The west coast of the Caspian Sea. Caspian Sea: Report

The Caspian Sea is located at the junction of two parts of the Eurasian continent - Europe and Asia. The Caspian Sea is similar to the Latin letter S, the length of the Caspian Sea from north to south - about 1,200 kilometers (36 ° 34 "- 47 ° 13" S.Sh.), from west to east - from 195 to 435 kilometers, an average of 310-320 kilometers (46 ° - 56 ° V.D.).

The Caspian Sea is conditionally divided by physico-geographical conditions on 3 parts - the North Caspian, the average Caspian and South Caspian. The conditional border between the Northern and Medium Caspians is spent on the line Chechen (Island) - Tube Karagan Cape, between the Middle and South Caspian - along the residential line (Island) - Gan-Gulu (Cape). The Northern, Middle and South Caspian area is 25, 36, 39 percent, respectively.

According to one of the hypotheses, the Caspian Sea received its name in honor of the ancient tribes of Konevodov - Kaspiev, who lived to our era on the southwest coast of the Caspian Sea. In the entire history of its existence, the Caspian Sea had about 70 items from different tribes and peoples: the Girkan Sea; The Magnical Sea or the Khvaisse Sea - the Old Russian title originating from the names of the inhabitants of Khorezm trading in the Caspiani - chuffas; Khazar Sea - Name in Arabic (Bahr al-Khazar), Persian (Daria-E Khazar), Turkish and Azerbaijani (Khazar Denisi) languages; Abeskun Sea; Sarai Sea; Derbent Sea; Sihai and other names. In Iran, the Caspian Sea and today are called Khazar or Mazendaran (by the name of the people inhabiting the same coastal province of Iran).

The coastline of the Caspian Sea is estimated at about 6,500 - 6,700 kilometers, with islands - up to 7000 kilometers. The shores of the Caspian Sea for most of its territory - low and smooth. In the northern part, the coastline is raised with water streams and the islands of the Delta of the Volga and the Urals, the shores are low and wetlands, and the water surface is covered with thickets in many places. On the east coast, limestone shores predominate, adjacent to semi-deserts and deserts. The most winding banks - on the west coast in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Absheron Peninsula and on the Eastern Coast in the Kazakh Bay area and Kara-Bogaz-goal.

Large Peninsula of the Caspian Sea: Agrahan Peninsula, Absheron Peninsula, Buzachi, Mangyschlak, Miankale, Tuba Karagan.

In the Caspian Sea there is about 50 large and medium-sized islands with a total area of \u200b\u200bapproximately 350 square kilometers. The largest islands: Ashur Ada, Garasu, Gum, Dash, Zira (Island), Ziebil, Cur Dasha, Hara-Zira, Senga-Mugan, Chechen (Island)Cheyll.

Large bays of the Caspian Sea: Agrachan Bay, Komsomolets (bay) (Former dead curtain, the Bay of Cesarevich), Kaidak, Mangyshlak, Kazakh (bay), Turkmenbashi (bay) (former Krasnovodsk), Turkmen (bay), Gyzylags, Astrakhan (bay), Gyzlar, Girkan (former Astarabad) And Enzeli (former peklev.

The eastern coast has a salty lake of Kara Barz Gol, until 1980, the Caspian Lagoon Bay, connected with him a narrow strait. In 1980, a dam, separating the Kara-Bogaz-goal from the Caspian Sea, was built, in 1984, a waterproof structure was built, after which the Kara-Bogaz-goal level dropped a few meters. In 1992, the Strait was restored, along it, water leaves the Caspian Sea to Kara-Bogaz-goal and evaporates there. Every year from the Caspian Sea, 8 - 10 cubic kilometers of water comes from the Caspian Sea to Kara-Bog (according to other data - 25 thousand kilometers) and about 150 thousand tons of salt.

130 rivers fall into the Caspian Sea, of which 9 rivers have a mouth in the form of a delta. Large rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea - Volga, Terek (Russia), Ural, Emba (Kazakhstan), Kura. (Azerbaijan), Samur. (Border of Russia with Azerbaijan), Atrek (Turkmenistan) other. The largest river flowing into the Caspian Sea - Volga, its average annual drain is 215-224 cubic kilometers. Volga, Urals, Terek and Emba give up to 88 - 90% of the annual drainage of the Caspian Sea.

The Square Square of the Caspian Sea is approximately 3.1 - 3.5 million square kilometers, which is approximately 10 percent of the world area of \u200b\u200bclosed water basins. The length of the Caspian Sea basin from north to south is about 2,500 kilometers, from the west to the east - about 1000 kilometers. The Caspian Sea pool covers 9 states - Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan.

The Caspian Sea is washes the shores of five coastal states:

• Russia (Dagestan, Kalmykia and the Astrakhan region) - on the Western and Northwest, the length of the coastline 695 kilometers
• Kazakhstan - in the north, northeast and east, the length of the coastline 2320 kilometers
• Turkmenistan - in the south-east, the length of the coastline is 1200 kilometers
• Iran - in the south, the length of the coastline - 724 kilometers
• Azerbaijan - in the southwest, the length of the coastline is 955 kilometers

The largest city is a port in the Caspian Sea - Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, which is located in the southern part of the Absheron Peninsula and has 2.070 thousand people. (2003) . Other major Azerbaijani Caspian cities - Sumgait, which is located in the northern part of the Absheron Peninsula, and Lankaran, which is close to the southern border of Azerbaijan. Southeast of the Absheron Peninsula, there is an area of \u200b\u200boilmen oil stones, the facilities of which are on the artificial islands, overpass and technological sites.

