Southern coast of the Caspian Sea. Caspian Sea, map. Legal status of the Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea is called the most big lake on our planet. It is located between Europe and Asia and is called the sea for its size.

Caspian Sea

The water level is 28m below the level. The water in the Caspian Sea has lower salinity in the north in the delta. The highest salinity is observed in the southern regions.

The Caspian Sea covers an area of ​​371 thousand km2, the greatest depth is 1025 meters (South Caspian Depression). The coastline is estimated to be from 6,500 to 6,700 km, and if we take it together with the islands, then more than 7,000 km.

The seashore is mostly low-lying and smooth. If you look at the northern part, there are many islands and water channels cut by the Volga and the Urals. In these places the shore is swampy and covered with thickets. From the east, a semi-desert and desert area with limestone shores approaches the sea. The region of the Kazakh Gulf, the Absheron Peninsula and the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay have winding shores.

Bottom relief

The bottom topography is divided into three main forms. Shelf in the northern part, average depth here from 4 to 9 m, the maximum is 24 m, which gradually increases and reaches 100 m. The continental slope in the middle part drops to 500 m. The northern part is separated from the middle by the Mangyshlak threshold. Here is one of the most deep places Derbent depression (788 m).

2. Heraz, Babol, Sefudrud, Gorgan, Polerud, Chalus, Tejen - https://site/russia/travel/po-dagestanu.html;

4. Atrek - Turkmenistan;

Samur is located on the border between Azerbaijan and Russia, Astarachay is on the border of Azerbaijan and Iran.

The Caspian Sea belongs to five states. From the west and north-west, the length of the coast of 695 km is the territory of Russia. Most of coastline with a length of 2320 km belongs to Kazakhstan in the east and northeast. Turkmenistan has 1200 km in the south-eastern part, Iran has 724 km in the south and Azerbaijan has 955 km of coastline in the south-west.

In addition to the five states that have access to the sea, the Caspian basin also includes Armenia, Turkey, and Georgia. The sea is connected to the World Ocean by the Volga (Volga-Baltic Route, White Sea-Baltic Canal). There is a connection with the Azov and Black Seas through the Volga-Don Canal, and with the Moscow River (Moscow Canal).

The main ports are Baku in Azerbaijan; Makhachkala in; Aktau in Kazakhstan; Olya in Russia; Noushehr, Bandar-Torqemen and Anzali in Iran.

The largest bays of the Caspian Sea: Agrakhansky, Kizlyarsky, Kaydak, Kazakhsky, Dead Kultuk, Mangyshlaksky, Hasan-kuli, Turkmenbashi, Kazakhsky, Gyzlar, Anzeli, Astrakhan, Gyzlar.

Until 1980, Kara-Bogaz-Gol was a bay-lagoon, which was connected to the sea by a narrow strait. Now it's salt Lake, separated from the sea by a dam. After the construction of the dam, the water began to decrease sharply, so a culvert had to be built. Through it, up to 25 km3 of water enters the lake annually.

Water temperature

The greatest temperature fluctuations are observed in winter. In shallow water it reaches 100 in winter. The difference between summer and winter temperatures reaches 240. On the coast in winter it is always 2 degrees lower than in the open sea. Optimal heating of the water occurs in July-August; in shallow water the temperature reaches 320. But at this time, northwest winds raise cold layers of water (upwelling). This process begins already in June and reaches intensity in August. The temperature at the surface of the water decreases. The temperature difference between the layers disappears by November.

The climate in the northern part of the sea is continental, in the middle part it is temperate, and in the southern part it is subtropical. On east coast The temperature is always higher than in the west. One day, 44 degrees was recorded on the east coast.

Composition of Caspian waters

About salinity is 0.3%. This is a typical desalinated pool. But the further south you go, the higher the salinity. In the southern part of the sea it already reaches 13%, and in Kara-Bogaz-Gol it is more than 300%.

Storms are frequent in shallow areas. They arise due to changes in atmospheric pressure. Waves can reach 4 meters.

The water balance of the sea depends on river flows and precipitation. Among them, the Volga makes up almost 80% of all other rivers.

In recent years, there has been rapid water pollution with petroleum products and phenols. Their level already exceeds the permissible level.

Minerals

Hydrocarbon production began back in the 19th century. These are the main ones Natural resources. There are also mineral and balneological biological resources here. Nowadays, in addition to gas and oil production, salts are mined on the shelf marine type(astrakhanite, mirabalite, halite), sand, limestone, clay.

Animal and plant life

The fauna of the Caspian Sea includes up to 1800 species. Of these, 415 are vertebrates, 101 are fish species, and there is a world stock of sturgeon. Freshwater fish such as carp, pike perch, and roach also live here. They catch carp, salmon, pike, and bream in the sea. The Caspian Sea is the habitat of one of the mammals - the seal.

