shores adjacent to semi-deserts and deserts. The most winding coasts are on the west coast in the area of the Apsheron Peninsula and on the east coast in the area of the Kazakh Gulf and Kara-Bogaz-Gol.
Peninsulas of the Caspian Sea
Large peninsulas of the Caspian Sea:
* Agrakhan Peninsula
* Absheron peninsula, located on the western coast of the Caspian Sea in the territory of Azerbaijan, at the northeastern end of the Greater Caucasus, the cities of Baku and Sumgayit are located on its territory
* Buzachi
* Mangyshlak, located on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, on the territory of Kazakhstan, on its territory is the city of Aktau.
* Miankale
* Tub-Karagan
There are about 50 large and medium-sized islands in the Caspian Sea with a total area of approximately 350 square kilometers.
The largest islands:
* Ashur-Ada
* Garasu
* Gum
* Dash
* Zira (island)
* Zyanbil
* Kur Dasha
* Hara Zira
* Sengi-Mugan
* Chechen (island)
* Chygyl
Large bays of the Caspian Sea:
* Agrakhan Bay,
* Komsomolets (bay),
* Mangyshlak,
* Kazakh (bay),
* Turkmenbashi (Gulf) (former Krasnovodsk),
* Turkmen (bay),
* Gyzylagach,
* Astrakhan (Bay)
* Gyzlar
* Hyrcanus (former Astarabad) and
* Anzali (former Pahlavi).
Rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea
130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, of which 9 rivers have a mouth in the form of a delta. Large rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea are the Volga, Terek (Russia), Ural, Emba (Kazakhstan), Kura (Azerbaijan), Samur (Russian border with Azerbaijan), Atrek (Turkmenistan) and others. The largest river flowing into the Caspian Sea is the Volga, its average annual runoff is 215-224 cubic kilometers. The Volga, Ural, Terek and Emba provide up to 88 - 90% of the annual drainage of the Caspian Sea.
Caspian Sea Basin
The area of the Caspian Sea basin is approximately 3.1 - 3.5 million square kilometers, which is approximately 10 percent of the world's closed water basins. The length of the Caspian Sea basin from north to south is about 2,500 kilometers, from west to east - about 1,000 kilometers. The Caspian Sea basin covers 9 states - Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan.
coastal states
The Caspian Sea washes the shores of five coastal states:
* Russia (Dagestan, Kalmykia and Astrakhan region) - in the west and northwest, the length of the coastline is 695 kilometers
* Kazakhstan - in the north, northeast and east, the length of the coastline is 2320 kilometers
* Turkmenistan - in the southeast, the length of the coastline is 1200 kilometers
* Iran - in the south, coastline length - 724 kilometers
* Azerbaijan - in the southwest, the length of the coastline is 955 kilometers
Cities on the coast of the Caspian Sea
The largest city - a port on the Caspian Sea - Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, which is located in the southern part of the Absheron Peninsula and has 2,070 thousand people (2003). Other large Azerbaijani Caspian cities are Sumgayit, which is located in the northern part of the Absheron Peninsula, and Lankaran, which is located near the southern border of Azerbaijan. To the South-East of the Absheron Peninsula, there is a settlement of oil workers Neftyanye Kamni, whose facilities are located on artificial islands, overpasses and technological sites.
Large Russian cities - the capital of Dagestan Makhachkala and the southernmost city of Russia Derbent - are located on the western coast of the Caspian Sea. Astrakhan is also considered a port city of the Caspian Sea, which, however, is not located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, but in the Volga delta, 60 kilometers from the northern coast of the Caspian Sea.
On the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea 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, 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 was 15 meters. Instrumental measurement of the level of the Caspian Sea and systematic observations of its fluctuations have been carried out since 1837, during this time the highest water level was recorded in 1882 (-25.2 m.), the lowest - in 1977 (-29.0 m.) , since 1978 the water level has been rising and in 1995 it reached -26.7 m, since 1996 there has again been a downward trend in the level of the Caspian Sea. Scientists associate the causes of changes in the water level of the Caspian Sea with climatic, geological and anthropogenic factors.