Large Russian cities - the capital of Dagestan Makhachkala and the most southern city of Russia Derbent - are located on the west coast of the Caspian Sea. The port city of the Caspian Sea is also considered to be Astrakhan, which, however, is not on the shores of the Caspian Sea, but in the Volga delta, 60 kilometers from the northern coast of the Caspian Sea.

On the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea, the Kazakh city is located in Aktau, in the north in the Ural Delta, 20 km from the sea, is located the city of Atyrau, the south of Kara-Bogaz-goal on the North Bank of the Red Bay - Turkmen city of Turkmenbashi, former Krasnovodsk. Several Caspian cities are located in South (Iranian) The coast, the largest of them - Enzeli.

The area and volume of the water of the Caspian Sea varies significantly depending on the water level fluctuations. At water level -26.75 m, the area was approximately 392600 square kilometers, the volume of water - 7,8648 cubic kilometers, which is approximately 44 percent of the world's reserves of lake water. The maximum depth of the Caspian Sea is in the South Caspian depression, 1025 meters from its surface. The magnitude of the maximum depth of the Caspian Sea is only inferior to Baikal (1620 m.) And Tanganica (1435 m.). The average depth of the Caspian Sea, calculated on the batigraphic curve, is 208 meters. At the same time, in the northern part of the Caspian Seamy, its maximum depth does not exceed 25 meters, and the middle depth is 4 meters.

The water level in the Caspian Sea is subject to significant fluctuations. According to modern science, over the past 3 thousand years, the amplitude of changes in the water level of the Caspian Sea amounted to 15 meters. Instrumental measurement of the level of the Caspian Sea and systematic observations of its oscillation are conducted since 1837, during which time the highest water level is registered in 1882 (-25.2 m.), the lowest - in 1977 (-29.0 m.)Since 1978, the water level has increased and in 1995 reached a mark -26.7 m, since 1996 there was again a downward trend. Causes of changes in the water level of the Caspian Sea, scientists are associated with climatic, geological and anthropogenic factors.

The water temperature is subject to significant latitudinal changes, the most distinctly expressed in the winter period, when the temperature varies 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 temperature difference is about 10 ° C. For shallow water areas with depths of less than 25 m, an annual amplitude can reach 25-6 ° C. On average, the water temperature at the west coast is 1 to 2 ° C is higher than that of the East, and the water temperature is higher than that of coasts by 2-4 ° C. According to the nature of the horizontal structure of the temperature field in the annual variability cycle, three time segments in the upper 2-meter layer can be distinguished. From October to March, the water temperature increases in the southern and east, which is particularly well traced in the average Caspian. Two stable quasi-casual zones can be distinguished, where temperatures are elevated. This is, firstly, the border between the Northern and Medium Caspian, and, secondly, between the Middle and South. At the edge of the ice, on the northern front zone, the temperature in February-March increases from 0 to 5 ° C, on the southern front zone, in the region of the Absheron threshold, from 7 to 10 ° C. In this period, the least cooled water in the center of the Southern Caspian, which form a quasi-stationary core. In April-May, the area of \u200b\u200bminimum temperatures moves to the average Caspian, which is associated with a faster warm-water heating in the shallow northern part of the sea. True, at the beginning of the season in the northern part of the sea, a large amount of heat is spent on melting ice, but in May, the temperature rises here to 16 - 17 ° C. In the middle part, the temperature at this time is 13 - 15 ° C, and in the south increases to 17 - 18 ° C. Spring water heating lines horizontal gradients, and the temperature difference between the coastal areas and the open sea does not exceed 0.5 ° C. Heating the surface layer, beginning in March, violates homogeneity in the temperature distribution with depth. In June-September, horizontal homogeneity is observed in the temperature distribution in the surface layer. In August, which is the month of the greatest warm-up, the water temperature throughout the sea is 24 - 26 ° C, and in the southern regions increases to 28 ° C. In August, the water temperature in the shallow bays, for example, in Krasnovodsky, can reach 32 ° C. The main feature of the water temperature field at this time is an upwelling. It is observed annually along the entire east coast of the Middle Caspian Sea and partially penetrates even in the South Caspian. The rise of cold depths occurs with different intensity as a result of the impact of the northwestern winds prevailing in the summer season. The wind of this direction causes the outflow of warm surface water from the coast and the rise of colder waters from the intermediate layers. The beginning of Apwelling falls on June, but he reaches the greatest intensity in July-August. As a result, a decrease in temperature is observed on the surface of the water. (7 - 15 ° C). Horizontal temperature gradients reach 2.3 ° C on the surface and 4.2 ° C at a depth of 20 m. The focus of the Apwelling is gradually shifted from 41-42 ° C.Sh. In June to 43 - 45 ° C.Sh. in September. Summer Apuveling is of great importance for the Caspian Sea, in the root changing dynamic processes at a deepwater water area. In the open areas of the sea at the end of May - early June, the formation of a temperature leap layer begins, which is most clearly expressed in August. Most often, it is located between the horizons 20 and 30 m in the middle part of the sea and 30 and 40 m in the South. Vertical temperature gradients in the leak layer are very significant and can reach several degrees per meter. In the middle part of the sea, due to the corner of the east coast, the jump layer rises close to the surface. Since in the Caspian Sea there is no stable baroque layer with a large margin of potential energy similar to the main thermoclinicine of the World Ocean, then with the termination of the prevailing winds causing an appeal, and with the beginning of the autumn-winter convection in October-November, there is a quick restructuring of temperature fields to the winter regime. In the open sea, the water temperature in the surface layer decreases in the middle part to 12 - 13 ° C, in southern to 16 - 17 ° C. In the vertical structure, the jump layer is blurred due to the convective mixing and by the end of November disappears.

