Russian part of the Caspian Sea. How is the Terek replenished? Fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea is located in different geographical zones. It plays a big role in world history, is an important economic region and source of resources. The Caspian Sea is a unique body of water.

Short description

This sea is large. The bottom is covered with oceanic bark. These factors make it possible to classify it as a sea.

It is a closed reservoir, has no drains and is not connected with the waters of the oceans. Therefore, it can also be attributed to the category of lakes. In this case, it will be the most big lake on the planet.

The approximate area of the Caspian Sea is about 370 thousand square kilometers. The volume of the sea changes depending on the various fluctuations in the water level. The average value is 80 thousand cubic kilometers. The depth differs in its parts: the southern one has great depth than the north. The average depth is 208 meters, highest value in the southern part exceeds 1000 meters.

The Caspian Sea plays an important role in the development of trade relations between the countries. The resources mined in it, as well as other trade items, were transported to different countries since the development of navigation at sea. Since the Middle Ages, merchants have delivered exotic goods, spices and furs. Today, in addition to the transportation of resources, by sea, ferry crossings between cities. The Caspian Sea is also connected by a navigable canal through rivers with Sea of Azov.

Geographic characteristics

The Caspian Sea is located between two continents - Europe and Asia. Washes the territory of several countries. These are Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.

It has more than 50 islands, both large and small in size. For example, the islands of Ashur-Ada, Tyuleniy, Chigil, Gum, Zenbil. As well as the peninsulas, the most significant - Absheron, Mangyshlak, Agrakhan and others.

Main tributary water resources The Caspian Sea receives from the rivers flowing into it. In total, there are 130 tributaries of this reservoir. The largest is the Volga River, which brings the bulk of the water. The Kheras, Ural, Terek, Astarchay, Kura, Sulak and many others rivers also flow into it.

The waters of this sea form many bays. Among the largest are: Agrakhansky, Kizlyarsky, Turkmenbashi, Girkan Bay. In the eastern part there is a bay-lake called Kara-Bogaz-Gol. It communicates with the sea by a small strait.

Climate

The climate is characterized geographical location sea, therefore, it has several types: from continental in the northern region to subtropical in the south. This affects the air and water temperatures, which have great contrasts depending on the part of the sea, especially in the cold season.

in winter average temperature air in the northern region is about -10 degrees, water reaches a value of -1 degree.

IN southern region the temperature of air and water in winter warms up to an average of +10 degrees.

IN summer time air temperature in northern zone reaches +25 degrees. Much hotter in the south. The maximum recorded value here is + 44 degrees.

Resources

The natural resources of the Caspian Sea contain large reserves of various deposits.

One of the most valuable resources of the Caspian Sea is oil. Mining has been carried out since about 1820. Springs were opened on the territory of the seabed and its coast. By the beginning of the new century, the Caspian was at the forefront in obtaining this valuable product. During this time, thousands of wells were opened, which made it possible to extract oil on a huge industrial scale.

The Caspian Sea and the territory adjacent to it also have rich deposits of natural gas, mineral salts, sand, lime, several types of natural clay and rocks.

Inhabitants and fisheries

The biological resources of the Caspian Sea are very diverse and highly productive. It contains more than 1500 species of inhabitants, rich in commercial fish species. Population depends on climatic conditions in different parts of the sea.

In the northern part of the sea, pike perch, bream, catfish, asp, pike and other species are more common. Gobies, mullet, bream, herring live in the western and eastern. southern waters rich various representatives. One of the many are sturgeons. According to their content, this sea occupies a leading place among other reservoirs.

Among the wide variety, tuna, beluga, stellate sturgeon, sprat and many others are also caught. In addition, there are mollusks, crayfish, echinoderms and jellyfish.

The mammal Caspian seal lives in the Caspian Sea, or This animal is unique and lives only in these waters.

The sea is also characterized by a high content of various algae, for example, blue-green, red, brown; sea grass and phytoplankton.

Ecology

The extraction and transportation of oil has a huge negative impact on the ecological situation of the sea. The ingress of oil products into water is almost inevitable. Oil stains cause irreparable damage to marine habitats.

The main inflow of water resources to the Caspian Sea is provided by rivers. Unfortunately, most of them have a high level of pollution, which degrades the quality of the water in the sea.

Industrial and domestic effluents from the surrounding cities are poured into the sea in large quantities, which also damages the environment.

Poaching causes great damage to the marine habitat. Sturgeon species are the main target for illegal catching. This significantly reduces the number of sturgeon and threatens the entire population of this type.

The above information will help to assess the resources of the Caspian Sea, to briefly study the characteristics and ecological situation of this unique reservoir.

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Geographical position

The Caspian Sea is located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. The length of the 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 ° in d.).

According to the physical and geographical conditions, the Caspian Sea is conditionally divided into three parts - the North Caspian (25% of the sea area), the Middle Caspian (36%) and the South Caspian (39%). The conditional border between the North and Middle Caspian runs along the line Chechen Island - Cape Tyub-Karagan, between the Middle and South Caspian - along the line Chilov Island - Cape Gan-Gulu.

Coast

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

peninsulas

Absheron peninsula, located on west coast Caspian in the territory of Azerbaijan, at the northeastern end of the Greater Caucasus, on its territory the cities of Baku and Sumgayit are located
Mangyshlak, located on the east coast of the Caspian Sea, on the territory of Kazakhstan, on its territory is the city of Aktau

Islands

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

gulfs

Dead Kultuk (former Komsomolets, former Tsesarevich Bay)
Kenderly
Turkmenbashi (bay) (former Krasnovodsk)
Turkmen (bay)
Gyzylagach (former bay named after Kirov)
Astrakhan (bay)
Gyzlar
Hyrcanus (former Astarabad)
Anzali (former Pahlavi)

Kara-Bogaz-Gol

At east coast there is a salt lake Kara-Bogaz-Gol, which until 1980 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 cubic kilometers) and about 15 million tons of salt enter Kara-Bogaz-Gol from the Caspian Sea.

Rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea

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

Caspian Sea Basin

coastal states

According to the Intergovernmental Economic Conference Caspian states:

The Caspian Sea washes the shores of five coastal states:

Cities on the coast of the Caspian Sea

On the Russian coast there are cities - Lagan, Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, Izberbash, Dagestan Lights 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 coast of the Caspian Sea, but in the Volga delta, 60 kilometers from north coast 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. In the same time Northern part Caspian - shallow, its maximum depth does not exceed 25 meters, and the average depth is 4 meters.

Water level fluctuations

Vegetable world

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

History of the Caspian Sea

Origin of the Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea is of oceanic origin - its bed is composed of an oceanic type of earth's crust. 13 million years ago, the formed Alps separated the Sarmatian Sea from the Mediterranean. 3.4 - 1.8 million liters. n. (Pliocene) there was the Akchagyl Sea, the deposits of which were studied by N. I. Andrusov. It was originally formed on the site of the dried up Pontic Sea, from which Lake Balakhani remained (on the territory of the southern Caspian). The Akchagyl Sea evolves into the Apsheron Sea, which covers the Caspian Sea and floods the territories of Turkmenistan and the Lower Volga region. After atelier regression (- 100 m) approx. 17 thousand liters n. the early Khvalynian transgression began - up to + 50 m (the Manych-Kerch Strait functioned), which was replaced by the Elton regression. OK. 13.4-13.1 thousand liters. n. the Middle Khvalynsk transgression (0 m) began.

Anthropological and cultural history of the Caspian Sea

Shipping

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

Fishing and seafood

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

Recreational resources

The natural environment of the Caspian coast with sandy beaches, mineral waters and therapeutic muds in coastal zone creates good conditions for rest and treatment. At the same time, according to the degree of development of resorts and the tourism industry Caspian coast noticeably loses to the Black Sea coast 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 - Sharia law, due to which mass recreation 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.

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 the Caspian states on the status of the Caspian Sea - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan insisted on dividing the Caspian along the median line,

The Caspian Sea is rightfully the largest lake on the entire planet and this sea-lake is located at the junction of two significant parts of the world: Asia and Europe.

