Help on Tele2, tariffs, questions

Many place names can be misleading to 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 largest islands are Dzhambaisky, Ogurchinsky, Chechen, Tyuleniy, Konevsky, Zyudev and the 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;
• The territory of Japan is smaller than the area of ​​the 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.

, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Azerbaijan

Geographical position

Caspian Sea - view from space.

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° c. d.).

The Caspian Sea is conventionally divided according to physical and geographical conditions into 3 parts - Northern Caspian, Middle Caspian and Southern Caspian. The conditional border between the Northern and Middle Caspian runs along the line of the island. Chechen - Cape Tyub-Karagansky, between the Middle and Southern Caspian Sea - along the line of the island. Residential - Cape Gan-Gulu. The area of ​​the Northern, Middle and Southern Caspian Sea 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 region.

Peninsulas of the Caspian Sea

• Ashur-Ada
• Garasu
• Zyanbil
• Khara-Zira
• Sengi-Mugan
• Chygyl

Bays of the Caspian Sea

• Russia (Dagestan, Kalmykia and Astrakhan region) - in the west and northwest, 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 Caspian Sea coast

On the Russian coast are the cities of 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. The predominant plants in the Caspian Sea are algae - blue-green, diatoms, red, brown, characeae and others, and flowering plants - zoster and ruppia. In origin, the flora is predominantly of Neogene age, but some plants were brought into the Caspian Sea by humans deliberately 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 off the southern coast of the Caspian Sea indicate that man lived in these areas approximately 75 thousand years ago. The first mentions of the Caspian Sea and the tribes living on its coast are found in Herodotus. Around the V-II centuries. BC e. Saka tribes lived on the Caspian coast. Later, during the period of 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, Russians sailed the Caspian Sea from the 9th-10th centuries.

Research of the Caspian Sea

Research of the Caspian Sea was started by Peter the Great, when, on his order, an expedition was organized in 1714-1715 under the leadership of A. Bekovich-Cherkassky. In the 1720s, hydrographic research was continued by the expedition of Karl von Werden and F. I. Soimonov, and later by I. V. Tokmachev, M. I. Voinovich and other researchers. IN early XIX century, instrumental survey of the coast was carried out by I. F. Kolodkin in the mid-19th century. - instrumental geographical 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 was carried out under the leadership of N. M. Knipovich. In 1897, the Astrakhan Research Station was founded. In the first decades of Soviet power, geological research by I.M. Gubkin and other Soviet geologists was actively carried out in the Caspian Sea, mainly aimed at searching for oil, as well as research into the study of water balance and level fluctuations in 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. Proven oil resources in the Caspian Sea are about 10 billion tons, total oil and gas condensate resources 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 in other territories.

Shipping

Shipping is developed in the Caspian Sea. There are ferry crossings on the Caspian Sea, in particular, Baku - Turkmenbashi, Baku - Aktau, Makhachkala - Aktau. The Caspian Sea has a shipping connection with the Sea of ​​Azov through the Volga, Don and Volga-Don Canal rivers.

Fishing and seafood production

Fishing (sturgeon, bream, carp, pike perch, sprat), caviar production, as well as seal fishing. More than 90 percent of the world's sturgeon catch occurs in the Caspian Sea. In addition to industrial mining, illegal fishing 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 healing mud in coastal zone creates good conditions for rest and treatment. At the same time, in terms of the degree of development of resorts and the tourism industry, the Caspian coast is noticeably inferior to the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. At the same time, in last years The tourism industry is actively developing on the coasts of Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Russian Dagestan. In Azerbaijan, the resort area in the Baku region is actively developing. IN currently a world-class resort has been created in Amburan, another modern tourist complex is being built in the area of ​​the village of Nardaran, holidays in the sanatoriums of the villages of Bilgah and Zagulba are very popular. A resort area is also being developed in Nabran, in northern Azerbaijan. However, high prices, a generally low level of service and a lack of advertising lead to the fact that there are almost no foreign tourists at the Caspian resorts. The development of the tourism industry in Turkmenistan is hampered by a long-term policy of isolation, in Iran - Sharia laws, due to which mass holidays of foreign tourists on the Caspian coast of Iran are impossible.

