Caspian states: borders, map. Which countries are washed by the Caspian Sea? Caspian Sea Water line of the Caspian Sea absolute height

, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran , Azerbaijan

Geographical position

Caspian Sea - view from space.

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

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.

History of the Caspian Sea

Origin of the Caspian Sea

Anthropological and cultural history of the Caspian Sea

Finds in the Khuto cave near the southern coast of the Caspian Sea indicate that a person lived in these parts about 75 thousand years ago. The first mention of the Caspian Sea and the tribes living on its coast are found in Herodotus. Approximately in the V-II centuries. BC e. Saka tribes lived on the coast of the Caspian Sea. Later, during the period of the settlement of the Turks, in the period of the 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 direction 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

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

Fishing and seafood

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

Recreational resources

The natural environment of the Caspian coast with sandy beaches, mineral waters and therapeutic mud in the coastal zone creates good conditions for recreation and treatment. At the same time, in terms of the degree of development of resorts and the tourism industry, the Caspian coast noticeably loses to the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. At the same time, in recent years, the tourism industry has been actively developing on the coast of Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Russian Dagestan. The resort area in the Baku region is actively developing in Azerbaijan. 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, a generally low level of service and the lack of advertising lead to the fact that there are almost no foreign tourists in the Caspian resorts. 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 the Caspian states on the status of the Caspian Sea - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan insisted on dividing the Caspian along the median line, Iran - on dividing the Caspian along one fifth 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.

CaspAndmOre(Caspian) - the largest enclosed body of water on Earth. In size, the Caspian Sea is much larger than such lakes as the Upper, Victoria, Huron, Michigan, Baikal. According to formal features, the Caspian Sea is an endorheic lake. However, given its large size, brackish waters and sea-like regime, this body of water is called the sea.

According to one hypothesis, the Caspian Sea (among the ancient Slavs - the Khvalyn Sea) got its name in honor of the Caspian tribes who lived before our era on its southwestern coast.

The Caspian Sea washes the shores of five states: Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.

The Caspian Sea is elongated in the meridional direction and is located between 36°33' and 47°07' N latitude. and 45°43΄ and 54°03΄ E (without Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay). The length of the sea along the meridian is about 1200 km; the average width is 310 km. The northern coast of the Caspian Sea is bordered by the Caspian lowland, the eastern coast by the deserts of Central Asia; in the west, the mountains of the Caucasus approach the sea, in the south, near the coast, the Elburz ridge stretches.

The surface of the Caspian Sea is much lower than the level of the World Ocean. Its current level fluctuates around -27 ... -28 m. These levels correspond to the sea surface area of 390 and 380 thousand km 2 (without the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay), the volume of water is 74.15 and 73.75 thousand km 3, average depth is about 190 m.

The Caspian Sea is traditionally divided into three large parts: the North (24% of the sea area), the Middle (36%) and the South Caspian (40%), which differ significantly in morphology and regime, as well as the large and isolated Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay. The northern, shelf part of the sea is shallow: its average depth is 5–6 m, maximum depths are 15–25 m, and the volume is less than 1% of the total water mass of the sea. The Middle Caspian is a separate basin with the area of maximum depths in the Derbent depression (788 m); its average depth is about 190 m. In the South Caspian, the average and maximum depths are 345 and 1025 m (in the South Caspian depression); 65% of the water mass of the sea is concentrated here.

There are about 50 islands in the Caspian Sea with a total area of approximately 400 km2; the main ones are Tyuleniy, Chechen, Zyudev, Konevsky, Dzhambaisky, Durneva, Ogurchinsky, Apsheronsky. The length of the coastline is approximately 6.8 thousand km, with islands - up to 7.5 thousand km. The shores of the Caspian Sea are diverse. In the northern and eastern parts, they are quite strongly indented. Here are the large bays of Kizlyarsky, Komsomolets, Mangyshlaksky, Kazakhsky, Kara-Bogaz-Gol, Krasnovodsky and Turkmensky, many bays; off the western coast - Kyzylagach. The largest peninsulas are Agrakhansky, Buzachi, Tyub-Karagan, Mangyshlak, Krasnovodsky, Cheleken and Apsheronsky. The most common banks are accumulative; areas with abrasion shores are found along the contour of the Middle and South Caspian.