The salt composition of the water of the closed Caspian Sea differs from the ocean. There are significant differences in the ratios of the concentrations of salt-forming ions especially for water areas under the direct influence of mainland. The process of water metamorphication under the influence of mainland leads to a decrease in the relative chloride content in the total amount of seawater salts, an increase in the relative amount of carbonates, sulfates, calcium, which are the main components in the chemical composition of river water. The most conservative ions are potassium, sodium, chlorine and magnesium. The least conservative calcium and hydrocarbonate ion. In the Caspian, the content of calcium and magnesium cations is almost two times higher than in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, and the sulfate anion is three times. The salinity of water is particularly sharply changed in the northern part of the sea: from 0.1 units. PSU in the mouths of the Volga and Urals to 10 - 11 units. PSU on the border with Medium Caspian. Mineralization in shallow salty salty bays can reach 60 - 100 g / kg. In the Northern Caspian, the salty front of the quasisisitory location is observed during the entire underly-long period. The greatest desalination associated with the spread of river runoff along the sea water area is observed in June. At the formation of a field of salinity in the Northern Caspian, the field of wind has a great influence. In the middle and southern parts of the sea, the oscillation of salinity is small. It is mainly 11.2 - 12.8 units. PSU, increasing in the southern and eastern directions. With a depth of salinity increases insignificant (0.1 - 0.2 units. PSU). In the deep-sea part of the Caspian Sea in the vertical profile of salinity, there are characteristic defrits of isholes and local extremums in the area of \u200b\u200bthe eastern mainland slope, which indicate the processes of the bottom weighing of waters in the Eastern shallow water of the Southern Caspian. Salinity is also highly dependent on the sea level and (which is interconnected) From the volume of mainland.

The relief of the Northern part of the Caspian Sea - shallow wavy plain with banks and accumulative islands, the average depth of the Northern Caspian Sea is about 4 - 8 meters, the maximum does not exceed 25 meters. Mangyshlak threshold separates the Northern Caspian from the average. The average Caspian is quite deep-water, the depth of water in Derbent depression reaches 788 meters. The Absheron Threshold divides the middle and South Caspian. The South Caspian is considered to be deep, the depth of water in the South Caspian depression reaches 1025 meters from the surface of the Caspian Sea. In the Caspian shelf, the shell sands are common, deep-sea areas are covered with or solid precipitates, in some sections there is an output of indigenous rocks.

The climate of the Caspian Sea is continental in the northern part, moderate in the middle and subtropical in the southern part. In winter, the average monthly temperature of the Caspian varies from -8 -10 in the northern part to +8 - +10 in the southern part, in the summer period - from +24 - +25 in the northern part to +26 - +27 in the southern part. The maximum temperature is fixed on the east coast - 44 degrees.

The average annual precipitation is 200 millimeters per year, from 90-100 millimeters in a arid eastern part to 1,700 millimeters in the southwestern subtropical coast. The evaporation of water from the surface of the Caspian Sea is about 1000 millimeters per year, the most intensive evaporation in the region of the Absheron Peninsula and in the eastern part of the South Caspian Sea - up to 1400 millimeters per year.

The winds often blow on the territory of the Caspian Sea, their average annual speed is 3-7 meters per second, northern winds prevail in the wind rose. In autumn and winter months, winds are enhanced, wind speed often reaches 35-40 meters per second. The most windy territories are the Absheron Peninsula and the neighborhood of Makhachkala - Derbent, the highest wave is fixed there - 11 meters.

Circulation of waters in the Caspian Sea is associated with drain and winds. Since most of the drainage accounted for the Northern Caspian, the northern currents prevail. The intensive North current takes out water from the Northern Caspian along the west coast to the Absheron Peninsula, where the flow is divided into two branches, one of which moves further along the West Bank, the other goes to East Caspian.

The animal world of the Caspian Sea is represented by 1810 species, of which 415 belong to the vertebral. In the Caspian world, 101 species of fish were registered, most of the world's sturgeon reserves are concentrated, as well as such freshwater fish, like Vobla, Sazan, Sudak. The Caspian Sea - the habitat of such fish, like carp, kefal, spin, kutum, bream, salmon, perch, pike. The Caspian Sea also lives a marine mammal - Caspian seal. From March 31, 2008, 363 dead seal were found on the Caspian Sea coast in Kazakhstan.

The vegetation world of the Caspian Sea and its coast is presented with 728 species. From plants in the Caspian Sea, algae predominate - silleneous, diatoms, red, brown, chars and others, from the flowering - Zoster and Ruppius. On the origin of the flora relates mainly to the unicurate age, but some plants were listed in the Caspian Sea by a person consciously either on the bottoms of the courts.