Plants include blue-green, brown, and red algae. Zostera and ruppia also grow; they are classified as flowering algae.

Plankton brought into the sea by birds begins to bloom in the spring, the sea is literally covered with greenery, and during flowering the rhizosolinium paints most of the sea area yellow-green. Clusters of rhizosolenia are so thick that they can even calm waves. In some places near the coast, literally meadows of algae have grown.

On the coast you can see both local and migratory birds. In the south, geese and ducks winter, and birds such as pelicans, herons, and flamingos arrange nesting grounds.

The Caspian Sea contains almost 90% of the world's sturgeon stocks. But recently the environment has been deteriorating; you can often meet poachers who hunt sturgeon for their expensive caviar.

States are investing a lot of money to improve the situation. They are purifying wastewater and building fish breeding factories; despite these measures, sturgeon production has to be limited.

Many geographical names, can mislead people who are not keen on geography. Could it be that an object designated as a sea on all maps is actually a lake? Let's figure it out.

The history of the appearance of the Caspian Sea?

14,000,000 years ago, the Sarmatian Sea existed on the planet. It included the modern Black, Caspian and Azov seas. About 6,000,000 years ago, due to the rise of the Caucasus Mountains and the decrease in water levels in the Mediterranean Sea, it divided, forming four different seas.

The Caspian is inhabited by many representatives of the fauna of Azov, which once again confirms that these reservoirs were once one whole. This is one of the reasons why the Caspian Sea is considered a lake.

The name of the sea comes from the ancient tribes of the Caspian Sea. They inhabited its shores in the first millennia BC and were engaged in horse breeding. But over the many hundreds of years of its existence, this sea has had many names. It was called Derbentsky, Saraisky, Girkansky, Sigai, Kukkuz. Even in our time, for residents of Iran and Azerbaijan, this lake is called Khazar.

Geographical location

Two parts of the world - Europe and Asia - are washed by the waters of the Caspian Sea. The coastline covers the following countries:

• Turkmenistan
• Russia
• Azerbaijan
• Kazakhstan

The length from north to south is about one thousand two hundred kilometers, the width from west to east is about three hundred kilometers. The average depth is about two hundred meters, the greatest depth is about a thousand kilometers. The total area of ​​the reservoir is more than 370,000 square kilometers and is divided into three climatic and geographical zones:

1. Northern
2. Average
3. Southern Caspian

The water area includes six large peninsulas and about fifty islands. Their total area is four hundred square kilometers. The most large islands– Dzhambaisky, Ogurchinsky, Chechen, Tyuleniy, Konevsky, Zyudev and Absheron Islands. About one hundred and thirty rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, including the Volga, Ural, Atrek, Sefirud, Terek, Kura and many others.

Sea or lake?

The official name used in documentation and cartography is the Caspian Sea. But is this true?

In order to have the right to be called a sea, any body of water must be connected to the world's oceans. In the case of the Caspian Sea, this is not reality. The Caspian Sea is separated by almost 500 km of land from the nearest sea, the Black Sea. This is a completely enclosed body of water. The main differences between the seas:

• The seas can be fed by waterways - rivers.
• The external seas are directly connected to the ocean, that is, they have access to it.
• Inland seas are connected to other seas or oceans by straits.

The Caspian received the right to be called a sea primarily because of its impressive size, which is more typical of seas rather than lakes. In area it surpasses even Azov. Also no small role was played by the fact that not a single lake washes the shores of five states at once.

It is worth noting that the structure of the Caspian Sea bottom is of the oceanic type. This happened due to the fact that it was once part of the ancient World Ocean.

Compared to other seas, the percentage of salt saturation in it is very weak and does not exceed 0.05%. The Caspian Sea is fed only by rivers flowing into it, like all lakes on the globe.

Like many seas, the Caspian is famous for its powerful storms. The height of the waves can reach eleven meters. Storms can occur at any time of the year, but they are most dangerous in autumn and winter.

In fact, the Caspian Sea is the largest lake in the world. Its waters are not subject to international maritime laws. The territory of waters is divided between countries on the basis of laws adopted for lakes, and not for seas.

The Caspian Sea has rich mineral resources such as oil and gas. Its waters are inhabited by more than one hundred and twenty species of fish. Among them are the most valuable sturgeons, such as stellate sturgeon, sturgeon, sterlet, beluga, and thorn. 90% of the world's sturgeon catch comes from the Caspian Sea.

