Sea of ​​Azov or lake. Children's city beach. Sea of ​​Azov: general characteristics

The Sea of ​​Azov in Rus' became known in the 1st century AD. e. Our ancestors called it the Blue Sea. Later, after it was formed, it received a new name - Russian. With the fall of this principality, the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov was repeatedly renamed. It was called Mayutis, Salakar, Samakush, etc. At the beginning of the 13th century, the designation Saksinskoye Sea appeared. The Tatar-Mongol conquerors added to the list. They called it Balyk-dengiz (in translation - "fish sea"), as well as Chabak-dengiz (bream, chabache sea). According to some reports, as a result of the transformation, the word "chabak" turned into "Azov", from which the current name comes. However, these conjectures have not been substantiated by anything significant.

The most reliable is the origin of the modern name from the city of Azov. Only during the famous Azov campaigns committed by Peter I, this name was assigned to the reservoir.

Salinity of the Sea of ​​Azov before and after regulation of the Don

First of all, under the influence of the inflow of water from rivers (up to 12% of the total volume of water), as well as the complexity of the exchange with the Black Sea, the hydrochemical features of such a reservoir as the Sea of ​​Azov are formed. Its salinity was three times less than the average salinity of the ocean before the regulation of the Don. From 1 ppm to 10.5 and 11.5 (respectively, at the mouth of the Don, in the central part and near the Kerch Strait), its value changed. However, after the Tsimlyansk hydroelectric complex was created, salinity began to rise sharply Sea of ​​Azov, amounting to 13 ppm in the central part. In this case, seasonal fluctuations of 1% rarely reach.

Water of the Sea of ​​Azov today

The Sea of ​​Azov contains little salt in its water. Salinity is the main factor that makes it freeze easily. Before the advent of icebreakers, the reservoir of interest to us was not navigable from December to mid-April. Water resources Sea of ​​Azov as sea ​​route therefore, they were used only in the warm season.

Almost all of the most significant rivers flowing into it were blocked off by dams during the 20th century in order to create reservoirs. This fact led to the fact that the discharge of silt and fresh water decreased significantly.

Water balance

Basically, the water regime of such a body of water as the Sea of ​​Azov, the salinity of which interests us, depends on the inflow of fresh water from various rivers, atmospheric precipitation falling over the sea, as well as on the incoming waters of the Black Sea and their consumption for runoff and evaporation through the Kerch Strait. The Kuban, Don and other rivers flowing into this sea look like this, bringing a total of 38.8 cubic kilometers of fresh water. 13.8 is its average long-term precipitation from the atmosphere on the surface. Approximately 31.2 cubic meters of water is poured through annually. km. These are the resources of the Black Sea. From Sivash through the strait called Thin, in addition, about 0.3 cubic kilometers enter the sea. 84.1 km is the total inflow of water. The discharge consists of the amount of evaporation from the surface (about 35.5 cubic km) of the runoff through the aforementioned Kerch Strait (47.4 cubic km), as well as the flow into the Sivash through the Tonkiy Strait (1.4 cubic km). That is, it also equals 84.1.

The ratio of river runoff to its total volume

At the same time, the ratio to the total volume of the sea is the largest of all the other seas on the planet. If the intake of atmospheric and river waters above their evaporation from the surface, this would lead to an increase in the level and increasing desalination, if there was no water exchange with the Black Sea, as a result of which salinity was established favorable for the habitat of commercial fish.

Salinity distribution of Azov waters

Salinity is currently distributed in such a body of water as the Sea of ​​Azov as follows. It reaches 17.5% at the depths of the Kerch region. It is here that the most from the Black Sea comes. Here the salinity is 17.5%. The central part is homogeneous in this parameter. This figure is 12-12.5% ​​here. Only a small area has 13%. The salinity of the water towards the mouth, which flows into the Sea of ​​Azov) drops to 1.3%.

At the beginning of summer and in spring, due to the melting of ice, as well as a significant influx of river water into the sea, salinity decreases somewhat. In winter and autumn, it is approximately the same from the surface to the bottom. The highest salinity of the Sea of ​​Azov is observed in Sivash, a separate shallow bay, and the lowest in the Taganrog Bay.

Depth of the Sea of ​​Azov

The Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov is flat. It is a shallow reservoir with low slopes of the coast.

The greatest depth of the Sea of ​​Azov usually does not exceed 15 meters, and the average is at around 8. Depths of up to 5 meters occupy an area of ​​more than half of its area. The volume of the sea is also small, it is 320 cubic meters. Let's say for comparison that the Aral Sea surpasses it by almost 2 times in this parameter. Almost 11 times more than the Azov Chernoye, and in terms of volume - as much as 1678 times.

The Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov, however, is not at all so small. For example, it would freely accommodate two such European states like Luxembourg and the Netherlands. The greatest length of this sea is 380 kilometers, and the width is 200. 2686 kilometers is the total length that the coastline has.

Underwater relief

The underwater relief of this sea is quite simple. Basically, the depths increase smoothly and slowly as they move away from the coast. The characteristic of the Sea of ​​Azov from the point of view of the relief is as follows. In the center of it are the greatest depths. The bottom is almost flat. The Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov is made up of several bays, the largest of which are Temryuk, Taganrog, and also Sivash, which is very isolated. The latter would be more correct to consider as an estuary. There are practically no large islands in the Sea of ​​Azov. There are a number of shallows here, which are partially flooded with water. They are located near the coast. For example, these are the islands Turtle, Biryuchy and others.

This is the main characteristic of the Sea of ​​Azov in terms of salinity, depth and topography.

Wellness at sea

Since, as we have already mentioned, the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov is very shallow, the water remains warm during the summer months. It is always several degrees warmer than, for example, in Chernoy. The mild climate and wonderful weather make resorts located on the coast optimal for relaxation.

The water of this sea is considered healing. In addition, the sand also contains many substances that have a beneficial effect on the human body. Waters also have a large number of useful chemical elements that perfectly penetrate into the body through the surface of the skin during bathing.

Swimming in the sea, in addition, is an excellent hydromassage. Moderate and stable regime of solar radiation, which is typical for the Azov region, allows you to take courses of sunbathing regularly. A great place for this is the beaches of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov.

From all this we can conclude that the body of interest to us is great place for recovery. Rest here is suitable for the prevention of various cardiovascular disease, and will also have a positive effect on the body, increase its tone.