The Caspian Sea is located in different geographic zones. It plays a large role in world history, is an important economic region and source of resources. The Caspian Sea is a unique reservoir.

Short description

This sea has large sizes. The bottom is covered with the bark of the oceanic type. These factors allow you to count it to the seas category.

It is a closed reservoir, it does not have drain and is not associated with the waters of the world ocean. Therefore, it can be attributed to the same and to the category of lakes. In this case, it will be the largest lake on the planet.

The approximate area of \u200b\u200bthe Caspian Sea is about 370 thousand square kilometers. The volume of the sea varies depending on the different oscillations of the water level. The average value is 80 thousand cubic kilometers. The depth varies in its parts: South has a greater depth than North. The average value of the depth is 208 meters, the highest value in the southern part exceeds 1000 meters.

The Caspian Sea plays a major role for the development of trade relations between countries. Resources mined in it, as well as other trade items have been transported to different countries since the development of shipping to the sea. Since the middle ages of the Middle Ages, merchants delivered exotic goods, spices and fur. Today, in addition to transporting resources, the sea is carried out ferry crossings between cities. Also, the Caspian Sea is communicated with the shipping channel through rivers with the Azov Sea.

Geographic characteristics

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

It has more than 50 islands, both large and small in its area. For example, the islands of Ashur Hell, seals, Chigil, Gum, Zenbil. As well as the peninsula, the most significant - Absheron, Mangyshlak, Agrahan and others.

The main influx of water resources The Caspian Sea is obtained at the expense of rivers flowing into it. In total, there are 130 tributaries of this reservoir. The biggest is the Volga River, which brings the bulk of water. Also, the Rivers Heras, Urals, Terek, Astarchha, Kura, Sulac and many others fall into it.

The water of this sea is formed by many bays. Among the largest: Agrahan, Kizlyar, Turkmenbashi, Girkan Bay. In the eastern part there is a lake bay called Kara-Bogaz-goal. He communicates with the sea with a small strait.

Climate

The climate is characterized by a geographical location of the sea, therefore it has several types: from the continental in the northern region to subtropical in South. It affects air and water temperature indicators that have large contrasts depending on the part of the sea, especially during the cold season.

In winter, the average air temperature in the Northern region is about -10 degrees, water comes to -1 degree.

In the southern area, the air and water temperature in winter warms up an average of up to +10 degrees.

In the summer, the air temperature in the northern zone comes to +25 degrees. In southern much hotter. The maximum fixed value here is + 44 degrees.

Resources

Natural resources of the Caspian Sea contain large reserves of various fields.

One of the most valuable resources of the Caspian Sea is oil. Mining is carried out in about 1820. Sources opened in the bottom of the sea and its coast. Already by the beginning of the new century, Caspian held an advanced position on obtaining this valuable product. During this time, thousands of wells opened, which allowed to extract oil in a huge industrial scale.

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

Inhabitants and fishing

The biological resources of the Caspian Sea are distinguished by a large variety and good productivity. It contains more than 1,500 species of inhabitants, rich in fishing fishes. Settlement depends on climatic conditions in different sections of the sea.

In the northern part of the sea, Sudak, bream, Som, Harry, Pike and Other species are more often found. In Western and Eastern, bulls, kefal, bream, herring. Southern waters are rich in different representatives. Some of the numerous are sturgeon. By their content, this sea occupies a leading place among other reservoirs.

Among the wide variety also produces a tuna, Beluga, Sevryuga, Tulka and many others. In addition, there are mollusks, crayfish, iglozzy and jellyfish.

In the Caspian Sea, the mammal of the Caspian nerve lives, or this animal is unique and lives only in these waters.

The sea is also characterized by a large content of a variety of algae, such as blue-green, red, brown; Sea grass and phytoplankton.

Ecology

On the ecological situation of the sea, the mining and transportation of oil has a huge negative impact. Population of petroleum products into the water is almost inevitable. Oil spots cause irreparable damage to the marine habitat.

The main influx of water resources to the Caspian Sea gives rivers. Unfortunately, most of them have a high level of pollution, which worsens water quality into the sea.

Industrial and domestic settlements of surrounding cities in huge quantities merge into the sea, which also causes ecology damage.

A large harm of the marine habitat is inflicted by poaching. The main goal for illegal catch are sturgeon types of fish. This significantly reduces the number of sturgeon and threatens the entire population of this type.

The information provided will help to evaluate the resources of the Caspian Sea, briefly examine the characteristics and environmental situation of this unique reservoir.

It is noteworthy the Caspian Sea in that its West Bank belongs to Europe, and the East is located in Asia. This is a huge reservoir with salty water. It is called the sea, but, in fact, it is a lake, since it does not have the world's ocean. Therefore, it can be considered the largest lake in the world.

The area of \u200b\u200bthe water giant is 371 thousand square meters. km. As for the depth, the northern part of the sea is quite small, and the southern - deep. The average depth is 208 meters, but it does not give any idea of \u200b\u200bthe thickness of the aquatic mass. The whole water is divided into three parts. This is the North, Middle and South Caspian. North is a sea shelf. It accounts for only 1% of the total water volume. This part ends behind the Kizlyar bay near the island of Chechen. The average depth in these places is 5-6 meters.

On the average Caspian Sea, the seabed is noticeably declining, and the middle depth reaches 190 meters. The maximum is 788 meters. This part of the sea contains 33% of the total water volume. And the deepestive is the South Caspian. It absorbs 66% of the water mass. The maximum depth is marked in the South Caspian depression. Equal to she 1025 meters And it is considered the official maximum depth of the sea today. The average and South Caspian area is approximately equal and occupied by a total of 75% of the area of \u200b\u200bthe entire reservoir.

The maximum length is 1030 km, and the corresponding width is 435 km. The minimum width is 195 km. The average indicator corresponds to 317 km. That is, the reservoir has impressive sizes and is rightly called the sea. The length of the coastline together with the islands reaches almost 7 thousand km. As for the water level, it is lower than the world's level 28 meters.

The most interesting is that the level of the Caspian Sea is prone cyclicity. Water is rising, it descends. Measures of water level are conducted since 1837. According to experts, over the last thousand years, the level ranged within 15 meters. This is a very big digit. And they associate it with geological and anthropogenic (the impact of man on the environment) processes. However, it was noted that from the beginning of the XXI century, the level of huge reservoir rises steadily.

Surround the Caspian Sea 5 countries. These are Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Azerbaijan. And the longest coastline has Kazakhstan. Russia is in the 2nd place. But the length of the coastal line of Azerbaijan reaches only 800 km, but in this place there is the largest port on Caspian. This is, of course, Baku. 2 million people live in the city, and the population of the entire Absheron Peninsula has 2.5 million people.

"Oil stones" - the city in the sea
These are 200 platforms with a total length of 350 kilometers

Remarkable is the village of oil workers who wears the name " Oil stones"It is located 42 km east of Absheron to the sea and is the creation of human hands. All residential and production buildings are built on metal overpass. People serve drilling rigs that swing oil from the bowels of the earth. Permanent residents, naturally, in this village there is no.

In addition to Baku on the shores of salty reservoirs there are also other large cities. On the southern tip is the Iranian city of Enzeli with a population of 111 thousand people. This is the largest Iranian port on Caspian. Kazakhstan belongs to the city of Aktau with a population of 178 thousand people. And in the northern part directly on the Ural River is the city of Atyrau. It is inhabited by 183 thousand people.

The status of the seaside city also has the Russian city of Astrakhan, although it is located 60 km from the coast and is located in the Volga River Delta. This is a regional center with a population of more than 500 thousand people. Directly on the seashore there are such Russian cities like Makhachkala, Caspian, Derbent. The latter refers to the ancient cities of the world. People live in this place for more than 5 thousand years.

Flips in the Caspian Sea many rivers. They are about 130. The largest of them are considered the Volga, Terek, Urals, Kura, Atrek, Emba, Sulak. It is rivers, and not precipitation feeds a huge reservoir. They give him a year to 95% of the water. The reservoir pool is 3.626 million square meters. km. These are all rivers with their tributaries, flowing into the Caspian. The territory is huge, its composition includes bay Kara-Bog Gol.

This bay is more correct to name the lagoon. Under it implies a small water separated from the sea with sandy oblique or reefs. Such a spit is on Caspian. And the strait through which water flows from the sea is equal to a width of 200 km. True, people have almost destroyed Kara-Gol-goals with their restless and ill-conceived activities. They burned down the lagoon of the dam, and its level fell sharply. But after 12 years, the error corrected and the strait was restored.

At the Caspiana at all times estimated shipping. In the Middle Ages, the merchants around the sea were taken from Persia to Russia Exotic spices and skins of snow leopards. Nowadays, the cities are located on its shores. Ferry crossings are practiced. There is a water link with the Black and Baltic Sea through rivers and channels.

Caspian Sea on the map

Important with water and in terms of fisheries, After all, in it in a large quantity dwells the ceremony and gives caviar. But today the amount of sturgeon has significantly decreased. Environmentalists suggest to ban catch of this valuable fish until the population is restored. But this question is not solved yet. The number of tuna, bream, pike perch also decreased. Here you need to take into account the fact that poaching is strongly developed. The cause of it is the heavy economic position of the region.

Well, of course, you need to say a few words about oil. The extraction of "black gold" on the sea began in 1873. Areas adjacent to Baku became a real golden residential. More than 2 thousand wells existed here, and the production and refining of oil was carried out in industrial volumes. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was the center of the International Oil Industry. In 1920, Azerbaijan captured the Bolsheviks. Petroleum wells and plants were requested. The entire oil industry has passed under the control of the USSR. In 1941, Azerbaijan supplied 72% of the entire oil produced in the socialist state.

In 1994, the "contract of the century" was signed. He marked the beginning of the International Development of Baku Oil Fields. The main pipeline Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan allows Azerbaijani oil to flow directly to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. It was put into operation in 2006. To date, oil reserves are estimated at 12 trillion. US dollars.

Thus, it can be seen that the Caspian Sea is one of the most important economic regions of the world. The political situation in the Caspiani is quite complicated. For a long time, disputes about the marine borders between Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Iran. There was a lot of inconsistencies, disagreements, which negatively influenced the development of the region.

The end of this was laid on August 12, 2018. On this day, the state of the Caspian five signed the Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea. This document delimited the bottom and subsoil, and each of the five countries (Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan) received its stake in the Caspian basin. The rules for the implementation of shipping, fisheries, scientific research, gaskets of pipelines were also approved. The boundaries of territorial waters received state status.

