In dry and hot climates, a large number sea ​​water evaporates, water molecules pass into the air. So, every year such a huge amount of water particles is carried away from the surface of the Caspian Sea that all together they would fill a bowl with a volume of several hundred cubic kilometers. This amount of water could fill ten such reservoirs, which will be Kuibyshev.

But can water from the sea surface get into the bottom layers of the Caspian, to a depth of 900-980 meters?

This is possible provided that the density of the surface layers of water is greater than the density of the bottom layers.

It is known that the density of sea water depends on salinity and temperature. The more salts the water contains, the denser it is, and therefore heavier. water with high temperature less dense than cold water. Only when low temperatures(about 0-4 ° heat) the inverse ratio is given when the water, heating up, becomes more dense.

The high salinity of the surface layers of the sea is created in the hot season, when water evaporates strongly, while salt remains in the sea. At this time, the salinity of surface waters is not less, and even somewhat greater than the salinity of the deep and bottom layers.

The temperature of surface waters in the warm season is the same everywhere, about 25-28 °, that is, five times higher than at a depth of 150-200 meters. With the onset of the cold season, the temperature of the surface layers decreases and in a certain period it turns out to be 5-6° above zero.

The temperature of the near-bottom and deep (deeper than 150-200 m) layers of the Caspian Sea is the same (5-6 °), practically unchanged throughout the year.

Under these conditions, the lowering of denser surface cold and highly saline water into the bottom layers is possible.

Only in the southern regions of the Caspian, the temperature of surface water, as a rule, does not drop to 5-6°C even in winter. And, although the sinking of surface waters into the depths cannot occur directly in these areas, water is brought here by deep currents, which has descended from the surface into more northern parts seas.

A similar phenomenon is observed in the eastern part of the border zone between the Middle and South Caspian, where cooled surface waters descend along the southern slope of the border underwater threshold and then follow the deep current into southern regions seas.

Such widespread mixing of surface and deep waters is confirmed by the fact that oxygen has been found at all depths of the Caspian Sea.

Oxygen can get to the depths only with the surface layers of water, where it comes directly from the atmosphere or as a result of photosynthesis.

If there was no continuous supply of oxygen to the bottom layers, it would quickly be absorbed by animal organisms there or spent on the oxidation of the organic matter of the soil. Instead of oxygen, the bottom layers would be saturated with hydrogen sulfide, which is observed in the Black Sea. In it, the vertical circulation is so weak that oxygen in sufficient quantities does not reach the depth, where hydrogen sulfide is formed.

Although oxygen is found at all depths of the Caspian Sea, it is far from being in the same amount in different seasons of the year.

The water column is richest in oxygen in winter. The more severe the winter, that is, the lower the temperature on the surface, the more intense the aeration process, which reaches the deepest parts of the sea. Conversely, several warm winters in a row can cause the appearance of hydrogen sulfide in the bottom layers and even the complete disappearance of oxygen. But such phenomena are temporary and disappear in the first more or less severe winter.

The upper water column is especially rich in dissolved oxygen up to a depth of 100-150 meters. Here, the oxygen content ranges from 5 to 10 cubic meters. cm in litre. At depths of 150-450 m, oxygen is much less - from 5 to 2 cubic meters. cm in litre.

Deeper than 450 m there is very little oxygen and life is very poorly represented - several species of worms and mollusks, the smallest crustaceans.

Mixing of water masses is also caused by surge phenomena and waves.

Waves, currents, winter vertical circulation, surges, surges act constantly and are important factors in the mixing of waters. It is not surprising, therefore, that no matter where in the Caspian Sea we take a sample of water, everywhere its chemical composition will be constant. If there was no mixing of waters, all living organisms of great depths would die out. Life would be possible only in the zone of photosynthesis.

Where the waters mix well and this process proceeds quickly, for example, in shallow areas of the seas and oceans, life is richer.

