The largest lake on earth is the Caspian Sea. Why can't the Caspian Sea be called a sea or a lake? Human activities and environmental problems

The Caspian Sea is located at the junction of two parts of the Eurasian continent - Europe and Asia. The Caspian Sea is similar in shape to the Latin letter S, the length of the Caspian Sea from north to south is about 1200 kilometers (36 ° 34 "- 47 ° 13" N), from west to east - from 195 to 435 kilometers, on average 310-320 kilometers (46 ° - 56 ° E).

The Caspian Sea is conventionally divided by 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 Sea we pass along the Chechen line (Island)- Tyub-Karagan Cape, between the Middle and South Caspian - along the Zhilaya line (Island)- Gan-Gulu (cape)... The area of ​​the North, Middle and South Caspian Sea is 25, 36, 39 percent, respectively.

According to one of the hypotheses, the Caspian Sea got its name in honor of the ancient tribes of horse breeders - the Caspians, who lived on the southwestern coast of the Caspian Sea before our era. Throughout the history of its existence, the Caspian Sea had about 70 names among different tribes and peoples: the Hyrcanian Sea; Khvalynskoe sea or Khvalisskoe sea - an ancient Russian name derived from the name of the inhabitants of Khorezm who traded in the Caspian - khvalis; Khazar Sea - name in Arabic (Bahr al-Khazar), Persian (Daria-e Khazar), Turkish and Azerbaijani (Khazar denizi) languages; Abeskun Sea; Sarayskoe sea; Derbent Sea; Sihai and other names. In Iran, the Caspian Sea is still called the Khazar or Mazenderan Sea. (by the name of the people inhabiting the coastal province of Iran of the same name).

The coastline of the Caspian Sea is estimated at about 6500 - 6700 kilometers, with islands up to 7000 kilometers. The shores of the Caspian Sea in most of its territory are low and smooth. In the northern part, the coastline is cut by water streams and islands of the Volga and Ural deltas, the shores are low and swampy, and the water surface is covered with thickets in many places. The eastern coast is dominated by limestone shores adjacent to semi-deserts and deserts. The most winding shores are on the western coast in the area of ​​the Absheron Peninsula and on the eastern coast in the area of ​​the Kazakh Bay and Kara-Bogaz-Gol.

Large peninsulas of the Caspian Sea: Agrakhan Peninsula, Absheron Peninsula, Buzachi, Mangyshlak, Miankale, Tub-Karagan.

There are about 50 large and medium-sized islands in the Caspian Sea with a total area of ​​about 350 square kilometers... Most large islands: Ashur-Ada, Garasu, Gum, Dash, Zira (Island), Zyanbil, Kur Dashy, Khara-Zira, Sengi-Mugan, Chechen (Island), Chygyl.

Large bays of the Caspian Sea: Agrakhan Gulf, Komsomolets (bay) (formerly Dead Kultuk, formerly the Gulf of Tsarevich), Kaidak, Mangyshlak, Kazakh (bay), Turkmenbashi (bay) (formerly Krasnovodsk), Turkmen (bay), Gizilagach, Astrakhan (bay), Gyzlar, Girkan (formerly Astarabad) and Anzeli (formerly Pahlavi).

Near the eastern coast is the salt lake Kara Bogaz Gol, which until 1980 was a lagoon-bay of the Caspian Sea, connected to it by a narrow strait. In 1980, a dam was built, separating Kara-Bogaz-Gol from the Caspian Sea, in 1984 a culvert was built, after which the level of Kara-Bogaz-Gol dropped several meters. In 1992, the strait was restored, along it the water leaves the Caspian Sea to Kara-Bogaz-Gol and evaporates there. Every year, 8-10 cubic kilometers of water flows from the Caspian Sea to Kara-Bogaz-Gol (according to other sources - 25 thousand kilometers) and about 150 thousand tons of salt.

130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, 9 of which have delta-shaped estuaries. 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 is the Volga, its average annual runoff is 215-224 cubic kilometers. The Volga, Ural, Terek and Emba provide up to 88 - 90% of the annual runoff of the Caspian Sea.

The area of ​​the Caspian Sea basin is approximately 3.1 - 3.5 million square kilometers, which is approximately 10 percent of the world's territory of enclosed water basins. The length of the Caspian Sea basin from north to south is about 2500 kilometers, from west to east - about 1000 kilometers. The Caspian Sea basin covers 9 states - Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan.