Until now, there are disagreements in the name of the Caspian Sea: is it a sea or a lake. And they call it the sea thanks to large sizes reservoir.

Origin of the sea

The Caspian Sea has an oceanic origin. It was formed approximately 10 million years ago as a result of the division of the Sarmatian Sea.

According to one of the legends modern name The Caspian reservoir received in honor of the Caspian tribes living on the southwestern shores. For all the time, the Caspian Sea has changed its name about 70 times.

currents

The water area of the Caspian Sea can be divided into the following three parts:

southern (39% of the area)
medium (36% of the total area)
northern part (25% of the area).

The currents of the reservoir are formed as a result of the following influences: the general influence of the wind regime, density differences in certain areas and the flow of inflowing rivers.

Off the western coast of the middle part of the Caspian, southern and southeastern currents predominate. For the middle and southern parts of the Caspian Sea, depending on the direction of the winds, currents of the northern, northwestern, southern and southeastern directions are characteristic. Eastern currents prevail in the eastern part of the Caspian.

The following currents also play an important role in the Caspian water cycle:

seiche;
gradient;
inertial.

Which rivers flow into the Caspian Sea

main part river waters they enter the Caspian through the Volga River. In addition to the Volga, the following rivers flow into this reservoir:

Samur, flowing on the border of Azerbaijan and Russia;
Astarachay, flowing on the border of Iran and Azerbaijan;
Kura located in Azerbaijan;
Kheraz, Sefudrud, Tejen, Polerud, Chalus, Babol and Gorgan flowing in Iran;
Sulak, Kuma, located in the territory Russian Federation;
Emba and Ural flowing in Kazakhstan;
Atrek located in Turkmenistan.

Sulak river photo

Where does the Caspian Sea flow into?

The Caspian reservoir has no connection with the ocean, since it is an endorheic reservoir. The Caspian Sea has dozens of bays. The largest of them can be distinguished: Komsomolets, Gyzlar, Kara-Bogaz-Gol, Mangyshlak, Kazakh, Krasnovodsk and others. Also in the waters of the Caspian Sea there are about 50 islands of different sizes, with a total area of more than 350 km2. Some of the islands are grouped into archipelagos.

Relief

In the relief of the bottom of the Caspian, the following forms can be distinguished: in the south of the reservoir there are deep sea trenches; continental slope, starting just below the shelf line and descending to the southern part of the Caspian Sea up to 750 m, and in the middle part of the Caspian Sea - up to 600 m. shelf, the length of which from the depth to the coastline is 100 m and is covered with shell sands, and in deep water - with silty sediments.

Derbent photo

The coastline of the northern region of the sea is low-lying, quite indented, in some areas it is flat. West Bank the reservoir is indented, mountainous. In the east, the coasts are distinguished by elevations. The southern coastline is mostly mountainous. The Caspian Sea is located in a zone of high seismicity. Also, mud volcanoes often erupt here, most of which are located in the southern part of the reservoir.

Cities

The following states have access to the waters of the Caspian Sea:

Russia. A large city is Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan. Also in Dagestan are the cities of Kaspiysk and Izberbash. In addition to the above cities in the Russian Federation on the Caspian Sea, Derbent, the southernmost city of Russia located on the western coast of the Caspian Sea, Olya in the Astrakhan region, should be noted.
Azerbaijan: The port city of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is located in the southern part Absheron Peninsula. Another major city is Sugmait, located in the northern part of the peninsula. The resorts of Nabran and Lankaran should also be noted. The latter is located near the southern border of Azerbaijan.
Turkmenistan with the port city of Turkmenbashi.
Iran: Bandar-Torkemen, Anzeli, Nowshahr.