The underwater relief of the Sea of ​​Azov is relatively simple. As they move away from the coast, the depths slowly and smoothly increase, reaching 14.4 m in the central part of the sea. great depths located in the center of the sea. The location of the isobaths, which is close to symmetrical, is disturbed by their slight elongation in the northeast towards the Taganrog Bay. The 5 m isobath is located about 2 km from the coast, moving away from it near the Taganrog Bay and in the bay itself near the mouth of the Don. In the Taganrog Bay, the depths increase from the mouth of the Don (2-3 m) towards the open part of the sea, reaching 8-9 m at the border of the bay with the sea.

In the relief of the bottom of the Sea of ​​Azov, systems of underwater elevations are noted, elongated along the eastern (Zhelezinskaya bank) and western (Marskaya and Arabatskaya banks) coasts, the depths over which decrease from 8-9 to 3-5 m. The underwater coastal slope of the northern coast is characterized by wide shallow water (20-30 km) with depths of 6-7 m, for south coast- a steep underwater slope to depths of 11-12 m. The catchment area of ​​the Sea of ​​Azov Basin is 586,000 km2. south coast hills meet volcanic origin, which in some places turn into steep advanced mountains. Sea currents are dependent on the very strong northeast and southwest winds blowing here and therefore change direction very often. The main current is a circular current along the shores of the Sea of ​​Azov counterclockwise.

Large or of particular interest listed geographic features in clockwise order along the coast of the Sea of ​​Azov, starting from the Kerch Strait.

Bays and estuaries of the Sea of ​​Azov:

Ukraine:

• in the southwest: Kazantip Bay, Arabatsky Bay;
• in the west: Sivash Bay;
• in the north-west: Utlyuksky estuary, Molochny estuary, Obitochny - bay, Berdyansk bay;

Russia:

• in the north-east: Taganrog Bay, Miussky Estuary, Yeysky Estuary;
• in the east: Yasensky Bay, Beisugsky estuary, Akhtarsky estuary;
• in the south-east: Temryuk Bay.

Spit and capes of the Sea of ​​Azov:

Ukraine:

• in the south-west: Cape Khroni, Cape Zyuk, Cape Chagany and Cape Kazantip (Kazantip Bay);
• in the west: Arabatskaya Strelka spit (Sivash Bay);
• in the northwest: Fedotova Spit and Spit Biryuchy Ostrov (Utlyuk Estuary), Obitochnaya Spit (Obitochny Bay), Berdyansk Spit (Berdyansk Bay);
• in the northeast: Belosarayskaya Spit, Curve Spit;
• in the Kerch Strait: Tuzla Spit.

Russia:

• in the northeast: Beglitskaya spit;
• in the east: Cape Chumbursky, Glafirovskaya spit, Long spit, Kamyshevatskaya spit, Yasenskaya spit (Beisugsky estuary), Achuevskaya spit (Akhtarsky estuary);
• in the southeast: Cape Achuevsky and Cape Kamenny (Temryuk Bay).
• in the Kerch Strait: Chushka Spit.

Rivers flowing into the Sea of ​​Azov:

Ukraine:

• in the northwest: Maly Utlyuk, Molochnaya, Korsak, Lozovatka, Obitochnaya, Berda, Kalmius, Gruzsky Elanchik;

Russia:

• in the northeast: Wet Elanchik, Mius, Sambek, Don, Kagalnik, Wet Chuburka, Eya;
• in the southeast: Protoka, Kuban.

Sea of ​​Azov coast

The coast of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov is less picturesque and diverse than the Black Sea. But it also has its own unique beauty. The steppes come close to the sea, and in some places the floodplains overgrown with reeds. The shores are treeless, they are either low and gentle, with a sandy-shell beach, or low, but steep, composed of yellow loess-like loams. The coastline of the sea forms rather smooth bends, and only long sandy spits give it some indentation. A large number of spits is one of the characteristic features of the shores of the Sea of ​​Azov.

West Coast Sea of ​​Azov

The western shore of the Sea of ​​Azov is represented by a long oblique - the Arabat arrow. It stretched along the seashore for 112 km, separating the shallow Sivash Bay from it. The width of this flat sand-shell spit ranges from 270 m in its southern and middle parts to 7 km in its northern part, where there are several small hills. The Arabat arrow is a huge natural beach. Parallel to it, a series of long shoals stretched. They are perfectly visible from the walls of the old Genoese fortress, located near the village of Arabat, or directly from the elevated native shore. Into the quiet sunny weather the greenish-blue waves of the sea with a slight noise gently run over the sandy-shell beach and the foam of the light surf borders it, like a narrow white lace. Rolling on the wing, white-winged gulls glide low over the water. In the distance, on the spit, salt extracted from Sivash dazzlingly shines under the rays of the hot sun. The Sea of ​​Azov is beautiful even in a storm. When the fierce nordost blows, it darkens, becomes severe. With an angry noise, boiling with white foam, steep-walled waves fall on the shores. You can admire the foam for hours sea ​​expanse, swift running and stormy surf of the waves of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov.

Any person who has visited the Sea of ​​Azov will forever have memories of its discreet, but soul-stirring beauty. On Arabat Spit hot mineral waters were discovered, according to their chemical composition and healing properties superior to Matsesta. Based on these healing waters, it is planned to create new resort- Azov Matsesta.

Southern coast of the Sea of ​​Azov

It is represented by the territory of the Kerch and Taman Peninsulas, between which is the Kerch Strait, which connects the Azov and Black Seas. The Kerch Peninsula is the eastern tip of Crimea. Its area is about 3 thousand square meters. kilometers. In the bowels of the peninsula, large deposits of iron ores have been discovered that feed the metallurgy of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov, oil and natural gas. The northern and northeastern parts of the Kerch Peninsula are composed of marls, clays, limestones; Tertiary sandstones occur in places. The western part of the Kerch Peninsula is flat, the eastern part is hilly. Within the limits of the peninsula, the southern coast of the Sea of ​​Azov for the most part breaks off steeply into the sea, leaving only a narrow strip of the beach. In some places, the steep banks are composed of bryozoan limestones, staunchly resisting the onslaught sea ​​waves. Such, for example, is Cape Kazantip, at the base of which lies a bryozoan reef - an atoll. To the west of this cape is Arabatsky Bay, to the east - Kazantipsky. To the east of Cape Kazantip stretches a low-lying alluvial stretch of coast. The shores of both bays are composed of soft clayey rocks. South of Cape Kazantip - Aktash salt Lake. This relic lake. It is a remnant of the Kazantip Bay, which once jutted far into the land. In the middle of the Kerch Peninsula, a low Parpach ridge stretches from west to east. Between this ridge and the coast of the Sea of ​​Azov there is a wide longitudinal valley. In its lower parts there are salt lakes, and in particular Lake Chokrakskoye, known for its healing properties, as well as a number of mud volcanoes.