The constancy of the salt composition of the water of the Caspian Sea is a common property of the waters of the World Ocean. But this does not mean that the chemical composition of the Caspian is the same as in the ocean or in any sea connected to the ocean. Consider a table showing the salt content in the waters of the ocean, the Caspian and the Volga.

	Carbonates (CaCO 3)	Sulphates CaSO 4 , MgSO 4	Chlorides NaCl, KCl, MgCl 2	Average salinity of waters ‰
Ocean	0,21	10,34	89,45
Caspian Sea	1,24	30,54	67,90	12,9
Volga river	57,2	33,4

The table shows that ocean water has very little in common with river water in terms of salt composition. In terms of salt composition, the Caspian Sea occupies an intermediate position between a river and an ocean, which is explained by the great influence of river runoff on the chemical composition of Caspian water. The ratio of salts dissolved in the water of the Aral Sea is closer to the salt composition of river water. This is understandable, since the ratio of the volume of river runoff to the volume of the waters of the Aral Sea is much larger than for the Caspian. A large number of sulfate salts in the Caspian Sea gives its water a bitter-salty taste that distinguishes it from the waters of the oceans and the seas connected to them

The salinity of the Caspian Sea is continuously increasing towards the south. In the pre-estuary space of the Volga, a kilogram of water contains hundredths of a gram of salts. IN eastern regions In the South and Middle Caspian, salinity reaches 13-14‰

The concentration of salts in the Caspian water is low. So, almost twenty times more salts can be dissolved in this water than there are in it.

B.A. Shlyamin. Caspian Sea. 1954

<<Назад

, 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° v. d.).

The Caspian Sea is conditionally divided according to physical and geographical conditions into 3 parts - the North Caspian, the Middle Caspian and the South Caspian. The conditional border between the North and Middle Caspian runs along the line of about. Chechnya - Cape Tyub-Karagansky, between the Middle and South Caspian - along the line of about. Residential - Cape Gan-Gulu. The area of ​​the Northern, Middle and Southern Caspian is 25, 36, 39 percent respectively.

Coast of the Caspian Sea

Coast of the Caspian Sea in Turkmenistan

The territory adjacent to the Caspian Sea is called the Caspian Sea.

Peninsulas of the Caspian Sea

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

Bays of the Caspian Sea

• Russia (Dagestan, Kalmykia and Astrakhan region) - in the west and north-west, the length of the coastline is about 1930 kilometers
• Kazakhstan - in the north, northeast and east, the length of the coastline is about 2320 kilometers
• Turkmenistan - in the southeast, the length of the coastline is about 650 kilometers
• Iran - in the south, the length of the coastline is about 1000 kilometers
• Azerbaijan - in the southwest, the length of the coastline is about 800 kilometers

Cities on the coast of the Caspian Sea

On the Russian coast there are cities - Lagan, Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, Izberbash and the southernmost city of Russia Derbent. Astrakhan is also considered a port city of the Caspian Sea, which, however, is not located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, but in the Volga Delta, 60 kilometers from the northern coast of the Caspian Sea.

Physiography

Area, depth, volume of water

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

Water level fluctuations

Vegetable world

The flora of the Caspian Sea and its coast is represented by 728 species. Of the plants in the Caspian Sea, algae predominate - blue-green, diatoms, red, brown, char and others, of flowering - zoster and ruppia. By origin, the flora belongs mainly to the Neogene age, however, some plants were brought into the Caspian Sea by man either consciously or on the bottoms of ships.

History of the Caspian Sea

Origin of the Caspian Sea

Anthropological and cultural history of the Caspian Sea

Finds in the Khuto cave near the southern coast of the Caspian Sea indicate that a person lived in these parts about 75 thousand years ago. The first mention of the Caspian Sea and the tribes living on its coast are found in Herodotus. Approximately in the V-II centuries. BC e. Saka tribes lived on the coast of the Caspian Sea. Later, during the period of the settlement of the Turks, in the period of the 4th-5th centuries. n. e. Talysh tribes (Talysh) lived here. According to ancient Armenian and Iranian manuscripts, the Russians sailed the Caspian Sea from the 9th-10th centuries.