Water temperature
The water temperature is subject to significant latitudinal changes, most pronounced in winter, when the temperature changes from 0-0.5 °C at the ice edge in the north of the sea to 10-11 °C in the south, i.e. the water temperature difference is about 10 °C. For shallow water areas with depths less than 25 m, the annual amplitude can reach 25-26 °C. On average, the water temperature near the western coast is 1-2 °C higher than that of the eastern one, and in the open sea the water temperature is 2-4 °C higher than near the coasts. By the nature of the horizontal structure of the temperature field in the annual cycle of variability, three time interval in the upper 2-meter layer. From October to March, the water temperature increases in the south and east, which is especially evident in the Middle Caspian. Two stable quasi-latitudinal zones can be distinguished, where the temperature gradients are elevated. This is, firstly, the border between the North and Middle Caspian, and, secondly, between the Middle and South. At the ice edge, in the northern frontal zone, the temperature in February-March increases from 0 to 5 °C, in the southern frontal zone, in the area of the Apsheron threshold, from 7 to 10 °C. During this period, the least chilled waters are in the center of the South Caspian, which form a quasi-stationary core.
In April-May, the area of minimum temperatures moves to the Middle Caspian, which is associated with faster warming of waters in the shallow northern part of the sea. True, at the beginning of the season in the northern part of the sea, a large amount of heat is spent on melting ice, but already in May the temperature rises here to 16-17 °C. In the middle part, the temperature at this time is 13-15 °C, and in the south it rises to 17-18 °C.
The spring warming of the water evens out the horizontal gradients, and the temperature difference between the coastal areas and the open sea does not exceed 0.5 °C. The heating of the surface layer, which begins in March, breaks the uniformity in the temperature distribution with depth. In June-September, horizontal uniformity is observed in the temperature distribution in the surface layer. In August, which is the month of the greatest warming, the water temperature throughout the sea is 24-26 °C, and in the southern regions it rises to 28 °C. In August, the water temperature in shallow bays, for example, in Krasnovodsk, can reach 32 °C. The main feature of the water temperature field at this time is upwelling. It is observed annually along the entire eastern coast of the Middle Caspian and partially penetrates even into the South Caspian.
The rise of cold deep waters occurs with varying intensity as a result of the influence of northwestern winds prevailing in the summer season. The wind of this direction causes the outflow of warm surface waters from the coast and the rise of colder waters from the intermediate layers. Upwelling starts in June, but it reaches its highest intensity in July-August. As a result, a decrease in temperature (7-15 °C) is observed on the surface of the water. Horizontal temperature gradients reach 2.3 °C at the surface and 4.2 °C at a depth of 20 m.
The center of upwelling is gradually shifting from 41-42° N. latitude in June, to 43-45 ° north. latitude in September. Summer upwelling is of great importance for the Caspian Sea, fundamentally changing dynamic processes in deep-water areas. In the open areas of the sea in late May - early June, the formation of a temperature jump layer begins, which is most clearly expressed in August. Most often, it is located between 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 sea waters, an increase in the relative amount of carbonates, sulfates, calcium, which are the main components in chemical composition river waters. The most conservative ions are potassium, sodium, chlorine and magnesium. The least conservative are calcium and bicarbonate ion. In the Caspian, the content of calcium and magnesium cations is almost two times higher than in the Sea of Azov, and sulfate anion is three times higher. The salinity of the water changes especially sharply in the northern part of the sea: from 0.1 units. psu in the mouth areas of the Volga and Urals up to 10-11 units. psu on the border with the Middle Caspian.
