Is there a Caspian Sea. Legal status of the Caspian Sea. Caspian Sea: report

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

The Caspian Sea is located at the junction of two parts of the Eurasian continent - Europe and Asia. The Caspian Sea is similar in shape to the Latin letter S, the length of the Caspian Sea from north to south is approximately 1200 kilometers (36 ° 34 ′ - 47 ° 13 ′ N), from west to east - from 195 to 435 kilometers, on average 310-320 kilometers (46° - 56° E).

The Caspian Sea is conditionally divided according to physical and geographical conditions into 3 parts - the Northern Caspian, the Middle Caspian and the Southern Caspian. The conditional border between the North and Middle Caspian is passed along the line Chechen (island) - Tyub-Karagansky cape, between the Middle and South Caspian - along the line Zhiloy (island) - Gan-Gulu (cape). The area of the Northern, Middle and Southern Caspian is 25, 36, 39 percent respectively.

Origin

According to one of the hypotheses, the Caspian Sea got its name in honor of the ancient tribes of horse breeders - the Caspians, who lived before our era on the southwestern coast of the Caspian Sea. Throughout the history of its existence, the Caspian Sea had about 70 names for different tribes and peoples: the Hyrcanian Sea; The Khvalyn Sea or the Khvalis Sea is an ancient Russian name, derived from the name of the inhabitants of Khorezm, who traded in the Caspian Sea - Khvalis; Khazar Sea - the name in Arabic (Bahr-al-Khazar), Persian (Daria-e Khazar), Turkish and Azerbaijani (Khazar Denizi) languages; Abeskun Sea; Saray Sea; Derbent Sea; Sihai and other names. In Iran, the Caspian Sea is still called the Khazar or Mazenderan Sea (after the name of the people inhabiting the Iranian coastal province of the same name).

Data

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

Islands

Large peninsulas of the Caspian Sea: Agrakhan Peninsula, Absheron Peninsula, Buzachi, Mangyshlak, Miankale, Tub-Karagan.

There are about 50 large and medium-sized islands in the Caspian Sea with a total area of approximately 350 square kilometers. Most major islands: Ashur-Ada, Garasu, Gum, Dash, Zira (island), Zyanbil, Kyur Dashy, Khara-Zira, Sengi-Mugan, Chechen (island), Chygyl.

gulfs

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

nearby lakes

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

Rivers

130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, of which 9 rivers have a mouth in the form of a delta. major rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea - Volga, Terek (Russia), Ural, Emba (Kazakhstan), Kura (Azerbaijan), Samur (Russian border with Azerbaijan), Atrek (Turkmenistan) and others. The largest river flowing into the Caspian Sea is the Volga, its average annual 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.

Pool

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.

Cities and states

The Caspian Sea washes the shores of five coastal states:

Russia (Dagestan, Kalmykia and Astrakhan region) - in the west and north-west, the length of the coastline is 695 kilometers
Kazakhstan - in the north, northeast and east, the length of the coastline is 2320 kilometers
Turkmenistan - in the southeast, the length of the coastline is 1200 kilometers
Iran - in the south, the length of the coastline - 724 kilometers
Azerbaijan - in the southwest, the length of the coastline is 955 kilometers
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 most Southern City Russia's Derbent - located on the western coast of the Caspian Sea. port city Astrakhan is also considered to be part of the Caspian Sea, which, however, is not located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, but in the Volga delta, 60 kilometers from the northern coast of the Caspian Sea.

On the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea is the Kazakh city - the port of Aktau, 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.

Dimensions

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.

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 risen and in 1995 reached -26.7 m, since 1996 there has been a downward trend again. Scientists associate the causes of changes in the water level of the Caspian Sea with climatic, geological and anthropogenic factors.

Climate

Water temperature is subject to significant latitudinal changes, most clearly expressed in winter period 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, that is, the water temperature difference is about 10 °C. For shallow water areas with depths less than 25 m, the annual amplitude can reach 25 - 26 °C. The average water temperature at west coast 1 - 2 °C higher than that of the eastern, and in the open sea the water temperature is 2 - 4 °C higher than that of the coasts. According to the nature of the horizontal structure of the temperature field in the annual cycle of variability, three time intervals can be distinguished in the upper 2-m layer. From October to March, the water temperature increases in the south and east, which is especially evident in the Middle Caspian. Two stable quasi-latitudinal zones can be distinguished, where the temperature gradients are increased. This is, firstly, the border between the North and Middle Caspian, and, secondly, between the Middle and South. At the ice edge, in the northern frontal zone, the temperature in February-March increases from 0 to 5 °C, in the southern frontal zone, in the area of the Apsheron threshold, from 7 to 10 °C. During this period, the least chilled waters are in the center of the South Caspian, which form a quasi-stationary core. In April-May, the area of minimum temperatures moves to the Middle Caspian, which is associated with faster warming of waters in the shallow northern part of the sea. True, at the beginning of the season in the northern part of the sea, a large 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 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, there is a horizontal uniformity in the temperature distribution in 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 the prevailing summer season northwest winds. Wind 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 is observed on the surface of the water (7 - 15 °C). Horizontal temperature gradients reach 2.3 °C at the surface and 4.2 °C at a depth of 20 m. in June to 43 - 45 ° N in September. Summer upwelling has great importance for the Caspian Sea, radically changing the dynamic processes in the deep water area. In the open areas of the sea in late May - early June, the 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.

Compound

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 in sea waters, an increase in the relative amount of carbonates, sulfates, and calcium, which are the main components in the chemical composition of river waters. The most conservative ions are potassium, sodium, chloride and magnesium. The least conservative are calcium and bicarbonate ion. In the Caspian Sea, 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 water changes especially sharply in the northern part of the sea: from 0.1 units. psu in the mouth areas of the Volga and the 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. On the formation of salinity field in the Northern Caspian big influence renders 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 south and east directions. Salinity increases insignificantly with depth (by 0.1 - 0.2 psu). In the deep-water part of the Caspian Sea, in the vertical salinity profile, characteristic troughs of isohalines 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.

General information

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.

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. Maximum temperature fixed on the east coast - 44 degrees.

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

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

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

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. Also found in the Caspian Sea marine mammal- Caspian seal. Since March 31, 2008, 363 dead seals have been found on the coast of the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan.

The flora of the Caspian Sea and its coast is represented by 728 species. 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 either consciously or on the bottoms of ships.

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Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea (Greek Káspion pélagos, Latin Caspium Mare), the world's largest enclosed body of water in the USSR (RSFSR, Kazakh SSR, Turkmen SSR, Azerbaijan SSR) and Iran. It is often regarded as the greatest lake on Earth, which is inaccurate, because in terms of its size, the nature of the processes, and the history of its development, the sea is a sea. It received its name from the ancient tribes of the Caspians (See Caspians), who lived in the eastern part of the Caucasus. Other historical names - Hyrcanian, Khvalynsk (Khvalissk), Khazar - also by the names of the ancient peoples who lived on its shores.

Physico-geographical essay. General information. K. m. elongated from north to south by almost 1200 km, average width 320 km, the length of the coastline is about 7 thousand km. km(Of which more than 6,000 km within the USSR). The area is about 371 thousand sq. km 2; level at 28.5 m below the level of the World Ocean (1969). Maximum depth 1025 m. In 1929, before a significant decrease in the level of the K. m., its area was 422 thousand square meters. km 2. The largest bays are: in the north - Kizlyarsky, Komsomolets; in the east - Mangyshlaksky, Kenderli, Kazakhsky, Kara-Bogaz-Gol, Krasnovodsky; in the west - Agrakhansky, Baku Bay; in the south - shallow lagoons. There are up to 50 islands, mostly small ones (the total area is about 350 km 2), the most significant are Kulaly, Tyuleniy, Chechen, Artem, Zhiloy, Ogurchinsky.

The most significant rivers flow into the northern part of the sea - the Volga, Emba, Ural, Terek, the total annual flow of which is about 88% of the total river water flow into the Caspian. On the western coast, the large rivers Sulak, Samur, Kura and a number of smaller ones (about 7% of the flow) flow into it. The remaining 5% of the runoff is provided by the rivers of the Iranian coast (Gorgan, Heraz, Sefidrud). On the east coast, including the coast of Kara-Bogaz-Gol, there is not a single permanent watercourse.

Shores. The shores of the northern part of the Caspian are low-lying and very sloping, characterized by a wide development of droughts formed as a result of surge phenomena; deltaic shores are also developed here (deltas of the Volga, Ural, Terek). In general, the coasts of the northern part are intensively growing, which is facilitated by a drop in sea level, the rapid growth of deltas, and an abundant supply of terrigenous material. Western coasts of K. m. also for the most part accumulative (numerous bays, spits), separate areas on the coasts of Dagestan and the Absheron Peninsula - abrasion. On the eastern coast of the sea, abrasion shores, worked out in limestone, which form the adjacent semi-desert and desert plateaus, predominate. There are also accumulative forms: Karabogaz bay separating from the sea largest bay Caspian - Kara-Bogaz-Gol, Krasnovodskaya and Kenderli spits. To the south of the Krasnovodsk Peninsula, accumulative shores predominate.

Relief. By the nature of the relief and hydrological features The sea is usually subdivided into the North Caspian, the Middle Caspian, and the South Caspian. Northern Caspian (area about 80 thousand sq. km 2) - the shallowest part of the sea with depths 4-8 m. The bottom relief is a slightly wavy accumulative plain with a series of banks and accumulative islands, the so-called Mangyshlak threshold, which separates the Northern Caspian from the Middle. Within the Middle Caspian (an area of about 138 thousand sq. km 2) stand out: Derbent depression (maximum depth 788 m), shelf and continental slope, complicated by underwater landslides and canyons; on the northern, rather gentle slope, relics of ancient river valleys were found. In the south, the basin of the Middle Caspian is separated from the basin of the South Caspian by the Apsheron threshold, on which a number of banks and islands are located. The basin of the South Caspian (the greatest depth is 1025 m), which is about 1/3 of the area of the sea, has a narrow shelf off the western and southern (Iranian) coasts, and the shelf is much wider off the eastern coast. The bottom of the depression is a flat abyssal plain. In the northern part of the basin, there are several underwater ridges with northwestern and southeastern strikes.

Geological structure and minerals. The northern part of the Caspian sea is the margin of the Caspian syneclise of the East European platform; The Mangyshlak threshold is structurally connected with the Hercynian buried shaft of Karpinsky on the western coast of the sea and with the mountains of Mangyshlak on the east. The bottom of the Middle Caspian has a heterogeneous structure. His East End- submerged section of the epihercynian Turan platform; The Derbent depression, as well as the western sections of the shelf and the continental slope - the marginal foredeep of the geosyncline Greater Caucasus. The Apsheron Sill corresponds to one of the branches of the newest structures formed on the subsidence of the folded formations of the Greater Caucasus and connecting them with the folded structures of the Kopetdag. The Southern Caspian is characterized by the suboceanic structure of the earth's crust; there is no granite layer here. Under the sedimentary layer up to 25 km(which obviously indicates the great antiquity of the South Caspian depression) there is a basalt layer up to 15 km.

Up to the Upper Miocene, the Caspian as a marine basin in its geological history was closely connected with the Black Sea. After the Upper Miocene folding, this connection was interrupted, and the K. m. turned into a closed reservoir. Communication with the ocean resumed in the Upper Pliocene, in the Akchagyl age. In the Anthropogene, due to the alternation of glacial and postglacial epochs on the East European Plain, the Caspian Sea repeatedly experienced transgressions (Baku, Khazar, Khvalyn) and regressions, traces of which are preserved in the form of terraces on the sea coast and in the stratigraphy of the ancient Caspian deposits.

On the shelf, terrigenous-shell sands, shells, and oolitic sands are common; deep-water areas of the bottom are covered with silty and silty sediments with a high content of calcium carbonate. In some areas of the bottom, Neogene bedrocks are exposed. At the bottom of the sea there are rich deposits of oil and gas. Oil and gas are the Apsheron threshold, the Dagestan and Turkmen regions of the sea. Promising for oil and gas are the areas of the seabed adjacent to Mangyshlak, as well as the Mangyshlak threshold. The Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay is the largest deposit of chemical raw materials (in particular, mirabilite).

Climate. The main baric centers that determine atmospheric circulation in the region of the Caspian Sea are the spur of the Asian maximum in winter and the spurs of the Azores maximum and South Asian minimum in summer. Characteristic features of the climate are: significant continentality, the predominance of anticyclonic weather conditions, dry winds, severe frosty winters (especially in the northern part), sharp temperature changes during the year, poverty of precipitation (excluding southwestern part reservoir). At atmospheric fronts, cyclonic activity is developing, which is also an important element of climate and weather in the Caspian. In the northern and middle parts of the Caspian Sea, easterly winds prevail from October to April, and northwestern winds prevail from May to September; in the southern part of the sea, the monsoon character of the winds is most pronounced. The strongest winds are found in the area of the Absheron Peninsula (Baku north blowing mainly in autumn), the eastern coast of the middle part and the northwestern region of the northern part; storms are frequent here, in which the wind speed reaches more than 24 m/sec.

The average long-term air temperature of the warm months (July-August) over the entire sea is 24-26 °C, the absolute maximum (up to 44 °C) is noted on the east coast. In the winter months, the temperature varies from -10 °C in the north to 12 °C in the south. An average of 200 mm precipitation per year, on the west coast - up to 400 mm, in the arid east - 90-100 mm, in the subtropical southwestern part of the coast - before 1700 mm. Evaporation from most of the sea surface is very high - up to 1000 mm in year; in the eastern part of the South Caspian and in the area of the Apsheron Peninsula - up to 1400 mm in year.

hydrological regime. The cyclonic circulation of waters dominates in the sea, mainly due to river runoff and prevailing winds. Masses of water move from north to south along the western coast of the sea to the Apsheron Peninsula, where the current divides: one branch continues along the western coast, the other crosses the K. m. in the region of the Apsheron threshold and at east coast connects with waters moving northward along the eastern coast from the southern Caspian. In the South Caspian, cyclonic circulation is also observed, but less clearly expressed, and between Baku and the mouth of the river. Chickens complicated by local anticyclone circulation. Unstable wind currents of various directions prevail in the Northern Caspian. Their speed is usually 10-15 cm/sec, with strong winds coinciding with the direction of the currents, the speed can reach 30-40 and even 100 cm/sec. The frequent recurrence of moderate and strong winds causes a large number of days with significant waves. Maximum observed wave height up to 11 m- in the area of the Apsheron threshold. The water temperature in summer on the surface averages 24-26°C, in the south - up to 29°C, in the Krasnovodsk Bay - up to 32°C. Near the eastern shores in July and August the temperature sometimes drops to 10-12 °C. This phenomenon is associated with the driving effect of winds and the rise of deep waters. In winter, there are significant temperature contrasts: negative temperatures (up to -0.5°C) in the north, 3–7°C in the Middle Caspian, and 8–10°C in the South. The northern part of the sea usually freezes for 2-3 months., the ice thickness reaches 2 m. In the Middle Caspian, in severe winters, individual shallow bays freeze. There are frequent cases of intense breaking of ice by the wind and their drift from the North Caspian to the south along the western coast. In some years floating ice reach the area of the Absheron Peninsula and are capable of causing significant damage to hydraulic structures in the sea.

The average salinity of the waters is 12.7-12.8 ‰, the maximum (not counting the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay) near the eastern shores is up to 13.2 ‰, the minimum is in the northwest. - 1-2 ‰. Fluctuations in salinity over the area of the sea, along the vertical, and over time are insignificant, and only in the north are they more noticeable in connection with fluctuations in the flow of the Volga. The composition of salts differs from the usual oceanic salts in a high content of sulfates, calcium and magnesium carbonates and, accordingly, a lower content of chlorides, which is due to the influence of river runoff.

Vertical mixing of waters in winter covers the entire water column in the Northern Caspian and layer 200-300 m in deep-water areas, in summer and autumn it is limited to the upper layer 15-30 m. In these seasons, at the lower boundary of the upper well-heated and mixed layer (15-30 m) an intense layer of temperature jump (several degrees per meter) is formed, which prevents the spread of heat into the deep layers of the sea.

Level fluctuations. Short-term non-periodic fluctuations in the level of K. m. m or downgrade to 2 m. Seishi are observed with a period of 10 min to 12 h with amplitude up to 0.7 m. There are small seasonal fluctuations in the level (about 30 cm).

The level of K. m. is subject to significant long-term and secular fluctuations, determined mainly by changes in its water balance. According to geological, archaeological, historical and geomorphological data, it has been established that a high level of K. m. (up to a mark of 22 m) was noted 4-6 thousand years ago, at the beginning of AD. e. and at the beginning of the 19th century. (New Caspian transgression). It is also known that in the 7-11 centuries. n. e. was low (perhaps 2-4 m below modern). The last major decline in the level occurred since 1929 (when the level was around 26 m) until 1956-57. Now the level fluctuates within several cm around 28.5 m. The reasons for the last drop in the level, in addition to climatic changes, which led to a decrease in the flow of rivers in the K. m. and an increase in evaporation from its surface, were also hydraulic engineering construction on the Volga (the creation of large artificial reservoirs) and river water consumption for irrigation of arid lands and for industrial needs. The runoff of the K. m. in the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay also negatively affects the water balance, the level of which is 4 m below the level of the Caspian Sea. In general, the components of the water balance for 1970: income - precipitation 66.8 km 3, river flow 266.4 km 3, underground inflow 5 km 3, consumption - evaporation 357.3 km 3, drain to Kara-Bogaz-Gol 4 km 3 , sea water intake 1 km 3 . The excess of the expenditure over the inflow of water causes an average annual decrease in the level (for the period 1966-67) by 7 cm. To prevent a further drop in sea level (by 2000, a level decrease of 2 m) a number of measures are being developed. There is a project to transfer the flow of the northern rivers - Vychegda and Pechora - in the Volga basin, which will give the Volga and K. m. about 32 km 3 water per year; developed (1972) a project for regulating the flow Caspian waters to the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay.

The flora and fauna of the K. m. are rather poor in species composition, but significant in biomass. More than 500 species of plants and 854 species of fish and animals, diverse in their origin, live in the Caspian Sea. Blue-green and diatom (rhizosolinae, etc.) algae predominate among the plants in the sea. Among recent invaders there are many red and brown algae. Of the flowering plants, zostera and ruppia are the most common. Chara algae provide the largest biomass (up to 30 kg for 1 m 3 bottoms). By origin, the fauna is mainly of the Neogene age, which has experienced great changes due to frequent and significant fluctuations in salinity. This group includes fish - sturgeons, herring, sprats, gobies, puplovki, from mollusks - zebra mussels and cockles, from other invertebrates - gammarids, polychaetes, sponges, one type of jellyfish. In addition, 15 species of invaders from the Arctic and Mediterranean basins live here. A noticeable group is represented by organisms of freshwater origin (from fish - pike perch). In general, a high degree of endemism is characteristic. Some organisms have migrated to the sea just recently, either as a result of introduction on the bottoms of sea vessels (mainly various fouling agents, such as mytilaster, rhizosalina algae, balanus, and crabs) or through conscious acclimatization by humans (for example, from fish - mullet, from invertebrates - nereis, syndesmia).

Research history. Documentary evidence of the acquaintance of Russians with the K. m. and their voyages on it dates back to the 9th-10th centuries. (Arabic, Armenian, Iranian ancient manuscripts). Regular exploration of the Caspian Sea was begun by Peter I, on whose initiative an expedition was organized in 1714–15 under the leadership of A. Bekovich-Cherkassky, who explored, in particular, the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea. In the 20s. 18th century hydrographic studies of the sea were started by I.F. Soymonov; in the second half of the 18th century. they were continued by I. V. Tokmachev, M. I. Voinovich, at the beginning of the 19th century. - Kolodkin, who for the first time performed instrumental compass survey of the coast. In the middle of the 19th century a detailed instrumental hydrographic survey of the rock was carried out under the direction of N. A. Ivashintsev. The maps created as a result of these surveys served as the basis for subsequent editions of nautical charts for the Caspian until the 1930s. 20th century In the study of natural conditions K. m. in the 19th century. scientists made a great contribution - P. S. Pallas, S. G. Gmelin, G. S. Karelin, K. M. Baer, G. V. Abikh, O. A. Grim, N. I. Andrusov, I. B. . Spindler. In 1897 the Astrakhan Research Station (now the Caspian Institute of Fisheries) was founded. In 1866, 1904, 1912-13, 1914-15 under the leadership of N. M. Knipovich, expeditionary research was carried out on the hydrology and hydrobiology of the Caspian Sea. These works were continued after 1917 by the Caspian Expedition created under the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, also led by Knipovich. In the first decades after the October Revolution, studies of owls played an outstanding role in the study of the geological structure and oil content of the Apsheron Peninsula and the geological history of the Caspian Sea. geologists I. M. Gubkin, D. V. and V. D. Golubyatnikov, P. A. Pravoslavlev, V. P. Baturin, S. A. Kovalevsky. B. A. Appolov, V. V. Valedinsky, K. P. Voskresensky, and L. S. Berg made a significant contribution to the study of the water balance and fluctuations in the level of the sea level at that time. After the Great Patriotic War From 1941 to 1945, systematic diversified studies were launched on the sea, aimed at studying the hydrometeorological regime, biological conditions, and the geological structure of the sea [Moscow State University, the Institute of Geography of the Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan SSR, the State Oceanographic Institute, and the Observatory of the Hydrometeorological Service. institutes of geology and development of fossil fuels (IGIRGI) and physics of the Earth of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, the Laboratory of Aeromethods and the All-Russian Research Institute of Geophysics of the Ministry of Geology of the USSR, the Caspian Institute of Sturgeon Fisheries and other scientific institutions of the Republican Academy of Sciences and ministries].

Economic and geographical outline. The Caspian Sea has long been famous as an area for the production of valuable varieties of fish, especially sturgeon (82% of the world catch), herring, and freshwater fish (bream, pike perch, roach, and carp). As a result of the fall in sea level (which resulted in the disappearance of valuable spawning grounds), regulation of the flow of the Volga, Kura and Araks rivers, which worsened the breeding conditions for anadromous and semi-anadromous fish, etc. the number and catch of primarily valuable varieties of fish (herring, sturgeon) have declined sharply. In 1936, the gross catch of fish was about 500,000 tonnes. T, in 1956 - 461 thousand. T(respectively, the catch of sturgeon - 21.5 and 15.0, roach - 197 and 18, pike perch - 55 and 8.4 thousand tons). T). A relatively small reduction in the gross catch is due to a sharp increase in the production of low-value fish, mainly kilka. In connection with the decrease in the number of sturgeons, work is underway to breed and restore valuable fish species.

In 1924, oil production began for the first time in Ilyich Bay (Baku region), but production increased especially after the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45. Oil is extracted offshore from overpasses (Oil Rocks) and artificial islands. The main regions are Priapsheronsky, Sangachalsky near the western coast, Chelekensky - near the east. Offshore oil fields provide more than 50% of all oil produced in the Azerbaijan SSR. Of great economic importance is the extraction of sodium sulfate, mirabilite and epsomite in the Kara-Bogaz-Gol region.

The ever-increasing need for fresh water caused the appearance of desalination plants on the K. m. sea water; the largest of them (to obtain fresh water for industrial and domestic needs in the adjacent desert and semi-desert regions) are being built (1972) in the cities. Shevchenko and Krasnovodsk.

The carriageway is of great transport importance both for domestic transportation and for external relations. The main cargoes transported across the Caspian are oil, timber, grain, cotton, rice, sulfate. Major ports- Astrakhan, Baku, Makhachkala, Krasnovodsk, Shevchenko - are also connected by regular flights passenger ships. Sea railways run between Baku and Krasnovodsk. ferries. A ferry service between Makhachkala and Shevchenko is being designed (1972). In Iran, the main ports are Pahlavi and Bandar Shah.

Lit.: Fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea, M., 1956; Fedorov P.V., Stratigraphy of Quaternary deposits and the history of the development of the Caspian Sea, M., 1957; Geological structure of the underwater slope of the Caspian Sea, M., 1962; Materials of the All-Union Conference on the Problem of the Caspian Sea, Baku, 1963; Zenkevich L. A., Biology of the Seas of the USSR, M., 1963; Leontiev O. K., Khalilov A. I., natural conditions formation of the shores of the Caspian Sea, Baku, 1965; Pakhomova A. S., Zatuchnaya B. M., Hydrochemistry of the Caspian Sea, Leningrad, 1966; Geology of oil and gas fields of Azerbaijan, M., 1966; Caspian Sea, M., 1969; Complex studies of the Caspian Sea. Sat. st., c. 1, M., 1970; Gul K. K., Lappalainen T. N., Polushkin V. A., Caspian Sea, Moscow, 1970; Gul K. K., Zhilo P. V., Zhirnov V. M., Bibliographic annotated guide to the Caspian Sea. Baku, 1970.

K. K. Gul, O. K. Leontiev.

Big soviet encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1969-1978 .

Synonyms:

See what the "Caspian Sea" is in other dictionaries:

Drainage, washes the shores of Russia (Dagestan, Kalmykia, Astrakhan region) and Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan. The earliest mention of the Caspian Sea is found in Assyrian. cuneiform inscriptions (VIII VII centuries BC), where it ... ... Geographic Encyclopedia

CASPIAN SEA, the world's largest endorheic lake. The area is 376 thousand km2. Lies 27.9 m below sea level (1986). From 1929 to 1977 there was a drop in the level, from 1978 a rise began. In the North Caspian the depth is 5-8 m, in the Middle Caspian up to 788 m... Modern Encyclopedia

This is how the Mediterranean Sea was formed, which then included the current Azov, Black and Caspian Sea. On the site of the modern Caspian, a huge Caspian lowland, the surface of which was almost 30 meters below the water level in the oceans. When the next rise of land began to take place at the place of formation of the Caucasus Mountains, the Caspian Sea was finally cut off from the ocean, and in its place a closed drainless reservoir was formed, which today is considered the largest inland sea on the planet. However, some scientists call this sea a giant lake.
A feature of the Caspian Sea is the constant fluctuation of the level of salinity of its water. Even in different areas This sea water has a different salinity. This was the reason for the predominance of fish and crustaceans in the Caspian Sea, which more easily tolerate fluctuations in water salinity.

Since the Caspian is completely isolated from the ocean, its inhabitants are endermics, i.e. always live in its water area.

The fauna of the Caspian Sea can be conditionally divided into four groups.

The first group of animals includes the descendants of ancient organisms that inhabited Tethys about 70 million years ago. These animals include Caspian gobies (golovach, Knipovich, Berg, bubyr, pugolovka, Baer) and herring (Kessler, Brazhnikov, Volga, brazil, etc.), some mollusks and most crustaceans (long-sexed crayfish, orthemia crustacean, etc.). Some fish, mainly herring, periodically enter the rivers flowing into the Caspian to spawn, many never leave the sea. Gobies prefer to live in coastal waters, often found in estuaries.
The second group of animals of the Caspian Sea is represented by arctic species. penetrated into the Caspian Sea from the north in the postglacial period. These are such animals as the Caspian seal (Caspian seal), fish - Caspian trout, white salmon, nelma. Of the crustaceans, this group is represented by mysid crustaceans, similar to small shrimps, tiny sea cockroaches, and some others.
The third group of animals inhabiting the Caspian includes species that independently or with the help of humans moved here from mediterranean sea. These are molluscs mitisyaster and abra, crustaceans - amphipods, shrimp, Black Sea and Atlantic crabs and some types of fish: golden mullet (sharp nose), needle fish and Black Sea kalk (flounder).

And, finally, the fourth group - freshwater fish that penetrated into the Caspian Sea from fresh rivers and turned into marine or anadromous, i.e. periodically rising into the rivers. Some of the typically freshwater fish also occasionally enter the Caspian. Among the fish of the fourth group are catfish, pike perch, barbel, red-lipped asp, Caspian fish, Russian and Persian sturgeon, beluga, stellate sturgeon. It should be noted that the Caspian Sea basin is the main habitat of sturgeons on the planet. Almost 80% of all sturgeons in the world live here. Barbels and fish are also valuable commercial fish.

As for sharks and other fish that are predatory and dangerous to humans, they do not live in the Caspian Sea-Lake.

Caspian Sea

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

The length of 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 channels and islands of the Volga and Ural deltas, the shores are low and swampy, and the water surface is covered with thickets in many places. The east coast is dominated by limestone shores adjacent to semi-deserts and deserts. The most winding coasts are on the 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.

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 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, the length of the coastline - 724 kilometers Azerbaijan - in the southwest, the length of the coastline is 955 kilometers

Water temperature

It is subject to significant latitudinal changes, most pronounced in winter, when the temperature varies from 0 - 0.5 °C at the ice edge in the north of the sea to 10 - 11 °C in the south, that is, the water temperature difference is about 10 °C. For shallow water areas with depths less than 25 m, the annual amplitude can reach 25 - 26 °C. On average, the water temperature near the western coast is 1 - 2 °C higher than that of the eastern coast, and in the open sea the water temperature is 2 - 4 °C higher than near the coasts.

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.

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 Sea, 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. The Caspian Sea is also inhabited by a marine mammal - the Caspian seal.

Vegetable world

Mining of 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.

, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran , Azerbaijan

Geographical position

Caspian Sea - view from space.

The Caspian Sea is located at the junction of two parts of the Eurasian continent - Europe and Asia. The length of the Caspian Sea from north to south is approximately 1200 kilometers (36°34 "-47°13" N), from west to east - from 195 to 435 kilometers, on average 310-320 kilometers (46°-56° v. d.).

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

Coast of the Caspian Sea

Coast of the Caspian Sea in Turkmenistan

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

Peninsulas of the Caspian Sea

Ashur-Ada
Garasu
Zyanbil
Hara Zira
Sengi-Mugan
Chygyl

Bays of the Caspian Sea

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

Cities on the coast of the Caspian Sea

On the Russian coast there are cities - Lagan, Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, Izberbash and the southernmost city of Russia Derbent. Astrakhan is also considered a port city of the Caspian Sea, which, however, is not located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, but in the Volga Delta, 60 kilometers from the northern coast of the Caspian Sea.

Physiography

Area, depth, volume of water

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

Water level fluctuations

Vegetable world

History of the Caspian Sea

Origin of the Caspian Sea

Anthropological and cultural history of the Caspian Sea

Finds in Huto Cave south coast The Caspian Sea testifies 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 4th-5th 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 centuries.

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 1720s, hydrographic studies were continued by the expedition of Karl von Werden and F.I. Soymonov, later by I.V. Tokmachev, M.I. Voinovich and other researchers. At the beginning of the 19th century, instrumental surveying of the banks 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.

Economy of the Caspian Sea

Mining of oil and gas

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

Shipping

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

Fishing and seafood

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

Recreational resources

The natural environment of the Caspian coast with sandy beaches, mineral waters and therapeutic mud in the coastal zone creates good conditions for rest and treatment. At the same time, in terms of the degree of development of resorts and the tourism industry, the Caspian coast noticeably loses to the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. However, in last years the tourism industry is actively developing on the coast of Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Russian Dagestan. Azerbaijan is actively developing resort area in the Baku region. At the moment, a world-class resort has been created in Amburan, another modern tourist complex is being built near the village of Nardaran, recreation in the sanatoriums of the villages of Bilgah and Zagulba is very popular. A resort area is also being developed in Nabran, in the north of Azerbaijan. However high prices, in general, the low level of service and the lack of advertising lead to the fact that on Caspian resorts almost not foreign tourists. The development of the tourism industry in Turkmenistan is hampered by a long policy of isolation, in Iran - by Sharia law, due to which the mass vacation of foreign tourists on the Caspian coast of Iran is impossible.

Ecological problems

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

International status of the Caspian Sea

Legal status of the Caspian Sea

After the collapse of the USSR, the division of the Caspian Sea has long been and still remains the subject of 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 littoral states on the status of the Caspian Sea - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan insisted on dividing the Caspian along the median line, Iran - on dividing the Caspian along one fifth between all the Caspian states.

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

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

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

Delimitation of sections of the bottom of the Caspian Sea for the purpose of subsoil use

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