Is the coastline of the Caspian Sea indented? The largest lake in the world is the Caspian Sea. Russian resorts of the Caspian Sea

Today in Astrakhan the program for celebrating Caspian Sea Day began. Such holidays are also celebrated in the five Caspian states. Although the Caspian Sea requires in modern conditions not so much festive events, but respect from all who inhabit its shores and exploit its wealth.

“Caspian News”, of course, cannot stand aside, because the attitude towards the Caspian Sea is inherent in the very name and ideology of our portal. Our story about a unique reservoir is a kind of offering to the “hero of the occasion.”

The uniqueness of the Caspian Sea lies, first of all, in the fact that it is not a sea, but a real closed lake. The sea must have access to the World Ocean, which the Caspian does not have; on the other hand, it is salt lake has all the signs of the sea, starting with ebbs and flows and ending with real storms, about which sailors say: “No ocean storms are scary for someone who has survived a storm in the Caspian Sea.” And the oceanic bottom topography is convincing evidence that initially the Caspian Sea, together with the Black and Seas of Azov belonged to a single ancient body of water, that is, it was part of the World Ocean.

Where it is now Caspian lake, several tens of thousands of years ago, a depression was formed in the earth’s crust. Today it is filled with the waters of the Caspian Sea. At the end of the 20th century, the water level in the Caspian Sea was 28 meters below the level of the World Ocean. About six thousand years ago, the waters of the Caspian Sea gained independence, parting with the World Ocean. Another feature that distinguishes the Caspian from the sea is that the salinity of the water in it is almost three times lower than the salinity of the sea. This is because the rivers carry their fresh water to the Caspian Sea. The Volga accounts for the largest contribution: it gives almost 80% of all water to the sea-lake. And it also connects the Caspian Sea with the World Ocean through a system of canals. That's why this lake is still considered a sea!

In terms of its area and volume of water, the Caspian Sea-lake has no equal on Earth. The volume of water in the Caspian Sea accounts for 44% of the reserve of all lake waters on the planet! If we talk about the depth of reservoirs, their area and volume of water, the lake can compete with the Yellow, Baltic and Black Seas and surpasses the Aegean and Adriatic Seas in these same parameters.

Not every sea can boast that during its history it has had as many names as the Caspian: as many as seventy! Every traveler, every expedition to the Caspian Sea and the ancient peoples inhabiting its coast gave it their names. The most famous names are: Djurdzhansky, Khvalynsky, Shirvansky, Derbentsky, Saraysky and finally, Khazar. In Azerbaijan and Iran, the Caspian Sea is still called the Khazar Sea. A modern name The sea got its name from the tribes of Caspian horse breeders, who for a very long time inhabited the eastern parts of the Caucasus and the steppes of the Caspian territories.

The Caspian Sea is the hero of many legends and traditions in the epic of all peoples living on its shores. Legends, as a rule, tell about the love of a mighty and handsome Caspian hero for one of the beauties named Volga, Kura or Amu Darya - the choice is huge, since about 130 large and small rivers flow into the sea, nine of which have a mouth in the form deltas. Everyone's fantasy on the theme of love is approximately the same.

The sea area is divided into three regions: Northern, Middle and Southern Caspian. The Northern Caspian is shallow. The greatest depth of the Middle Caspian in the area of ​​the Derbent depression is about 788 m. Beyond the Absheron threshold, the South Caspian begins, this is where the sea is deepest: about 1025 m. For clarity, imagine three Eiffel towers stacked on top of each other.

There are many secrets and mysteries associated with the Caspian Sea. In 1939, archaeological divers found a flooded ancient guest house (caravanserai) in Baku Bay. Many inscriptions have been preserved on the walls, indicating that the building was erected in 1234-1235. Perhaps these are leftovers ancient city Sabaila. Ancient quarries have been discovered nearby in the sea. And in 1940, when laying a dam on the Absheron Peninsula, they discovered ancient cemetery. The burials date back to the 1st century BC. It can be assumed that the level of the Caspian Sea in those days was about four meters lower than today.

It is no coincidence that the inscription on geographical map, compiled in 1320, says: “The sea comes every year to one hand, and already many good cities flooded"

Instrumental measurements of the level of the Caspian Sea and systematic observations of its fluctuations have been carried out since 1837. The highest water level was recorded in 1882 (−25.2 m), the lowest in 1977 (−29.0 m), since 1978 the water level has risen and in 1995 reached −26.7 m, since 1996 year began to decline again, and since 2001 - to rise again and reached a level of −26.3 m. The reasons for this “behavior” of the Caspian Sea are climate change, as well as geological and anthropogenic factors.

Another mystery unique sea-lake the Caspian seal remains: scientists cannot answer the question of where the animal of northern latitudes came from in the Caspian Sea. In total, 1809 species of different groups of animals live in the Caspian Sea. The Caspian Sea is also famous for its valuable fish species, in particular sturgeon. Their reserves account for up to 80% of the world's resources. The most valuable caviar is not black, as many are accustomed to believe, but white. Albino Beluga caviar ranges in color from light gray to white. The lighter the color, the more expensive: the cost of 100 grams is $2,000. This fish is caught in the Caspian Sea off the coast of Iran.

Many oil and gas fields are being developed in the Caspian Sea. The first oil well was drilled on the Absheron Peninsula near Baku back in 1820. In 1949, they began to extract oil from the bottom of the Caspian Sea for the first time. Salt, limestone, stone, sand and clay are also mined on the coast of the Caspian Sea and the Caspian shelf.

The Caspian Sea washes the shores of five countries: Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Russia. Caspian Day has been celebrated in every country for several years now, reminding that the Caspian Sea is not just a waterer and breadwinner for the peoples inhabiting its shores, but a very fragile ecosystem.

By the way, in 1978, World Maritime Day appeared on the calendar of world events, which refers to international days UN, designed to draw humanity's attention to the problems of the hydraulic system. There is also an International Black Sea Day: in 1996, representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Georgia signed a strategic action plan to save the Black Sea. In this regard, the Day of the Caspian Sea is also, rather, not a holiday, but a warning, a warning to people about how everything is interconnected in this world and how it is possible, by mercilessly exploiting, to lose what is dear to everyone.

Marina Parenskaya

The Caspian Sea is one of the largest salty bodies of water on 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 streams. The largest rivers flowing into the 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. Belongs to the category of the largest and long rivers on Earth. The total length of the Volga is more than 3,500 km. The river originates in the village of Volgoverkhovye, Tver region, located on the river. After that, it continues its movement through the territory Russian Federation.

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

The river's fisheries are varied. In the Volga region, melon growing predominates: the fields are occupied by grain and industrial crops; table salt is extracted. Oil and gas deposits have been discovered in the Urals region. The Volga is the largest river flowing into the Caspian Sea, so it is of great importance for Russia. The main transport structure that allows you to cross this stream is the longest in Russia.

Ural - 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 pool is the sixth largest in the Russian Federation, and its area is more than 230 square meters. km. Interesting fact: The Ural River, contrary to popular belief, belongs to an inland European river, and only its upper course in Russia belongs to Asia.

The mouth of the watercourse is gradually becoming shallow. At this point the river divides into several branches. This feature is characteristic along the entire length of the channel. During floods, you can observe how the Ural overflows its banks, in principle, like many other Russian rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea. This is especially observed in places with a flat coastline. Flooding occurs at a distance of up to 7 meters from the riverbed.

Emba - river of Kazakhstan

Emba is a river flowing in the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The name comes from the Turkmen language, literally translated as “valley of food”. The river basin has an area of ​​40 thousand square meters. km. The river begins its journey in the Mugodzhary mountains and, as it flows, it gets lost among the swamps. When asking which rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, we can say that in high-flow years the Emba reaches its basin.

Along the river's coastline, such natural resources, like oil and gas. 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 even today. The reason for this is natural factor: the mountains of the Ural range, which are the main landmark for drawing boundaries, disappear, forming a homogeneous terrain.

Terek - mountain water stream

Terek - river North Caucasus. The name is literally translated from Turkic as “poplar”. The Terek flows from 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 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 branch, 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 areas of the adjacent lowlands. There are also several hydroelectric power stations located on the water stream, the total average annual production of which is more than 200 million kWh. New additional stations are planned to be launched in the near future.