Yuri Syromyatnikov

The Caspian Sea is the world's largest stand-free pond level 28.5 m below the world's ocean. The Caspian Sea is stretched from north to south almost 1200 km, the average width is 320 km, the length of the coastline is about 7 thousand km. The Caspian Sea Square as a result of a decrease in the level declined from 422 thousand km2 (1929) to 371 thousand km2 (1957). The volume of water is about 76 thousand km3, the average depth of 180 m. The coefficient of the shores of the shores is 3.36. The largest bays: Kizlyarsky, Komsomolets, Kara-Bogaz-Goal, Krasnovodsky, Mangyshlak.

There are about 50 islands with a total area of \u200b\u200b350 km2. The most significant of them: kulals, seals, Chechen, residential. More than 130 rivers fall into the Caspian Sea. Rivers Volga, Ural, Emba, Terek (total annual stock 88% of the entire river flow in the sea) fall into the northern part of the sea. On the western coast of the Sulak, Samur River, Kura and others, smaller, give 7% of the total. The remaining 5% of the drain supply the River Iranian coast.

Relief of the Caspian Sea

According to the nature of the underwater relief and the peculiarities of the hydrological regime in the Caspian Sea, the North, Middle and South Caspians are distinguished. Northern Caspian (about 80 thousand km2) is a shallow-water weakly wavy accumulative plain with prevailing depths of 4-8 Cape of the ridge of cans and islands - Mangyshlak threshold - divides the North and Medium Caspian. Within the middle Caspian Sea (138 thousand km2), the shelf, the mainstream and Derbent Wpadina (maximum depth of 788 m). The Absheron Threshold is a chain of cans and islands with depths between them 170 m - limits the average Caspian from the south. The South Caspian (1/3 of the Square of the Sea) is characterized by a very narrow shelf at the Western and South Berests and a much more extensive shelf of the eastern shore. In the wpadine of the South Caspian Sea, the largest depth of the sea is 1025 m. The bottom of the depression is flat abissal plain.

Climate in the Caspian Sea

The main oaky centers that determine the atmospheric circulation over the Caspian Sea: in winter - the sprog of the Asian maximum, and in the summer - the crest of the Azor maximum and the South Asian depression. Characteristic climate features are the predominance of anticyclonal weather conditions, dry winds, sharp changes in air temperature.

In the northern and middle parts of the Caspian Sea from October to April, the winds of the Eastern Quarter dominate, and from May to September - the winds of North-Western Rumbes. In the southern part of the Caspian Sea, the monsime nature of the winds is clearly expressed.

The average long-term air temperature of the warm months (July-August) over all seas 24-26 ° C. The absolute maximum (up to 44 ° C) is marked on the east coast. On average over the sea over the year, 200 mm of precipitation falls on the arid eastern shore of 90-100 mm and in the subtropical southwestern part of the coast of 1700 mm. Evaporation for most of the water area about 1000 mm / year A in the eastern part of the South Caspian and in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Absheron Peninsula up to 1400 mm / year.

Hydrological mode

The currents of the Caspian Sea are formed as a result of the aggregate effects of wind regime, flow of rivers and density differences in separate areas. In the northern part of the Caspian Sea of \u200b\u200bWater, the flow of the Volga River is divided into two branches. The smaller of them go along the northern shore to the east, merges with the waters of the Ural River flow and forms a closed circuit. The main part of the waters of the Volga flow goes along the western shore to the south. Several north of the Absheron Peninsula part of the water of this flow is separated and, crossing the sea, goes to the eastern shores and strengthened in the water moving to the north. Thus, on average Caspian, the cycle of water moving counterclockwise is formed. The bulk of waters spreading to the south. Along the west coast, enters the South Caspian and, reaching the southern coast, turns to the east, and then along the eastern shores goes north.
The speed of currents on average about 10-15 cm / s. Frequent repeatability of temperate and strong winds causes a large number of days with significant excitement.

The maximum wave height (11 m) is observed in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Absheron threshold. The water temperature of the surface layer of the sea in August is about 24-26 ° C in the northern and average of Caspian, up to 29 ° C in southern, 32 ° C in the Red Bay and over 35 ° C in the Gulf of Kara-Bogaz-Gol. In July-August, the eastern shores there is an appendant and associated temperature drops to 8-10 ° C.

Ice formation in the northern part of the Caspian Sea begins in December, the ice remains 2-3 months. In cold winters, drifting ice are taken south to the Absheron Peninsula.
Isolation from the World Ocean, the flow of river waters and the deposition of salts as a result of intensive evaporation in the Gulf of Kara-Bogaz-goal determine the originality of the salt composition of the water of the Caspian Sea - the reduced chloride content and the increased concentration of carbonates in comparison with the waters of the world's ocean. The Caspian Sea is a saltwater pool, the salinity of the water of which is three times less than normal ocean.