East of the Kazantip Bay, near the Kerch Strait, the coast of the Sea of ​​Azov is calmer, but here it is characterized by capes composed of hard bryozoan limestones, for example, capes Zyuk, Tarkhan and others. The Kerch Strait, which connects the Black and Azov Seas, is shallow and relatively narrow. Its width varies from 4 to 15 km. The length of the strait is 41 km. The depth is about 4 m. In ancient times, the Kerch Strait was called the Cimmerian Bosporus. The name itself contains a hint of the shallowness of the strait, since the “bosporus” in translation into Russian means “bull ford”. The Crimean coast of the strait is steep in places. In its northern part is the port city of Kerch.

The Caucasian coast of the Kerch Strait is low, sandy, sometimes with dunes. The fairway of the strait is cluttered with reefs, sandbars and coastal shoals, which previously hampered navigation. Now a channel has been dug in the strait for the passage of ships with a large draft. The Taman Peninsula, which is part of the Krasnodar Territory, covers an area of ​​approximately 1900 sq. km. Of these, a little more than 900 sq. km, and the rest of the territory - estuaries and floodplains.

Its nature is unique. From a geological point of view, this is a young peninsula, since it was formed in the Quaternary period. Back in the 1st century A.D. e. in its place there were about five islands, the transformation of which into a peninsula occurred, apparently, in the 5th century AD. e. under the influence of the accumulative activity of the Kuban River, mud volcanoes and tectonic uplifts. Formation Taman Peninsula continues.

The Sea of ​​Azov is located between 45 and 47 degrees north latitude and between 33 and 39 degrees east longitude. From west to east, the maximum length of the Sea of ​​Azov is 343 kilometers. From north to south - 231.

The surface area of ​​the Sea of ​​Azov is 37,605 square kilometers. Interestingly, the islands and spits of the Sea of ​​Azov have a total area of ​​about 108 square kilometers. For a person planning a vacation on the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov, it will be interesting to know that the length of the coastline is as much as 1472 kilometers, most of- beautiful sandy beaches.

The maximum depth of the Sea of ​​Azov is 14.4 meters. Of course, this figure may seem quite large to you, but do not worry, such depths are found mainly in the central part of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov. The depth level of 5 meters is on average located 2 kilometers from the coast. Summing up, we can add that average depth Sea of ​​Azov is within 6-8 meters.

The bottom of the Sea of ​​Azov is a shallow plain, the maximum depth of which in its central part reaches 15 m. The evenness of the relief was achieved as a result of the burial of irregularities in the roof of continental Upper Pleistocene loams under the thickness of marine sediments (thickness 30-40 m).

Only in the western part of the sea, in the area of ​​sea banks, and in the east between the Elenina spit and the Zhelezinskaya bank, the flat surface of the sea bottom is disturbed by small local uplifts that rise 3-4 m relative to the surrounding areas.

According to the nature of modern sedimentation in the Sea of ​​Azov, an area of ​​intense sediment accumulation, a zone of material transit and weak accumulation, and a zone of stable erosion are distinguished.

The area of ​​intense accumulation is located in the eastern and southeastern parts of the Taganrog Bay, where the effluent river is deposited. Suspended material by the Don, and in the central part of the Sea of ​​Azov, characterized by intense subsidence in the Quaternary Holocene.

The Sea of ​​Azov is shallow. Its maximum depth is 15 m. Depths in the open part of the sea are 10-13 m. The greatest depth at the entrance to the Taganrog Bay is 9.6 m; from the entrance towards the top of the bay, the depths gradually decrease and at its top do not exceed 5 m.

The bottom of the sea is very flat, only shallows extend from the spits.
The ground is mostly soft. Along the coast, sandy soils with an admixture of shells lie in a wide strip. The bottom of the central part of the sea is covered with soft silt. Rocky soil is found only near the southern coast of the sea.

The softness of the soil determines the intensity of sediments in the channels and fairways. Therefore, every time you intend to enter any port, you should definitely inquire about the depth of the channel or fairway leading to it.

The area of ​​weak accumulation and transit of material corresponds to the zone of wind currents encircling the sea. This area is located at a depth of 6-10 m. Here, thin material stirred up by wave movements and fragments of shells are moved by wind currents.

The zone of stable erosion covers the coastal strip of the sea to an average depth of 6-7 m. In the northern and western parts she is dedicated to eastern shores accumulative forms and the Arabat Spit, in the eastern part - to the Yeysk Peninsula, the Akhtar and Beisug estuaries.

In this zone, sediment dynamics is determined by the formation of abrasion material due to the activity of the surf flow in the coastal zone, the movement of destruction products along the coast, the total action of the surf flow and alongshore currents, as well as the movement of particles from the coast and their deposition in the accumulation zone. The total area of ​​the stable erosion zone reaches 20% of the seabed surface.

A feature of the modern dynamics of the coasts of the Sea of ​​Azov is the predominance of abrasion and the local nature of accumulation. Erosion affects not only bedrock shores, but also accumulative forms.

Sea of ​​Azov (Ukrainian Sea of ​​Azov, other Greek Μαιῶτις λίμνη, lat. Palus Maeotis) is a semi-enclosed sea of ​​the Atlantic Ocean in eastern Europe. The shallowest sea in the world: the depth does not exceed 13.5 meters, the average depth is about 7.4 m (according to various estimates, from 6.8 to 8 m).

The Sea of ​​Azov is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by a long chain of straits and seas (the Kerch Strait - the Black Sea - the Bosphorus Strait - the Sea of ​​Marmara - the Dardanelles Strait - the Aegean Sea - the Mediterranean Sea - strait of Gibraltar- Atlantic Ocean).

Two largest rivers flow into the sea - and the Kuban River.

COASTS OF THE SEA OF AZOV AND DELTA

The coast of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov is less picturesque and diverse than the Black Sea. But it also has its own unique beauty. The steppes come close to the sea, and in some places the floodplains overgrown with reeds. The shores are treeless, they are either low and gentle, with a sandy-shell beach, or low, but steep, composed of yellow loess-like loams. The coastline of the sea forms rather smooth bends, and only long sandy spits give it some indentation. A large number of spits is one of the characteristic features of the shores of the Sea of ​​Azov.

West Coast.
The western shore of the Sea of ​​Azov is represented by a long oblique - the Arabat arrow. It stretched along the seashore for 112 km, separating the shallow Sivash Bay from it. The width of this flat sand-shell spit ranges from 270 m in its southern and middle parts to 7 km in its northern part, where there are several small hills.
The Arabat Spit is a huge natural beach. Parallel to it, a series of long shoals stretched. They are perfectly visible from the walls of the old Genoese fortress, located near the village of Arabat, or directly from the elevated native coast. In calm sunny weather, the greenish-blue waves of the sea with a slight noise gently run onto the sandy-shell beach and the foam of light surf borders it, as if with a narrow white lace. Rolling on the wing, white-winged gulls glide low over the water. In the distance, on the spit, salt extracted from Sivash dazzlingly shines under the rays of the hot sun. Beautiful sea and in a storm. When the fierce nordost blows, it darkens, becomes severe.
With an angry noise, boiling with white foam, steep-walled waves fall on the shores. You can spend hours admiring the foamy expanse of the sea, the rapid run and the stormy surf of the waves.

Any person who has visited the Sea of ​​Azov will forever have a memory of its discreet, but soul-stirring beauty.
Hot mineral waters have been discovered on the Arabat Spit, which are superior to Matsesta in their chemical composition and medicinal properties. Based on these healing waters, it is planned to create a new resort - Azov Matsesta.

South coast.
It is represented by the territory of the Kerch and Taman Peninsulas, between which is the Kerch Strait, which connects the Azov and Black Seas. The Kerch Peninsula is the eastern tip of the Crimea. Its area is about 3 thousand square meters. kilometers. In the bowels of the peninsula, large deposits of iron ores have been discovered that feed the metallurgy of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov, oil and natural gas.
The northern and northeastern parts of the Kerch Peninsula are composed of marls, clays, limestones; Tertiary sandstones occur in places.
The western part of the Kerch Peninsula is flat, the eastern part is hilly. Within the limits of the peninsula, the southern coast of the Sea of ​​Azov for the most part breaks off steeply into the sea, leaving only a narrow strip of the beach. In some places, the steep banks are composed of bryozoan limestones, which staunchly resist the onslaught of sea waves. Such, for example, is Cape Kazantip, at the base of which lies a bryozoan reef - an atoll. To the west of this cape is Arabatsky Bay, to the east - Kazantipsky. To the east of Cape Kazantip, a low-lying alluvial stretch of coast stretches. The shores of both bays are composed of soft clay rocks. Yuzhnemysa Kazantip - Aktash salt lake. This is a relic lake. It is a remnant of the Kazantip Bay, which once jutted far into the land.
In the middle of the Kerch Peninsula, a low Parpach ridge stretches from west to east. Between this ridge and the shore of the Sea of ​​Azov. there is a wide longitudinal valley. In its lower parts there are salt lakes, and in particular Lake Chokrakskoye, known for its healing properties, as well as a number of mud volcanoes.
East of the Kazantip Bay, near the Kerch Strait, the coast of the Sea of ​​Azov is calmer, but here it is characterized by capes composed of hard bryozoan limestones, for example, capes Zyuk, Tarkhan and others.

The Kerch Strait, which connects the Black and Azov Seas, is shallow and relatively narrow. Its width varies from 4 to 15 km. The length of the strait is 41 km. The depth is about 4 m.
In ancient times, the Kerch Strait was called the Cimmerian Bosporus. The name itself contains a hint of the strait's milkiness, since "bosporus" in translation into Russian means "bull ford".
The Crimean coast of the strait is steep in places. In its northern part is the port city of Kerch.

The Caucasian coast of the Kerch Strait is low, sandy, sometimes with dunes. The fairway of the strait is cluttered with reefs, sandbars and coastal shoals, which previously hampered navigation. Now a channel has been dug in the strait for the passage of ships with a large draft.
Communication across the strait between the Crimea and the Caucasus was previously carried out by ordinary steamships carrying cargo and passengers. In the spring of 1955, a railway crossing was opened. On the Crimean coast, northeast of Kerch, built railroad station Crimea, and on the Caucasian coast, on the Chushka Spit, the Caucasus railway station was built.

On large diesel-electric ferries, trains are easily and quickly transported through the Kerch Strait. The railway route between the Crimea and the Caucasus is thereby significantly shortened.
The Taman Peninsula, which is part of the Krasnodar Territory, covers an area of ​​approximately 1900 sq. km. Of these, a little more than 900 sq. km, and the rest of the territory is estuaries and floodplains.
Its nature is unique. From a geological point of view, this is a young peninsula, since it was formed in the Quaternary period. Back in the 1st century A.D. e. in its place there were about five islands, the transformation of which into a peninsula occurred, apparently, in the 5th century AD. e. under the influence of the accumulative "activity of the Kuban River, mud volcanoes and tectonic uplifts. The formation of the Taman Peninsula continues.

The surface of the peninsula is a hilly plain with low domed elevations, elongated in the form of interrupted ridges from the southwest to the northeast. Scattered almost everywhere mud volcanoes and ancient cemeteries - burial mounds. .The landscape is enlivened by numerous estuaries. The floodplains, overgrown with reeds and sedge, are also widespread.

The Taman Peninsula contains in its bowels such natural resources like oil, combustible gases, iron ores, salt, building materials in the form of limestone, clay and gravel.
The climate of the peninsula is moderately warm. The sun generously supplies it with the heat of its rays, but there is little precipitation here - only 436 mm per year - and therefore there is a lack of moisture.
On the peninsula there are fertile chernozem-like and chestnut soils, covered with drought-resistant steppe, and along the valley of the Kuban River - with floodplain vegetation.
It is now famous for its vineyards.
The shores of the Taman Peninsula are quite diverse, but two types of shores prevail: high, steep - abrasion, that is, formed as a result of the destructive work of sea waves, and low, flat - accumulative. The latter were formed from sandy-argillaceous deposits as a result of the activity of sea waves and currents.

The shore of the Taman Bay, from Cape Tuzla up to the village of Taman, is elevated and steep. On average, its height here ranges from 15 to 30 m. To the east of the village of Taman, the coast goes down and remains low throughout the southern and east coast bay. Only in some places there are steep cliffs, and then often due to the cultural layer of ancient Phanagoria.
The northern shore of the bay is also elevated and in some places abruptly breaks off to the sea.
"Accumulation" in Latin means "accumulation". This term in geology refers to the process of deposition of loose material of various origins.