Sulak - water stream of Dagestan

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

Samur - the pearl of Southern Dagestan

Samur is the second largest river in Dagestan. The name is literally translated from Indo-Aryan as “abundance of water.” It originates at the foot of Mount Guton; It flows into the waters of the Caspian Sea through 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 purpose of using the river is to irrigate land and provide food for residents of nearby cities. drinking water. It is because of this that the waterworks and a number of the Samur-Divichi canal were built.

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

Kura - the largest river in Transcaucasia

When wondering which rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, I would like to describe the Kuru stream. 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 in the Turkish province of Kars, flowing into the waters of the Caspian Sea. The path of the river is thorny, laid among hollows and gorges, for which it received its name, which translated from the Mingrelian language means “gnaw”, that is, the Kura is a river that “gnaws” itself 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 residents of these cities: hydroelectric power stations are being built, 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 is several times higher than the permissible limits.

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 active use for economic needs for irrigation, the river has become shallow. For this reason, it reaches the Caspian Sea only during flood periods.

Sefidrud - high-water river of the Caspian Sea

Sefidrud is a major river of the Iranian state. Initially it was formed by the confluence of two water streams - Kyzyluzen and Shahrud. Now it flows out of the Shabanau reservoir and flows into the depths of the Caspian Sea. The total length of the river is more than 700 km. The creation of a reservoir became a necessity. It made it possible to minimize the risk of flooding, thereby protecting the cities located in the river delta. Water is used to irrigate land total area more than 200 thousand hectares of land.

As can be seen from the presented material, the Earth's water resources are in unsatisfactory condition. The rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea are actively used by people to satisfy their 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.

The Caspian Sea is a pearl of unique beauty and originality. This is a unique, the only enclosed body of water in the world with a fragile and invaluable ecosystem. Its uniqueness attracts world attention. The Caspian Sea is considered the largest inland body of water in the world, located at the junction of Asia and Europe. Poets, philosophers, historians, and geographers devoted a lot of their work to this amazing natural creation. Among them: Homer, Herodotus, Aristotle. The biological environment of the Caspian Sea is also unique. But first things first. We invite you to find out about the depth, level, location of this reservoir, which countries are washed by the Caspian Sea. Well, let's go...

Historical information

Many people are interested in where the Caspian Sea is located and the history of its origin. But few people know that it is of oceanic origin. Thirteen million years ago this place was the bottom of the ocean. As a result of natural disasters, the Alps arose and disconnected the Sarmatian Sea from the Mediterranean. 5 million years passed, and the Sarmatian Sea was divided into smaller bodies of water, which included the Black and Caspian Seas. The connection and division of waters continued for a long time. And so 2 million years ago the Caspian Sea was completely cut off from the World Ocean. This was the beginning of its formation. History confirms that during the period of its formation, the depth and area of ​​the Caspian Sea changed repeatedly.

Today the Caspian Sea is classified as the largest closed lake. Because of its enormous size, it is commonly called the sea. And also because it formed on the oceanic crust.

Today the Caspian makes up 44% of the planet's lake waters. Throughout its formation, different tribes and peoples gave the lake about 70 names. The Greeks called it Hyrcanian (Djurdzhanian) lake from the name of the city of Gorgan and the province of Hyrcania. The ancient Russians called it the Khvalyn Sea, from the name that lived in the coastal region of the Khvalis people. Arabs, Persians, Azerbaijanis, Turks, Crimean Tatars called it the Khazar Sea. Once upon a time, in the delta of the Kura River, which flows into the reservoir, there was an island and a city, after which it was called the Abeskun Sea. Later this city was flooded. There was also the name Saraiskoye Lake. In honor of the city of Derbant (Dagestan), it was called the Derbent Sea. There was also the name Sihai et al.

Geographical location

Many people want to know where the Caspian Sea is located on the map. This place is located at the junction of Europe and Asia. The physical and geographical conditions of the sea make it possible to divide it into three parts:

1. The share of the Northern Caspian occupies 25% of the reservoir.
2. The Middle Caspian zone has 36%.
3. The component of the southern part of the lake is 39%.