The average salinity of the northwestern part of the Caspian Sea is 1-2 industrial, in the area of \u200b\u200bthe northern border of the Middle Caspian Sea 12.7-12.8 and in the Southern Caspian Sea 13 Prom, the maximum salinity (13.3 industrial) is observed in the eastern shores. In the Gulf of Kara-Bogaz-goal salinity 300 prom- seasonal changes in the salinity of the water of the middle and southern Caspian, respectively, 0.17 and 0.21 com. In the Northern and South Caspian, due to the reduction in the influx and coalion during ice-formation salinity increases in winter. In the southern Caspian, at this time salinity decreases due to decreasing evaporation. In summer, an increase in the flow of rivers causes a decrease in the salinity of water in the northern and average of Caspian, and increasing evaporation leads to an increase in the salinity of the water of the Southern Caspian. Changes in salinity from the surface to the bottom is small. Therefore, seasonal fluctuations in the temperature and salinity of water, causing an increase in density, determine the winter vertical circulation of water, which in the Northern Caspian applies to the bottom, and on average to the depth of 300 m. In the southern Caspian, stirring of deep water (up to 700 m) is associated with the cooling transfusion In winter, the water of the Middle Caspian Sea through the Absheron threshold and the sliding of the cooling waters of high salinity from the Eastern shallow water. Studies have shown that due to the increase in the salinity of water over the past 25 years, the depth of the mixing has increased significantly, respectively, the oxygen content has increased and the hydrogen sulfide infection of deep water has disappeared.

Tidal fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea do not exceed 3 cm. Short-term non-periodic oscillations due to acclardly honeymills can cause a level up to 2-2.2 m and lowering it to 2 m. Sistened with a period of 10 minutes to 12 hours and amplitude About 0.7 m. The range of seasonal oscillations of a level is about 30 cm. A characteristic feature of the hydrological regime of the Caspian Sea is sharp inter-annual fluctuations in the average annual level. The average level of zero of the Baku footlot in the century (1830-1930) was 326 cm. The highest level (363 cm) was observed in 1896 with 327 cm (1929) the level dropped to 109 cm (1954), i.e. at 218 See In the last decade, the Caspian level has stabilized at low marks with intelligence fluctuations of about ± 20 cm. The oscillations of the Caspian Sea level are associated with climate change over the entire sea pool.

To prevent further fall in the sea level, a system of events is being developed. There is a project to transfer the water of the northern rivers of the exhaust and Pechora into the Volga River Basin, which will ensure an increase in flow at about 32 km3. A project (1972) has been developed to regulate the flow of Caspian waters in the Bay of Kara-Bogaz-goals.

, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Azerbaijan

Geographical position

The Caspian Sea is a 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 about 1200 kilometers (36 ° 34 "-47 ° 13" S.Sh.), from west to east - from 195 to 435 kilometers, an average of 310-320 kilometers (46 ° -56 ° C. d.).

The Caspian Sea is conditionally divided by physico-geographical conditions on 3 parts - the North Caspian, the average Caspian and South Caspian. The conditional boundary between the Northern and Medium Caspian passes through the line about. Chechen - Cape Tuba-Karagan, between the Middle and South Caspian - on the line about. Residential - Cape Gan-Gulu. The Northern, Middle and South Caspian area 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.

Peninsula of the Caspian Sea

• Ashur Ad.
• Garasu
• Zienbil
• Hara-Zira
• Senga-Mugan.
• Cheygyl

Bay of the Caspian Sea

• Russia (Dagestan, Kalmykia and the Astrakhan region) - in the West and the North-West, the length of the coastline is about 1930 kilometers
• Kazakhstan - in the north, northeast and east, the length of the coastline is about 2320 kilometers
• Turkmenistan - in the south-east, the length of the coastline is about 650 kilometers
• Iran - in the south, the length of the coastline - 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 located cities - Lagan, Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, Election and the most southern city of Russia Derbent. The port city of the Caspian Sea is also considered to be Astrakhan, which, however, is not 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, water volume

The area and volume of the water of the Caspian Sea varies significantly depending on the water level fluctuations. At water level -26.75 m, an area is approximately 371,000 square kilometers, water volume - 78,648 cubic kilometers, which is approximately 44% of the world's reserves of lake water. The maximum depth of the Caspian Sea is in the South Caspian depression, 1025 meters from its surface. The magnitude of the maximum depth of the Caspian Sea is inferior only to Baikal (1620 m) and Tanganic (1435 m). The average depth of the Caspian Sea, calculated on the batigraphic curve, is 208 meters. At the same time, the northern part of the Caspian Seamy, its maximum depth does not exceed 25 meters, and the average depth is 4 meters.

Water fluctuations

Vegetable world

The vegetation world of the Caspian Sea and its coast is presented with 728 species. From plants in the Caspian Sea, algae predominate - blue-green, diatoms, red, brown, chas and others, from the flowering - Zoster and Ruppia. On the origin of the flora relates mainly to the unicurate age, but some plants were listed in the Caspian Sea by a person consciously either on the bottoms of the courts.

History of the Caspian Sea

The origin of the Caspian Sea

Anthropological and cultural history of the Caspian Sea

Finds in the cave of Huto at the southern coast of the Caspian Sea show that a person lived in these edges about 75 thousand years ago. The first mentions of the Caspian Sea and living on his coast of tribes are found at Herodot. Approximately in the V-II centuries. BC e. Sakov tribes lived on the Caspian coast. Later, during the resettlement of the Turks, during the period IV-V centuries. n. e. Talysh tribes (talysh) lived here. According to the ancient Armenian and Iranian manuscripts, the Russians swam in the Caspian Sea with the IX-X centuries.