Mineralization in shallow saline bays-kultuks can reach 60-100 g/kg. In the Northern Caspian, during the entire ice-free period from April to November, a quasi-latitudinal salinity front is observed. The greatest desalination associated with the spread of river runoff over the sea area is observed in June. The formation of the salinity field in the Northern Caspian is greatly influenced by the wind field. In the middle and southern parts of the sea, salinity fluctuations are small. Basically, it is 11.2-12.8 units. psu, increasing in the southern and eastern directions. Salinity increases insignificantly with depth (by 0.1–0.2 psu).
In the deep-water part of the Caspian Sea, in the vertical salinity profile, characteristic 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 - 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. The 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. Insofar as most of The water flow falls on the Northern Caspian, the 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 of the Caspian Sea
Finds in the Khuto cave near the southern coast of the Caspian Sea indicate that a person lived in these parts about 75 thousand years ago. The first mention of the Caspian Sea and the tribes living on its coast are found in Herodotus. Approximately in the V-II centuries. BC e. Saka tribes lived on the coast of the Caspian Sea. Later, during the period of the settlement of the Turks, in the period of the IV-V centuries. n. e. Talysh tribes (Talysh) lived here. According to ancient Armenian and Iranian manuscripts, the Russians sailed the Caspian Sea from the 9th - 10th century.
Exploration of the Caspian Sea
The exploration of the Caspian Sea was started by Peter the Great, when, on his orders, an expedition was organized in 1714-1715 under the leadership of A. Bekovich-Cherkassky. In the 1820s, hydrographic studies were continued by I.F. Soyomov, and later by I.V. Tokmachev, M.I. Voinovich and other researchers. At the beginning of the 19th century, instrumental surveying of the coast was carried out by I.F. Kolodkin, in the middle of the 19th century. - instrumental geographic survey under the guidance of N. A. Ivashintsev. Since 1866, for more than 50 years, expeditionary research on the hydrology and hydrobiology of the Caspian Sea has been carried out under the leadership of N. M. Knipovich. In 1897, the Astrakhan Research Station was founded. In the first decades of Soviet power in the Caspian Sea, geological research by I. M. Gubkin and other Soviet geologists was actively carried out, mainly aimed at finding oil, as well as research on the study of the water balance and fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea.
Oil and gas
Many oil and gas fields are being developed in the Caspian Sea. The proven oil resources in the Caspian Sea are about 10 billion tons, the total resources of oil and gas condensate are estimated at 18-20 billion tons.
Oil production in the Caspian Sea began in 1820, when the first oil well was drilled on the Absheron shelf. In the second half of the 19th century, oil production began on an industrial scale on the Absheron Peninsula, and then on other territories.
In addition to oil and gas production, salt, limestone, stone, sand, and clay are also mined on the coast of the Caspian Sea and the Caspian shelf.
Shipping
Shipping is developed in the Caspian Sea. Ferry crossings operate on the Caspian Sea, in particular, Baku - Turkmenbashi, Baku - Aktau, Makhachkala - Aktau. The Caspian Sea has a navigable connection with the Sea of Azov through the Volga and Don rivers and the Volga-Don Canal.
Fishing and seafood
Fishing (sturgeon, bream, carp, pike perch, sprat), caviar, and seal fishing. More than 90 percent of the world's sturgeon catch is carried out in the Caspian Sea. In addition to industrial production, illegal production of sturgeon and their caviar flourishes in the Caspian Sea.
Recreational resources
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.
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
The Caspian Sea is located in different geographical zones. It plays a big role in world history, is an important economic region and a source of resources. The Caspian Sea is a unique body of water.
Short description
This sea is large. The bottom is covered with oceanic bark. These factors make it possible to classify it as a sea.
It is a closed reservoir, has no drains and is not connected with the waters of the oceans. Therefore, it can also be attributed to the category of lakes. In this case, it will be the largest lake on the planet.
The approximate area of the Caspian Sea is about 370 thousand square kilometers. The volume of the sea changes depending on the various fluctuations in the water level. The average value is 80 thousand cubic kilometers. The depth varies in its parts: the southern one has a greater depth than the northern one. The average depth is 208 meters, highest value in the southern part exceeds 1000 meters.