Exploration of the Caspian Sea

The exploration of the Caspian Sea was started by Peter the Great, when, on his orders, an expedition was organized in 1714-1715 under the leadership of A. Bekovich-Cherkassky. In the 1720s, hydrographic studies were continued by the expedition of Karl von Werden and F.I. Soymonov, later by I.V. Tokmachev, M.I. Voinovich and other researchers. At the beginning of the 19th century, instrumental surveying of the banks was carried out by I.F. Kolodkin, in the middle of the 19th century. - instrumental geographic survey under the guidance of N. A. Ivashintsev. Since 1866, for more than 50 years, expeditionary research on the hydrology and hydrobiology of the Caspian Sea has been carried out under the leadership of N. M. Knipovich. In 1897, the Astrakhan Research Station was founded. In the first decades of Soviet power in the Caspian Sea, geological research by I. M. Gubkin and other Soviet geologists was actively carried out, mainly aimed at finding oil, as well as research on the study of the water balance and fluctuations in the level of the Caspian Sea.

Economy of the Caspian Sea

Mining of oil and gas

Many oil and gas fields are being developed in the Caspian Sea. The proven oil resources in the Caspian Sea are about 10 billion tons, the total resources of oil and gas condensate are estimated at 18-20 billion tons.

Oil production in the Caspian Sea began in 1820, when the first oil well was drilled on the Absheron shelf near Baku. In the second half of the 19th century, oil production began on an industrial scale on the Absheron Peninsula, and then on other territories.

Shipping

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

Fishing and seafood

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

Recreational resources

The natural environment of the Caspian coast with sandy beaches, mineral waters and therapeutic mud in the coastal zone creates good conditions for recreation and treatment. At the same time, in terms of the degree of development of resorts and the tourism industry, the Caspian coast noticeably loses to the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. At the same time, in recent years, the tourism industry has been actively developing on the coast of Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Russian Dagestan. The resort area in the Baku region is actively developing in Azerbaijan. At the moment, a world-class resort has been created in Amburan, another modern tourist complex is being built near the village of Nardaran, recreation in the sanatoriums of the villages of Bilgah and Zagulba is very popular. A resort area is also being developed in Nabran, in the north of Azerbaijan. However, high prices, a generally low level of service and the lack of advertising lead to the fact that there are almost no foreign tourists in the Caspian resorts. The development of the tourism industry in Turkmenistan is hampered by a long policy of isolation, in Iran - by Sharia law, due to which the mass vacation of foreign tourists on the Caspian coast of Iran is impossible.

Ecological problems

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

International status of the Caspian Sea

Legal status of the Caspian Sea

After the collapse of the USSR, the division of the Caspian Sea has long been and still remains the subject of unsettled disagreements related to the division of the resources of the Caspian shelf - oil and gas, as well as biological resources. For a long time there were negotiations between the Caspian states on the status of the Caspian Sea - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan insisted on dividing the Caspian along the median line, Iran - on dividing the Caspian along one fifth between all the Caspian states.

With regard to the Caspian Sea, the key is the physical and geographical circumstance that it is a closed inland water body that does not have a natural connection with the World Ocean. Accordingly, the norms and concepts of international maritime law, in particular, the provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of ​​1982, should not automatically apply to the Caspian Sea. Based on this, it would be unlawful to apply such concepts as “territorial sea”, “exclusive economic zone”, “continental shelf”, etc.

The current legal regime of the Caspian Sea was established by the Soviet-Iranian treaties of 1921 and 1940. These treaties provide for freedom of navigation throughout the sea, freedom of fishing, with the exception of ten-mile national fishing zones, and a ban on navigation in its waters of ships flying the flag of non-Caspian states.