Studies of the Caspian Sea

The studies of the Caspian Sea were launched by Peter Great when, according to his order in 1714-1715, an expedition was organized under the leadership of A. Beckovich-Cherkasi. In the 1720s, hydrographic studies were continued by the expedition of Karl von Verden and F. I. Soyonov, later - I. V. Tokmachev, M. I. Winovich and other researchers. At the beginning of the XIX century, the instrumental shooting of the coast was carried out by I. F. Kolodkina, in the middle of 19 century. - instrumental geographic survey under the direction of N. A. Ivashinsev. Since 1866, for more than 50 years, expedition research on hydrology and hydrobiology of the Caspian Sea under the leadership of N. M. Kbepovich was conducted. In 1897, the Astrakhan Research Station was founded. In the first decades of Soviet power in the Caspian Sea, geological studies of I. M. Gubkin and other Soviet geologists, mainly aimed at finding oil, as well as research on the study of water balance and oscillations of the Caspian Sea level were actively guided.

Economy of the Caspian Sea

Mining of oil and gas

In the Caspian Sea, many deposits of oil and gas are being developed. Proved oil resources in the Caspian Sea constitute about 10 billion tons, total oil and gas condensate resources are estimated at 18-20 billion tons.

The oil industry 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 XIX century, oil production began in industrial volumes on the Absheron Peninsula, then in other territories.

Shipping

Shipping has been developed in the Caspian Sea. The Caspian Sea applies ferry crossings, in particular, Baku - Turkmenbashi, Baku - Aktau, Makhachkala - Aktau. The Caspian Sea has a shipping connection with the Azov Sea through the Volga River, Don and Volga-Don Canal.

Fishing and seafood mining

Fisheries (sturgeon, bream, Sazan, Sudak, Kilka), caviar mining, and also fishing seal. In the Caspian Sea, more than 90 percent of the global sturgeon will be carried out. In addition to industrial production, in the Caspian Sea flourishes illegal mining of sturgeon and their caviar.

Recreational resources

The natural environment of the Caspian coast with sandy beaches, mineral waters and therapeutic mud in the coastal zone creates good conditions for recreation and treatment. At the same time, according to the degree of development of the resorts and the tourist industry, the Caspian coast loses noticeably by the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. At the same time, in recent years, the tourist industry has been actively developing on the coast of Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Russian Dagestan. Azerbaijan is actively developing a resort area in the Baku area. At the moment, a world-class resort was created in Ambaran, another modern tourist complex is built in the village of Nardaran, rest in the sanatoriums of the villages of Bilghe and Zhugulba is very popular. Also develops the resort area in Naughty, in the north of Azerbaijan. However, high prices, in general, low level of service and the lack of advertising lead to the fact that there are almost no foreign tourists in the Caspian resorts. The development of the tourist industry in Turkmenistan is hampered by the long-term policy of isolation, in Iran - the laws of Sharia, due to which the massive rest of foreign tourists in the Caspian coast of Iran is impossible.

Ecological problems

The environmental problems of the Caspian Sea are associated with water pollution as a result of oil production and transportation on the continental shelf, the intake of pollutants from the Volga and other rivers flowing into the Caspian Sea, the vital activity of coastal cities, as well as the flooding of individual objects in connection with the increase in the level of the Caspian Sea. Predatory mining of sturgeon and their caviar, rampant poaching lead to a decrease in the number of sturgeon and for forced restrictions on their extraction and export.

International status of the Caspian Sea

Legal status of the Caspian Sea

After the collapse of the USSR, the Caspian Sea section was and still remains the subject of unresolved disagreements associated with the section of the resources of the Caspian Shelf - Oil and Gas, as well as biological resources. For a long time, negotiations were held between the Caspian states on the status of the Caspian Sea - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan insisted on the Caspian Section on the Middle Line, Iran - on the Caspian Section section for one fifth part between all Caspian states.

Regarding the Caspian Sea, the physico-geographical circumstance is that it is a closed intra-radical reservoir that does not have a natural compound with the oceans. Accordingly, automatically norms and concepts of international maritime law should not be applied to the Caspian Sea, in particular, the provisions of the UN Marine Convention on the Law of 1982. Based on this, in relation to the Caspian Sea, it would be unlawful to apply such concepts as the "territorial Sea", " Economic zone "," Continental shelf ", etc.

Now the current legal regime of the Caspian Sea is established by the Soviet-Iranian treaties 1921 and 1940. These treaties provide for freedom of shipping throughout the water area of \u200b\u200bthe sea, freedom of fishing with the exception of ten-mile national fishing zones and ban on swimming in its water area of \u200b\u200bships under the flag of Necspian states.

Negotiations on the legal status of the Caspian Sea are currently continuing.

Separation of the sections of the Caspian bottom for subsoil use

The Russian Federation concluded an agreement with Kazakhstan on the delimitation of the bottom of the Northern part of the Caspian Sea in order to implement sovereign rights to subsoil use (dated July 6, 1998 and the Protocol to it of May 13, 2002), an agreement with Azerbaijan on the delimitation of adjacent areas of the Northern Caspian Sea (from September 23, 2002), as well as a tripartite Russian-Azerbaijani-Kazakhstan agreement on the joint point of the lines of distinction of neighboring sites of the Caspian Sea (dated May 14, 2003), which established the geographical coordinates of separation lines that limit the sections of the bottom, within which parties Exercise their sovereign rights in the field of exploration and mining of mineral resources.