The Caspian Sea plays an important role in the development of trade relations between the countries. The resources mined in it, as well as other trade items, were transported to different countries since the development of navigation at sea. Since the Middle Ages, merchants have delivered exotic goods, spices and furs. Today, in addition to transporting resources, ferries between cities are carried out by sea. The Caspian Sea is also connected by a navigable canal through the rivers with the Sea of Azov.
Geographic characteristics
The Caspian Sea is located between two continents - Europe and Asia. Washes the territory of several countries. These are Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.
It has more than 50 islands, both large and small in size. For example, the islands of Ashur-Ada, Tyuleniy, Chigil, Gum, Zenbil. As well as the peninsulas, the most significant - Absheron, Mangyshlak, Agrakhan and others.
The Caspian Sea receives the main influx of water resources from the rivers flowing into it. In total, there are 130 tributaries of this reservoir. The largest is the Volga River, which brings the bulk of the water. The Kheras, Ural, Terek, Astarchay, Kura, Sulak and many others rivers also flow into it.
The waters of this sea form many bays. Among the largest are: Agrakhansky, Kizlyarsky, Turkmenbashi, Girkan Bay. In the eastern part there is a bay-lake called Kara-Bogaz-Gol. It communicates with the sea by a small strait.
Climate
The climate is characterized by the geographical location of the sea, therefore it has several types: from continental in the northern region to subtropical in the south. This affects the air and water temperatures, which have great contrasts depending on the part of the sea, especially in the cold season.
In winter, the average air temperature in the northern region is about -10 degrees, the water reaches -1 degrees.
In the southern region, the temperature of air and water in winter warms up to an average of +10 degrees.
In summer, the air temperature in the northern zone reaches +25 degrees. Much hotter in the south. The maximum recorded value here is + 44 degrees.
Resources
The natural resources of the Caspian Sea contain large reserves of various deposits.
One of the most valuable resources of the Caspian Sea is oil. Mining has been carried out since about 1820. Springs were opened on the territory of the seabed and its coast. By the beginning of the new century, the Caspian was at the forefront in obtaining this valuable product. During this time, thousands of wells were opened, which made it possible to extract oil on a huge industrial scale.
The Caspian Sea and the territory adjacent to it also have rich deposits natural gas, mineral salts, sand, lime, several types of natural clay and rocks.
Inhabitants and fisheries
The biological resources of the Caspian Sea are very diverse and highly productive. It contains more than 1500 species of inhabitants, rich in commercial fish species. The population depends on climatic conditions in different parts of the sea.
In the northern part of the sea, pike perch, bream, catfish, asp, pike and other species are more common. Gobies, mullet, bream, herring live in the western and eastern. Southern waters are rich in various representatives. One of the many are sturgeons. According to their content, this sea occupies a leading place among other reservoirs.
Among the wide variety, tuna, beluga, stellate sturgeon, sprat and many others are also caught. In addition, there are mollusks, crayfish, echinoderms and jellyfish.
The mammal Caspian seal lives in the Caspian Sea, or This animal is unique and lives only in these waters.
The sea is also characterized by a high content of various algae, for example, blue-green, red, brown; sea grass and phytoplankton.
Ecology
The extraction and transportation of oil has a huge negative impact on the ecological situation of the sea. The ingress of oil products into water is almost inevitable. Oil stains cause irreparable damage to marine habitats.
The main inflow of water resources to the Caspian Sea is provided by rivers. Unfortunately, most of them have a high level of pollution, which degrades the quality of the water in the sea.
Industrial and domestic effluents from the surrounding cities are poured into the sea in large quantities, which also damages the environment.
Poaching causes great damage to the marine habitat. Sturgeon species are the main target for illegal catching. This significantly reduces the number of sturgeon and threatens the entire population of this type.
The above information will help to assess the resources of the Caspian Sea, to briefly study the characteristics and ecological situation of this unique reservoir.