The Caspian Sea washes the shores of five coastal states:

• Of Russia (Dagestan, Kalmykia and Astrakhan region) - in the west and northwest, length coastline 695 kilometers
• Kazakhstan - in the north, north-east and east, the length of the coastline is 2320 kilometers
• Turkmenistan - in the southeast, the length of the coastline is 1200 kilometers
• Iran - in the south, the length of the coastline is 724 kilometers
• Azerbaijan - in the south-west, the length of the coastline is 955 kilometers

The largest city - port on the Caspian Sea - Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, which is located in the southern part of the Absheron Peninsula and employs 2,070 thousand people (2003) ... Other large Azerbaijani Caspian cities are Sumgait, which is located in the northern part of the Absheron Peninsula, and Lankaran, which is located not far from southern border Azerbaijan. To the South-East of the Absheron Peninsula, there is a village of oil workers Neftyanye Kamni, whose structures are located on artificial islands, overpasses and technological sites.

Major Russian cities - the capital of Dagestan Makhachkala and the most Southern City Russia Derbent - located on the western coast of the Caspian Sea. 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.

On the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea is the Kazakh city - the port of Aktau, in the north in the Ural delta, 20 km from the sea, the city of Atyrau is located, south of Kara-Bogaz-Gol on the northern coast of the Krasnovodsk Bay - the Turkmen city of Turkmenbashi, formerly Krasnovodsk. Several Caspian cities are located in the southern (Iranian) coast, the largest of them is Anzali.

The area and volume of water in the Caspian Sea varies significantly depending on the fluctuations in the water level. With a water level of -26.75 m, the area was approximately 392,600 square kilometers, the volume of water was 78,648 cubic kilometers, which is approximately 44 percent of the world's lake water reserves. The maximum depth of the Caspian Sea is in the South Caspian depression, 1025 meters above its surface. 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 according to the bathygraphic curve, is 208 meters. At the same time, the northern part of the Caspian is shallow, its maximum depth does not exceed 25 meters, and the average 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 was 15 meters. Instrumental measurement of the level of the Caspian Sea and systematic observations of its fluctuation have been carried out since 1837, during which time the highest water level was recorded in 1882 (-25.2 m.), the lowest - in 1977 (-29.0 m.), since 1978 the water level has been increasing and in 1995 reached the level of -26.7 m, since 1996 there has been a downward trend again. Scientists associate the reasons for the change in the water level of the Caspian Sea with climatic, geological and anthropogenic factors.

Water temperature is subject to significant latitudinal changes, most pronounced in winter, 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 difference in water temperature is about 10 ° C. For shallow areas with depths less than 25 m, the annual amplitude can reach 25 - 26 ° C. On average, the water temperature near the western coast is 1 - 2 ° C higher than that of the eastern one, and in the open sea the water temperature is 2 - 4 ° C higher than that of the coasts. By the nature of the horizontal structure of the temperature field in the annual cycle of variability, three time intervals can be distinguished in the upper 2-m layer. From October to March, the water temperature increases in the southern and eastern, which is especially well traced in the Middle Caspian. Two stable quasi-latitude zones can be distinguished, where temperature gradients are increased. This is, firstly, the border between the North and Middle Caspian, and, secondly, between the Middle and South. At the ice edge, in the northern frontal zone, the temperature in February-March increases from 0 to 5 ° C, in the southern frontal zone, in the area of ​​the Apsheron sill, from 7 to 10 ° C. During this period, the least cooled waters are in the center of the South Caspian, which form a quasi-stationary core. In April-May, the area of ​​minimum temperatures moves to the Middle Caspian, which is associated with a faster warming up of waters 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 ice melting, but already in May the temperature here rises to 16 - 17 ° C. In the middle part, the temperature at this time is 13 - 15 ° C, and in the south it rises to 17 - 18 ° C. Spring water warming evens out the horizontal gradients, and the temperature difference between the coastal areas and the open sea does not exceed 0.5 ° C. The heating of the surface layer, which begins in March, disturbs the uniformity in the temperature distribution with depth. In June-September, there is horizontal uniformity in the temperature distribution in the surface layer. In August, which is the month of the greatest warming, the water temperature throughout the sea is 24 - 26 ° C, and in the southern regions it rises to 28 ° C. In August, the water temperature in shallow bays, for example, in Krasnovodsk, can reach 32 ° C. The main feature of the water temperature field at this time is upwelling. It is observed annually along the entire eastern coast of the Middle Caspian and partially penetrates even into the South Caspian. The rise of cold deep waters occurs with varying intensity as a result of the influence of the northwestern winds prevailing in the summer season. The wind in this direction causes the outflow of warm surface waters from the coast and the rise of colder waters from the intermediate layers. The upwelling begins in June, but it reaches its highest intensity in July-August. As a result, a decrease in temperature is observed on the water surface. (7 - 15 ° C)... Horizontal temperature gradients reach 2.3 ° C at the surface and 4.2 ° C at a depth of 20 m. The upwelling focus is gradually shifting from 41 - 42 ° N. in June to 43 - 45 ° N in September. Summer upwelling is of great importance for the Caspian Sea, radically changing the dynamic processes in the deep water area. In the open areas of the sea in late May - early June, the formation of a layer of temperature jump begins, which is most pronounced in August. Most often, it is located between the horizons of 20 and 30 m in the middle part of the sea and 30 and 40 m in the southern part. Vertical temperature gradients in the jump layer are very significant and can reach several degrees per meter. In the middle part of the sea, as a result of the drive off the eastern coast, the shock layer rises close to the surface. Since in the Caspian Sea there is no stable baroclinic layer with a large supply of potential energy, similar to the main thermocline of the World Ocean, then with the termination of the prevailing winds causing upwelling, and with the onset of autumn-winter convection in October-November, a rapid restructuring of the temperature fields to the winter regime occurs. In the open sea, the water temperature in the surface layer drops in the middle to 12-13 ° C, in the southern part to 16-17 ° C. In the vertical structure, the shock layer is eroded due to convective mixing and disappears by the end of November.

The salt composition of the waters of the enclosed Caspian Sea differs from that of the ocean. There are significant differences in the ratios of the concentrations of salt-forming ions, especially for the waters of areas under the direct influence of continental runoff. The process of metamorphization of sea waters under the influence of continental runoff leads to a decrease in the relative content of chlorides in the total amount of salts of sea waters, an increase in the relative amount of carbonates, sulfates, calcium, which are the main components in the chemical composition of river waters. The most conserved ions are potassium, sodium, chlorine and magnesium. The least conservative are calcium and bicarbonate ions. In the Caspian, the content of calcium and magnesium cations is almost two times higher than in the Sea of ​​Azov, and the content of sulfate anions is three times higher. The salinity of water changes especially sharply in the northern part of the sea: from 0.1 units. psu in the mouth areas of the Volga and the Urals up to 10 - 11 units. psu on the border with the Middle Caspian. Mineralization in shallow salty bays-kultuk can reach 60 - 100 g / kg. In the Northern Caspian, during the entire ice-free period from April to November, a salinity front of a quasi-latitude location is observed. The greatest desalination associated with the spread of river runoff over the sea area is observed in June. On the formation of the salinity field in the North Caspian big influence has a wind field. In the middle and southern parts of the sea, salinity fluctuations are small. Basically, it is 11.2 - 12.8 units. psu, increasing southerly and easterly. Salinity increases slightly with depth. (by 0.1 - 0.2 psu units)... In the deep-water part of the Caspian Sea, in the vertical salinity profile, there are characteristic isohaline troughs and local extrema in the area of ​​the eastern continental slope, which indicate the processes of bottom sliding of waters salinizing in the eastern shallow waters of the South Caspian. Salinity is also highly dependent on sea level and (which is interconnected) from the volume of continental runoff.

The relief of the northern part of the Caspian is a shallow undulating plain with banks and accumulative islands, the average depth of the North Caspian is about 4 - 8 meters, the maximum depth does not exceed 25 meters. The Mangyshlak sill separates the North Caspian from the Middle. The Middle Caspian is quite deep, the water depth in the Derbent depression reaches 788 meters. The Absheron sill separates the Middle and South Caspian. The South Caspian Sea is considered to be deep water, the depth of water in the South Caspian depression reaches 1025 meters from the surface of the Caspian Sea. Shell sands are widespread on the Caspian shelf, deep-water areas are covered with silty sediments, in some areas there is an outcrop of bedrocks.