Negotiations on the legal status of the Caspian are currently ongoing.

Delimitation of sections of the bottom of the Caspian Sea for the purpose of subsoil use

The Russian Federation concluded an agreement with Kazakhstan on the delimitation of the bottom of the northern part of the Caspian Sea in order to exercise sovereign rights to subsoil use (dated July 6, 1998 and the Protocol dated May 13, 2002), an agreement with Azerbaijan on the delimitation of adjacent sections of the bottom of the northern part of the Caspian Sea (dated September 23, 2002), as well as the trilateral Russian-Azerbaijani-Kazakhstan agreement on the junction point of the demarcation lines of adjacent sections of the bottom of the Caspian Sea (dated May 14, 2003), which established the geographical coordinates of the dividing lines limiting the sections of the bottom, within which the parties exercise their sovereign rights in the field of exploration and production of mineral resources.

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

Toponymy

• Other names: throughout the history of mankind, different peoples of the Caspian Sea had about 70 different names. The most famous of them are: Khvalynskoe or Khvalisskoe (it took place in the times of Ancient Rus', arose by the name of the people praise, who lived in the Northern Caspian and traded with the Russians), Girkan or Dzhurdzhan (derived from the alternative names of the city of Gorgan, located in Iran), Khazar, Abeskun (after the name of the island and city in the Kura delta - now flooded), Saray, Derbent, Sikhay .
• Origin of name: according to one of the hypotheses, the Caspian Sea received its modern and most ancient name from a tribe of nomadic horse breeders the Caspians who lived in the 1st millennium BC on the southwestern coast.

Morphometry

• Catchment area: 3,626,000 km².
• Mirror area: 371,000 km².
• Coastline length: 7,000 km.
• Volume: 78,200 km³.
• Average depth: 208 m
• Max Depth: 1025 m.

Hydrology

• The presence of a constant flow: no, it's pointless.
• Tributaries:, Ural, Emba, Atrek, Gorgan, Heraz, Sefidrud, Astarchay, Kura, Pirsagat, Kusarchay, Samur, Rubas, Darvagchay, Ulluchay, Shuraozen, Sulak, Terek, Kuma.
• Bottom: very varied. At shallow depths, sandy soil with an admixture of shells is common, in deep water places - silty. Pebble and rocky places can be found in the coastal strip (especially where mountain ranges adjoin the sea). In the estuarine areas, the underwater soil consists of river sediments. The Kara-Bogaz-Gol bay is notable for the fact that its bottom is a powerful layer of mineral salts.

Chemical composition

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

Geography

Rice. 1. Map of the Caspian Sea basin.

• Coordinates: 41°59′02″ s. sh., 51°03′52″ E d.
• Height above sea level:-28 m.
• Coastal landscape: Due to the fact that the coastline of the Caspian Sea is very long, and it is located in different geographical zones, the coastal landscape is diverse. In the northern part of the reservoir, the shores are low, swampy, in places of the deltas of large rivers they are indented by numerous channels. The eastern shores are mostly limestone - desert or semi-desert. The western and southern shores adjoin mountain ranges. The greatest indentation of the coastline is observed in the west - in the area of ​​the Apsheron Peninsula, as well as in the east - in the area of ​​the Kazakh and Kara-Bogaz-Gol bays.
• Settlements on the coast:
  • Russia: Astrakhan, Derbent, Kaspiysk, Makhachkala, Olya.
  • Kazakhstan: Aktau, Atyrau, Kuryk, Sogandyk, Bautino.
  • Turkmenistan: Ekerem, Karabogaz, Turkmenbashi, Khazar.
  • Iran: Astara, Balboser, Bender-Torkemen, Bender-Anzeli, Neka, Chalus.
  • Azerbaijan: Alyat, Astara, Baku, Dubendi, Lankaran, Sangachali, Sumgayit.