The Caspian Sea is located between Asia and Europe. This is the largest salt sea-lake located on the territory of Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan. At present, its level is 28 meters below the level of the World Ocean. The depth of the Caspian Sea is quite large. The area of the reservoir is 371 thousand square kilometers.
Story
Approximately five million years ago, the sea divided into small bodies of water, including the Black and Caspian Seas. After these events, they united and separated. About two million years ago, the Caspian Lake was cut off from the oceans. This period is considered the beginning of its formation. Throughout history, the reservoir has changed its contours several times, and the depth of the Caspian Sea has also changed.
Now the Caspian is the largest inland body of water containing about 44% of the lake waters of the planet. Despite the ongoing changes, the depth of the Caspian Sea did not change very much.
Once it was called Khvali and Khazar, and the tribes of horse breeders gave it another name - the Caspian. That was the name of the tribe living on the southwestern shore of the reservoir. In total, during its existence, the lake had more than seventy names, here are some of them:
- Abeskun.
- Derbent.
- Saray.
- Sihai.
- Dzhurdzhanskoye.
- Hyrcanian.
Depth and relief
The relief and features of the hydrological regime divide the sea-lake into the northern, middle and southern parts. Over the entire area of the Caspian Sea, the average depth is 180-200 m, but the relief in different parts different.
The northern part of the reservoir is shallow. Here the depth of the Caspian Sea-lake is approximately 25 meters. In the middle part of the Caspian there are very deep depressions, continental slopes, and shelves. Here the average depth is 192 meters, and in the Derbent depression - about 788 meters.
The greatest depth of the Caspian Sea is in the South Caspian depression (1025 meters). Its bottom is flat, and there are several ridges in the northern part of the depression. It is here that the maximum depth of the Caspian Sea is noted.
Coastline features
Its length is seven thousand kilometers. The northern part of the coastline is lowland, mountains are on the south and west, and highlands are on the east. The spurs of Elbrus and the Caucasus Mountains approach the shores of the sea.
The Caspian has large bays: Kazakh, Kizlyar, Mangyshlak, Kara-Bogaz-Gol, Krasnovodsk.
If you go on a cruise from north to south, then the length of the route will be 1200 kilometers. In this direction, the reservoir has elongated shape, and from west to east, the width of the sea is different. It is 195 kilometers at its narrowest point and 435 kilometers at its widest. On average, the width of the reservoir is 315 km.
The sea has several peninsulas: Mangyshlak, Buzachi, Miankale and others. There are also several islands here. The largest are Chygyl, Kyur-Dashi, Gum, Dash, Seal Islands.
Reservoir nutrition
About one hundred and thirty rivers flow into the Caspian. Most of them flow in the north and west. The main river flowing into the sea is the Volga. Approximately ninety percent of the volume of runoff falls on three large rivers: the Volga (80%), the Kura (6%) and the Urals (5%). Five percent - to the Terek, Sulak and Samur, and the remaining four bring small rivers and streams of Iran.
Caspian resources
The reservoir has amazing beauty, a variety of ecosystems and a rich supply of natural resources. When there are frosts in its northern part, magnolias and apricots bloom in the south.
Relic flora and fauna have been preserved in the Caspian Sea, including the largest flock of sturgeons. As the marine flora evolved, it changed more than once, adjusting to salinization and desalination. As a result, there are many freshwater species in these waters, but few marine ones.
After the Volga-Don Canal was built, new types of algae appeared in the reservoir, which were previously found in the Black and Azov Seas. Now there are 854 animal species in the Caspian Sea, of which 79 are vertebrates, and over 500 plant species. This unique sea-lake provides up to 80% of the world's sturgeon catch and about 95% of black caviar.
Five species of sturgeon are found in the Caspian Sea: stellate sturgeon, spike, sterlet, beluga and sturgeon. Beluga is the largest representative of the species. Its weight can reach a ton, and its length can reach five meters. In addition to sturgeon, herring, salmon, kutuma, vobla, asp and other types of fish are caught in the sea.
Of the mammals in the Caspian Sea, only the local seal is found, which is not found in other water bodies of the world. It is considered the smallest on the planet. Its weight is about a hundred kilograms, and its length is 160 centimeters. The Caspian region is the main migration route for birds between Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Every year approximately 12 million birds fly over the sea during their migration (south in spring and north in autumn). In addition, another 5 million remain in these places for wintering.
The greatest wealth of the Caspian Sea is the huge reserves of oil and gas. Geological exploration in the region has discovered large deposits of these minerals. Their potential puts local reserves in second place in the world after
Caspian SeaThe Caspian Sea is one of the most amazing enclosed bodies of water on Earth.
Over the centuries, the sea has changed more than 70 names. The modern came from the Caspians - the tribes inhabiting the central and southeastern part of Transcaucasia 2 thousand years BC.
Geography of the Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is located at the junction of Europe with Asia and geographic location is divided into the South, North and Middle Caspian.
The middle and northern part of the sea belongs to Russia, the southern part to Iran, the eastern part to Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, and the southwestern part to Azerbaijan.
For many years, the Caspian states have been dividing the Caspian water area among themselves, and quite sharply at that.
Caspian sea map
Lake or sea?
In fact, the Caspian Sea is the world's largest lake, but has a number of nautical signs.
These include: a large body of water, strong storms with high waves, high and low tides.
But the Caspian has no natural connection with the World Ocean, which makes it impossible to call it a sea.
At the same time, thanks to the Volga and artificially created channels, such a connection appeared.
The salinity of the Caspian Sea is 3 times lower than the usual sea level, which does not allow classifying the reservoir as a sea.
There were times when the Caspian Sea was indeed part of the World Ocean.
Several tens of thousands of years ago, the Caspian was connected to the Sea of Azov, and through it to the Black and Mediterranean.
As a result of long-term processes taking place in earth's crust, the Caucasus Mountains formed, which separated the reservoir.
Communication between the Caspian and Black Seas for a long time was carried out through the strait (Kumo-Manych depression) and gradually ceased.
Physical quantities
Area, volume, depth
The area, volume and depth of the Caspian Sea are not constant and directly depend on the water level.
On average, the area of \u200b\u200bthe reservoir is 371,000 km², the volume is 78,648 km³ (44% of all world lake water reserves).
Depth of the Caspian Sea in comparison with lakes Baikal and Tanganyika
The average depth of the Caspian is 208 m, the northern part of the sea is considered the shallowest. The maximum depth is 1025 m, noted in the South Caspian depression.
In depth, the Caspian is second only to Baikal and Tanganyika.
The length of the lake from north to south is about 1200 km, from west to east an average of 315 km. The length of the coastline is 6600 km, with islands - about 7 thousand km.
coast
Primarily, the coast of the Caspian Sea is low-lying and smooth.
In the northern part- heavily indented by the river channels of the Urals and the Volga. The swampy local shores are located very low.
Eastern Shores adjacent to semi-desert zones and deserts, covered with limestone deposits.
The most winding coasts are in the west in the region of the Apsheron Peninsula, and in the east - in the area of the Kazakh Gulf and Kara-Bogaz-Gol.
sea water temperature
The temperature of the Caspian Sea at different times of the year
Average water temperature in winter in the Caspian it fluctuates from 0 °С in the northern part and up to +10 °С in the southern part.
In the waters of Iran, the temperature does not fall below +13 °C.
With the onset of cold weather, the shallow northern part of the lake is covered with ice, which lasts for 2-3 months. The thickness of the ice cover is 25-60 cm, at especially low temperatures it can reach 130 cm. In late autumn and winter, drifting ice floes can be observed in the north.
Summer average temperature the surface of the water in the sea is + 24 °C.
Most of the sea warms up to +25 °C ... +30 °C.
Warm water and beautiful sandy, occasionally shell and pebble beaches create excellent conditions for a full-fledged beach holiday.
In the eastern part of the Caspian Sea near the city of Begdash, during the summer months, abnormally low water temperature.
Nature of the Caspian Sea
Islands, peninsulas, bays, rivers
The Caspian Sea includes about 50 large and medium-sized islands, the total area of which is 350 km².
The largest of them are: Ashur-Ada, Garasu, Gum, Dash and Boyuk-Zira. The largest peninsulas are: Agrakhansky, Absheronsky, Buzachi, Mangyshlak, Miankale and Tyub-Karagan.
Tyuleniy Island in the Caspian Sea, part of the Dagestan Reserve
To the largest bays of the Caspian include: Agrakhan, Kazakh, Kizlyar, Dead Kultuk and Mangyshlak.
In the east is salt lake Kara-Bogaz-Gol, previously a lagoon connected to the sea by a strait.
In 1980, a dam was built on it, through which water from the Caspian goes to Kara-Bogaz-Gol, where it then evaporates.
130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea located mainly in its northern part. The largest of them: Volga, Terek, Sulak, Samur and Ural.
The average annual runoff of the Volga is 220 km³. 9 rivers have a delta-shaped mouth.
Flora and fauna
About 450 species of phytoplankton live in the Caspian Sea, including algae, aquatic and flowering plants. Of the 400 species of invertebrates, worms, crustaceans and mollusks predominate. There are a lot of small shrimp in the sea, which is an object of fishing.
More than 120 species of fish live in the Caspian and Delta. Fishing objects are sprat (“Kilkin fleet”), catfish, pike, bream, pike perch, kutum, mullet, vobla, rudd, herring, white fish, pike perch, goby, grass carp, burbot, asp and pike perch. Stocks of sturgeon and salmon are currently depleted, however, the sea is the largest supplier of black caviar in the world.
Fishing in the Caspian Sea is allowed all year round except for the period from late April to late June. On the coast there are many fishing bases with all amenities. Fishing in the Caspian is a great pleasure. In any part of it, including in large cities, the catch is unusually rich.
The lake is famous for its large variety of waterfowl.. Geese, ducks, loons, gulls, waders, sea eagles, geese, swans and many others come to the Caspian during migration or nesting.
The largest number of birds - over 600 thousand individuals is observed in the mouths of the Volga and the Urals, in the bays of Turkmenbashi and Kyzylagach. During the hunting season, a huge number of fishermen come here not only from Russia, but also from countries near and far abroad.
Nerpa Caspian
The only mammal lives in the Caspian Sea. This is the Caspian seal or seal. Until recently, the seals swam close to the beaches, everyone could admire the amazing animal with round black eyes, the seals behaved very friendly.
Now the seal is on the verge of extinction.
Cities on the Caspian Sea
Baku is the largest city on the coast of the Caspian Sea..
The population of one of the most beautiful cities in the world is over 2.5 million people. Baku is spread out on the most picturesque Absheron peninsula and is surrounded on three sides by the waters of the warm and oil-rich Caspian Sea.
Smaller cities: the capital of Dagestan is Makhachkala, Kazakh Aktau, Turkmen Turkmenbashi and Iranian Bandar Anzeli.
Baku Bay, Baku - a city on the Caspian Sea
Interesting Facts
Scientists are still arguing about whether to call a reservoir a sea or a lake.
The level of the Caspian Sea is gradually decreasing.
The Volga delivers most of the water to the Caspian.
90% of black caviar is mined in the Caspian Sea. Among them, the most expensive is Almas beluga caviar ($2,000 per 100 g).
Companies from 21 countries are participating in the development of oil fields in the Caspian Sea. According to Russian estimates, hydrocarbon reserves in the sea amount to 12 billion tons.
American scientists claim that one fifth of the world's hydrocarbon reserves are concentrated in the depths of the Caspian Sea. This is more than the combined reserves of such oil-producing countries as Kuwait and Iraq.