Spit Chushka, composed largely of quartz sand and broken shells, has low banks.
Farther to the east, the coast of the Taman Peninsula is high (up to 50-60 m above the level of the Sea of ​​Azov) and often has a stepped landslide character. It is composed mainly of loess-like clay and is bordered by a strip of beach, consisting of sandy-clay deposits, in places with an admixture of shells, pebbles and rubble.
Then, up to the village of Golubitskaya, the shore of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov either lowers or rises again, but, starting from this village, it becomes low, and in the area of ​​​​the delta of the Kuban River it acquires a swampy character.

It is interesting to note that in the area of ​​the village of Kuchugury on the low coast of the Sea of ​​Azov, eolian landforms are observed in the form of low (1–3 m) sandy mounds - dunes, formed under the influence of northern winds.

An attraction of the Taman Peninsula are mud volcanoes (salses), of which there are up to 25. Many of them look like low cones with truncated tops. Some salsas are temporarily inactive. The rest emit dirt and gases, such as methane, nitrogen. carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen.
Eruptions of mud volcanoes are usually calm and quiet, but sometimes they resemble eruptions of real volcanoes, as they are accompanied by an explosion, and then the products of volcanic activity are scattered hundreds of meters from the crater, and liquid mud forms large streams.
Very interesting phenomenon represent mud volcanoes at the bottom of the Sea of ​​Azov near the shores of the Taman Peninsula. So, intense mud volcanic activity was observed near the village of Golubitskaya. One of the eruptions was noted on September 6, 1799. An underground rumble was heard, then a deafening crack was heard and over the sea, 300 meters from the shore, a column of fire and black smoke rose. The eruption continued for about two hours, leading to the formation of an island of mud with a diameter of more than 100 m and a height of up to 2 m. A few months later, it disappeared, washed out by the waves of the sea.
Similar eruptions were repeated later - in 1862, 1906, 1924, 1950 and 1952. In 1952, to the west of the village of Golubitskaya, 5 km from the coast, also as a result of mud volcanic activity, a mud island was formed, then washed away by sea waves.

Cossack erik is the left-bank branch of the Kuban, it carries its waters to the large Akhtanizovsky estuary, which has a connection with the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov through the Peresyp arm.
The modern delta of the Kuban River is a whole labyrinth of shallow lakes or estuaries, interconnected by channels, or, in the local language, eriks, which form bizarre loops between low-lying swampy land.
In the Kuban Delta, vast areas are occupied by floodplains that stretch for tens of kilometers. The floodplains of the Kuban delta, adjacent to the Sea of ​​Azov, are called the Sea of ​​Azov. They are divided by the Protoka river into two massifs: the Azov floodplains proper in the western part and the Angelino-Cheburgolsky in the eastern part.
The Azov floodplains are bizarre labyrinths of swamps and estuaries of various sizes, with fresh, semi-salty and salt water, overgrown with surface and underwater vegetation. The former is dominated by reeds, reeds, sedges, cattails and burdocks. Underwater, or “soft” vegetation of estuaries is charophytes, pondweeds, hornwort, water lilies, etc.

In the Azov estuaries there are thickets of a wonderful plant - lotus. During the flowering period, large pink flowers rise on stems above the spreading emerald leaves. amazing beauty flowers with a strong fragrance. This tropical newcomer, brought to us from Africa, is a useful medicinal and food plant.
The estuaries of the Kuban delta are rich in fish. More than 70 species of it are found here, including ram, bream, pike perch, shad, sprat, carp weighing up to 15 kg, catfish weighing up to 100 kg.
In the floodplains and estuaries of the delta, a lot of birds live, especially waterfowl: wild geese, ducks. There are whole colonies of cormorants and pelicans. Swans, herons, many birds of prey live here. Of the mammals, foxes are numerous, there are wild cats and wild boars in the deaf floodplains. The muskrat has been acclimatized, producing beautiful brown fur.

The bowels of the delta are rich in minerals - natural gas, oil, mineral waters.
Most of the Kuban river delta has not yet been developed for agriculture, although the soils here are very fertile.
But gradually the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov is changing the landscape. In the floodplains, instead of dense reeds and rotten estuaries, blue squares of rice paddies already stretch for many kilometers. In 1952, the Kuban irrigation system with an area of ​​23,000 hectares was put into operation. In 1967, 62 thousand hectares of land were occupied for rice, reclaimed by meliorators from the floodplains. When the Krasnodar reservoir on the Kuban River comes into operation, the rice fields will expand to 250,000-300,000 hectares and will produce up to 700,000 tons of high-quality rice annually for our Motherland.

To the north of Primorsko-Akhtarsk, up to, floodplains are found only at the mouths of the Azov steppe rivers - Beisug and Chelbas.
The shores of the Sea of ​​Azov are represented in this area by low and gently sloping sandy spits, but for the most part the coast here is steep or steeply descending to the sea. It is complex, like the coastal plain, with loess and loess-like loams and clays of the late glacial period. Loess is a rock that is easily washed away by waves, and therefore the seashore here is quickly destroyed. average speed destruction along the entire coast is 3 m per year. The maximum is up to 18 m. The soils of this part of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov are represented by carbonate West Caucasian fertile chernozems. Previously, this entire area was a feather-grass-forb steppe, on which herds of wild horses—tarpans and herds of swift-footed saigas grazed. There were even moose. Now these lands are plowed up, and in the summer here [a boundless yellow-green sea of ​​\u200b\u200bcorn sways, fields of corn and sunflowers are spread.
In addition to the Kuban River, such steppe rivers (counting from south to north) flow into the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov from the east, such as Kirpili, pouring their waters into the Kirpilsky estuary; Beisug, which flows into the Beisug estuary; Chelbas, flowing into the sweet estuary; Eya, which carries water to the large Yeisk estuary, and, finally, the small rivers Wet Chuburka and Kagalnik, which flow directly into the Sea of ​​Azov.
A characteristic feature of the landscape of the eastern coast of the Sea of ​​Azov, as noted above, is the presence of numerous estuaries.