Makhachkala photo

Flora and fauna

Whole animal world The water areas of the Caspian Sea can be conditionally divided into the following groups:

The first group consists of descendants of ancient organisms: representatives of herring (shad, Volga, Kessler and Brazhnikovskaya herring); representatives of the Caspian gobies (golovach, pugolovka, Berg, Baer, Knipovich and Bubyr); sprats; a large number of crustaceans; some types of shellfish.
The second group includes representatives of the fauna that entered the sea from the north in the post-glacial era of desalination of the reservoir: seal; fish species: perch, cyprinids, nelma, white salmon and trout; some representatives of crustaceans: sea cockroaches, mysid crustaceans and others.
The third group includes species that came to the Caspian from mediterranean sea: the following types of fish: golden mullet, flounder and needle fish; representatives of mollusks; representatives of crustaceans: shrimps, amphipods, crabs.
The fourth group includes representatives of freshwater fish that entered the Caspian Sea from fresh rivers: stellate sturgeon, beluga, sturgeon, Caspian fish, red-lipped asp, barbel, pike perch, catfish.

sturgeon photo

The water area of the Caspian Sea is the main and main habitat for sturgeon representatives on the entire planet. Almost 80% of all sturgeons in the world live in the sea. Sharks and various predatory fish that carry any danger to humans do not live in this reservoir.

The flora of the Caspian Sea is represented by more than 700 species of lower plants (phytoplankton), as well as 5 species of higher plants (spiral and sea ruppia, comb pondweed, zoster, sea mollusk). Here you can meet various waterfowl. Some of them come here for wintering from the north (waders, loons, gulls, geese, swans, ducks, geese), some come from the south for nesting (eagles).

Characteristic

Let's get acquainted with the main characteristics of the Caspian Sea:

The length from north to south was approximately 1200 km;
The width of the basin from west to east is approximately 200-435 km;
The total area of the Caspian is approximately 390,000 km2;
The volume of sea waters is 78000 km3.
Maximum sea depth- about 1025m.
The salinity of the water is on average up to 13.2%.

Sea level is below the level of the oceans. The north of the Caspian is characterized by a continental climate. The middle Caspian is characterized by a temperate climate. South part The sea is characterized by a subtropical climate. In winter, the average temperature in the north varies from 8 to 10 degrees of frost, and in the south from 8 to 10 degrees of heat. In summer, the average temperature in the north is 24-25 degrees above zero, and in the south 26-27 degrees of heat.

Caspian Sea. birds photo

To this day, scientists are arguing: what status to give the Caspian sea or lake? After all, this reservoir is closed and drainless. At the same time, this reservoir prevails in size over some other seas.
The bottom at the deepest point is separated from the water surface of the Caspian Sea by a distance of more than a kilometer. In the Caspian, the water level is unstable and tends to decrease.
This reservoir had about 70 names, which were given to it by different tribes and peoples living on the banks.
There is a scientific theory that claims that the Caspian and Black Sea, were united into one sea in ancient times.
The Volga River supplies the Caspian for the most part river water.
Since the Caspian is the main habitat for sturgeon fish on the planet, most of the black caviar in the world is produced here.
The waters of the Caspian reservoir are constantly renewed every 250 years. The name of the reservoir, according to legend, comes from the name of the tribe that lived on its shores.
The area of the Caspian Sea exceeds the area of Japan and slightly less than the area of Germany.
If this body of water is considered a lake: it will take the third place in terms of depth in the world, after Baikal and Tanganyika. Also the Caspian is the most large lake on the planet.
The Caspian Sea is very rich in Natural resources. Oil, gas, limestone, salt, clay, stones and sand are mined here.
Caspian Sea in Lately encountered the following environmental issues: Sea pollution. Oil is the main pollutant of the sea, suppressing the development of phytoplankton and phytobenthos. In addition to oil, phenols and heavy metals enter the Caspian. All this leads to a decrease in oxygen production, resulting in the death of a large number of fish and other organisms. Also, pollution leads to disease of living organisms in the sea. Poaching is one of the main reasons for the sharp decline in sturgeon catches. Changes in natural biogeochemical cycles. Construction on the Volga deprives fish representatives of their natural habitats.
The Caspian Sea is a very important object in the field of shipping and economy. This body of water is absolutely closed and isolated from the oceans. This is the distinctive uniqueness of the Caspian.

Until now, there are disputes about the status of the Caspian Sea. The fact is that, despite its common name, it is still the largest endorheic lake in the world. It was called the sea because of the features that the structure of the bottom has. It is formed by oceanic crust. In addition, the water in the Caspian Sea is salty. As at sea, storms are often observed here and strong winds raising high waves.

