Map of the Caspian Sea. Where is the Caspian Sea, show the map

19.10.2019

Sochi, Anapa, Tuapse, Gelendzhik or Crimea? Or maybe the Baltic Sea is better? Or the Far East with excursions to kobatok, seals and whales? For many, all of the above is not something attractive and interesting, and some are completely frightened prices, level of service and travel distance. In this case, many choose Thailand or Turkey - in general, inexpensive, warmth and sea near. But for some reason everyone forget about one sea in Russia ...

Another sea

This sea is definitely nothing worse than black, and even more so Baltic (no offense to fans of this coast). Yes, there are no violent flora and fauna, palaces and large embankments, but here you can find an inexpensive and pleasant stay away from bustle and noise on long sandy beaches. Probably it is extremely clear that we are talking about the Caspian Sea. Lack of infrastructure? Lake? Cute? Dangerous region? Wait, do not hurry to rush with stereotypical excuses - these are all myths that are becoming popular because few people really tried to learn anything about these places. For example, the water temperature in summer in the Caspian Sea is more than suitable for bathing and recreation with children. But first things first.

What is the Caspian Sea?

Alas, really very few people know at least something about this sea. Let's start with the fact that it is the greatest lake on our planet. Yes, it is called the lake for the reason that it does not have access to the ocean. And despite this, the similarities with the sea at the Caspian Sea are much more than with a lake on the outskirts of the average Russian city.

In addition, the Caspian Sea is really huge: the distance from the northernmost point to South is about 1,200 kilometers. The width in some places reaches 500 kilometers. Caspian refers to deep seas: Its maximum depth exceeds 1 kilometer.

According to the nature of the relief, it is conditionally divided into several parts: Northern, Middle and South Caspian. The first part is the finest: the depth here does not exceed the pairs of hundreds of meters. But the southern part occupies a large area - almost 66% of the entire sea. To countries that are located on the banks of the Caspian Sea include Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. Our country accounts for about 650 km of coastline, there is also the largest bay of this sea, which is called Kara-Bogaz-goal.

And now Surprise - water in the Caspian Seven! Not as in the Mediterranean or Ocean, but does not particularly differ from the salty of black, and even more so Azov. According to the latest data, southeast of the sea was recorded salinity in 13 ppm (against 17 off the coast of Sochi or Crimea). Yes, there are no dolphins here, and the underwater world is somewhat poorer, but in all the rest of the Caspian is not inferior to any other sea.

Resorts of the Caspian Sea

Many tourists only refuse to go on the Caspian Sea coast - water temperature. In fact, this is another stereotype. Just with your comfortable climate and the coast of the Caspian Sea is famous. We will study the temperature of the water for months, and now briefly run through the main resorts of these places.

Russia has two regions with access to and by the way, this fact also scares many travelers who immediately remember reports of news about the next instability in Makhachkala. However, it should be noted that in the light of the latest events, foreign resorts like Turkishs, all the more so cannot guarantee you the safety of life and health. And Dagestan in recent years is increasingly increasing in the lists of the most visited places that residents of the Russian Federation are chosen.

Self popular cities - This is Caspian, Derbent and Makhachkala. By the way, the temperature of the water in the Caspian Sea in Makhachkala is no different from the temperature of the water in any other place of the Russian coast, since it is in one climatic zone, like the whole pool of this amazing sea generally. There are numerous databases and hotels that offer a wide range of services. Especially like fishermen, who can rent all the necessary equipment for fishing or underwater hunting. In addition, there are a lot of restaurants on the Caspian Sea coast, where you can bring your catch and ask for a professional cook to cook delicious fish dinner.

As for housing, then as mentioned above, here you can find a room or a house for every taste and wallet. In addition to ordinary buildings, everyone will be able to rent floating houses right on the water. In a word - to choose here really have from anything, and the issue of housing and entertainment at the resorts of the Caspian Sea can be the topic for a separate article.