The Northern and Middle Caspian Sea separates the island of Chechen from Cape Tyub-Karagan. The Middle and Southern Caspian Sea shares Chilov Island with Cape Gan-Gulu.

The territory adjacent to the lake is called the Caspian region. The size of the Caspian Sea is amazing. The coastline stretches approximately 6,500 - 6,700 kilometers. The banks have a low and smooth structure. The northern part of the coastline is cut by water channels and islands of the Ural and Volga deltas. The banks are mostly low and swampy, covered with thickets. East coast has a limestone structure. In the west the banks are very winding.

Relief and depth, area of ​​the Caspian Sea

These figures fluctuate constantly. As a result, they affect sea levels. The Caspian Sea thus changes the area and volume of water. If its level is 26.75 km, then its area is 371,000 km 2. And what is the maximum and average depth Caspian Sea? In terms of maximum depth, it is second only to Baikal and Tanganyika. The maximum depth in the South Caspian depression is 1,025 m. The average depth of the Caspian Sea is helped to calculate the bathygraphic curve, which indicates a depth of 208 m. In the north, the reservoir is shallower - 25 m. The Middle Caspian has many deep depressions, continental slopes, shelves. Here the average depth reaches 192 m. The Derbent depression has a depth of 788 m.

The length of the lake from north to south is 1,200 km, and the width of the Caspian Sea from west to east is up to 435 km. The relief of the northern part of the lake is flat, with accumulative islands and banks. The southern part of the Caspian shelf is rich in shell sands and deep-sea areas with silty sediments. Sometimes there are bedrocks exposed here.

Peninsulas, islands and bays of the Caspian Sea

There are a number of large peninsulas located in the area of ​​the Caspian Sea. On the west coast, near Azerbaijan, is the Absheron Peninsula. It is here that the cities of Baku and Sumgait are located. On the eastern side (territory of Kazakhstan) is the Mangyshlak Peninsula. The city of Aktau was built here. It is also worth noting the following large peninsulas: Miankale, Tyub-Karagan, Buzachi, Agrakhan Peninsula.

The total area of ​​the large and medium-sized islands of the Caspian Sea is 350 km 2 . There are about 50 such islands. The largest and most famous are: Ashur-Ada, Garasu, Chechen, Chigil, Gum, Dash-Zira, Ogurchinsky, etc.

Such a huge body of water cannot exist without bays. The Agrakhan, Kizlyar, Mangyshlak, and Kazakh bays are famous. It is also worth remembering Kaydak Bay, Kenderli, Turkmen, Astrakhan, Hasan-Kuli, Anzeli.

The salt lake Kara-Bogaz-Gol is considered a special bay-lagoon of the Caspian Sea. In 1980, a dam was built that separates this strait from the Caspian Sea. Every year 8-10 km 3 of water flows from the Caspian Sea to Kara-Bogaz-Gol.

Which countries is washed by the Caspian Sea?

The Intergovernmental Economic Conference of the Caspian States established that five coastal countries wash the Caspian Sea. Which ones exactly? In the north, northeast and east it borders with Kazakhstan. The coastline is 2,320 km. Who does the Caspian Sea border on in the south? This is Iran with a coastline of 724 km. In the southeast is Turkmenistan with a coastline of about 1,200 km. The north-west and west of the Caspian Sea is occupied by Russia with a length of 695 km. Azerbaijan stretches for 955 km in the southwest. This is a kind of “Caspian Five”.

Coastline and nearby cities

Many cities, ports and resorts are located on the Caspian Sea. In Russia, the largest objects are considered to be: Kaspiysk, Makhachkala, Izberbash, Lagan, Dagestan Lights, Derbent. Astrakhan is the largest port city Caspian Sea, located in the Volga delta (60 km from the northern coast).

In Azerbaijan, Baku is considered the largest port city. Its location is at southern part Absheron Peninsula. The city is home to 2.5 million people. Sumgayit is located a little to the north. Lankaran is located near the southern border of Azerbaijan. In the southeast Absheron Peninsula there is a settlement of oil workers - Neftyanye Kamni.