Geography

The Caspian Sea is located at the crossroads of Asia and Europe. In its shape, it resembles one of the letters of the Latin alphabet - S. From south to north, the sea stretches for 1200 km, and from east to west - from 195 to 435 km.

The territory of the Caspian Sea is heterogeneous in terms of its physical and geographical conditions. In this regard, it is conventionally divided into 3 parts. These include the Northern and Middle, as well as the Southern Caspian.

coastal countries

Which countries are washed by the Caspian Sea? There are only five of them:

Russia, located in the northwest and west. The length of the coastline of this state along the Caspian Sea is 695 km. Kalmykia, Dagestan and the Astrakhan region, which are part of Russia, are located here.
Kazakhstan. This is a country on the shores of the Caspian Sea, located in the east and northeast. The length of its coastline is 2320 km.
Turkmenistan. The map of the Caspian states indicates that this country is located in the southeast of the water basin. The length of the line along the coast is 1200 km.
Azerbaijan. This state, stretching along the Caspian for 955 km, washes its shores in the southwest.
Iran. The map of the Caspian states indicates that this country is located near southern shores drainless lake. However, its length maritime borders is 724 km.

Caspian sea?

Until now, the dispute about how to name this unique reservoir has not been resolved. And it is important to answer this question. The fact is that all countries on the Caspian Sea have this region own interests. However, the question of how to divide this huge body of water, the governments of the five states have not been able to decide for a long time. The main dispute revolved around the name. Is the Caspian still a sea or a lake? Moreover, the answer to this question is more of interest to non-geographers. First of all, politicians need it. This is due to the application of international law.

Caspian states such as Kazakhstan and Russia believe that their borders in this region are washed by the sea. In this regard, representatives of the two indicated countries insist on the application of the UN Convention, adopted in 1982. It concerns the law of the sea. The provisions of this document state that the coastal states are assigned a twelve-mile water zone along it. In addition, the country is granted the right to an economic maritime territory. It is located at a distance of two hundred miles. The coastal state also has the right to, however, even the widest part of the Caspian Sea is narrower than the distance specified in the international document. In such a case, the principle of the median line can be applied. At the same time, the Caspian states, which have the largest length of coastal borders, will receive a large sea area.

Iran has a different opinion on this matter. Its representatives believe that the Caspian should be divided fairly. In this case, all countries will get twenty percent of the sea area. One can understand the position of official Tehran. With such a solution to the problem, the state will control a larger zone than when dividing the sea along the median line.

However, the Caspian from year to year significantly changes its water level. This does not allow determining its median line and dividing the territory between states. Such countries of the Caspian Sea as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russia have signed an agreement among themselves defining those bottom zones on which the parties will exercise their economic rights. Thus, a certain legal truce has been achieved in the northern territories of the sea. Southern countries The Caspian Sea has not yet come to a unified decision. At the same time, they do not recognize the agreements reached by their northern neighbors.

The Caspian is a lake?

Adherents of this point of view proceed from the fact that the reservoir, located at the junction of Asia and Europe, is closed. In this case, it is impossible to apply the document on the norms of international maritime law to it. Supporters of this theory are convinced that they are right, referring to the fact that the Caspian Sea has no natural connection with the waters of the World Ocean. But here another difficulty arises. If the lake is the Caspian Sea, according to what international standards should the borders of states be defined in its water spaces? Unfortunately, such documents have not yet been developed. The fact is that the issues of the international lake were not discussed anywhere and by anyone.

Is the Caspian a unique body of water?

In addition to those listed above, there is another, third point of view on the ownership of this amazing reservoir. Its supporters are of the opinion that the Caspian should be recognized as an international water basin, belonging equally to all countries bordering on it. In their opinion, the resources of the region are subject to joint exploitation by the countries bordering the reservoir.