Ecological problems

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 life activity of coastal cities, as well as the flooding of individual objects due to rising levels of the Caspian Sea. Predatory production of sturgeon and their caviar, rampant poaching lead to a decrease in the number of sturgeon and to 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 for a long time was and still remains the subject of unresolved disagreements related to the division of resources of the Caspian shelf - oil and gas, as well as biological resources. For a long time, negotiations were ongoing 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 insisted on dividing the Caspian by one-fifth between all Caspian states.

In relation to the Caspian Sea, the key is the physical-geographical circumstance that it is a closed inland body of water 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 be automatically applied to the Caspian Sea. Based on this, in relation to the Caspian Sea 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 vessels flying the flag of non-Caspian states sailing in its waters.

Negotiations about legal status The Caspian Sea is currently ongoing.

Delineation of sections of the Caspian seabed for subsoil use

The Russian Federation concluded an agreement with Kazakhstan on delimiting 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 thereto dated May 13, 2002), an agreement with Azerbaijan on delimiting adjacent areas of the bottom of the northern part of the Caspian Sea (dated September 23, 2002), as well as the trilateral Russian-Azerbaijani-Kazakh 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.

Yes, geography can sometimes wreak havoc on my brain. You look at the map and see the name – “Caspian Sea”. What will he think in such a situation? normal person- Yes, of course, it won’t occur to him that we are talking about a lake! So now I'll tell you, why the Caspian Sea is not a sea, but a lake, how did this happen and what is this strange whirlwind with names.

The sea is not the sea

Yes, the Caspian Sea is a geographical object, the essence of which does not really coincide with its name.

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

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

So, I’ll list once again what a body of water must have in order for it to be considered a sea:

A lake is not a lake

The Caspian Sea-lake, however, is different from other lakes. It is indeed very large - so much so that it washes the territory five different countries. In addition, it contains about fifty quite large islands.

Yes and water there salty. However, by naval standards it’s still not enough- which again inclines us towards the fact that this is a lake.

And the abundance of Caspian waters has been decreasing over the years. For a long time it Volga replenished, but in recent years she she's getting shallow- respectively, The water level in the Caspian Sea is also decreasing. So, perhaps, in a hundred or two years it will turn into a normal-sized lake if global warming does not stop.

All over the world, the Caspian Sea is unanimously considered a lake. Even his water territory shares not according to those international laws that were invented for marine areas, but on legislation relating to lakes.

Helpful1 Not very helpful

Comments0

I read in a huge number of books about the Caspian Sea, its greatness and how its local peoples love and respect it. And indeed, I was very surprised to find myself one day on the shores of this sea. But after a while I began to hear that it was called a lake. I was wondering why this happens? And then I delved into literature in order to understand the situation.

Why is the Caspian a lake?

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

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

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

Where does the Caspian Sea get its water from?

Five great rivers flow into this, the largest, as I understand it, lake on the planet:

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

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

Caspian Sea level fluctuations

Local residents told me that the Caspian Sea is fickle. The water level is extremely variable. This is due to changes in river levels and internal sources of this sea-lake. Climate plays a big role. At the moment, the height of the Caspian Sea is growing steadily, reaching almost 26 meters below ocean level. For comparison: 20 years ago this figure was almost two meters lower.

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

Residents of the coast love the Caspian Sea, despite its unusual nature and stormy character. I really liked him too!

Helpful0 Not very helpful

Comments0

Many names, not only toponyms, have always surprised me with their seeming groundlessness. Guinea pigs are not guinea pigs, the bats have nothing to do with rodents, and the Caspian Sea is generally a lake.

I said “apparent” for a reason. Every name has a backstory. And often very interesting.

How the sea became a lake

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

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

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

The main reason why Caspian it is generally accepted lake, it is his isolation from the oceans. He has nothing to do with him.

But it was many years ago.

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

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

What should the Caspian Sea be considered: a sea or a lake?

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

The Caspian Sea washes the territories immediately five states:

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

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

• oil;
• gas;
• fish, incl. sturgeon.

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

Full agreement between the countries has not yet been achieved.

Helpful0 Not very helpful

Comments0

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 most big lake? Now I'll 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 to the Black or Azov Seas 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 a selection of interesting facts about this lake.

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

2. BC 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.

Helpful0 Not very helpful

Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea (Greek: Káspion pélagos, Latin: Caspium Mare), the world's largest enclosed body of water on the territory of the USSR (RSFSR, Kazakh SSR, Turkmen SSR, Azerbaijan SSR) and Iran. It is often considered to be the greatest lake on Earth, which is inaccurate, since in terms of its size, the nature of its processes, and the history of its development, the lake is a sea. It got its name from the ancient tribes of the Caspian Sea (See Caspian Sea), who lived in the eastern part of the Caucasus. Other historical names - Girkanskoe, Khvalynskoe (Khvalisskoe), Khazarskoe - also by the names of the ancient peoples who lived on its shores.

Physico-geographical sketch. General information. K. m. is extended from N. to S. by almost 1200 km, average width 320 km, the length of the coastline is about 7 thousand. km(of which more than 6 thousand. km within the USSR). Area about 371 thousand. km 2 ; level at 28.5 m below sea level (1969). Maximum depth 1025 m. In 1929, before a significant decrease in the level of the K. m., its area was 422 thousand. km 2. The largest bays: in the north - Kizlyarsky, Komsomolets, in the east - Mangyshlaksky, Kenderli, Kazakhsky, Kara-Bogaz-Gol, Krasnovodsky, in the west - Agrakhansky, Baku Bay; in the south there are shallow lagoons. There are up to 50 islands, mostly small (total area about 350 km 2), the most significant are Kulaly, Tyuleniy, Chechen, Artem, Zhiloy, Ogurchinsky.

The most significant rivers flow into the northern part of the sea - Volga, Emba, Ural, Terek, total annual flow which accounts for about 88% of the total river flow into the Caspian Sea. The large rivers Sulak, Samur, Kura and a number of smaller ones (about 7% of the flow) flow into the western coast. The remaining 5% of the flow comes from the rivers of the Iranian coast (Gorgan, Heraz, Sefidrud). On the eastern coast, including the coast of Kara-Bogaz-Gol, there is not a single permanent watercourse.

Shores. The shores of the northern part of the Caspian Sea are low-lying and very sloping, characterized by the widespread development of drying areas formed as a result of surge phenomena; deltaic shores are also developed here (deltas of the Volga, Ural, Terek). In general, the shores of the northern part are growing rapidly, which is facilitated by a drop in sea level, deltas and an abundant supply of terrigenous material. The western shores of the Caucasus are also mostly accumulative (numerous bay-bars and spits), while some areas on the coasts of Dagestan and the Absheron Peninsula are abrasive. On the eastern coast of the sea, abrasion coasts predominate, carved out of limestones that make up the adjacent semi-desert and desert plateaus. There are also accumulative forms: the Karabogaz bay-bar, separating the largest bay of the Caspian Sea from the sea - Kara-Bogaz-Gol, the Krasnovodskaya and Kenderli spits. To the south of the Krasnovodsk Peninsula, accumulative shores predominate.

Relief. Based on the nature of the relief and hydrological features, the Caspian Sea is usually divided into the Northern Caspian, Middle Caspian, and Southern Caspian. Northern Caspian Sea (area about 80 thousand sq. km 2) - the shallowest part of the sea with depths of 4-8 m. The bottom topography is a slightly undulating accumulative plain with a series of banks and accumulative islands, the so-called Mangyshlak threshold, separating the Northern Caspian from the Middle. Within the Middle Caspian Sea (area about 138 thousand sq. km 2) stand out: Derbent depression (maximum depth 788 m), shelf and continental slope, complicated by underwater landslides and canyons; On the northern, rather gentle slope, relics of ancient river valleys were discovered. In the south, the depression of the Middle Caspian is separated from the depression of the Southern Caspian by the Absheron threshold, on which a number of banks and islands are located. Depression of the Southern Caspian Sea (maximum depth 1025 m), accounting for about 1/3 of the sea's area, has a narrow shelf off the western and southern (Iranian) coasts, and a much wider shelf off the eastern coast. The bottom of the depression is a flat abyssal plain. In the northern part of the depression there are several underwater ridges with northwestern and southeastern trends.

Geological structure and minerals. The northern part of the Caspian Sea is the outskirts of the Caspian syneclise of the East European Platform; The Mangyshlak threshold is structurally connected with the Hercynian buried shaft of Karpinsky on the western shore of the sea and with the Mangyshlak mountains on the eastern shore. The bottom of the Middle Caspian has a heterogeneous structure. Its eastern part is a submerged section of the Epihercynian Turanian Platform; The Derbent depression, as well as the western sections of the shelf and continental slope, is the marginal trough of the Greater Caucasus geosyncline. The Absheron threshold corresponds to one of the branches of the newest structures that formed on the subsidence of the folded formations of the Greater Caucasus and connecting them with the folded structures of the Kopetdag. The Southern Caspian Sea is characterized by a suboceanic structure of the earth's crust; there is no granite layer here. Under a sedimentary layer with a thickness of up to 25 km(which obviously indicates the great antiquity of the Southern Caspian basin) there is a basalt layer up to 15 km.