interactive map

Ecology

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

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

Fishing in the Caspian Sea

• Fish species:
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
• Artificial settlement: not all of the above fish species in the Caspian Sea are native. About 4 dozen species came by chance (for example, through channels from the basins of the Black and Baltic Seas), or were deliberately populated by humans. An example is the mullet. Three Black Sea species of these fish - striped mullet, sharp-nosed mullet and golden mullet - were released in the first half of the 20th century. The striped mullet did not take root, but the blackfin with golden mullet have successfully acclimatized, and by the current moment they have settled in virtually the entire water area of ​​the Caspian Sea, having formed several commercial herds. At the same time, fish feed faster than in the Black Sea, and reach larger sizes. In the second half of the last century (starting from 1962), attempts were also made to populate such Far Eastern salmon fish as pink salmon and chum salmon in the Caspian Sea. In total, several billion fry of these fish were released into the sea within 5 years. Pink salmon did not survive in the new range, but on the contrary, chum salmon successfully took root and even began to spawn in the rivers flowing into the sea. However, she could not reproduce in sufficient quantities and gradually disappeared. There are as yet no favorable conditions for its full-fledged natural reproduction (there are very few places where spawning and development of fry could successfully occur). To ensure them, river reclamation is needed, otherwise, without human help (artificial sampling of eggs and its incubation), fish will not be able to maintain their numbers.

Fishing places

In fact, fishing is possible at any point on the coast of the Caspian Sea, which can be reached by land or water. Which species of fish will be caught at the same time depends on local conditions, but to a greater extent on whether rivers flow here. As a rule, in places where estuaries and deltas (especially large watercourses) are located, the water in the sea is strongly desalinated, therefore, freshwater fish (carp, catfish, bream, etc.) usually predominate in catches; rivers (barbels, shemaya). Of the marine species in desalinated areas, those for which salinity does not matter are caught (mullet, some of the gobies). In certain periods of the year, semi-anadromous and migratory species can be found here, feeding in the sea, and entering the rivers for spawning (sturgeon, some of the herring, Caspian salmon). In places where there are no flowing rivers, freshwater species are found in a slightly smaller number, but at the same time, marine fish appear, usually avoiding desalinated areas (for example, sea zander). Away from the coast, fish that prefer salt water and deep-sea species are caught.

It is conditionally possible to distinguish 9 places or areas that are interesting in terms of fishing:

1. North Shore (RF)- this area is located on the northern coast of the Russian Federation (from the Volga delta to the Kizlyar Bay). Its main features are the insignificant salinity of the water (the lowest in the Caspian Sea), shallow depth, the presence of multiple shoals, islands, and highly developed aquatic vegetation. In addition to the Volga delta with its numerous channels, bays and erics, it also includes the estuarine seaside, called the Caspian peals. These places are popular with Russian fishermen, and for good reason: the conditions for fish are very favorable here, and there is also a good forage base. The ichthyofauna in these parts may not shine with a richness of species, but it is distinguished by its abundance, and some of its representatives reach a very considerable size. Usually the basis of catches are freshwater fish, typical for the Volga basin. Most often caught: perch, pike perch, roach (more precisely, its varieties, called roach and ram), rudd, asp, sabrefish, bream, goldfish, carp, catfish, pike. Bursh, silver bream, white-eye, blue bream are somewhat less common. There are also representatives of sturgeons (sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, beluga, etc.), salmonids (nelma, brown trout - Caspian salmon) in these places, but their catch is prohibited.
2. Northwestern coast (RF)- this section covers the western coast of the Russian Federation (from Kizlyar Bay to Makhachkala). The Kuma, Terek and Sulak rivers flow here - they carry their waters both along natural channels and artificial channels. In this area there are bays, among which are quite large ones (Kizlyarsky, Agrakhansky). The sea in these places is shallow. Of the fish in the catches, freshwater species predominate: pike, perch, carp, catfish, rudd, bream, barbel, etc., marine species are also caught here, for example, herring (black-backed, shad).
3. West Bank (RF)- from Makhachkala to the border of the Russian Federation with Azerbaijan. An area where mountain ranges adjoin the sea. The salinity of the water here is somewhat higher than in previous places, therefore, marine species are more common in the catches of fishermen (sea pike, mullet, herring). However, freshwater fish are by no means uncommon.
4. West Bank (Azerbaijan)- from the border of the Russian Federation with Azerbaijan to the Absheron Peninsula. Continuation of the section where mountain ranges adjoin the sea. Fishing here is even more similar to typical sea fishing, thanks to fish such as hart and golden mullet (mullet) and several types of gobies, which are also caught here. In addition to them, there are kutum, herring, and some typically freshwater species, for example, carp.
5. Southwest coast (Azerbaijan)- from the Absheron Peninsula to the border of Azerbaijan with Iran. Most of this area is occupied by the delta of the Kura River. Here the same species of fish are caught that were listed in the previous paragraph, but freshwater ones are somewhat more common.
6. North Shore (Kazakhstan)- this section covers the northern coast of Kazakhstan. The Ural delta and the Akzhaiyk state reserve are located here, therefore fishing directly in the river delta and in some waters adjacent to it is prohibited. Fishing is possible only outside the reserve - upstream from the delta, or in the sea - at some distance from it. Fishing near the Ural delta has much in common with fishing at the confluence of the Volga - almost the same species of fish are found here.
7. Northeast coast (Kazakhstan)- from the mouth of the Emba to Cape Tyub-Karagan. In contrast to the northern part of the sea, where the water is greatly diluted by large rivers flowing into it, its salinity is slightly increased here, therefore, those fish species appear that avoid desalinated areas, for example, sea zander, which is caught in the Dead Kultuk Bay. Also, other representatives of marine fauna are often found in the catches.
8. Eastern coast (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan)- from Cape Tyub-Karagan to the border of Turkmenistan and Iran. Differs in the almost complete absence of flowing rivers. The salinity of the water here is at its highest. Of the fish in these places, marine species predominate, the main catches are mullet, pike perch and gobies.
9. South Shore (Iran)- covers the southern coast of the Caspian Sea. Throughout this section, the Elburs mountain range adjoins the sea. Many rivers flow here, most of which are small streams, there are also several medium and one large river. Of the fish, in addition to marine species, there are also some freshwater, as well as semi-anadromous and anadromous species, for example, sturgeons.

Features of fishing

The most popular and catchy amateur tackle that is used on the Caspian coast is a heavy spinning rod converted into a “sea bottom”. Usually it is equipped with a strong spool, on which a fairly thick line (0.3 mm or more) is wound. The thickness of the fishing line is determined not so much by the size of the fish as by the mass of a rather heavy sinker, which is necessary for an ultra-long cast (in the Caspian it is widely believed that the farther from the shore the casting point is, the better). After the sinker comes a thinner fishing line - with several leashes. As a bait, shrimps and amphipods that live in coastal thickets of algae are used - if it is supposed to catch sea fish, or an ordinary bait like a worm, cockchafer larvae and others - if freshwater species are found in the fishing area.

In estuaries of inflowing rivers, other tackle such as float rod, feeder and traditional spinning can be used.

kasparova2 majorov2006 g2gg2g-61 .

Photo 8. Sunset in Aktau.

The Caspian Sea is located between Asia and Europe. This is the largest salt sea-lake located on the territory of Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan. At present, its level is 28 meters below the level of the World Ocean. The depth of the Caspian Sea is quite large. The area of ​​the reservoir is 371 thousand square kilometers.

Story

Approximately five million years ago, the sea divided into small bodies of water, including the Black and Caspian Seas. After these events, they united and separated. About two million years ago, the Caspian Lake was cut off from the oceans. This period is considered the beginning of its formation. Throughout history, the reservoir has changed its contours several times, and the depth of the Caspian Sea has also changed.