Interesting features:

• Scientists around the world have not yet come to a clear conclusion as to why the Caspian Sea is considered a lake. Some experts even suggest considering it a “lake-sea” or an “inland” sea, like the Dead Sea in Israel;
• The deepest point of the Caspian Sea is more than one kilometer;
• Historically, it is known that the total water level in the reservoir has changed more than once. The exact reasons for this are still not understood;
• It is the only body of water separating Asia and Europe;
• The largest water artery feeding the lake is the Volga River. It is this that carries the bulk of the water;
• Thousands of years ago the Caspian Sea was part of the Black Sea;
• In terms of the number of fish species, the Caspian Sea is inferior to some rivers;
• The Caspian Sea is the main supplier of the most expensive delicacy - black caviar;
• The water in the lake is completely renewed every two hundred and fifty years;
• Japanese territory less area Caspian Sea.

Ecological situation

Intervention into the ecology of the Caspian Sea regularly occurs due to the extraction of oil and natural resources. There are also interventions in the fauna of the reservoir, cases of poaching and illegal fishing of valuable fish species are frequent.

The water level in the Caspian Sea is falling every year. This is due to global warming, due to the influence of which the water temperature on the surface of the reservoir increased by one degree and the sea began to actively evaporate.

It is estimated that water levels have fallen by seven centimeters since 1996. By 2015, the level of the fall was about one and a half meters, and the water continues to fall.

If this continues, in a century the shallowest part of the lake may simply disappear. This will be the part that washes the borders of Russia and Kazakhstan. If global warming intensifies, the process may accelerate and this will happen much earlier.

It is known that long before the onset of global warming, the water level in the Caspian Sea underwent changes. The water kept rising and then falling. Scientists still cannot say exactly why this happened.

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

How to distinguish a sea from a lake

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

1. Rivers can flow into the sea.

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

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

Does the Caspian Sea fit sea parameters?

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

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

Great! The problem with the quiz has been resolved. Judge to hell!!!

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

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

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

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

4. Many people think that the name of the group “Caspian Cargo” is related to the Caspian Sea. In some ways they are right ( No). In fact the expression “Caspian cargo” can mean any illegal cargo.

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

One of the brightest bodies of water in the world is Caspian lake, which is located at the junction of Asia and Europe, and its shores and waters belong to 5 countries. The Caspian Sea is an attractive and inexpensive place for recreation and treatment. Beautiful nature and the early opening of the swimming seasons make holidays on the Caspian coast more tempting.

The Caspian Lake is the largest of all lakes on the planet. It is often called the Caspian Sea because of its impressive dimensions and slightly salty water. It is located at the junction of Asia and Europe on the territory of 5 countries: Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation Azerbaijan and Iran.

Despite the fact that the tourism infrastructure is inferior in level of development to the Black Sea, the Caspian coast is in demand among tourists. This is facilitated by the rapid warming of the reservoir due to its shallow depth; often the swimming season can begin at the end of April and end in October. The average water temperature in summer is 20-22 °C.

Advantages of holidays on the Caspian Lake:

• clean sea sand;
• picturesque nature;
• sea ​​healing climate;
• mineral springs;
• healing mud;
• the presence of sanatoriums of various orientations;
• excellent fishing, especially in Astrakhan;
• active entertainment for every taste (diving, rafting, windsurfing, etc.);
• low cost of housing and entertainment with developed infrastructure;
• being on the territory of the Russian Federation, which saves a lot of time on paperwork;
• great service;
• warm water for six months;
• the opportunity to save thousands of rubles on vacation, housing and food without denying yourself anything.

You can get to the Caspian Sea in different ways, but you should decide which area coastal city plan a vacation.

In the Russian Federation on the Caspian Lake there are several resort towns:

Astrakhan is very popular among fishermen and amateurs active rest associated with water, because in its vicinity there are many rivers, and the Caspian Lake is just an hour away by car.

Ancient city Derbent also enjoys special love among tourists, because it is surrounded by such attractions as picturesque mountains, ancient fossils and legendary caves, overgrown with legends, and other interesting places to visit.

Such Dagestan resort cities as Izberbash, Kaspiysk, Makhachkala and Kalmyk Lagan are not deprived of attention. Many tourists come to the Caspian Lake and stay in Azerbaijani cities (Baku, Lankaran, Sumgait), Turkmen resorts Turkmentbashi and Avaza, Kazakh Aktau and Atyrau.

Origin of the Caspian Lake and its name

Over 5 million years ago, the ancient sea was divided into several smaller ones, including the Caspian and Black Sea. After this separation, the reservoirs repeatedly merged into one whole and were fragmented, but approximately 1.75-2 million years ago the reservoir was finally cut off from the waters of the World Ocean.

The modern name of the Caspian Lake is new. And according to one hypothesis, it came from the name of the Caspian tribe, who lived in its southwest in the first millennium BC.

Throughout the entire period of its existence, the Caspian Lake had more than 70 different names among various tribal peoples, including:

1. Abeskunskoe - after the name of the island and the city, which were located before their flooding by a reservoir in the 14th century in a low-lying plain formed by the Kura Kura River.
2. Saraiskoe.
3. Khazar or Mazandaran - Iranian name in honor of province of the same name country located on the coast, is used in Iran to this day.
4. Dzhurdzhansky (Hirkansky) - the ancient Greek name of the reservoir, comes from the region of Hyrcania and the city of Gorgan, now belonging to Iran.
5. Derbentskoye is named after the ancient coastal town of the same name in Dagestan.
6. Sihai.
7. Khvaliskoe is an ancient Russian name, derived from the name of the Khvalis people who lived in the north of the Caspian Sea.

Study and development of the Caspian Lake

Finds on the western coast of Dagestan indicate that people lived in this territory already 2 million ago. At the confluence of the river. Darvagchay (Dagestan) remains have been excavated at sites older than 600 thousand years. Excavations on the southern coast indicate human habitation in this area 75 thousand years ago. All these studies show that the climate and living conditions were suitable for humans.

The founder of geography and writer Hecataeus of Miletus (VI-V centuries BC) in his work “Description of the Earth” described the Caspian Sea as the Hyrcanian Sea. In the 5th century BC, the ancient Greek historian was one of the first to suggest that the Caspian Sea is not connected with other seas or oceans, although scientists of those times argued that the reservoir was the northern bay of the World Ocean, which washed all known lands.

Aristotle in the 4th century BC was sure that the Hyrcanian reservoir groundwater connected with the Black Sea. Macedonsky studied the relationship of the Caspian Sea with other large bodies of water during his travels. In 323 BC, he sent the sailor and geographer Patroclus to explore the shores of the Caspian Sea.

The navigator reached the Kara-Bogaz Bay and considered it a river that connects the Caspian Lake with the ocean. The famous ancient Greek geographer and historian Strabo, in one of his 17 chronicles (books) “Geography”, represented the Caspian Lake stretched in the east-west direction.

Arab scientists of the 9th-13th centuries made a significant contribution to the study of the Caspian Sea, recording in their works information about coastal cities and states, islands, flowing rivers and oil that was produced in Azerbaijan (Baku).

The expansion of the geography of trade relations made it possible for European, Persian and Turkish travelers to receive a lot of information about the Caspian Sea. And the famous Marco Polo (XIII century) also described a huge reservoir.

A very detailed, although sometimes erroneous, map of the Caspian Sea was compiled in the 17th century by the famous scientist and traveler, the German Adam Olearius. Peter I repeatedly traveled towards the Caspian Lake, and based on the data he provided, Russian hydrographers compiled very detailed maps of the Caspian Sea.

Since the 17th century, exploration of the Caspian Sea and its coastal environs has become systematic and versatile. Peter the Great in 1714 sent a research expedition under the leadership of Bekovich-Cherkassky. A few years later, research was continued by Verdun and Soimonov, and a little later by Tokmachev, Voinovich and other scientists.

At the beginning of the 19th century, an instrumental survey of the coast was carried out by I.F. Kolodkin; several decades later, a geographical survey was carried out by an expedition led by N.A. Ivashintsev. For half a century, starting from 1866, regular hydrological and hydrobiological expeditions were carried out under the leadership of N.M. Knipovich.

During the first years of Soviet power, the Caspian Sea was actively explored by geologists, mainly in search of oil product deposits, studying the water balance and fluctuations in water height in the lake.

History of the Caspian Lake

The Caspian Lake is located on the site of one of the giant reservoirs of antiquity. The origin of the Caspian Lake is inextricably linked with the ancient Tetris Sea, which more than 50-55 million years ago united the Pacific and atlantic oceans, located on the territory of the present Caspian, Azov, Black and Mediterranean seas.

After long, complex tectonic movements, Tetris was first cut off from Pacific Ocean, and a little later the Atlantic.

About 5-6.5 million years ago, the giant reservoir broke into small basins, which included the Caspian and Black Sea.

After that, they repeatedly united and moved apart.

1.8-2 million years ago the Caspian Sea was finally cut off from the waters of the World Ocean and it was this time that is considered the beginning of its origin.

Throughout its history, the lake has changed its shoreline many times until it acquired its current appearance.

Physiographic characteristics of the Caspian Lake

The water surface of the lake is noticeably lower than the level of the World Ocean and amounts to -27.5...-28.5 m. The area of ​​the Caspian Sea varies depending on the level and water and is in the range of 380-390 km2, the total volume is 73.7-74.1 km3 .

The Caspian Sea is geographically divided into several parts with their own characteristics:

1. Northern Caspian— it accounts for 24% of the total area of ​​the reservoir. This part is shallow, and its average depth does not exceed 6 m, the maximum reaches 25 m, the volume of water is less than 1%.
2. Middle Caspian– 36% of the total area of ​​the lake falls on it. This part of the lake is a kind of basin with a maximum depth of almost 800 m and an average depth of 190 m. It contains a third of the total volume of water.
3. Southern Caspian– occupies 40% of the total area of ​​the lake and accounts for the deepest part of the reservoir. It contains 2/3 of the volume of all water - 66%. The average depth is 340 m, and the most deep depression– 1025 m.

The length of the coastline reaches almost 7 thousand km. The maximum length of the lake is slightly more than 1 thousand km, and the widest point is 435 km. The minimum width is considered to be a segment of 195 km. The average width is considered to be 317 km.

The shores vary greatly in their landscape. The northern coast is flat and low, around it there is semi-desert in the lowlands, and desert in the higher elevations. The southern coastline is partly lowland and partly mountainous and consists of the Elbrus ridge. The Caucasus Mountains come close to the western part.

The eastern coastline is a calcareous plateau of desert and semi-desert type. The outlines of the coast vary greatly depending on the water level, which fluctuates periodically.

Climate

The water temperature of the Caspian Sea fluctuates significantly depending on latitude. This amplitude is most noticeable in winter, when the water under the ice in the northern part has a temperature of 0.-0.5 °C above zero, while in the south at this time it is 10-11 °C.

According to average data, the temperature in the western part of the lake is up to 2 °C higher than in the eastern part, and when moving away from the shore it increases by 2-4 °C compared to the coastal zone. In summer, the water in the lake warms up to 23-29 °C, and in shallow water in the northern part it can reach 34-40 °C. Below 100 m, the temperature stabilizes at 4-7 °C.

The Caspian Lake is located three climatic zones: continental (north of the reservoir), temperate (middle) and subtropical (Southern Caspian). in winter average temperature ranges from -8 to -11 °C in the north and to +8 to +11 °C in the south of the lake.

In summer, the northern part warms up to 24-25 °C with a positive mark, in the south the temperature rises to 26-27 °C. The highest temperature of +44 °C was recorded in the east of the reservoir.

The average annual precipitation is about 200 mm. Moreover, on the arid eastern coast at least 90-100 mm falls; in the southwest these figures can reach 1700 mm. The average annual wind speed is in the range of 3-8 m/s, mainly winds from the north prevail. In autumn and winter, their speed increases and can reach 35-39 m/s.

When the thermometer shows high sub-zero values ​​on the northern part of the lake, trees and flowers bloom on the southern coast. IN winter time The surface of the lake is unstable and stormy winds prevail. In winter, only the northern shallow waters freeze; during severe winter frosts, the Northern Caspian and the coastal waters of the Middle Caspian are covered with ice.

Flora and fauna

The flora of the Caspian Sea and its coastal environs consists of more than 720 plant species. The lake is mainly dominated by algae (diatoms, brown algae, etc.), and angiosperms - rupee and zoster. Most of the vegetation of the Caspian Lake comes from the Neogene period, but some entered the reservoir on the bottoms of ships or deliberately, with the help of humans.

Among the animal representatives of the Caspian Sea and its environs, there are more than 1,800 species, of which more than 400 are vertebrates, and more than 90 species are fish (sturgeon, carp, bream, mullet, beluga, etc.). Mammals are represented only by the Caspian seal, which is the smallest of the seal family and lives exclusively in the Caspian Lake.

The lake is home to the largest school of sturgeon in the world, and a lot of pike perch, carp and roach live in the sea waters. Up to 80% of the total world sturgeon catch and more than 90% of the world black caviar fishery come from the Caspian Lake.

The main route of bird migration between Europe and Asia passes over the Caspian Sea (in spring - in south direction, and in the fall - in the north). During seasonal migrations, over 11.5 million birds fly over the lake, about 5 million individuals remain for the winter. The lake itself is home to over 850 species of animals, of which almost 80 are vertebrates. More than 500 species of plants are present in the lake.

Islands

The Caspian Lake contains more than 50 large and medium-sized islands with a total area of ​​about 350 square meters. km.

Flowing rivers

More than 130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, 9 of which have delta-shaped mouths. 95% of water enters the Caspian Sea from rivers. Most of them flow into the lake in the northern and western parts of the reservoir; there are no flowing rivers in the east.

The largest and most significant rivers of the Caspian basin:

Approximately 88% of the total flow comes from rivers such as the Volga, Terek, Ural and Emba, which flow into the northern Caspian Sea. 7% of the flow falls on rivers such as the Kura, Sulak, Samur and other smaller ones flowing into the western part of the Caspian Sea. About 5% of the flow of the Sefidrud, Kheraz and Gorgan rivers enters the Iranian part of the reservoir.

Ecological state

The condition of the Caspian Lake and surrounding areas inspires concern among environmentalists.

The main causes of environmental problems are related to man and his activities:

• production and transportation of oil and gas products;
• influx of pollutants from river runoff waters;
• poaching;
• waste from coastal cities;
• rapid jumps in water levels in the Caspian Sea due to irrigation of lands with waters of inflowing rivers and the use of hydroelectric power stations.

How is the Caspian Lake used?

The Caspian Lake has been actively used by humans for many centuries.

Main directions economic activity:

Recreational resources of the Caspian Lake

The climate and nature of the Caspian coast with its clean sand beaches, healing mud and healing sources provides great potential and excellent conditions for sanatorium treatment and tourist recreation.

The development of resort and tourism infrastructure, although noticeably inferior to the similar industry on the Black Sea coast, is actively expanding and the quality of service is improving. The most noticeable surge in development in recent years has been observed in the Republic of Dagestan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.

Holidays on the Caspian coast in the Russian Federation and former countries The CIS is characterized by low cost and on average the quality in some places is inferior to that in the Black Sea, but in actively developing places the level is quite high.

Popular recreation areas with developed infrastructure:

• Baku;
• Amburan;
• Makhachkala;
• Bilgah;
• Derbent.
• Nabran;
• Lankaran;
• Nardaran.

The development of the Turkmen resort and tourism industry is hampered by internal policies that isolate the state from the majority of tourists. And in Iran, mass recreation is difficult due to strict Sharia laws.

There are 3 protected areas on the coast:

The Caspian Lake is located at the junction of Europe and Asia and is largest lake in the world.

There are many interesting facts about the reservoir:

1. Its size is larger than Japan, but in area less Germany.
2. In terms of depth, the Caspian Sea is in third place, second only to Tanganyika and Baikal.
3. Every 2.5 centuries the waters are completely renewed.
4. Albino beluga sturgeon, whose caviar is the most expensive in the world, is caught on the Iranian coast. It is distinguished by a white tint and is packaged in unusual jars made of real gold.
5. The largest beluga weighed more than 1200 kg and was caught in the 20s. XX century on the Russian coast. In its dimensions it is comparable to a large shark.
6. Over the entire history of the lake, it had more than 70 different names.
7. Scientists are still debating whether to consider the Caspian Lake a sea, arguing that its area exceeds the size of some seas, and the bottom is created according to the oceanic type. But at the same time, the reservoir is endorheic and is not connected to the ocean or other seas.
8. The smallest coastline of the five countries belongs to the Russian Federation.
9. More than 80% of the water enters the lake from the river. Volga.

The Caspian Lake is rich in flora and fauna, different warm waters, long swimming season. It is best known for its depth and size, production of oil, gas and sturgeon, the reserves of which exceed those known throughout the world.

The lake is 95% supplied with runoff water from rivers. On its coast there are many resorts and sanatoriums, whose attractiveness can be appreciated, and at affordable prices.

Article format: Mila Friedan

Video about the Caspian Sea

Film about the Caspian Sea:

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on planet Earth, located on the continent of Eurasia - in the border territory of the states of Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Azerbaijan. In fact, it is a giant lake left after the disappearance of the ancient Tethys Ocean. Nevertheless, there is every reason to consider it as an independent sea (this is indicated by its salinity, large area and considerable depth, a bottom made of oceanic crust and other signs). In terms of maximum depth, it is the third among closed reservoirs - after lakes Baikal and Tanganyika. In the northern part of the Caspian Sea (several kilometers from the northern shore - parallel to it) there is a geographical border between Europe and Asia.

Toponymy

• Other names: throughout the history of mankind, the Caspian Sea has had about 70 different names among different peoples. The most famous of them: Khvalynskoye or Khvalisskoye (took place during the Ancient Rus', arose from the name of the people praises, who lived in the Northern Caspian region and traded with the Russians), Girkanskoe or Dzhurdzhanskoe (derived from alternative names for the city of Gorgan, located in Iran), Khazar, Abeskunskoe (named after the island and city in the Kura delta - now flooded), Saraiskoe, Derbentskoe, Sikhai .
• Origin of name: According to one hypothesis, the Caspian Sea received its modern and most ancient name from a tribe of nomadic horse breeders Caspian Sea who lived in 1st millennium BC on the southwest coast.

Morphometry

• Catchment area: 3,626,000 km².
• Mirror area: 371,000 km².
• Coastline length: 7,000 km.
• Volume: 78,200 km³.
• Average depth: 208 m.
• Maximum depth: 1,025 m.

Hydrology

• Availability of permanent flow: no, drainless.
• Tributaries:, Ural, Emba, Atrek, Gorgan, Heraz, Sefidrud, Astarchay, Kura, Pirsagat, Kusarchay, Samur, Rubas, Darvagchay, Ulluchay, Shuraozen, Sulak, Terek, Kuma.
• Bottom: very diverse. At shallow depths, sandy soil with an admixture of shells is common, in deep-sea areas it is silty. In the coastal strip there may be pebbly and rocky places (especially where mountain ranges adjoin the sea). In the estuarine areas, the underwater soil consists of river sediments. The Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay is notable for the fact that its bottom is a thick layer of mineral salts.

Chemical composition

• Water: salty.
• Salinity: 13 g/l.
• Transparency: 15 m.

Geography

Rice. 1. Map of the Caspian Sea basin.

• Coordinates: 41°59′02″ n. latitude, 51°03′52″ e. d.
• Height above sea level:-28 m.
• Coastal landscape: due to the fact that the coastline of the Caspian Sea is very long, and it itself is located in different geographical areas— The coastal landscape is diverse. In the northern part of the reservoir, the banks are low, swampy, and in the deltas of large rivers, they are cut by numerous channels. Eastern Shores Mostly limestone - desert or semi-desert. Western and southern coast adjacent to mountain ranges. The greatest ruggedness of the coastline is observed in the west - in the area Absheron Peninsula, as well as in the east - in the area of ​​the Kazakh and Kara-Bogaz-Gol bays.
• Settlements on the banks:
  • Russia: Astrakhan, Derbent, Kaspiysk, Makhachkala, Olya.
  • Kazakhstan: Aktau, Atyrau, Kuryk, Sogandyk, Bautino.
  • Turkmenistan: Ekerem, Karabogaz, Turkmenbashi, Khazar.
  • Iran: Astara, Balboser, Bender-Torkemen, Bender-Anzeli, Neka, Chalus.
  • Azerbaijan: Alyat, Astara, Baku, Dubendi, Lankaran, Sangachali, Sumgayit.

Interactive map

Ecology

The ecological situation in the Caspian Sea is far from ideal. Almost all large rivers flowing into it are polluted by wastewater from industrial enterprises located upstream. This could not but affect the presence of pollutants in the waters and bottom sediments of the Caspian Sea - over the past half century, their concentration has increased markedly, and the content of some heavy metals has already exceeded permissible standards.

In addition, the waters of the Caspian Sea are constantly polluted by domestic wastewater from coastal cities, as well as during oil production on the continental shelf, and during its transportation.

Fishing on the Caspian Sea

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• Artificial settlement: not all of the above fish species in the Caspian Sea are native. About 4 dozen species were found by chance (for example, through canals from the Black and Baltic seas), or were deliberately inhabited by humans. As an example, it is worth citing mullets. Three Black Sea species of these fish - mullet, sharpnose and singil - were released in the first half of the 20th century. The mullet did not take root, but the mullet and the singil have successfully acclimatized, and by now have settled virtually throughout the entire Caspian waters, forming several commercial herds. At the same time, the fish fatten up faster than in the Black Sea and reach larger sizes. In the second half of the last century (starting from 1962), attempts were also made to introduce such Far Eastern salmon fish as pink salmon and chum salmon into the Caspian Sea. In total, several billion fry of these fish were released into the sea over the course of 5 years. Pink salmon did not survive in the new habitat, chum salmon, on the contrary, successfully took root and even began to enter the rivers flowing into the sea to spawn. However, it was unable to reproduce in sufficient quantities and gradually disappeared. There are still no favorable conditions for its full natural reproduction (there are very few places where spawning and development of fry could successfully occur). To provide them, river reclamation is necessary, otherwise, without human help (artificial collection of eggs and their incubation), the fish will not be able to maintain their numbers.

Fishing spots

In fact, fishing is possible anywhere on the Caspian Sea coast, which can be reached by land or water. What types of fish will be caught depends on local conditions, but to a greater extent on whether the rivers flow here. As a rule, in places where estuaries and deltas are located (especially large watercourses), the water in the sea is greatly desalinated, so freshwater fish (carp, catfish, bream, etc.) usually predominate in the catches; species characteristic of the flowing rivers may also be found. rivers (usachi, shemaya). Of the marine species in desalinated areas, those for which salinity does not matter (mullet, some gobies) are caught. At certain periods of the year, semi-anadromous and anadromous species can be found here, feeding in the sea and entering rivers to spawn (sturgeon, some herrings, Caspian salmon). In places where there are no flowing rivers, freshwater species are found in slightly smaller numbers, but marine fish also appear, usually avoiding desalinated areas (for example, sea pike perch). Far from the coast, fish are caught that prefer salt water, and deep-sea species.

Conventionally, we can distinguish 9 places or areas that are interesting in terms of fishing:

1. North Shore (RF)- this site is located on the northern coast of the Russian Federation (from the Volga delta to the Kizlyar Bay). Its main features are low water salinity (the lowest in the Caspian Sea), shallow depth, the presence of multiple shoals, islands, and highly developed aquatic vegetation. In addition to the Volga delta with its numerous channels, bays and eriks, it also includes the estuary coastal area, called the Caspian Peaks. These places are popular among Russian fishermen, and for good reason: the conditions for fish here are very favorable, and there is also a good food supply. The ichthyofauna in these parts may not shine with a wealth of species, but it is distinguished by its abundance, and some of its representatives reach quite considerable sizes. Typically, the bulk of the catches are freshwater fish typical of the Volga basin. Most often caught: perch, pike perch, roach (more precisely, its varieties called roach and ram), rudd, asp, sabrefish, bream, silver carp, carp, catfish, pike. Somewhat less common are black bream, silver bream, white-eye, and bluegill. Representatives of sturgeons (sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, beluga, etc.) and salmonids (nelma, brown trout - Caspian salmon) are also found in these places, but their fishing is prohibited.
2. Northwestern coast (RF)- this area covers West Coast Russian Federation (from Kizlyar Bay to Makhachkala). The rivers Kuma, Terek and Sulak flow here - they carry their waters both through natural channels and artificial canals. There are bays in this area, some of which are quite large (Kizlyarsky, Agrakhansky). The sea in these places is shallow. Freshwater fish predominate in the catches: pike, perch, carp, catfish, rudd, bream, barbel, etc., and marine species are also caught here, for example, herring (blackback, bellyfish).
3. West Bank (RF)- from Makhachkala to the border of the Russian Federation with Azerbaijan. An area where mountain ranges adjoin the sea. The salinity of the water here is slightly higher than in previous places, so marine species are more common in fishermen's catches (sea pike perch, mullet, herring). However, freshwater fish are by no means uncommon.
4. West Bank (Azerbaijan)- from the border of the Russian Federation with Azerbaijan along the Absheron Peninsula. Continuation of the area where mountain ranges adjoin the sea. Fishing here is even more similar to typical offshore fishing, with fish such as razorback and mullet and several species of gobies also caught here. In addition to them, there are kutum, herring, and some typically freshwater species, for example, carp.
5. Southwestern coast (Azerbaijan)- from the Absheron Peninsula to the border of Azerbaijan with Iran. Most of this area is occupied by the Kura River delta. The same types of fish that were listed in the previous paragraph are caught here, but freshwater ones are somewhat more common.
6. Northern coast (Kazakhstan)- this area covers north coast Kazakhstan. Here are the Ural delta and state reserve“Akzhaiyk”, therefore fishing directly in the river delta and in some adjacent water areas is prohibited. Fishing can only be done outside the reserve - upstream from the delta, or in the sea - at some distance from it. Fishing near the Ural delta has much in common with fishing at the confluence of the Volga - almost the same species of fish are found here.
7. Northeast coast (Kazakhstan)- from the mouth of the Emba to Cape Tyub-Karagan. Unlike the northern part of the sea, where the water is greatly diluted by the flowing large rivers, its salinity here increases slightly, so those species of fish appear that avoid desalinated areas, for example, sea pike perch, which is fished in Dead Kultuk Bay. Also, other representatives of marine fauna are often found in the catches.
8. Eastern coast (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan)- from Cape Tyub-Karagan to the border of Turkmenistan and Iran. It is distinguished by the almost complete absence of flowing rivers. The salinity of the water here is at its maximum. Of the fish in these places, marine species predominate; the bulk of the catches are mullet, sea pike perch and gobies.
9. South Bank (Iran)- covers South coast Caspian Sea. Along the entire length of this section, the sea is adjacent to mountain range Elborz. Many rivers flow here, most of which are small watercourses, there are also several medium-sized ones and one large river. Of the fish, in addition to marine species, there are also some freshwater, as well as semi-anadromous and anadromous species, for example, sturgeon.

Fishing Features

The most popular and catchy amateur gear used on the Caspian coast is a heavy spinning rod, converted into a “sea bottom”. It is usually equipped with a durable reel on which a fairly thick fishing line (0.3 mm or more) is wound. The thickness of the fishing line is determined not so much by the size of the fish, but by the mass of a fairly heavy sinker, which is necessary for ultra-long casting (in the Caspian Sea it is widely believed that the farther from the shore the casting point is, the better). After the sinker comes a thinner line - with several leashes. Shrimps and amphipods that live in coastal algae thickets are used as bait - if fishing is intended sea ​​fish, or a regular bait like a worm, chafer larvae and others - if there are freshwater species in the fishing area.

At the mouths of inflowing rivers, other gear can be used, such as a float rod, feeder and traditional spinning rod.

kasparova2 majorov2006 g2gg2g-61 .

Photo 8. Sunset in Aktau.