Beach and weather

The Caspian coast is very attractive for family holiday: There are no pebble beaches with sharp or large stones, on which it hurts and unpleasantly walking. The entrance to the sea is also very pleasant, the depth is gaining gradually, and under the feet soft sandy coating. In this case, the sand here does not have a dirty gray shade. The period from June to October is the most pleasant time of the year for recreation in the Caspian Sea. The water temperature in summer is much higher here than at any other time of the year, and in the southern part of the sea heats up faster than in North. The air also warms up to comfortable temperature in the summer, but here it never becomes hot and too wet, as in the resorts Krasnodar Region. If in Sochi, the thermows shown up to 40 degrees of heat, then there are no blocks of thermometers in 30.

Water temperature

Finally, consider the temperature of the water in the Caspian Sea. At the very beginning it should be noted that today there is the possibility of monitoring data on the network. At specialized weather sites, you can see what water temperature in the Caspian Sea, for example, in Caspian or any other city.

Locals and tourists open the bathing season already at the end of May, when water warms up to +18 degrees. The same temperature also happens in October, which makes it possible to relax here as much as black Sea coast. The warmest sea becomes about July-August. At this time, water reaches 27-28 degrees Celsius.

conclusions

Thus, the Caspian Sea remains very attractive for relaxation and for the development of the resort infrastructure, the place. Despite the fact that there are very pleasant and comfortable weather, Turnover on the Russian coast of the Caspian Sea is somewhat lower than the resorts of the Crimea or Kuban, which provides a quiet and relaxing holiday on the little sandy beaches. At the same time, the water temperature in the Caspian Sea ranges from 18 degrees in May and October to 27 degrees in July and August.

The Caspian Sea is rightfully the most large lake On the entire planet and is the sea-lake at the junction of two significant parts of the world: Asia and Europe.

Until now, there are differences in the title of the Caspian: the sea is or the lake. And the sea is called by the large sizes of the reservoir.

The origin of the sea

At the Caspian Sea oceanic origin. It formed approximately 10 minutes ago, as a result of the separation of the Sarmatian Sea.

According to one of the legends modern name The Caspian reservoir received in honor of the Caspian tribes living in the southwestern shores. For all the time the Caspian Sea approximately 70 times changed its names.

Flow

The water area of \u200b\u200bthe Caspian Sea can be divided into the following three parts:

southern (39% area)
middle (36% of the total area)
northern part (25% of the area).

The flow of the reservoir is formed as a result of the following influences: the overall impact of the wind regime, density differences in separate areas and flow of flowing rivers.

W. western coast The middle part of the Caspian Sea is dominated by the southern and south-oriental flows. For the middle and southern parts of the Caspian Sea, depending on the winds of the winds, the course of the Northern, North-Western, southern and southeastern directions is characterized. Oriental flows are dominated in the eastern part of the Caspian.

The following flows play an important role in the cycle of water of the Caspian:

seycherea;
gradient;
inertial.

What rivers fall into the Caspian Sea

The main part of the river waters in the Caspian penetrates through the Volga River. In addition to the Volga in this reservoir, the following rivers flow:

Samur, flowing at the border of Azerbaijan and Russia;
Astarachaa, flowing at the border of Iran and Azerbaijan;
Kura, located in Azerbaijan;
Heraz, Sefudrod, Teden, Polevud, Chalus, Babol and Gorgan flowing in Iran;
Sulak, Kuma located on site Russian Federation;
Emba and Urals flowing in Kazakhstan;
Atrek located in Turkmenistan.

river Sulak Photo.

Where the Caspian Sea falls

The Caspian reservoir has no connection with the ocean, since it is a lightweight reservoir. The Caspian Sea has dozens of bays. You can select the largest of them: Komsomolets, Gyzlar, Kara-Bogaz-Goal, Mangyshlak, Kazakh, Krasnovodsky and others. Also in the waters of the Caspian Sea there are about 50 islands of different sizes, with a total area of \u200b\u200bmore than 350 km2. Some of the islands are combined into archipelago.

Relief

In the Relief of the Caspian Sea, the following forms can be distinguished: deep-water depressions are located in the south of the reservoir; The mainstream, starting just below the border of the shelf and lowered to the South Caspian to 750m, and in the middle part of the Caspian Sea to 600m. Shelf, the length of which from depth to the coastline is 100 m and covered with shell sands, and in deep water - or strong precipitation.