More than 130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, the largest of which is the Volga. , Ural, Terek, Sulak, Samur, Kura, Sefidrud, Atrek, Emba (its runoff enters the sea only in high-water years). Nine rivers have deltas; the largest are located at the mouths of the Volga and Terek.

The main feature of the Caspian Sea, as a drainless reservoir, is instability and a wide range of long-term fluctuations in its level. This most important hydrological feature of the Caspian Sea has a significant impact on all its other hydrological characteristics, as well as on the structure and regime of river mouths, on coastal zones. In the Caspian Sea level varied in the range of ~200 m: from -140 to +50 m BS; in from -34 to -20 m BS. From the first third of the 19th century and until 1977, sea level dropped by about 3.8 m - to the lowest point in the last 400 years (-29.01 m BS). In 1978–1995 The level of the Caspian Sea rose by 2.35 m and reached -26.66 m BS. Since 1995, a certain downward trend has dominated - to -27.69 m BS in 2013.

During major periods, the northern shore of the Caspian Sea shifted to Samarskaya Luka on the Volga, and perhaps even further. At maximum transgressions, the Caspian turned into a sewage lake: excess water flowed through the Kuma-Manych depression into the Sea of Azov and further into the Black Sea. During the extreme regression, the southern coast of the Caspian was shifted to the Apsheron threshold.

Long-term fluctuations in the level of the Caspian are explained by changes in the structure of the water balance of the Caspian Sea. The sea level rises when the incoming part of the water balance (primarily river runoff) increases and exceeds the outgoing part, and decreases if the inflow of river waters decreases. The total water flow of all rivers averages 300 km 3 /year; while the five largest rivers account for almost 95% (the Volga provides 83%). During the period of the lowest sea level, in 1942–1977, the river flow was 275.3 km 3 / year (of which 234.6 km 3 / year is the flow of the Volga), precipitation - 70.9, underground flow - 4 km 3 /year, and evaporation and outflow to the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay - 354.79 and 9.8 km 3 /year. During the period of intensive sea level rise, in 1978-1995, respectively, 315 (Volga - 274.1), 86.1, 4, 348.79 and 8.7 km 3 / year; in the modern period - 287.4 (Volga - 248.2), 75.3, 4, 378.3 and 16.3 km 3 / year.

The intra-annual changes in the level of the Caspian Sea are characterized by a maximum in June–July and a minimum in February; the range of intra-annual level fluctuations is 30–40 cm. Surge-surge level fluctuations are manifested throughout the sea, but they are most significant in the northern part, where, with maximum surges, the level can rise by 2–4.5 m and the edge “retreat” by several tens of kilometers inland, and in case of surges - to drop by 1–2.5 m. Seiche and tidal level fluctuations do not exceed 0.1–0.2 m.

Despite the relatively small size of the reservoir in the Caspian Sea, there is strong excitement. The highest wave heights in the South Caspian can reach 10–11 m. Wave heights decrease from south to north. Storm waves can develop at any time of the year, but more often and more dangerously in the cold half of the year.

The Caspian Sea is generally dominated by wind currents; nevertheless, runoff currents play an appreciable role on the estuarine coasts of large rivers. Cyclonic water circulation prevails in the Middle Caspian, and anticyclonic circulation in the South Caspian. In the northern part of the sea, the patterns of wind currents are more irregular and depend on the characteristics and variability of the wind, bottom topography and coastlines, river runoff and aquatic vegetation.

The water temperature is subject to significant latitudinal and seasonal changes. In winter, it varies from 0–0.5 o C at the ice edge in the north of the sea to 10–11 o C in the south. In summer, the water temperature in the sea averages 23–28 o C, and in shallow coastal waters in the Northern Caspian it can reach 35–40 o C. At depths, a constant temperature is maintained: deeper than 100 m it is 4–7 o C.