Solving Security Issues

The Caspian states are doing everything possible to eliminate all existing differences. And there are positive developments in this regard. One of the steps towards solving problems related to the Caspian region was an agreement signed on November 18, 2010 between all five countries. It concerns issues of cooperation in the field of security. In this document, the countries agreed on joint activities to eliminate terrorism, drug trafficking, smuggling, poaching, money laundering, etc. in the region.

environmental protection

Particular attention is paid to solving environmental issues. The territory on which the Caspian states and Eurasia are located is a region under the threat of industrial pollution. Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan are dumping waste from exploration and production of energy carriers into the waters of the Caspian Sea. Moreover, it is in these countries that a large number of abandoned oil wells are located, which are not operated because of their unprofitability, but nevertheless continue to have an adverse impact on the environmental situation. As for Iran, it drops into sea waters agricultural waste and runoff. Russia threatens the ecology of the region with industrial pollution. It's connected with economic activity deployed in the Volga region.

Countries on the Caspian Sea have made some progress in solving problems environment. Thus, since August 12, 2007, the Framework Convection has been in force in the region, which sets itself the goal of protecting the Caspian Sea. This document developed provisions on the protection of bioresources and the regulation of anthropogenic factors affecting the aquatic environment. According to this convection, the parties must interact when carrying out measures to improve environmental situation in the Caspian.

In 2011 and 2012, all five countries also signed other documents significant for the protection of the marine environment. Among them:

Protocol on Cooperation, Response and Regional Preparedness for Oil Pollution Events.
Protocol concerning the protection of the region against pollution from land-based sources.

Development of the gas pipeline construction

To date, another problem is unresolved in the Caspian region. It concerns the laying This idea is an important strategic task of the West and the United States, which continue to look for sources of energy resources alternative to Russian ones. That is why, when resolving this issue, the parties do not turn to such countries as Kazakhstan, Iran and, of course, the Russian Federation. Brussels and Washington supported the statement made in Baku on November 18, 2010 at the summit of the heads of the Caspian countries. He expressed the official position of Ashgabat regarding the laying of the pipeline. The Turkmen authorities believe that the project should be carried out. At the same time, only those states, on the territories of the bottom of which it will be located, must give their consent to the construction of the pipeline. These are Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. Iran and Russia opposed this position and the project itself. At the same time, they were guided by the issues of protecting the Caspian ecosystem. To date, the construction of the pipeline is not carried out due to disagreement between the project participants.

Hosting the first summit

The countries on the Caspian Sea are constantly looking for ways to solve the problems that have matured in this Eurasian region. For this, special meetings of their representatives are organized. Thus, the first summit of the heads of the Caspian states took place in April 2002. Ashgabat became its venue. However, the results of this meeting did not meet expectations. The summit was considered unsuccessful due to Iran's demands for the division of the sea into 5 equal parts. This was strongly opposed by other countries. Their representatives defended their own point of view that the size of national water areas should correspond to the length that the coastline of the state has.

The failure of the summit was also provoked by a dispute between Ashgabat and Baku over the ownership of three oil fields located in the center of the Caspian Sea. As a result, the heads of the five states did not develop a unanimous opinion on any of all the issues raised. However, at the same time, an agreement was reached to hold a second summit. It was supposed to take place in 2003 in Baku.

Second Caspian Summit

Despite the existing agreements, the scheduled meeting was postponed every year. The heads of the Caspian littoral states gathered for the second summit only on October 16, 2007. The venue was Tehran. At the meeting, topical issues related to determining the legal status of a unique reservoir, which is the Caspian Sea, were discussed. The borders of the states within the framework of the division of the water area were preliminarily agreed during the development of the draft of the new convention. Issues of security, ecology, economy and cooperation were also raised. coastal countries. In addition, the results of the work that the states have carried out since the first summit were summed up. In Tehran, representatives of the five states also outlined ways for further cooperation in the region.

Meeting at the third summit

Once again, the heads of the Caspian countries met in Baku on November 18, 2010. The result of this summit was the signing of an agreement on expanding cooperation regarding security issues. During the meeting, it was pointed out that which countries werehes the Caspian Sea, only those should ensure the fight against terrorism, transnational crime, weapons proliferation, etc.