In Turkmenistan, on the northern shore of the Krasnovodsk Bay, the city of Turkmenbashi is located. Large resort this country is Avaza.

In Kazakhstan, the port city of Aktau was built near the Caspian Sea. To the north, in the delta of the Ural River is Atyrau. In Iran, on south coast reservoir, Bender-Anzeli is located.

Rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea

130 large and small rivers flow into the Caspian Sea. Nine of them have a deltoid opening. Among the largest rivers we highlight the Volga, Ural, Terek, Samur, Sulak, Emba, Kura, Atrek. Most large river, flowing into the reservoir, is considered to be the Volga. On average, 215-224 km 3 of water flows out of it per year. All of the above rivers replenish the annual water supply of the Caspian Sea by 88-90%.

Currents, flora and fauna of the Caspian Sea

For those who are interested in where the Caspian Sea flows, the answer is already clear - it is a closed body of water. The water circulates in it thanks to winds and drains. Most of the water flows into the Northern Caspian, so northern currents circulate there. These intense currents carry water to west coast Absheron Peninsula. There the current changes into two branches - one moves parallel to the western shore, the other - to the eastern.

The fauna of the Caspian basin is represented by 1810 animal species. 415 of them are representatives of vertebrates. About 100 species of fish swim in the Caspian Sea, and they also live here. large number sturgeon. Freshwater fish are also found here, including pike perch, carp, and roach. There are also a lot of carp, mullet, sprat, kutum, bream, salmon, perch, and pike in the sea. It is worth remembering one more inhabitant - the Caspian seal.

The flora of the Caspian Sea and coastal zone includes 730 species. It is important to note that the reservoir is overgrown with blue-green, diatoms, red, brown, and chara algae. The most common flowering algae are ruppia and zoster. The age of the Caspian flora dates back to the Neogene period. Many plants entered the Caspian Sea with the help of ships or conscious human actions.

Research works

Between 285 and 282 BC. Greek king Seleuko I ordered the geographer Patroclus the Macedonian to explore the Caspian Lake. Later this work was continued by order of Peter the Great. For this purpose, an expedition was specially organized, led by A. Bekovich-Cherkassky. Later, research was continued by the expedition of Karl von Werden. The following scientists also studied the Caspian Sea: F.I. Simonov, I.V. Tokmachev, M.I. Voinovich.

IN late XIX instrumental coastal survey was carried out by I.F. Kolodkin, later - N.A. Ivashentseva. During the same period, N.M. studied the hydrology and hydrobiology of the Caspian Sea for 50 years. Knipovich. The year 1897 was marked by the founding of the Astrakhan Research Station. At the beginning Soviet era The Caspian Sea was studied by I.M. Gubkin and other geologists. They aimed their work at searching for oil, studying the aquatic environment, and changes in the level of the Caspian Sea.

Economic sphere, shipping, fishing

Many gas and oil deposits have been found in the Caspian Sea. Scientists have proven that there are about 10 billion tons of oil resources here, and together with gas condensate - 20 billion tons. Since 1820, oil production began on the Absheron shelf, near Baku. Then oil production began on an industrial scale in other areas. Oil production from the bottom of the Caspian Sea began in 1949, at Neftyanye Kamni. Mikhail Kaverochkin was involved in drilling the long-awaited oil well. In addition to oil and gas, salt, limestone, stone, sand, and clay are mined in the Caspian Sea.

Shipping is also given a lot of attention here. Constantly working ferry crossings. The most famous directions: Baku - Aktau, Makhachkala - Aktau, Baku - Turkmenbashi. The Caspian Lake is connected to the Sea of ​​Azov through the Don, Volga and Volga-Don Canal.

Local residents catch sturgeon, bream, carp, pike perch, and sprat in the waters of the sea. People here are engaged in seal fishing and caviar production. Unfortunately, in this reservoir you can also encounter illegal sturgeon fishing and caviar extraction. Popular are the flounder and mullet caught here, different types shrimp. Sturgeon fish here feed on the Nereis worm, which was specially brought to the Caspian Sea. The “Five” countries of the Caspian Sea, washed by its waters, specially organize fish breeding and spawning farms.

In the northern shallow waters, sturgeon are most abundant, especially near Russia. It is worth listing the sterlet, beluga, sturgeon, thorn, and stellate sturgeon that live there. Many people like to catch carp species: bream, roach, asp. Many catfish, grass carp, and silver carp live here. There are more small inhabitants in the Caspian Sea than large ones. In the south of the lake, herring winter and spawn. Fishing in the Caspian Sea is allowed all year round, except April - May. It is allowed to use fishing rods, spinning rods, donks and other devices.

Most people choose for fishing in Russia Astrakhan region. Fishing for some sturgeon is temporarily prohibited here, but you can catch pike, catfish, and pike perch. In spring, sabrefish and rudd often bite here. In Kalmykia, industrial fishing is carried out in Lagan. Large specimens of carp are found here. Often fishermen have to spend the night right in their boats. The water in these areas is very clear, so spearfishing is used.

Holidays on the Caspian Sea

Sandy beaches, mineral waters, healing mud of the Caspian coast are a good help for treatment and relaxation. The tourism industry and resorts here are not as developed as on the Black Sea, but there are many people who want to relax. It is at a fairly popular level in Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Russian Dagestan. Azerbaijan has developed resort area near Baku. They just relax here, mostly. local residents, foreign tourists lacks a sufficient level of service and good advertising.

The Russian coast is mainly located in Dagestan. Potential tourists are afraid to come here. But the beauty of the Caspian Sea is simply mesmerizing! It is here that you can admire the waves with gray scallops, the bitter salinity of the dark water, and small shells on the shore. Holidays on the Caspian Sea are often considered exotic. After all, it's more of a lake...

The increased salinity of water in the Caspian Sea increases its medicinal properties. The water in the reservoir warms up early, so you can easily come here in May. In September you can have a great time, because the water stays at +21°C.

What are the conditions for holidays in Dagestan near the sea? Here the coast is covered with yellow velvety sea sand. The water of the Caspian Sea warms up faster than in the Black Sea, because the former is much shallower. The swimming season here begins in mid-May. The beauty of the Caspian coast is complemented by picturesque mountains, which are not far from Derbent. Here you can admire the oldest marine fossils, which were raised to a thousand-meter height by gas formation. After this, many caves were formed here, about which there are various legends. Many local residents come to these places to worship higher powers.

During the Soviet period, Dagestan was a holiday destination for tourists from different corners USSR. Holidays here are cheaper than in Black Sea coast, the sea is warmer and the sandy shore is more pleasant.

Caspian coast in Dagestan has many kilometers of beaches: Makhachkala, Samur, Manas, Kayakent. On their territory there are recreation centers (150 units), boarding houses, sanatoriums, and children's camps. You can book rooms not only in state hotels and boarding houses, but also in large and small private hotels. Take off single room here it costs from 500 to 1,000 rubles, double - 700-1,500 rubles, luxury apartments - 1,500-2,000 rubles.

If you get tired of swimming in the sea, then in Dagestan you can go to the snow-capped peaks. Rafting enthusiasts can go to the fast mountain rivers. The guides offer interesting excursions to historical places.

Not far from the Caspian coast, it is worth seeing the capital of Dagestan - Makhachkala. This beautiful and well-equipped city has a highly developed infrastructure. Makhachkala residents are trying to attract as many tourists as possible to their city and are building a resort area " Cote d'Azur" This development occupies 300 hectares of area.

The South Dagestan coast with its center in Derbent is the most attractive place for tourism. This area has a temperate continental climate, being located in the subtropics. The territory is rich in citrus fruits, figs, pomegranates, almonds, walnuts, grapes and other crops.

No less colorful is the city of Izberbash. There is beautiful nature here with clean mountain-sea air, rich in the aroma of forests that grow low on the foothills of the Greater Caucasus. Sandy beach you can change it to a walk to mineral springs, among which there are geothermal ones that help restore health.

Rosstourism has taken measures for development cruise holiday in the Caspian Sea. Not only domestic Russian routes, but also international ones have been thought out. Sea cruises are often connected to the Volga route. For such events, very good ships are needed, because there are often storms on the Caspian Sea.

Another direction sea ​​holiday in the Caspian Sea is health-improving and therapeutic. The local sea air helps to overcome many ailments. Many sanatoriums have been built on the seashore in Dagestan. People get healthier here mineral waters, mud, healing climate. It cannot do without health and sports tourism. Active leisure quite popular today. For those interested, extreme, ski, and eco-tourism are offered. You can be sure that the Caspian Sea and its coastal areas deserve to be visited.

On Sunday, August 12, in Aktau, Kazakhstan, 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 Soviet-Iranian treaties, in which the Caspian Sea was defined as a closed (inland) sea, and each Caspian state had sovereign rights to a 10-mile zone and equal rights to the rest of the sea.

Now, according to the new convention, each country is assigned its own territorial waters (zones 15 miles wide). In addition, the provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea will not apply to the Caspian Sea, the seabed will be delimited into sectors, as is done by neighboring seas, and sovereignty over the water column will be established on the basis of the principle that it 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, according to which a body of water can be called a sea. But the Caspian Sea has no access to the ocean, so it is considered a closed body of water not connected to the World Ocean.

The second feature that distinguishes sea ​​waters from lakes, is their high salinity. The water in the Caspian Sea is indeed salty, but in its 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 0.3‰ salts, and in the eastern regions of the Southern and Middle Caspian Sea the salinity reaches 13-14‰. And if we talk about the salinity of the World Ocean, it averages 34.7 ‰.

Due to the specific geographical and hydrological characteristics, the reservoir received a special legal status. The summit participants decided that the Caspian Sea is an inland body of water that does not have a 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, cannot be considered a lake.

What has been achieved since the signing of the Convention?

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

“The most important thing that was achieved was to fix that the Caspian Sea will be demilitarized for all Caspian states. There will be no other military personnel there except those representing the countries that signed the Caspian Agreement. This is a fundamental and main question that was important to fix. Everything else, what is divided proportionally into zones of influence, zones of extraction of biological resources, zones of extraction of shelf resources, was not so important. As we remember, in the last twenty years the military has been actively seeking to enter the region. The USA even wanted to build their own there military base“says Martynov.

In addition to the distribution of each country's shares 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 laying them provide for the consent of only neighboring countries, and not all countries of the Caspian Sea. After signing 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 now no longer required. They plan to subsequently connect the gas pipeline to the Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline, through which natural gas will flow 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 long been coming from Turkmenistan and other countries through another pipeline system, somewhere it is even mixed with Russian gas, and there is nothing wrong with that. If this project works, everyone will benefit, including Russia. Under no circumstances should the project be considered as some kind of competition. The European market is so large and insatiable, I mean the energy market, that there is enough room for everyone,” says Martynov.

Today, almost all Turkmen gas is supplied to China, where Russia also intends to supply blue fuel. 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 for both countries can expand - Turkmenistan will gain access to the European market, and Russia will be able to increase its gas supplies to China.

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

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

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

The first group of animals includes the descendants of ancient organisms that inhabited Tethys about 70 million years ago. Such animals include Caspian gobies (bighead, Knipovich, Berg, bubyr, puglovka, Baer) and herring (Kessler, Brazhnikov, Volga, puzanok, etc.), some mollusks and most crustaceans (long-sex crayfish, Ortemia crustacean, etc.). Some fish, mainly herrings, periodically enter the rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea to spawn; many never leave the sea. Gobies prefer to live in coastal waters and are often found in river mouths.
The second group of animals of the Caspian Sea is represented by Arctic species. penetrated into the Caspian Sea from the north in the post-glacial period. These are animals such as the Caspian seal (Caspian seal), fish - Caspian trout, whitefish, nelma. Of the crustaceans, this group is represented by mysid crustaceans, similar to small shrimp, tiny sea cockroaches and some others.
The third group of animals inhabiting the Caspian Sea includes species that migrated here independently or with the help of humans from Mediterranean Sea. These are mollusks mytisaster and abra, crustaceans - amphipods, shrimp, Black Sea and Atlantic crabs and some types of fish: singil (sharp fish), needle fish and Black Sea flounder (flounder).

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

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