Derbent photo

The coastline of the northern region of the sea is lowland, quite cut, in some zones of a common area. West shore of the reservoir is cut, mountainous. In the east of the shore, the hills are distinguished. The southern coastline is mainly mountainous. The Caspian Sea is located in the zone of high seismicity. Also, here often an eruption of mud volcanoes occurs, most of which are located in the southern part of the reservoir.

Cities

The following states have a yield to the waters of the Caspian Sea:

Russia. The major city is Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan. Also in Dagestan are the caspiisk and elevenbash. In addition to the above cities in the Russian Federation in the Caspian Sea, it is necessary to celebrate Derbent, the most southern City Russia located on the west coast of the Caspian Sea, Olya in the Astrakhan region.
Azerbaijan: City-Port Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is located in the southern part of the Absheron Peninsula. Another major city is Sugmait, located in the northern part of the peninsula. It should also be noted the resorts of pickup and Lankaran. The latter is located near the southern border of Azerbaijan.
Turkmenistan with the city of Turkmenbashi.
Iran: Bender-Torkemin, Enzeli, Nouheshr.

Makhachkala photo

Flora and fauna

All animal world The water area of \u200b\u200bthe Caspian Sea can be divided into such groups:

The first group consists of descendants of long-standing organisms: representatives of the villagers (Puzanok, Volzhskaya, Kessler and Brazhnikovskaya Herring); Representatives of the Caspian bulls (head, bugs, Berg, Bair, Knipovich and Bubyar); thiefs; a large amount of crustaceans; Some types of mollusks.
Representatives of the fauna, who fell into the sea from the north to the post declaration of the reservoir: seal, fall into the second group. Types of fish: Okuneny, carp, Nelma, Belorybitsa and Kumez; Some representatives of crustaceans: sea cockroaches, mysida wraps and others.
The third group includes species that have fallen in the Caspian Mediterranean Sea: The following types of fish: Single, Kambala and Needle Fish; Mollusc representatives; Representatives of crustaceans: shrimps, booplasts, grinding.
The fourth group includes representatives of freshwater fish that fell into the Caspian Sea from fresh rivers: Severilian, Beluga, Ostr, Caspian fish, Krasnoguby Zhereh, Usach, Sudak, Som.

sturgeon photo.

The water area of \u200b\u200bthe Caspian Sea is the main and basic habitat of representatives of sturgeon throughout the planet. Almost 80% of all sturgeon lives in the sea. Sharks and various predatory fish, carrying any danger to a person, do not live in this reservoir.

The Caspian Flora represent more than 700 types of lower plants (phytoplankton), as well as 5 types of higher (spiral and sea rupties, ridge comb, zoster, naja sea). Here you can meet various waterfowl. Some of them fly to wintering here from the north (slices, gagars, seagulls, barrlas, swans, ducks, geese), some arrive from the south for nesting (Orlans).

Characteristic

We will get acquainted with the main characteristics of the Caspian Sea:

The length from the north to the south approximately amounted to 1200km;
The width of the basin from west to east is approximately 200-435km;
The total area of \u200b\u200bthe Caspian Sea is approximately 390000km2;
Volume seawater - 78000km3.
Maximum marine depth - about 1025m.
The salinity of water is on average up to 13.2%.

The sea level is located below the level of the world's ocean. The North of the Caspian Sea is characterized by a continental climate. For the Middle Caspian Sea, a characteristic moderate climate. The southern part of the sea is characterized by a subtropical climate. Winter average temperature In the north, it changes from 8 to 10 degrees of frost, and in the south of 8 to 10 amraders heat. In the summer, the average temperature in the north is 24-25 degrees above zero, and in the south 26-27 degrees of heat.

Caspian Sea. Birds photos

To this day, scientists conduct disputes: what status to give the Caspian Sea or Lake? After all, this reservoir is closed and faceless. At the same time, this reservoir prevails in size over some other seas.
The bottom in the very deep point is separated from the water surface of the Caspian Sea distance more than a kilometer. In Caspian, the water level is unstable and is inclined to decrease.
This reservoir existed approximately 70 titles that were given by various tribes and peoples living on the shores.
There is a scientific theory that claims that Caspian and Black Sea, were combined into one sea in ancient times.
The Volga River provides the Caspian most of the river water.
Since the Caspian is the main habitat of the fish family of sturgeon on the planet, here is produced most of Black caviar around the world.
The water of the Caspian reservoir is constantly updated for every 250 years. The name of the reservoir according to the legends occurred from the name of the tribe living on its shores.
The Caspian Square exceeds the area of \u200b\u200bJapan and slightly less from the German Square.
If this reservoir is considered to be a lake: it will take the third place in the depths of the world, after Baikal and Tanganyik. Also the Caspian is the largest lake on the planet.
Caspian Sea is very rich in natural resources. Oil, gas, limestone, salt, clay, stones and sand are produced here.
The Caspian Sea recently faced the following environmental issues: pollution of the sea. Oil, here is the main pollutant of the sea, the overwhelming development of phytoplankton and phytobenthos. In addition to oil in Caspian, phenols fall, heavy metals. All this leads to a decrease in oxygen generation, as a result, a large number of fish and other organisms die. Also pollution leads to diseases of living organisms in the sea. Poaching is one of the main reasons for a sharp decrease in sturgeon catch. Changes in natural biogeochemical cycles. Construction on the Volga deprives representatives of natural habitat fish.
The Caspian Sea is a very important object in the field of shipping and economics. This reservoir is absolutely closed and isolated from the world ocean. This is the distinctive uniqueness of the Caspian.

The territory of Russia is washed by the twelve seas belonging to the pools of the three oceans. But one of these seas is Caspian - often referred to as the lake, which sometimes leads to the perplexity of people, weakly dismantling in geography.

Meanwhile, Caspian is really more correct to call the lake, and not by the sea. Why? Let's figure out.

A little geography. Where is the Caspian Sea?

Occupying an area that exceeds 370,000 square kilometersThe Caspian Sea stretches from the north to the south, dividing its water to the space of Europe and Asia with its water stroking. Its coastline belongs to five different countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Iran. Geographers conventionally divide him with a water area into three parts: the Northern (25% area), the average (36% area) and the South Caspian (39% area), which differ in climate, geological setting and natural features. The coastline is predominantly common, ridden by river ducts, covered with vegetation, and in the northern part, where the Volga flows into the Caspian - also wetlands.

The Caspian Sea has about 50 large and small islands, about one and a half dozen bays and six large peninsulas. In addition to the Volga, approximately 130 rivers fall into it, and nine rivers form quite wide and branched delta. The annual voltage drain is about 120 cubic kilometers. Together with other major rivers - the Terek, the Urals, Embo and Sulacom is up to 90% of the total annual drainage in the Caspian.

Why is Caspian called the lake?

The main sign of any sea is the presence of straits connecting it with the ocean. Caspian is a closed, or faceless water, which takes into itself river water, but does not connect with any ocean.

Its water contains very small, compared with other seas, the amount of salt (about 0.05%) and is considered a weakly fat. Due to the lack of at least one strait connecting with the ocean, the Caspian is often called the largest lake in the world, since the lake is completely closed with water, which is fueled only by river water.

The Caspian's waters do not apply to international marines, and its water area is divided between all countries that are adjacent to it proportional to the coastline.

Why is Caspian called the sea?

Despite the foregoing, most often in geography, as well as in international and internal documents, the name "Caspian Sea" is used, and not " Caspian lake" First of all, this is explained by the reservoir, which is much more characteristic of the sea than for the lake. Even, which is much smaller in the area than the Caspian, local residents Often called the sea. There are no other lakes in the world, whose shores belong to five different countries at the same time.

In addition, you should pay attention to the structure of the bottom, which in the Caspian Sea has a pronounced ocean type. Once the Caspian Sea, most likely combined with Mediterranean, but tectonic processes and drying separated it from the World Ocean. In the Caspian Water area there are more fifty islands, and some of them are large enough, even by international standards, they are considered large. All this allows you to call the Caspian Sea, not the lake.

origin of name

Why is this sea (or lake) called Caspian? The origin of any name is often associated with ancient history terrain. Different peoples who lived on the banks of the Caspiana called him differently. In history, more than seventy items of this reservoir were preserved - he was called Girkan, Derbent, Sarai Sea, etc.

Iranians and Azerbaijanis are still called him Khazar Sea. Caspian it began to be called by the name of the ancient tribe of nomads-horse breeders who lived in the steppes adjacent to its coast - the numerous tribe of the Caspian. They gave the name to himself large lake On our planet - the Caspian Sea.

The Caspian Sea is located on the border of Europe and Asia and are surrounded by the territories of five states: Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. Despite the name, the Caspian is the largest on the planet lake (its area is 371,000 km2), but the bottom, folded by the oceanic earthly crust, and salty water Together with large sizes, it is reasonable to consider it and the sea. A large number of rivers flows into the Caspian Sea, for example, such large as a Volga, Terek, Urals, Kura and others.

Relief and depth of the Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea of \u200b\u200bthe bottom of the bottom is divided into three parts: the southern (the largest and deep), middle and north.

In the northern part of the depth of the sea is the most insignificant: on average it is from four to eight meters, and the maximum depth reaches here 25 m. The northern part of the Caspian Sea is limited to Mangyshlak Peninsula and takes 25% of the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe reservoir.

The middle part of the Caspian Sea is deepening. Here the average depth becomes equal already 190 m, the maximum is 788 meters. The area of \u200b\u200bthe Middle Caspian Sea is 36% of the total, and the volume of water is 33% of the total amount of the sea. From the southern part of him separates the Absheron Peninsula in Azerbaijan.

The deepest and largest part of the Caspian Sea - South. It occupies 39% of the total area, and its share of the total water volume is 66%. Here is the South Caspian Wpadina, in which the most deep point Sea - 1025 m.

Islands, Peninsula and Bay of the Caspian Sea

In total, about 50 islands in the Caspian Sea, almost all of them are uninhabited. Due to the lower northernmost depth of the sea, most of the islands are located there, among them relating to Azerbaijan Baku Archipelago, the island seals in Kazakhstan, as well as many russian islands At the coast of the Astrakhan region and Dagestan.

Among the Peninsula of the Caspian Sea are the largest mangishal (mangistau) in Kazakhstan and Apsheron in Azerbaijan, on which such big cities Like the capital of the country Baku and Sumgait.

Bay Kara-Bogaz Caspian Sea

The coastline of the sea is strongly cut, and there are many bays on it, for example, Kizlylasky, Mangyshlak, dead cooler and others. A separate mention deserves the Gulf of Kara-Bogaz-Goal, which is actually a separate lake, connected to the Caspian Narrow Strait, due to which it remains a separate ecosystem and a higher salinity of water.

Fishing in the Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea has long been attracted by the inhabitants of his shores with their fish resources. About 90% of all global sturgeon mining is mined here, as well as such a fish as Sazan, Bream, Kilka.

Caspian Sea Video

In addition to fish, Caspian is extremely rich in oil and gas, the total reserves of which are about 18-20 million tons. Also, salt, limestone, sand and clay are also produced here.

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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 horse breeders - Kaspiev, who lived to our era on southwest coast 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 eastern coast Limestone shores are predomined, 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. Most large 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.

Eastern coast is located salt Lake Kara Bogat Gol, until 1980, represented by the Caspian Sea 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 riverPlugging to 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 a village of oil workers Oil stones, the buildings of which are artificial Islands, overpars 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 northern coast Caspian Sea.

On the eastern Bank The Caspian Sea is a Kazakh city - Port Aktau, in the north in the Delta of the Urals, 20 km from the sea, is located in Atyrau, south of Kara-Bogaz-goal on the north shores of the Red Bay - turkmen city 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 northern part Caspiani - shallow, 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 levels horizontal gradients, and temperature difference between coastal areas and 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 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 prevailing in summer season Northwestern winds. 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. On the formation of a field of salinity in the Northern Caspian big influence It has a field of wind. Central I. southern parts Sea oscillation 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 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. In the Caspian Sea also lives 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.