Don Delta.
In its northeastern part, the Sea of ​​Azov forms a vast, strongly elongated Taganrog Bay, into which one of the largest rivers in the European part of the USSR, the Don, flows. Its length is 1870 km, and the catchment area is 422,000 square meters. km. Don annually takes out to the sea an average of about 28.6 cubic meters. km of water. Significant masses of river water greatly desalinate the Taganrog Bay, and the sediment carried by the river shallows it and leads to, which occupies an area of ​​340 square meters. km. The modern Don delta begins 6 km below Rostov-on-Don, where the non-navigable branch of the Dead Donets separates from the river to the right.
There is always a lot of activity on the Don River; various and numerous ships float up and down the stream. The calm expanse of the mighty river is cut through by passenger ships, cargo ships and fishing boats.
Below the village of Elizavetinskaya, the Don begins to meander strongly along a wide low-lying valley, breaking up into numerous branches and channels, which, in the local language, are not called eriks. There are more and more of these branches and eriks as we approach the Sea of ​​Azov.
The landscape here is unique. Everywhere you can see islands slightly rising above the water with intricately indented shores, covered with dense thickets of reeds. Islets close to the sea are constantly flooded with sea water, and the vegetation on them is scarce or completely absent. With strong westerly winds, the waters of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov rush to the mouth of the Don, prop up the river waters, the Don overflows its banks, flooding not only the delta, but also almost all 100 km upstream.
East winds blowing downstream of the Don have the opposite effect. There is a surge of water, and sometimes so strong that not only the branches of the river, but also the Taganrog Bay become shallow, which disrupts normal navigation. The amplitude of surge phenomena is +3, -2 m.

The Don brings into the sea an average of about 14 million tons of river sediment and about 9.5 million tons of dissolved minerals. Due to sediments, the Don Delta is growing, gradually moving further and further into the sea at a rate of about 1 km per century.

Bays and estuaries are formed between the spits and the native coast, for example, Berdyansk and Obitochny. If we exclude alluvial spits, then the rest north coast The Sea of ​​​​Azov is a flat steppe, for the most part descending to the sea by a cliff. The spits and narrow coastal strip are composed mainly of Quaternary marine sediments. To the north, the plain is composed of loess, loess-like loams and clays of the late glacial period. Fertile chernozems have developed on these rocks. Even in the last century, boundless feather grass-forb steppes stretched here, and in the western half - feather grass-fescue steppes. Tarpans, feral camels grazed in them, and even earlier there were even noble deer and elk. There were beavers in the rivers. During the flowering period, these steppes, according to N.V. Gogol, represented a green-golden ocean, over which millions of flowers splashed. However, such steppes have long disappeared, they are almost completely plowed up. They were replaced by endless fields of wheat, corn, sunflower, orchards and vineyards.

HISTORY OF THE SEA OF AZOV
Meotida
In ancient times, the Sea of ​​Azov did not exist, and the Don flowed into the Black Sea in the area of ​​the modern Kerch Strait. The theory of the Black Sea flood suggests that the filling of the waters of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov happened around 5600 BC. e.
In antiquity, the Sea of ​​​​Azov was called among the Greeks Meotian Lake (ancient Greek Μαιῶτις), among the Romans Palus Maeotis (“Meotian swamp”), among the Scythians Kargaluk, among the Meotians Temerinda (which means “mother of the sea”), among the Arabs - Bahr al -Azuf, among the Turks - Bahr el-Assak or Bahr-y Assak (Dark blue sea; modern tour. Azak Denizi) and also - Balysyr (Balisira), among the Genoese and Venetians - Mare delle Zabacche.
The sea was renamed many times (Samakush, Salakar, Mayutis, etc.). At the beginning of the XIII century. the name of the Saksinsk Sea is approved. The Tatar-Mongol conquerors replenished the collection of the names of Azov: Balyk-dengiz (fish sea) and Chabak-dengiz (chabache, bream sea). According to some reports, Chabak-dengiz as a result of transformation: chabak - dzybakh - zabak - azak - azov - happened modern name sea ​​(which is doubtful). According to other sources, Azak is a Turkic adjective, meaning low, low, according to other sources, Azak (Turkic mouth of the river), which was transformed into Azau, and then into Russian Azov. In the interval of the above names, the sea also received the following: Barel-Azov (Dark Blue River); the Frankish Sea (the Franks meant the Genoese and Venetians); Surozh Sea (Surozh was the name of the modern city of Sudak in the Crimea); Kaffa Sea (Kaffa is an Italian colony in place modern city Feodosiya in the Crimea); Cimmerian Sea (from the Cimmerians); Akdeniz (Turkish meaning White Sea). It is most reliable that the modern name of the sea comes from the city of Azov.

According to the etymology of the word “azov”, there are a number of hypotheses: after the name of the Polovtsian prince Azum (Azuf), who was killed during the capture of the city in 1067; by the name of the Osos (Asses) tribe, which in turn allegedly came from the Avestan, meaning "fast"; the name is compared with the Turkic word azan - "lower", and the Circassian uzev - "neck". The Turkic name of the city of Azov is Auzak. But even in the 1st c. n. e. Pliny, listing the Scythian tribes in his writings, mentions the Asoki tribe, similar to the word Azov. It is generally accepted that the modern name of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov came to Russian toponymy at the beginning of the 17th century, thanks to the annals of Pimen. Moreover, at first it was fixed only for its part (the Taganrog Bay, which before the appearance of the city of Taganrog was called the Don Estuary). Only in the second half of the 18th century, the name "Sea of ​​​​Azov" was assigned to the entire reservoir. The sea gave its name to the villages of Azovskaya and Azovskaya, and the cities of Azov (in the lower reaches of the Don River, Rostov region) and Novoazovsk, the village of Priazovskoye and other settlements.

In the history of the study of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov, there are three stages:
Ancient (geographical) - from the time of Herodotus to the beginning of the 19th century.
Geological and geographical - XIX century. - 40s of the XX century.
Complex - the middle of the XX century. - Today.
The first map of Pontus Euxinus and Meotida was made by Claudius Ptolemy, he also determined the geographical coordinates for cities, estuaries, capes and bays of the coast of the Sea of ​​Azov.
In 1068, the Russian prince Gleb Svyatoslavich, who ruled at that time in Tmutarakan, measured the distance between Kerch and Taman on the ice. As the inscription on the Tmutarakan stone testifies, the distance from Tmutarakan to Korchevo ( ancient name Kerch) was approximately 20 km (over 939 years this distance increased by 3 km.) From the XII-XIV centuries. the Genoese and Venetians began to draw up portolans (pilots and sea charts) of the Black and Azov Seas.