In winter, only the northern part of the Caspian Sea freezes; in severe winter - the entire Northern Caspian and the coastal zones of the Middle Caspian. Freezing in the Northern Caspian lasts from November to March.

The salinity of water changes especially sharply in the northern part of the sea: from 0.1‰ on the estuarine coasts of the Volga and Urals to 10–12‰ on the border with the Middle Caspian. In the Northern Caspian, the temporal variability of water salinity is also great. In the middle and southern parts of the sea, salinity fluctuations are small: it is mainly 12.5–13.5‰, increasing from north to south and from west to east. The highest water salinity is in the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay (up to 300‰). With depth, the salinity of water increases slightly (by 0.1–0.3‰). The average salinity of the sea is about 12.5‰.

More than a hundred species of fish live in the Caspian Sea and the mouths of the rivers flowing into it. There are Mediterranean and Arctic invaders. Gobies, herring, salmon, carp, mullet and sturgeon fish serve as the object of fishing. The latter number five species: sturgeon, beluga, stellate sturgeon, spike and sterlet. The sea is capable of producing up to 500-550 thousand tons of fish annually if overfishing is not allowed. Of the marine mammals, the endemic Caspian seal lives in the Caspian Sea. Every year 5-6 million waterfowl migrate through the Caspian region.

The economy of the Caspian Sea is connected with oil and gas production, shipping, fishing, extraction of seafood, various salts and minerals (Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay), with the use of recreational resources. The explored 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 and gas are being produced on an ever-increasing scale. The Caspian Sea is also used by water transport, including along the river-sea and sea-river routes. The main ports of the Caspian Sea: Astrakhan, Olya, Makhachkala (Russia), Aktau, Atyrau (Kazakhstan), Baku (Azerbaijan), Nowshahr, Bender-Enzeli, Bender-Torkemen (Iran) and Turkmenbashi (Turkmenistan).

The economic activity and hydrological features of the Caspian Sea create a number of serious environmental and water management problems. Among them: anthropogenic pollution of river and sea waters (mainly with oil products, phenols and synthetic surfactants), poaching and reduction of fish stock, especially sturgeons; damage to the population and coastal economic activity due to large-scale and rapid changes in the level of the reservoir, the impact of numerous hazardous hydrological phenomena and hydrological and morphological processes.

The total economic damage for all the Caspian countries associated with the rapid and significant recent rise in the level of the Caspian Sea, the flooding of part of the coastal land, the destruction of coasts and coastal structures, was estimated at 15 to 30 billion US dollars. It took urgent engineering measures to protect the coast.

A sharp drop in the level of the Caspian Sea in the 1930s–1970s. led to less damage, but they were significant. The navigable approach channels became shallow, the shallow seashore at the mouths of the Volga and the Urals became heavily overgrown, which became an obstacle to the passage of fish into the rivers for spawning. It was necessary to build fish passages through the seasides mentioned above.

Among the unresolved problems is the lack of an international agreement on the international legal status of the Caspian Sea, the division of its water area, bottom and subsoil.

The Caspian Sea is the object of many years of research by specialists from all the Caspian states. Such domestic organizations as the State Oceanographic Institute, the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Hydrometeorological Center of Russia, the Caspian Research Institute of Fisheries, the Faculty of Geography of Moscow State University, etc. took an active part in the study of the Caspian Sea.

The Caspian Sea is one of the largest salt water bodies of the Earth, located at the junction of Europe and Asia. Its total area is about 370 thousand square meters. km. The reservoir receives more than 100 water flows. The largest rivers flowing into - Volga, Ural, Emba, Terek, Sulak, Samur, Kura, Atrek, Sefidrud.

The Volga River - the pearl of Russia

The Volga is a river flowing on the territory of the Russian Federation, partially crossing Kazakhstan. It belongs to the category of the largest and longest rivers on Earth. The total length of the Volga is more than 3500 km. The river originates in the village of Volgoverkhovye, Tver region, located on the territory of the Russian Federation. After that, it continues its movement through the territory of the Russian Federation.