Now the Caspian is the largest inland body of water containing about 44% of the lake waters of the planet. Despite the ongoing changes, the depth of the Caspian Sea did not change very much.

Once it was called Khvali and Khazar, and the tribes of horse breeders gave it another name - the Caspian. That was the name of the tribe living on the southwestern shore of the reservoir. In total, during its existence, the lake had more than seventy names, here are some of them:

1. Abeskun.
2. Derbent.
3. Saray.
4. Sihai.
5. Dzhurdzhanskoe.
6. Hyrcanian.

Depth and relief

The relief and features of the hydrological regime divide the sea-lake into the northern, middle and southern parts. Throughout the entire area of ​​the Caspian Sea, the average depth is 180-200 m, but the relief in different parts is different.

The northern part of the reservoir is shallow. Here the depth of the Caspian Sea-lake is approximately 25 meters. In the middle part of the Caspian there are very deep depressions, continental slopes, and shelves. Here the average depth is 192 meters, and in the Derbent depression - about 788 meters.

The greatest depth of the Caspian Sea is in the South Caspian depression (1025 meters). Its bottom is flat, and there are several ridges in the northern part of the depression. It is here that the maximum depth of the Caspian Sea is noted.

Coastline features

Its length is seven thousand kilometers. The northern part of the coastline is lowland, mountains are on the south and west, and highlands are on the east. The spurs of Elbrus and the Caucasus Mountains approach the shores of the sea.

The Caspian has large bays: Kazakh, Kizlyar, Mangyshlak, Kara-Bogaz-Gol, Krasnovodsk.

If you go on a cruise from north to south, then the length of the route will be 1200 kilometers. In this direction, the reservoir has an elongated shape, and from west to east, the width of the sea is different. It is 195 kilometers at its narrowest point and 435 kilometers at its widest. On average, the width of the reservoir is 315 km.

The sea has several peninsulas: Mangyshlak, Buzachi, Miankale and others. There are also several islands here. The largest are Chygyl, Kyur-Dashi, Gum, Dash, Seal Islands.

Reservoir nutrition

About one hundred and thirty rivers flow into the Caspian. Most of them flow in the north and west. The main river flowing into the sea is the Volga. Approximately ninety percent of the volume of runoff falls on three large rivers: the Volga (80%), the Kura (6%) and the Urals (5%). Five percent - to the Terek, Sulak and Samur, and the remaining four bring small rivers and streams of Iran.

Caspian resources

The reservoir has amazing beauty, a variety of ecosystems and a rich supply of natural resources. When there are frosts in its northern part, magnolias and apricots bloom in the south.

Relic flora and fauna have been preserved in the Caspian Sea, including the largest flock of sturgeons. As the marine flora evolved, it changed more than once, adjusting to salinization and desalination. As a result, there are many freshwater species in these waters, but few marine ones.

After the Volga-Don Canal was built, new types of algae appeared in the reservoir, which were previously found in the Black and Azov Seas. Now there are 854 animal species in the Caspian Sea, of which 79 are vertebrates, and over 500 plant species. This unique sea-lake provides up to 80% of the world's sturgeon catch and about 95% of black caviar.

Five species of sturgeon are found in the Caspian Sea: stellate sturgeon, spike, sterlet, beluga and sturgeon. Beluga is the largest representative of the species. Its weight can reach a ton, and its length can reach five meters. In addition to sturgeon, herring, salmon, kutuma, vobla, asp and other types of fish are caught in the sea.

Of the mammals in the Caspian Sea, only the local seal is found, which is not found in other water bodies of the world. It is considered the smallest on the planet. Its weight is about a hundred kilograms, and its length is 160 centimeters. The Caspian region is the main migration route for birds between Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Every year approximately 12 million birds fly over the sea during their migration (south in spring and north in autumn). In addition, another 5 million remain in these places for wintering.