GEOGRAPHY OF THE SEA OF AZOV
The extreme points of the Sea of ​​Azov lie between 45°12′30″ and 47°17′30″ N. latitude and between 33°38′ (Lake Sivash) and 39°18′ east. longitude. Its greatest length is 380 km, the greatest width is 200 km; coastline length 2686 km; surface area - 37,800 km² (this area does not include islands and spits, occupying 107.9 km²).
According to morphological features, it belongs to flat seas and is a shallow water body with low coastal slopes. In terms of distance from the ocean, the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov is the most continental sea on the planet.
IN winter period partial or complete freezing is possible, while the ice is carried into the Black Sea through the Kerch Strait. As a rule, ice formation is typical for January, but in cold years it can occur a month earlier.

Map of the depths of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov

The underwater relief of the sea is relatively simple. With distance from the coast, the depth slowly and smoothly increases, reaching 13 m in the central part of the sea. The main area of ​​the bottom is characterized by depths of 5–13 m. greatest depths located in the center of the sea. The location of the isobaths, which is close to symmetrical, is disturbed by their slight elongation in the northeast towards the Taganrog Bay. The 5 m isobath is located about 2 km from the coast, moving away from it near the Taganrog Bay and in the bay itself near the mouth of the Don. In the Taganrog Bay, the depths increase from the mouth of the Don (2–3 m) towards the open part of the sea, reaching 8–9 m at the boundary of the bay with the sea. western (Morskaya and Arabatskaya banks) coasts, the depths over which decrease from 8–9 to 3–5 m. The underwater coastal slope of the northern coast is characterized by wide shallow water (20–30 km) with depths of 6–7 m; underwater slope to depths of 11–13 m.
The catchment area of ​​the Sea of ​​Azov Basin is 586,000 km².
The sea shores are mostly flat and sandy, only on the southern coast there are hills of volcanic origin, which in some places turn into steep frontal mountains.
Sea currents are dependent on the very strong northeast and southwest winds blowing here and therefore change direction very often. The main current is a circular current along the shores of the Sea of ​​Azov counterclockwise.

Salinity
Changes in the salinity of the Sea of ​​Azov in the 20th century
The hydrochemical features of the Sea of ​​Azov are formed primarily under the influence of an abundant inflow of river waters (up to 12% of the water volume) and difficult water exchange with the Black Sea.
The salinity of the sea before the regulation of the Don was three times less than the average salinity of the ocean. Its value on the surface varied from 1 ppm at the mouth of the Don to 10.5 ppm in the central part of the sea and 11.5 ppm near the Kerch Strait. After the creation of the Tsimlyansk hydroelectric complex, the salinity of the sea began to rise. By 1977, the average salinity of the sea had increased to 13.8 ppm, and in the Taganrog Bay - to 11.2. In a larger area of ​​the sea, the water salinized to 14–14.5 ‰. During the period of relatively high humidity (1979–1982), a rapid decrease in salinity to 10.9 ‰ was noted, but by 2000 its value increased again and stabilized at the level of 11 ‰. Average seasonal fluctuations in salinity rarely reach 1-2 percent.
In the northern part of the Sea of ​​Azov, the water contains very little salt. For this reason, the sea freezes easily, and therefore, before the advent of icebreakers, it was unnavigable from December to mid-April. The southern part of the sea does not freeze and remains moderate in temperature.
During the 20th century, almost everything is more or less major rivers, flowing into the Sea of ​​Azov, were blocked by dams to create reservoirs. This has led to a significant reduction in the discharge of fresh water and silt into the sea.
The main ionic composition of water in the open part of the sea differs from salt composition of the ocean by the relative poverty of chlorine and sodium ions and an increased content of the predominant components of land waters - calcium, carbonates and sulfates.

Transparency and color of water
The transparency of the waters of the Sea of ​​Azov is low. It is not the same in different areas and at different times of the year and ranges from 0.5 to 8 m. a large number muddy river waters, rapid resuspension of bottom silts during sea waves, and the presence of significant masses of plankton in the Azov water determine its low transparency. The lowest transparency is observed in the Taganrog Bay (0.5–0.9 m, occasionally up to 2 m). The color of the water here varies from greenish-yellow to brown-yellow. in the east and western regions In the sea, transparency is much higher - an average of 1.5-2 m, but can reach 3-4 m. In the central region of the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov, due to the great depths and the influence of the Black Sea waters, transparency ranges from 1.5-2.5 to 8 m. The water here is greenish-blue in color. In summer, transparency increases almost everywhere, but in some parts of the sea, due to the rapid development of the smallest plant and animal organisms in the upper layers of the water, it drops to zero and the water acquires a bright green color. This phenomenon is called the "bloom" of the sea.

Flora and fauna
Phytoplankton and benthos are developed. Phytoplankton consists (in%): diatoms - 55, peridinium - 41.2, and blue-green algae - 2.2. Among the biomass of benthos, mollusks occupy a dominant position. Their skeletal remains, represented by calcium carbonate, have a significant share in the formation of modern bottom sediment and accumulative surface bodies.
The ichthyofauna of the Sea of ​​Azov currently includes 103 species and subspecies of fish belonging to 76 genera, and is represented by anadromous, semi-anadromous, marine and freshwater species.
Anadromous species of fish feed in the sea until puberty, and enter the river only for spawning. The breeding period in rivers and or on borrowings usually does not exceed 1-2 months. Among the Azov anadromous fish there are the most valuable commercial species, such as beluga, stellate sturgeon, herring, fish and shemaya.
Semi-anadromous species for breeding come from the sea into the rivers. However, in rivers they can linger for a longer time than anadromous (up to a year). As for the juveniles, they leave the spawning grounds very slowly and often stay in the river for the winter. Semi-anadromous fish include mass species such as pike perch, bream, ram, sabrefish and some others.
Marine species breed and feed in salty waters. Among them, species that constantly live in the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov stand out - pelengas, Black Sea Kalkan, flounder-glossa, tyulka, percarina, three-spined stickleback, long-snouted needle fish and all types of gobies. And finally there is large group marine fish entering the Sea of ​​Azov from the Black Sea, including those that make regular migrations: the Azov and Black Sea anchovy, Black Sea herring, red mullet, golden mullet, sharp nose, striped mullet, Black Sea kalkan, horse mackerel, mackerel, etc.
Freshwater species usually constantly live in one area of ​​the reservoir and do not make large migrations. These species usually inhabit desalinated water areas of the sea. Here you can find such fish as sterlet, silver carp, pike, ide, bleak, etc.