It flows into the Caspian Sea, but does not have a direct outlet to the World Ocean, so it is classified as an internal drain. The watercourse receives about 200 tributaries and has more than 150 thousand drains. Today, reservoirs have been built on the river, allowing to regulate the flow, due to which the fluctuations in the water level have been sharply reduced.

The fishery of the river is diverse. Melon growing prevails in the Volga region: the fields are occupied by grain and industrial crops; salt is mined. Oil and gas fields have been discovered in the Ural region. The Volga is the largest river flowing into the Caspian Sea, so it is of great importance for Russia. The main transport facility that allows crossing this stream is the longest one in Russia.

Ural - a river in Eastern Europe

The Ural, like the Volga River, flows on the territory of two states - Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation. Historical name - Yaik. It originates in Bashkortostan at the top of the Uraltau ridge. The Ural River flows into the Caspian Sea. Its basin is the sixth largest in the Russian Federation, and the area is more than 230 square meters. km. An interesting fact: the Ural River, contrary to popular belief, belongs to the inland European river, and only its upper course in Russia belongs to Asia.

The mouth of the stream gradually becomes shallower. At this point, the river splits into several branches. This feature is typical throughout the entire length of the channel. During floods, you can watch the Ural overflow its banks, in principle, like many other Russian rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea. This is especially observed in places with a gently sloping coastline. Flooding occurs at a distance of up to 7 meters from the riverbed.

Emba - the river of Kazakhstan

Emba is a river flowing on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The name comes from the Turkmen language, literally translated as "the valley of food." The river basin with an area of 40 thousand square meters. km. The river begins its journey in the mountains of Mugodzhary and, flowing along, is lost among the swamps. Asking which rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, we can say that in full-flowing years, the Emba reaches its basin.

Natural resources such as oil and gas are being exploited along the coastline of the river. The issue of passing the border between Europe and Asia along the Emba watercourse, as in the case of the river. Ural, an open topic today. The reason for this is a natural factor: the mountains of the Ural Range, which are the main reference point for drawing borders, disappear, forming a homogeneous area.

Terek - mountain water stream

Terek is a river of the North Caucasus. The name literally translates from Turkic as "poplar". The Terek flows out of the glacier of Mount Zilga-Khokh, located in the Trusovsky Gorge of the Caucasus Range. passes through the lands of many states: North Ossetia, Georgia, Stavropol Territory, Kabardino-Balkaria, Dagestan and the Chechen Republic. It flows into the Caspian Sea and the Arkhangelsk Bay. The length of the river is just over 600 km, the basin area is about 43 thousand square meters. km. An interesting fact is that every 60-70 years the flow forms a new transit arm, while the old one loses its strength and disappears.

The Terek, like other rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea, is widely used to satisfy human economic needs: it is used to irrigate the arid territories of the adjacent lowlands. There are also several hydroelectric power plants on the water stream, the total average annual output of which is more than 200 million kWh. In the near future, it is planned to launch additional additional stations.

Sulak - water stream of Dagestan

Sulak is a river that connects the streams of the Avar Koisu and the Andi Koisu. It flows through the territory of Dagestan. It starts in the Main Sulak Canyon and ends its journey in the waters of the Caspian Sea. The main purpose of the river is the water supply of two cities of Dagestan - Makhachkala and Kaspiysk. Also, several hydroelectric power stations are already located on the river, it is planned to launch new ones to increase the generated capacity.

Samur - the pearl of South Dagestan

Samur is the second largest river in Dagestan. Literally, the name from the Indo-Aryan is translated as "an abundance of water." It originates at the foot of Mount Guton; It flows into the waters of the Caspian Sea in two branches - Samur and Small Samur. The total length of the river is just over 200 km.

All rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea are of great importance for the territories through which they flow. Samur is no exception. The main direction of using the river is irrigation of lands and providing residents of nearby cities with drinking water. It was because of this that a hydroelectric complex and a number of the Samur-Divichinsky canal were built.

At the beginning of the 20th century (2010), Russia and Azerbaijan signed an interstate agreement requiring both sides to rationally use the resources of the Samur River. The same agreement introduced territorial changes between these countries. The border between the two states has been moved to the middle of the hydroelectric complex.

Kura - the largest river of Transcaucasia

Asking the question which rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, I want to describe the flow of the Kuru. It flows on the land of three states at once: Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan. The length of the stream is more than 1000 km, the total area of the basin is about 200 thousand square meters. km. Part of the basin is located on the territory of Armenia and Iran. The source of the river is located in the Turkish province of Kars, flows into the waters of the Caspian Sea. The path of the river is thorny, laid among hollows and gorges, for which it got its name, which in Megrelian means “nibble”, that is, the Kura is a river that “gnaws” itself even among the mountains.

There are many cities on it, such as Borjomi, Tbilisi, Mtskheta and others. It plays an important role in meeting the economic needs of the inhabitants of these cities: hydroelectric power stations are located, and the Mingachevir reservoir created on the river is one of the main fresh water reserves for Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, the ecological state of the stream leaves much to be desired: the level of harmful substances exceeds the permissible limits by several times.

Features of the Atrek River

Atrek is a river located on the territory of Iran and Turkmenistan. It originates in the Turkmen-Kharasan mountains. Due to the active use in economic needs for irrigation of land, the river became shallow. For this reason, it reaches the Caspian Sea only during the flood period.

Sefidrud - the abundant river of the Caspian

Sefidrud is a major river of the Iranian state. It was originally formed by the confluence of two water streams - Kyzyluzen and Shakhrud. Now it flows out of the Shabanau reservoir and flows into the depths of the Caspian Sea. The total length of the river is over 700 km. The creation of a reservoir has become a necessity. It made it possible to minimize the risks of flooding, thereby securing the cities located in the river delta. The waters are used for irrigation of land with a total area of more than 200 thousand hectares of land.

As can be seen from the presented material, the Earth's water resources are in an unsatisfactory state. The rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea are actively used by man to meet his needs. And this has a detrimental effect on their condition: watercourses are depleted and polluted. That is why scientists around the world are sounding the alarm and conducting active propaganda, calling for saving and conserving water on Earth.

, Kura

42° N sh. 51° E d. HGIOL

Caspian Sea- the largest enclosed body of water on Earth, which can be classified as the largest drainless lake, or as a full-fledged sea, due to its size, and also due to the fact that its bed is composed of an oceanic type of earth's crust. Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. The water in the Caspian is brackish, - from 0.05 ‰ near the mouth of the Volga to 11-13 ‰ in the southeast. The water level is subject to fluctuations, according to 2009 data it was 27.16 m below sea level. The area of the Caspian Sea is currently approximately 371,000 km², the maximum depth is 1025 m.

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Subtitles

Etymology

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 the western coast of the Caspian in the territory of Azerbaijan, at the northeastern end of the Greater Caucasus, the cities of Baku and Sumgayit are located on its territory
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 a total area of approximately 350 square kilometers.

The largest islands:

gulfs

Major bays:

Kara-Bogaz-Gol

Off the eastern coast is the 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). The largest river flowing into the Caspian Sea is 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 of the 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 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

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.

Story

Origin

The Caspian Sea is of oceanic origin - its bed is composed of an oceanic type of earth's crust. 13 million liters n. 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 transgression was replaced by a domashkino regression (falling by 20–40 m from the level of the Akchagyl basin), accompanied by a strong desalination of sea water, which was due to the cessation of the inflow of sea (oceanic) water from outside. After a short Domashkino regression at the beginning of the Quaternary period (Eopleistocene), the Caspian is almost restored in the form of the Apsheron Sea, which covers the Caspian and floods the territories of Turkmenistan and the Lower Volga region. At the beginning of the Apsheron transgression, the basin turns into a brackish water reservoir. The Absheron Sea existed from 1.7 to 1 million years ago. The beginning of the Pleistocene in the Caspian was marked by a long and deep Turkyan regression (-150 m to -200 m), corresponding to the Matuyama-Brunhes magnetic reversal (0.8 Ma). The water mass of the Turkyan basin with an area of 208 thousand km² was concentrated in the South Caspian and part of the Middle Caspian basins, between which there was a shallow strait in the area of the Apsheron threshold. In the early Neopleistocene, after the Turkyan regression, there were isolated Early Baku and Late Baku basins with a runoff (level up to 20 m) (about 400 thousand years ago). The Vened (Mishovdag) regression separated the Baku and Urundzhik (Middle Neopleistocene, up to −15 m) transgressions at the end of the Early - the beginning of the Late Pleistocene (basin area - 336 thousand km²). Between the marine Urundzhik and Khazar deposits, a large deep Cheleken regression (up to −20 m) was noted, corresponding to the optimum of the Likhvin interglacial (350-300 thousand years ago). In the middle Neopleistocene, there were basins: early Khazar early (200 thousand years ago), early Khazar middle (level up to 35-40 m) and early Khazar late. In the Late Pleistocene, there was an isolated Late Khazar basin (level up to −10 m, 100 thousand years ago), after which a small Chernoyarsk regression of the second half - the end of the Middle Pleistocene occurred (thermoluminescent dates 122-184 thousand years ago), in in turn, replaced by the Hyrkanian (Gyurgyan) basin.

The deep long-term Atelian regression of the middle of the late Pleistocene at the initial stage had a level of -20 - -25 m, at the maximum stage -100 - -120 m, at the third stage - -45 - -50 m. At the maximum, the basin area is reduced to 228 thousand km² . After atelier regression (−120 - −140 m), approx. 17 thousand liters n. the early Khvalynian transgression began - up to + 50 m (the Manych-Kerch Strait functioned), which was interrupted by the Elton regression. The Early Khvalynsk II basin (level up to 50 m) was replaced at the beginning of the Holocene by a short-term Enotaev regression (from −45 to −110 m), coinciding in time with the end of the Preboreal and the beginning of the Boreal. The Enotaevka regression was replaced by the late Khvalynian transgression (0 m). The Late Khvalynian transgression was replaced in the Holocene (about 9-7 thousand years ago or 7.2-6.4 thousand years ago) by the Mangyshlak regression (from −50 to −90 m). The Mangyshlak regression was replaced in the first phase of interglacial cooling and moistening (Atlantic period) by the New Caspian transgression. The Novo-Caspian basin was brackish (11-13‰), warm-water and isolated (level up to −19 m). At least three cycles of transgressive-regressive phases have been recorded in the development of the New Caspian basin. The Dagestan (Gousan) transgression previously belonged to the initial stage of the New Caspian epoch, but the absence of the leading New Caspian form in its sediments Cerastoderma glaucum (cardium edule) gives grounds for separating it into an independent transgression of the Caspian. The Izberbash regression, separating the Dagestan and New Caspian transgressions of the Caspian proper, occurred in the interval between 4.3 and 3.9 thousand years ago. Judging by the structure of the Turali section (Dagestan) and radiocarbon analysis data, transgressions were noted twice - about 1900 and 1700 years ago.

Anthropological and cultural history of the Caspian Sea

Shipping

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 mud in the coastal zone creates good conditions for recreation and treatment. At the same time, in terms of the degree of development of resorts and the tourism industry, the Caspian coast noticeably loses to the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. At the same time, in recent years, the tourism industry has been actively developing on the coast of Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Russian Dagestan. The resort area in the Baku region is actively developing in Azerbaijan. 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 northern Azerbaijan. However, high prices, a generally low level of service and the lack of advertising lead to the fact that there are almost no foreign tourists in the Caspian resorts. 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

Legal status

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 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, 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. to the Caspian Sea.

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

Caspian Sea - the largest lake on Earth, drainless, located at the junction of Europe and Asia, called the sea because of its size, and also because its bed is composed of oceanic-type earth's crust. The water in the Caspian is salty - from 0.05 ‰ near the mouth of the Volga to 11-13 ‰ in the southeast. The water level is subject to fluctuations, according to 2009 data it was 27.16 m below sea level. The area of the Caspian Sea is currently approximately 371,000 km², the maximum depth is 1025 m.

Geographical position

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 Northern Caspian, the Middle Caspian and the Southern 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.

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.

Peninsulas of the Caspian Sea

Large peninsulas of the Caspian Sea:

Agrakhan Peninsula
The Absheron Peninsula, located on the western coast of the Caspian Sea in the territory of Azerbaijan, at the northeastern end of the Greater Caucasus, the cities of Baku and Sumgayit are located on its territory
Buzachi
Mangyshlak, located on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, on the territory of Kazakhstan, on its territory is the city of Aktau
Miankale
Tyub-Karagan

Islands of the Caspian Sea

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

Ashur-Ada
Garasu
Boyuk Zira
Zyanbil
Cure Dashi
Hara Zira
Ogurchinsky
Sengi-Mugan
Seals
Seal Islands
Chechen
Chygyl

Bays of the Caspian Sea

Large bays of the Caspian Sea:

Agrakhan bay
Kizlyar Bay
Dead Kultuk (former Komsomolets, former Tsesarevich Bay)
Kaydak
Mangyshlak
Kazakh
Kenderly
Turkmenbashi (bay) (former Krasnovodsk)
Turkmen (bay)
Gyzylagach (former bay named after Kirov)
Astrakhan (bay)
Hasan-kuli
Gyzlar
Hyrcanus (former Astarabad)
Anzali (former Pahlavi)
Kara-Bogaz-Gol

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) 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, Sulak and Emba provide up to 88-90% of the annual runoff to 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- The water level in the Caspian Sea is subject to significant fluctuations. According to modern science, over the past three thousand years, the magnitude of the change in the water level of the Caspian Sea has reached 15 meters. According to archeology and written sources, a high level of the Caspian Sea is recorded at the beginning of the 14th century. 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), from In 1978, the water level rose and in 1995 it 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. But in 2001, the sea level began to rise again, and reached -26.3 m.

Water temperature- water temperature is subject to significant latitudinal changes, most pronounced in winter, when the temperature changes from 0-0.5 °C at the ice edge in the north of the sea to 10-11 °C in the south, 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 one, and in the open sea the water temperature is 2-4 °C higher than near the coasts.

Water composition- the salt composition of the waters of the closed Caspian Sea differs from that of the ocean. There are significant differences in the ratios of the concentrations of salt-forming ions, especially for the waters of areas under the direct influence of continental runoff. The process of metamorphization of sea waters under the influence of continental runoff leads to a decrease in the relative content of chlorides in the total amount of salts 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.

Bottom relief- the relief of the northern part of the Caspian Sea is a shallow wavy plain with banks and accumulative islands, the average depth of the Northern Caspian is 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 common on the Caspian shelf, deep-water areas are covered with silty sediments, and in some areas there is an outcrop of bedrock.

Climate- The climate of the Caspian Sea is continental in the northern part, temperate in the middle part and subtropical in the southern part. In winter, the average monthly air temperature 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 of +44 degrees was recorded on the east coast. The average annual rainfall is 200 millimeters, 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. The average annual wind speed is 3-7 meters per second, northerly 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 areas are the Apsheron Peninsula, the environs of Makhachkala and Derbent, where the highest wave 11 meters high was also recorded.

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

Economic development of the Caspian Sea

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 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. In 1949, Oil Rocks for the first time began to extract oil from the bottom of the Caspian Sea. So, on August 24 of this year, the team of Mikhail Kaverochkin started drilling a well, which on November 7 of the same year gave the long-awaited oil. In addition to oil and gas production, salt, limestone, stone, sand, and clay are also mined on the coast of the Caspian Sea and the Caspian shelf.

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

Fishing and seafood-fishing (sturgeon, bream, carp, pike perch, sprat), caviar 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 sturgeon and their caviar flourishes in 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 the Caspian states on the status of the Caspian Sea - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan insisted on dividing the Caspian along the median line, Iran - on dividing the Caspian along one fifth between all the Caspian states. The current legal regime of the Caspian is 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.