Until the Upper Miocene, the Caspian Sea as a sea basin in its geological history was closely connected with the Black Sea. After the Upper Miocene folding, this connection was interrupted, and the K. m. turned into a closed reservoir. Communication with the ocean resumed in the Upper Pliocene, during the Akchagyl Age. During the Anthropocene, due to the alternation of glacial and post-glacial eras on the East European Plain, the Caspian Sea repeatedly experienced transgressions (Baku, Khazar, Khvalyn) and regressions, traces of which were preserved in the form of terraces on the sea coast and in the stratigraphy of ancient Caspian deposits.

On the shelf, terrigenous-shell sands, shell sands, and oolitic sands are common; deep-sea areas of the bottom are covered with siltstone and silty sediments with a high content of calcium carbonate. In some areas of the bottom, bedrock of Neogene age is exposed. At the bottom of the Kazan Sea there are rich deposits of oil and gas. The Absheron threshold, Dagestan and Turkmen areas of the sea are oil and gas bearing areas. The seabed areas adjacent to Mangyshlak, as well as the Mangyshlak threshold, are promising for oil and gas. The Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay is largest deposit chemical raw materials (in particular, mirabilite).

Climate. The main pressure centers that determine the atmospheric circulation in the sea region are the spur of the Asian maximum in winter and the spurs of the Azores maximum and South Asian minimum in the summer. Characteristics The climate is: significant continentality, the predominance of anticyclonic weather conditions, dry winds, severe frosty winters (especially in the northern part), sharp temperature changes throughout the year, poor precipitation (excluding the southwestern part of the reservoir). Cyclonic activity develops on atmospheric fronts, which is also important element climate and weather in the Caspian Sea. In the northern and middle parts of the Caucasus, from October to April, winds of eastern directions prevail, and from May to September - winds of northwestern directions; in the southern part of the sea the monsoon wind pattern is most pronounced. The strongest winds are found in the region of the Absheron Peninsula (Baku north, blowing mainly in autumn), the eastern coast of the middle part and the northwestern region of the northern part; There are frequent storms here, with wind speeds reaching more than 24 m/sec.

Average long-term temperature air temperature in the warm months (July - August) over the entire sea is 24-26 °C, the absolute maximum (up to 44 °C) is observed on the east coast. In the winter months, the temperature varies from -10 °C in the north to 12 °C in the south. An average of 200 falls over the sea mm precipitation per year, on the west coast - up to 400 mm, in the arid east - 90-100 mm, in the subtropical southwestern part of the coast - up to 1700 mm. Evaporation from most of the sea surface is very high - up to 1000 mm in year; in the eastern part of the South Caspian Sea and in the area of ​​the Absheron Peninsula - up to 1400 mm in year.

Hydrological regime. In the Kazan Sea, cyclonic circulation of water predominates, determined mainly by river runoff and prevailing winds. Masses of water move from north to south along the western coast of the sea to the Absheron Peninsula, where the current is divided: one branch continues along the western coast, the other crosses the K. m. in the area of ​​​​the Absheron threshold and, at the eastern coast, it connects with the waters moving to the north. along the eastern shore from the South Caspian. In the Southern Caspian, cyclonic circulation is also observed, but less clearly expressed, and between Baku and the mouth of the river. Chickens complicated by local anticyclonic circulation. In the Northern Caspian Sea, unstable wind currents of various directions predominate. Their speed is usually 10-15 cm/sec, with strong winds coinciding with the direction of the currents, the speed can reach 30-40 and even 100 cm/sec. Frequent recurrence of moderate and strong winds causes big number days with considerable excitement. Maximum observed wave height up to 11 m- in the area of ​​the Absheron threshold. The water temperature in summer on the surface averages 24-26°C, in the south - up to 29°C, in Krasnovodsk Bay - up to 32°C. On the eastern coasts in July and August the temperature sometimes drops to 10-12 °C. This phenomenon is associated with the driving influence of winds and the rise of deep waters. In winter, significant temperature contrasts are observed: in the north - negative temperatures (up to -0.5 °C), in the Middle Caspian 3-7 °C, in the Southern Caspian 8-10 °C. The northern part of the sea usually freezes at 2-3 months., ice thickness reaches 2 m. In the Middle Caspian, individual shallow bays freeze over in severe winters. There are frequent cases of intensive breaking of ice by the wind and its drift from the Northern Caspian Sea to the south along the western coast. In some years, floating ice reaches the area of ​​the Absheron Peninsula and is capable of causing significant damage to hydraulic structures in the sea.

The average water salinity is 12.7-12.8 ‰, the maximum (not counting the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay) off the eastern shores is up to 13.2 ‰, the minimum is in the north-west. - 1-2 ‰. Fluctuations in salinity over the sea area, vertically, and in time are insignificant, and only in the north are they more noticeable due to fluctuations in the Volga runoff. The composition of salts differs from the usual ocean salt in the higher content of sulfates, calcium carbonates, magnesium and, accordingly, a lower content of chlorides, which is due to the influence of river runoff.

Vertical mixing of water in winter covers the entire water column in the Northern Caspian and the 200-300 layer m in deep-sea areas, in summer and autumn it is limited to the top layer of 15-30 m. During these seasons, at the lower boundary of the upper well-heated and mixed layer (15-30 m) an intense layer of temperature jump (several degrees per meter) is formed, preventing the spread of heat into the deep layers of the sea.

Level fluctuations. Short-term non-periodic fluctuations in the level of oxygen are caused by surge phenomena, which in the north can cause a short-term increase in the level by 2.5-2 m or downgrade to 2 m. Seiches are observed with a period of 10 min to 12 h with amplitude up to 0.7 m. There are slight seasonal fluctuations in level (about 30 cm).

The water level is subject to significant long-term and secular fluctuations, determined mainly by changes in its water balance. Based on geological, archaeological, historical and geomorphological data, it has been established that high level K. m. (up to mark 22 m) was noted 4-6 thousand years ago, at the beginning of the century. e. and at the beginning of the 19th century. (New Caspian transgression). It is also known that in the 7th-11th centuries. n. e. was low (perhaps 2-4 m below modern). Last thing major decline levels have been occurring since 1929 (when the level was around 26 m) until 1956-57. Currently the level fluctuates within a few cm around the 28.5 mark m. The reasons for the last drop in level, except climate change, which led to a decrease in river flow in the Caucasus and an increase in evaporation from its surface, were also hydraulic engineering construction on the Volga (the creation of large artificial reservoirs) and the consumption of river water for irrigation of arid lands and for production needs. The water flow of the K. m. in the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay also negatively affects the water balance, the level of which is 4 m below the level of the Caspian Sea. In general, the components of the water balance for 1970: arrival - precipitation 66.8 km 3, river flow 266.4 km 3, underground inflow 5 km 3, flow rate - evaporation 357.3 km 3, drainage to Kara-Bogaz-Gol 4 km 3, water intake from the sea 1 km 3. The excess of the outflow portion over the inflow of water determines the average annual decrease in level (for the period 1966-67) by 7 cm. To prevent further decline in sea level (by 2000, a decrease of 2 m) a number of activities are being developed. There is a project for transferring the flow of the northern rivers - Vychegda and Pechora - in the Volga basin, which will give the Volga and K. m. about 32 km 3 waters per year; A project was developed (1972) to regulate the flow of Caspian waters into the Kara-Bogaz-Gol Bay.

The flora and fauna of the K. m. are rather poor in species composition, but significant in biomass. The Kazan region is home to more than 500 species of plants and 854 species of fish and animals, diverse in origin. The predominant plants in the region are blue-green algae and diatoms (rhizosoleniums, etc.). Among the recent invaders there are many red and brown algae. Of the flowering plants, the most common are Zostera and Ruppia. The largest biomass is produced by charophytic algae (up to 30 kg by 1 m 3 bottoms). In origin, the fauna is mainly of Neogene age, which experienced great changes due to frequent and significant fluctuations in salinity. This group includes fish - sturgeons, herrings, sprat, gobies, pugheads, mollusks - dracenas and cordates, and other invertebrates - gammarids, polychaetes, sponges, and one type of jellyfish. In addition, 15 species of invaders from the Arctic and Mediterranean basins live here. A noticeable group is represented by organisms of freshwater origin (fish - pike perch). In general, a high degree of endemism is characteristic. Some organisms moved into the Kazan sea quite recently, either as a result of introduction on the bottoms of sea vessels (mainly various fouling organisms, for example, mytilaster, rhizosolenia algae, balanus, and crabs), or through deliberate acclimatization by humans (for example, from fish - mullet, from invertebrates - Nereis, Syndesmia).

History of the study. Documentary evidence of the acquaintance of Russians with the Caucasus and their voyages along it dates back to the 9th-10th centuries. (Arabic, Armenian, Iranian ancient manuscripts). Regular studies of the Caspian Sea were started by Peter I, on whose initiative an expedition was organized in 1714-15 under the leadership of A. Bekovich-Cherkassky, who examined, in particular, the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea. In the 20s 18th century Hydrographic research of the sea was started by I. F. Soimonov in the 2nd half of the 18th century. they were continued by I.V. Tokmachev and M.I. Voinovich at the beginning of the 19th century. - Kolodkin, who was the first to perform instrumental compass surveying of the coast. In the middle of the 19th century. A detailed instrumental hydrographic survey of the coastline was carried out under the leadership of N. A. Ivashintsev. The maps created as a result of these surveys served as the basis for subsequent publications of sea charts for the Caspian Sea until the 30s. 20th century In the study of natural conditions of K. m. in the 19th century. scientists made a great contribution - P. S. Pallas, S. G. Gmelin, G. S. Karelin, K. M. Baer, ​​G. V. Abikh, O. A. Grim, N. I. Andrusov, I. B Spindler. In 1897, the Astrakhan Research Station (now the Caspian Institute of Fisheries) was founded. In 1866, 1904, 1912-13, 1914-15, expeditionary research on the hydrology and hydrobiology of the Caspian was carried out under the leadership of N. M. Knipovich. This work was continued after 1917 by the Caspian Expedition created under the USSR Academy of Sciences, also headed by Knipovich. In the first decades after the October Revolution, the research of the Owls played an outstanding role in the study of the geological structure and oil content of the Absheron Peninsula and the geological history of the Caucasus. geologists I.M. Gubkin, D.V. and V.D. Golubyatnikovs, P.A. Pravoslavlev, V.P. Baturin, S.A. Kovalevsky. B. A. Appolov, V. V. Valedinsky, K. P. Voskresensky, and L. S. Berg made significant contributions to the study of water balance and fluctuations in the water level at this time. After the Great Patriotic War From 1941 to 1945, systematic, comprehensive research began in the sea, aimed at studying the hydrometeorological regime, biological conditions, and geological structure of the sea [MSU, Institute of Geography of the Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan SSR, State Oceanographic Institute, and observatories of the hydrometeorological service. Institutes of Geology and Mineral Development (IGIRGI) and Physics of the Earth of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Aeromethods and the All-Russian Research Institute of Geophysics of the USSR Ministry of Geology, Caspian Institute of Sturgeon Fisheries and other scientific institutions of the Republican Academy of Sciences and ministries].

Economic-geographical sketch. K. m. has long been famous as a mining area valuable varieties fish, especially sturgeon (82% of the world catch), herring, freshwater (bream, pike perch, roach, carp). As a result of a drop in sea level (which resulted in the disappearance of valuable spawning grounds), regulation of the flow of the Volga, Kura and Araks rivers, which worsened the breeding conditions of anadromous and semi-anadromous fish, etc. the quantity and catch of primarily valuable varieties of fish (herring, sturgeon) decreased sharply. In 1936, the gross fish catch was about 500 thousand. T, in 1956 - 461 thousand. T(respectively, the catch of sturgeon is 21.5 and 15.0, roach - 197 and 18, pike perch - 55 and 8.4 thousand. T). The relatively small reduction in gross catch is explained by a sharp increase in the production of low-value fish, mainly sprat. Due to the decrease in the number of sturgeon, work is underway to breed and restore valuable fish species.

In 1924, oil production began for the first time in Ilyich Bay (Baku region), but production increased especially after the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45. Oil is extracted at sea from overpasses (Oil Rocks) and artificial islands. The main regions are Priapsheronsky, Sangachalsky on the western coast, Chelekensky on the eastern coast. Offshore oil fields provide more than 50% of all oil produced in the Azerbaijan SSR. Important economic importance has mining of sodium sulfate, mirabilite and epsomite in the Kara-Bogaz-Gol region.

The ever-increasing need for fresh water has caused the appearance of installations for desalination of sea water in the Caucasus region; the largest of them (for the production of fresh water for industrial and domestic needs in adjacent desert and semi-desert areas) are being built (1972) in. Shevchenko and Krasnovodsk.

K. m. is of great transport importance both for internal transportation and for external relations. The main cargoes transported across the Caspian Sea are oil, timber, grain, cotton, rice, and sulphate. Largest ports- Astrakhan, Baku, Makhachkala, Krasnovodsk, Shevchenko are also connected by regular flights of passenger ships. Sea railways run between Baku and Krasnovodsk. ferries. A ferry crossing between Makhachkala and Shevchenko is being designed (1972). In Iran, the main ports are Pahlavi and Bandar Shah.

Lit.: Fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea, M., 1956; Fedorov P.V., Stratigraphy Quaternary deposits and history of the development of the Caspian Sea, M., 1957; Geological structure of the underwater slope of the Caspian Sea, M., 1962; Materials of the All-Union Conference on the Problem of the Caspian Sea, Baku, 1963; Zenkevich L. A., Biology of the seas of the USSR, M., 1963; Leontyev O.K., Khalilov A.I., Natural conditions formation of the shores of the Caspian Sea, Baku, 1965; Pakhomova A. S., Zatuchnaya B. M., Hydrochemistry of the Caspian Sea, Leningrad, 1966; Geology of oil and gas fields of Azerbaijan, M., 1966; Caspian Sea, M., 1969; Comprehensive studies of the Caspian Sea. Sat. Art., v. 1, M., 1970; Gul K.K., Lappalainen T.N., Polushkin V.A., Caspian Sea, M., 1970; Gul K.K., Zhilo P.V., Zhirnov V.M., Bibliographical annotated reference book on the Caspian Sea. Baku, 1970.

K. K. Gul, O. K. Leontyev.

Great Soviet Encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1969-1978 .

See what the “Caspian Sea” is in other dictionaries:

It is drainless and washes the shores of Russia (Dagestan, Kalmykia, Astrakhan region) and Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan. The earliest mention of the Caspian Sea is found in Assyrian. cuneiform inscriptions (VIII-VII centuries BC), where it... ... Geographical encyclopedia

CASPIAN SEA, the world's largest endorheic lake. Area 376 thousand km2. Lies 27.9 m below sea level (1986). From 1929 to 1977 there was a decline in the level, and from 1978 a rise began. In the Northern Caspian the depth is 5-8 m, in the Middle Caspian up to 788 m... Modern encyclopedia

Caspian Sea - the largest lake on Earth, endorheic, located at the junction of Europe and Asia, called a sea because of its size, as well as because its bed is composed of oceanic-type crust. The water in the Caspian Sea 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° c. d.). The Caspian Sea is conventionally 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 Northern and Middle Caspian runs along the line of the island. Chechen - Cape Tyub-Karagansky, between the Middle and Southern Caspian Sea - along the line of the island. Residential - Cape Gan-Gulu. The area of ​​the Northern, Middle and Southern Caspian Sea is 25, 36, 39 percent, respectively.

The length of the coastline of the Caspian Sea is estimated at approximately 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 coastline cut by water channels and islands of the Volga and Ural deltas, the banks are low and swampy, and the water surface in many places is covered with thickets. The east coast is dominated by limestone shores adjacent to semi-deserts and deserts. The most winding shores are on the western coast in the area of ​​the Absheron Peninsula and on the eastern coast in the area of ​​the Kazakh Gulf and Kara-Bogaz-Gol. The territory adjacent to the Caspian Sea is called the Caspian region.

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 on the territory of Azerbaijan, at the northeastern end of the Greater Caucasus, on its territory the cities of Baku and Sumgait are located
• 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. Largest islands:

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

Bays of the Caspian Sea

Large bays of the Caspian Sea:

• Agrakhan Bay
• Kizlyar Bay
• Dead Kultuk (formerly Komsomolets, formerly Tsesarevich Bay)
• Kaydak
• Mangyshlaksky
• Kazakh
• Kenderli
• Turkmenbashi (bay) (formerly Krasnovodsk)
• Turkmen (bay)
• Gizilagach (formerly Kirov Bay)
• Astrakhan (bay)
• Hasan-kuli
• Gizlar
• Hyrcanus (formerly Astarabad)
• Anzeli (formerly Pahlavi)
• Kara-Bogaz-Gol

Rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea-130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, of which 9 rivers have a delta-shaped mouth. Large 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 flow is 215-224 cubic kilometers. The Volga, Ural, Terek, Sulak and Emba provide up to 88-90% of the annual flow into 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 level. 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 the high level of the Caspian Sea was recorded at the beginning of the 14th century. Instrumental measurements of the level of the Caspian Sea and systematic observations of its fluctuations have been carried out since 1837, during which time the highest water level was recorded in 1882 (−25.2 m), the lowest in 1977 (−29.0 m), with Since 1978, the water level has risen and in 1995 reached −26.7 m; since 1996, a downward trend has emerged again. Scientists associate the reasons for changes in the water level of the Caspian Sea with climatic, geological and anthropogenic factors. But in 2001, sea level began to rise again, and reached −26.3 m.

Water temperature- water temperature is subject to significant latitudinal changes, most clearly expressed in winter period when the temperature changes from 0-0.5 °C at the ice edge in the north of the sea to 10-11 °C in the south, that is, the water temperature difference is about 10 °C. For shallow water areas with depths less than 25 m, the annual amplitude can reach 25-26 °C. On average, the water temperature off the west coast is 1-2 °C higher than that on the east, and in the open sea the water temperature is 2-4 °C higher than off the coasts.

Water composition- the salt composition of the waters of the closed Caspian Sea differs from the oceanic one. There are significant differences in the ratios of concentrations of salt-forming ions, especially for waters in areas directly influenced by 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 of sea waters, an increase in the relative amount of carbonates, sulfates, calcium, which are the main components in the chemical composition of river waters. The most conservative ions are potassium, sodium, chlorine and magnesium. The least conservative are calcium and bicarbonate ions. In the Caspian Sea, the content of calcium and magnesium cations is almost two times higher than in the Sea of ​​Azov, and the sulfate anion is three times higher.

Bottom relief- the relief of the northern part of the Caspian Sea is a shallow undulating plain with banks and accumulative islands, the average depth of the Northern Caspian Sea is 4-8 meters, the maximum does not exceed 25 meters. The Mangyshlak threshold separates the Northern Caspian from the Middle Caspian. The Middle Caspian is quite deep, the water depth in the Derbent depression reaches 788 meters. The Absheron threshold separates the Middle and Southern Caspian Seas. The Southern Caspian is considered deep-sea; the water depth in the South Caspian depression reaches 1025 meters from the surface of the Caspian Sea. Shell sands are widespread on the Caspian shelf, deep-sea 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 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 precipitation is 200 millimeters, ranging from 90-100 millimeters in the arid eastern part to 1,700 millimeters along 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 Sea is up to 1400 millimeters per year. The average annual wind speed is 3-7 meters per second, with northern winds prevailing in the wind rose. In the autumn and winter months, winds become stronger, with wind speeds often reaching 35-40 meters per second. The most windy areas are the Absheron Peninsula, the environs of Makhachkala and Derbent, where the highest wave of 11 meters was recorded.

Currents- water circulation in the Caspian Sea is associated with drainage and winds. Since most of the drainage occurs in the Northern Caspian Sea, northern currents predominate. An intense northern current carries water from the Northern Caspian along the western coast to the Absheron Peninsula, where the current divides 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. Proven oil resources in the Caspian Sea are about 10 billion tons, total oil and gas condensate resources 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 in other territories. In 1949, oil was first produced at Neftyanye Kamni from the bottom of the Caspian Sea. So, on August 24 of this year, Mikhail Kaverochkin’s team began drilling a well, which yielded the long-awaited oil on November 7 of the same year. 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. There are ferry crossings on the Caspian Sea, in particular, Baku - Turkmenbashi, Baku - Aktau, Makhachkala - Aktau. The Caspian Sea has a shipping connection with the Sea of ​​Azov through the Volga, Don and Volga-Don Canal rivers.

Fishing and seafood production-fishing (sturgeon, bream, carp, pike perch, sprat), caviar production, as well as seal fishing. More than 90 percent of the world's sturgeon catch occurs in the Caspian Sea. In addition to industrial mining, illegal fishing 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 for a long time was and still remains the subject of unresolved disagreements related to the division of the resources of the Caspian shelf - oil and gas, as well as biological resources. For a long time, negotiations were ongoing 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 insisted on dividing the Caspian by one-fifth between all Caspian states. The current legal regime of the Caspian 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 vessels flying the flag of non-Caspian states sailing in its waters. Negotiations on the legal status of the Caspian Sea are currently ongoing.