Marine mammals in the Sea of ​​Azov are represented by one species - the harbor porpoise (other names are Azovka, Azov dolphin, puffer, pig). The porpoise leads a herd life. Groups consist of two to ten individuals. The population has always been small, there are no modern data. Azovka is the smallest animal from the group of cetaceans. And representatives of the local Azov-Black Sea population are smaller than dolphins from other parts of the range. Females are slightly larger than males: 90-150 cm. Known maximum sizes of males reached 167 cm, and females - 180 cm. The average weight of azovok is 30.2 kg. Life expectancy - 25-30 years.
In terms of the number of plant and animal organisms, the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov has no equal in the world. In terms of fish productivity, that is, the number of fish per unit area, the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov is 6.5 times greater than the Caspian Sea, 40 times the Black Sea, and 160 times the Mediterranean Sea.

Sea of ​​Azov, city of Yeysk

Geographical features of the Sea of ​​Azov
Geographic features of major or particular interest are listed in clockwise order along the coast starting from the Genichesk Strait.

Bays and estuaries:
On the territory of Ukraine:
in the northwest: Utlyuk estuary, Molochny estuary, Obitochny Bay, Berdyansk Bay.
On Russian territory:
in the north-east: Taganrog Bay, Miussky Estuary, Yeysky Estuary;
in the east: Yasensky Bay, Beisugsky estuary, Akhtarsky estuary;
in the south-east: Temryuk Bay;
in the southwest: Kazantip Bay, Arabatsky Bay;
in the west: Sivash Bay (since April 1, 2014, it has been de facto a section of the Russian-Ukrainian state border).

Spit, capes, largest islands:

Main article: Spit of the Sea of ​​Azov
On the territory of Ukraine:
in the northwest: Fedotova Spit and Spit Biryuchy Ostrov (Utlyuk Estuary), Obitochnaya Spit (Obitochny Bay), Berdyansk Spit (Berdyansk Bay);
in the northeast: Belosarayskaya Spit, Curve Spit.
On Russian territory:
in the northeast: Beglitskaya Spit, Petrushina Spit, Taganrog Cape;
in the east: Cape Chumbursky, Glafirovskaya spit, Long spit, Kamyshevatskaya spit, Yasenskaya spit (Beisugsky estuary), Achuevskaya spit (Akhtarsky estuary), Yeyskaya spit, Sazalnikskaya spit;
in the southeast: Cape Achuevsky and Cape Kamenny (Temryuk Bay);
in the Kerch Strait: Chushka Spit, Tuzla Spit, Tuzla Island;
in the south-west: Cape Khroni, Cape Zyuk, Cape Chagany and Cape Kazantip;
in the west: Arabatskaya Strelka spit.

Rivers flowing into the sea:
On the territory of Ukraine:
in the northwest: Maly Utlyuk, Molochnaya, Korsak, Lozovatka, Obitochnaya, Berda, Kalmius, Gruzsky Elanchik;
On Russian territory:
in the northeast: Wet Elanchik, Mius, Sambek, Don, Kagalnik, Wet Chuburka, Eya;
in the southeast: Protoka, Kuban.

Legal status
The international legal status of the sea is determined by a number of sources of law, the most relevant of which is the Treaty between Russian Federation and Ukraine on cooperation in the use of the Sea of ​​Azov and the Kerch Strait (ratified by both parties in 2004). In this document, Azov is categorized as inland waters Russia and Ukraine.

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SOURCE OF PHOTO AND MATERIAL:
Team Nomads
The Sea of ​​Azov // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
Neznamov P. A. Map of the Sea of ​​Azov in 1699 // Proceedings of the State. ist. museum. - 1941. - Issue. 14. - S. 73-81, repr. cards.
Velokurova N. I. Hydrometeorological characteristics of the Sea of ​​Azov / N. I. Velokurova, D. K. Starov. - Moscow-Leningrad: Gidrometeoizdat, 1947.
Tushin Yu. P. Russian navigation in the Azov, Caspian and Black Seas (XVII century) / Yu. P. Tushin; Auth. foreword V. V. Mavrodin; Artistic D. Stankevich; Leningrad Order of Lenin State University named after A.A. Zhdanov. - M .: Nauka (Chief edition of the eastern literature), 1978. - 184 p. — 10,000 copies. (reg.)
Encyclopedia of Taganrog. - Rostov-on-Don: Rostizdat, 2003. - 512 p. — ISBN 5-7509-0662-0.
Brodyanoy A.V. Names of the Sea of ​​Azov. - Vradievka: Publishing house Kovalenko A.G., 2008. - 48 p. - ISBN 978-966-2035-01-8.
http://club.foto.ru/
Wikipedia site

Located in the southern and eastern parts of Ukraine. It is connected to the Black Sea by the Kerch Strait and is currently located within the borders of Ukraine and Russia.

The Sea of ​​Azov is smaller and, as a result, warmer than the Black Sea. This is the shallowest sea of ​​the World Ocean, its depth does not exceed 15 meters. There are a lot of various reservoirs, rivers, lakes, estuaries, for example, Lake Chokrak, but the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov stands out from them

Sea of ​​Azov Photos

In ancient times, on the shores of the Sea of ​​Azov, there was a constant change of peoples who inhabited these lands. That is why the sea had many names in the past: Mother Ponta, Timirinda, Meotian Sea (lake), Scythian Ponds, Akdeniz, Surozh Sea, Kargulak, Mare Fane. Around the middle of the thirteenth century, the Sea of ​​Azov acquired its modern name from the name of the ancient Turkic city, the center of trade, Azak.
Since the Sea of ​​Azov is quite shallow, it quickly warms up to thirty degrees in some places, which makes it attractive for family vacation. An additional plus is that the summer here is dry and warm, the mild climate does not require a long period of acclimatization and therefore causes a minimum of discomfort to the child on vacation.

The bottom of the sea is flat, covered with sand and shell rock. The sea shores are mostly flat and sandy, only occasionally there are hills that grow into mountains in places.

Photos of the bottom of the Sea of ​​Azov

No wonder the Scythians called the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov - "rich in fish". Fishermen have long chosen it: pilengas, horse mackerel, glosik, herring, anchovy. Fishing for every taste - spinning, fishing rod or hook - you just need to choose right place and time.
Rutile, zircon, and ilmenite were found in the rich subsoil of the Sea of ​​Azov. The waters of Azov contain 92 trace elements, and the air is saturated with useful salts. Azov water is endowed with healing and preventive properties: swimming in the sea enhances the respiratory function of the body, improves blood circulation, and increases vitality.
A notable feature of the Sea of ​​Azov is the presence of a large number of spits, sandbanks and small islands.
The coast of the Sea of ​​Azov has all the advantages for a pleasant, useful and unforgettable vacation.