Fourth Summit

Once again, the Caspian states raised their problems in Astrakhan on September 29, 2014. At this meeting, the presidents of the five countries signed another statement.

In it, the parties fixed the exclusive right of the coastal countries to deploy armed forces in the Caspian. But even at this meeting, the status of the Caspian was not finally settled.

Expert Answer

On Sunday, August 12, in Kazakhstan's Aktau, the presidents of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan signed the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea. Previously, its status was regulated by the Soviet-Iranian treaties, in which the Caspian Sea was defined as a closed (inland) sea, and each littoral state had sovereign rights over a 10-mile zone and equal rights over the rest of the sea.

Now, according to the new convention, each country has its own territorial waters (zones 15 miles wide). In addition, the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 will not apply to the Caspian Sea, the seabed will be delimited into sectors, as is done by neighbors on the seas, and sovereignty over the water column will be established on the basis of the principle that this is a lake.

Why is the Caspian considered neither a lake nor a sea?

To be considered a sea, the Caspian must have access to the ocean, this is one of the most important conditions for a body of water to be called a sea. But the Caspian has no access to the ocean, so it is considered a closed body of water, not connected to the oceans.

The second feature that distinguishes sea water from lake water is their high salinity. The water in the Caspian Sea is really salty, but in its own way salt composition it occupies an intermediate position between the river and the ocean. In addition, in the Caspian Sea, salinity increases towards the south. The Volga delta contains from 0.3‰ salts, and eastern regions In the South and Middle Caspian, salinity already reaches 13-14‰. And if we talk about the salinity of the World Ocean, then it averages 34.7 ‰.

Due to specific geographical and hydrological characteristics the reservoir received a special legal status. The summit participants decided that the Caspian Sea is an inland water body that has no direct connection with the World Ocean, and therefore cannot be considered a sea, and at the same time, due to its size, water composition and bottom features, it cannot be considered a lake.

What has been achieved since the signing of the Convention?

The new treaty expands the possibilities for cooperation between countries, and also involves limiting any military presence of third countries. According to political scientist, director of the Institute newest states Alexey Martynov, the main achievement of the last summit is that its participants managed to stop any talk about the possible construction of NATO military bases and infrastructure facilities in the Caspian Sea.

“The most important thing that has been achieved is to fix that the Caspian will be demilitarized for all the Caspian states. There will be no other military, except for those representing the countries that have signed the Caspian Agreement. This is a fundamental and main issue that was important to fix. Everything else, that is divided in proportion to the zone of influence, the zone of extraction of bioresources, the zone of extraction of shelf resources was not so important. As we remember, in the last twenty years, the military has been actively striving for the region. The USA even wanted to build their own military base", says Martynov.

In addition to the distribution of the shares of each country in the oil and gas fields of the Caspian basin, the Convention also provides for the construction of pipelines. As stated in the document, the rules for their laying provide for the consent of only neighboring countries, and not all countries of the Caspian Sea. After the signing of the agreement, Turkmenistan, in particular, stated that it was ready to lay pipelines along the bottom of the Caspian Sea, which would allow it to export its gas through Azerbaijan to Europe. The consent of Russia, which previously insisted that the project could only be implemented with the permission of all five Caspian states, is no longer required. The gas pipeline is planned to be connected in the future to the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline, through which natural gas will go through the territory of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey to Greece.

“Turkmenistan is not a foreign country to us, but our partner, a country that we consider very important for us on the territory post-Soviet space. We cannot be against them receiving an additional impetus for development through such pipeline projects. Gas has been coming from Turkmenistan and other countries through a different pipeline system for a long time, somewhere it even mixes with Russian gas, and there is nothing wrong with that. If this project works, then everyone will benefit, including Russia. In no case should the project be considered as a kind of competition. The European market is so big and insatiable, I mean the energy market, that there is enough space for everyone,” says Martynov.

Today, almost all Turkmen gas is supplied to China, where Russia also intends to supply natural gas. For this purpose, in particular, a large-scale project for the construction of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline is being implemented. Thus, the geography of gas supplies from both countries may expand - Turkmenistan will gain access to the European market, and Russia will be able to increase its gas supplies to China.