The greatest wealth of the Caspian Sea is the huge reserves of oil and gas. Geological exploration in the region has discovered large deposits of these minerals. Their potential puts local reserves in second place in the world after

The Caspian Sea is the largest lake on our planet, which is located in a depression on the earth's surface (the so-called Aral-Caspian lowland) on the territory of Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Iran. Although they consider it as a lake, because it is not connected with the World Ocean, but by the nature of the formation processes and the history of origin, in terms of its size, the Caspian Sea is a sea.

The area of ​​the Caspian Sea is about 371 thousand km2. The sea, stretched from north to south, has a length of about 1200 km and an average width of 320 km. The length of the coastline is about 7 thousand km. The Caspian Sea is located 28.5 m below the level of the World Ocean and its greatest depth is 1025 m. There are about 50 islands in the Caspian Sea, mostly small in area. Large islands include such islands as Tyuleniy, Kulaly, Zhiloy, Chechen, Artem, Ogurchinsky. There are also many bays in the sea, for example: Kizlyarsky, Komsomolets, Kazakh, Agrakhansky, etc.

The Caspian Sea is fed by more than 130 rivers. The largest amount of water (about 88% of the total flow) is brought by the Ural, Volga, Terek, Emba rivers, which flow into the northern part of the sea. About 7% of the runoff is provided by the large rivers Kura, Samur, Sulak and small rivers flowing into the sea on the western coast. The Heraz, Gorgan, Sefidrud rivers flow into the southern Iranian coast, which bring only 5% of the flow. Not a single river flows into the eastern part of the sea. The water in the Caspian Sea is salty, its salinity ranges from 0.3‰ to 13‰.

The shores of the Caspian Sea

The shores have a different landscape. The shores of the northern part of the sea are low and gentle, surrounded by low semi-desert and somewhat elevated desert. In the south, the shores are partially low-lying, they are bordered by a coastal lowland of a small area, behind which the Elburs ridge runs along the coast, which in some places comes close to the coast. In the west, the ridges of the Greater Caucasus approach the coast. In the east there is an abrasion coast, worked out in limestones, semi-desert and desert plateaus approach it. The coastline is very variable due to periodic fluctuations in water levels.

The climate of the Caspian Sea is different:

Continental in the north;

Moderate in the middle

Subtropical in the south.

At the same time, severe frosts and snowstorms are raging on the northern coast, and fruit trees and magnolias bloom on the southern coast. In winter, strong storm winds rage on the sea.

Large cities and ports are located on the coast of the Caspian Sea: Baku, Lankaran, Turkmenbashi, Lagan, Makhachkala, Kaspiysk, Izberbash, Astrakhan, etc.

The fauna of the Caspian Sea is represented by 1809 animal species. More than 70 species of fish are found in the sea, including: herring, gobies, stellate sturgeon, sturgeon, beluga, white salmon, sterlet, pike perch, carp, bream, vobla, etc. Of the marine mammals in the lake, only the world's smallest Caspian seal is found, which not found in other seas. The Caspian lies on the main bird migration route between Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Every year, about 12 million birds fly over the Caspian during their migration period, and another 5 million usually winter here.

Vegetable world

The flora of the Caspian Sea and its coast is 728 species. Basically, algae inhabit the sea: diatoms, blue-green, red, char, brown and others, from flowering ones - rupee and zoster.

The Caspian Sea is rich in natural resources, many oil and gas fields are being developed in it, in addition, limestone, salt, sand, stone and clay are also mined here. The Caspian Sea is connected by the Volga-Don Canal with the Sea of ​​Azov, shipping is well developed. A lot of different fish are caught in the reservoir, including more than 90% of the world's sturgeon catch.

The Caspian Sea is also a recreation area, on its shores there are rest houses, tourist bases and sanatoriums.

Related content: