What borders the Caspian Sea. Interesting facts about the Caspian Sea: depth, relief, coastline, resources. Mangyshlak, located on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, on the territory of Kazakhstan, on its territory is the city of Aktau

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

The sea is not the sea

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

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

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

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

A lake is not a lake

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

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

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

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

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

Why the Caspian is a lake

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

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

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

Where does the Caspian Sea draw water from?

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

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

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

Fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea

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

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

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

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

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

How the sea became a lake

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

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

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

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

But it was many years ago.

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

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

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

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

The Caspian washes the territories at once five states:

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

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

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

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

Full agreement between the countries has not yet been reached.

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

How to distinguish the sea from the lake

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

1. Rivers can flow into the sea.

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

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

Is the Caspian Sea suitable for the parameters of the sea

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

coastline length Caspian Sea estimated at about 6500 - 6700 kilometers, with the islands - up to 7000 kilometers. coast Caspian Sea in most of its territory - low-lying and smooth. In the northern part coastline it 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. On east coast limestone coasts adjoining semi-deserts and deserts predominate. The most winding coasts are on the west coast in the area Absheron Peninsula and on the east coast in the area of ​​the Kazakh Gulf and Kara-Bogaz-Gol.

IN Caspian Sea 130 rivers flow into it, 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.

Map of the Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea washes the shores of five coastal states:

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

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.

Climate of the Caspian Sea- continental in the northern part, temperate in the middle part and subtropical in the southern part. In winter average monthly temperature 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.

Animal world

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

Vegetable world

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

Mining of oil and gas

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

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

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

Ecological problems

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

The Caspian Sea or the Caspian Sea is the largest closed, drainless body of water in the world. What are features of the Caspian Sea? It can be classified as the largest closed lake, or as a sea (due to its size, as well as its bed formed by the earth's crust, the so-called oceanic type). The Caspian Sea stretches across Europe and Asia, in particular such countries as: Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Iran. In Russia, the Caspian coast is located on the territory of the Astrakhan region, as well as the Republic of Kalmykia and the Republic of Dagestan. This reservoir has a number of characteristics, with which this article will introduce you.

IN eastbound The Caspian has a length of 435 kilometers, and more than 1000 kilometers in the northern direction. More than 40% of all lake water resources of our planet is concentrated here.

And scientists are still arguing about whether the Caspian is a lake or a sea. To date, it has been given the status of a lake, due to the fact that this inland reservoir has no natural connection with the world's oceans. At the same time, it can be considered a sea for several reasons: its vast territory, water reserves, as well as its salinity, ebbs and flows, storms, bottom topography (oceanic), indicates that the Caspian Sea originally belonged to an ancient reservoir , one with both the Black and the Sea of ​​Azov.

Approximately six thousand years ago, from the geological activity of the internal forces of the earth, the earth's crust sank, after which the Caspian Sea became a separate reservoir, which is located below the level of the world's oceans.

Feature of the Caspian Sea is also the fact that the indicators of the average salinity of the water here are weaker than in other seas of our planet. But after the Caspian was connected to the oceans by a whole system of the Volga-Don canals, many countries (USA and others) demanded that its status of a lake be changed to the status of a sea, thereby opening it for navigation of all countries.

Having the status of a lake, the Caspian has no problems with its economic zones, and its territorial waters and shelves. The Russian Federation has a significant navy in the Caspian.

The Caspian Sea covers an area of ​​371,000 km². The coastline stretches for almost seven thousand kilometers, of which Russia owns 695 kilometers, in the northern and northwestern parts of the reservoir.

Treeless low-lying shores in the northern part of the reservoir differ big amount channels of the Volga River. They form a huge number of different islands, as well as thickets and swampy areas. It is noteworthy that 80% of all water enters this lake from the Volga.

In the southern part of the Caspian Sea, on the territory of the Republic of Dagestan, stretched sandy beaches where seaside terraces meet in places. The waters of the lake here are replenished with such mountain rivers, like: Gamriozen, Uluchay and Rubas.

The coastline of the Caspian Sea on the territory of Russia forms bays: Agrakhansky and Kizlyarsky.

The Caspian Sea is covered with ice only in one place, in the north, and even then it lasts only for two months a year. Throughout the Caspian coast, summer is characterized by low precipitation, high air and water temperatures. And this is another one feature of the Caspian Sea.

The increase in the depth of the lake begins from north to south. Max Depth reservoir - more than one kilometer, average depth about 200 meters (at the same time, the same indicator of water depth in the north does not exceed 4.5 meters, and the maximum is a mark of 27. 20% of the territory of the northern part of the Caspian Sea is very shallow, its depth does not exceed 1 meter. The deeper part Caspian, in which the Derbent depression is located, has a maximum depth of 788 m, and as for southern regions lakes, it is here that the greatest depths are recorded.

The level of salinity of the water gradually increases, as the Caspian Sea moves away from the Volga River delta, it varies from 1 to 12%.

In the Volga delta, 60 kilometers from the Caspian Sea, the ancient city of Astrakhan is located. On the Caspian coast, on the territory of Kalmykia, there is the city of Lagan. And on the Dagestan coast of the Caspian Sea there are such cities as: Kaspiysk, Makhachkala, Dagestan Lights, Izberbash and Derbent.

Flora and fauna

One of the mysteries of this lake is the presence on its territory of a population of seals, a smaller variety that lives in northern seas. Their fishing is prohibited in the territory Russian Federation. Their “living” on the Dagestan coast clearly indicates that the waters of the Caspian Sea in these places were restored in an ecological aspect after oil production was curtailed here.

The flora and fauna of the Caspian Sea is quite diverse. The most typical representatives underwater world these places are: herring, gobies, sprat, mollusks (zebra mussel and cardium), various crustaceans. It is noteworthy that many species are endemic, i.e. those that are not found anywhere else.

The second group (about 25%) includes freshwater species that inhabited the Caspian Sea during different periods of lake desalination. They were perfectly able to adapt to low salinity. These fish include perch, carp, etc.

Belek Caspian seal

I wonder what's here at the end ice age some representatives of Arctic invertebrates and fish (white fish, salmon), as well as such mammals as the seal, which breeds its offspring in the Northern Caspian, were able to penetrate.

Mediterranean species belong to the fourth group of representatives of the Caspian marine fauna and flora. Most of of them came here by accident (for example, with ballast water or attached to the bottoms of ships) after the 1950s. It was then when the Caspian and Azov Seas became connected by the network of the Volga-Don Canal. In addition, in the 30-40s of the last century, the Caspian was deliberately populated with mullet and two species of invertebrates (Abra and Nereis, which, thanks to successful acclimatization, became the main component of the sturgeon diet).

All of the above features of the Caspian Sea make this reservoir very interesting not only from a scientific point of view, but great place For beach holiday, as well as fishing, thanks to great variety species of fish living here.

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Fishing in the Caspian

The Caspian Sea, due to the species diversity of commercial fish (101 species live here), is very attractive for lovers fishing. In recent years, fishing tourism has been actively developing here. And new articles will tell about fishing in the Caspian Sea, in the Astrakhan region, Kalmykia and Dagestan.

Caspian Beluga

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

The Caspian Sea is located on the Eurasia continent. Surprisingly, the Caspian Sea with an area of ​​370 thousand square kilometers is actually the most big lake, since it has no communication with the ocean. Although it is difficult to call it a lake, because the composition of the water, flora and fauna are similar to those of the sea. The salinity of the water is close to oceanic (from 0.05% to 13%).

Photo: Seagulls on the shore of the Caspian Sea.

About 50 million years ago in the territory of Eastern Europe The Tethys Sea was located, which, drying up, was divided into several large reservoirs - the Caspian, Black and Mediterranean Seas.

Thanks to mineral waters And therapeutic mud The Caspian Sea has a great recreational and health potential. Therefore, there is an increase in the popularity of the coast of Turkmenistan, Iran, Azerbaijan and Russian Dagestan among tourists.

Especially popular is resort area in the Baku region, where popular resort in Amburan, as well as the area of ​​the village of Nardaran, sanatoriums in the villages of Zagulba and Bilgah. In the north of Azerbaijan, the resort in Nabran is gaining popularity.

Unfortunately, tourism in Turkmenistan is underdeveloped due to the isolation policy. And in Iran, Sharia law prohibits rest foreign tourists on the coast.

But if you decide to relax on the Caspian Lake, then you will like to walk in protected areas, you will burn to see unusual floating islands, a variety of plants and animals that live in fresh and salt waters.

Here, throughout the year, a greater variety of ways to have a good time is offered. For example, you can go to motor ship cruises, go fishing or waterfowl hunting, or you can just enjoy medicinal waters, considering seals and various birds. Very beautiful protected areas coasts of the sea, for example, Astrakhan International biosphere reserve and the Volga Delta with lotus fields.

A feature of the Caspian region is oriental flavor with a hookah and bewitching dances. Traditional music will delight your ears, and East Asian cuisine will satisfy your hunger.

See where the Caspian Sea is located on the world map.

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Video: Caspian Sea. Storm. 08.07.2012.