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

Average annual rainfall is 200 millimeters per year, from 90-100 millimeters in the arid eastern part to 1,700 millimeters off the southwestern subtropical coast. Evaporation of water from the surface of the Caspian Sea is about 1000 millimeters per year, the most intense evaporation is in the area of ​​the Absheron Peninsula and in the eastern part of the South Caspian - up to 1400 millimeters per year.

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 the autumn and winter months, the winds increase, the speed of the winds often reaches 35-40 meters per second. The most windy areas are the Apsheron Peninsula and the vicinity of Makhachkala - Derbent, where the most high wave- 11 meters.

The circulation of waters in the Caspian Sea is associated with runoff and winds. Since most of the runoff is in the North Caspian, northern currents prevail. The intense northern current carries water from the North Caspian along the western coast to the Absheron Peninsula, where the current splits into two branches, one of which moves further along the western coast, the other goes to the Eastern Caspian.

The fauna of the Caspian Sea is represented by 1810 species, of which 415 are vertebrates. There are 101 species of fish registered in the Caspian world, and most of the world's sturgeon stocks, as well as freshwater fish such as roach, carp, and pike perch, are concentrated in the Caspian world. The Caspian Sea is a habitat for such fish as carp, mullet, sprat, kutum, bream, salmon, perch, pike. The Caspian Sea is also home to a marine mammal - the Caspian seal. Since March 31, 2008, 363 dead seals have been found on the coast of the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan.

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, charovy and others, and of flowering plants - zostera and ruppia. By origin, the flora belongs mainly to the Neogene age, however, some plants were introduced into the Caspian Sea by humans deliberately or on the bottoms of ships.

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water. And although the water in it is salty, and the bed is lined with rocks of the oceanic type, it is located far from the world's oceans and is a giant closed lake.

The Caspian Sea is located in two parts of the world at once. Its western coast washes the European part of the mainland, and the eastern one is part of Asia. Its length from north to south is 1030 km, and from west to east 435 km at the maximum point. Sea coordinates: 36 ° 34'-47 ° 13 ′ north latitude and 46 ° -56 ° east longitude.

You can get to the Caspian from anywhere in Russia. One of the main destinations for Russians will be Astrakhan and the region, with which both the capital and other major cities have air and rail connections all year round. It is not so easy to get from distant cities, as often stations do not make direct flights to Astrakhan.

Another popular route runs through Dagestan and leads to Makhachkala, Kaspiysk or Derbent - the main cities for tourists. Airplanes from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Krasnoyarsk fly to the capital of the republic all year round. It is possible to get there by train, but in summer they are usually packed with people.

Historical facts

The lake was formed from the Sarmatian Sea tens of millions of years ago, when the Caucasus Mountains did not divide it into Black and Caspian Sea... The Sarmatian Sea itself finally lost its direct access to the ocean more than 70 million years ago.

Some of the first written records of the Caspian Sea were found on clay tablets dating from the 9th century. BC NS. They were found during excavations in Assyria, the territory of which mainly belongs to modern Iraq and Syria. Later, Herodotus, Aristotle and the "father of geography" Hecateus of Miletus mention the Caspian. Their knowledge was generalized and expanded by Arab scholars in the 9th-10th centuries.

How the Caspian Sea was formed

With the development of medieval trade relations, information about the Caspian Sea spread to Europe and Turkey. The famous navigator and traveler Marco Polo described it in the 13th century. With the further passage of time, knowledge about the lake only increased, more detailed and truthful maps were created.

As for the name, over the thousands of years of its existence on it, people have given the lake more than 70 names. So, the ancient peoples called it Hyrcanic, and the Arabs called it Khazar. The Chinese gave it the name Sihai, the Iranians - Kolzum, the Turks - Kuchuk-Deniz.

The Russians called it the "Blue Sea", Khvalynsky or Khozemsky. The name also changed depending on the adjacent states. At one time it was called Sarai, Turkmen, Avar, Persian and many other names. It took its modern name from the ancient nomadic pastoralist tribes - the Caspians, who lived on its right bank around the 2nd millennium BC.

Characteristic

Of all the characteristics of the Caspian, the greatest interest is its unique flora and fauna, which have collected many rare species of plants and animals, the determination of its origin and the problems associated with the ecology and pollution of the reservoir.

Bottom relief and depth

The Caspian Sea is subdivided into three geographic zones: North, Middle and South. The North is a sea trail with an average depth of no more than 5 m. It accounts for the smallest amount of lake water - about 1%. The second largest is the Middle Caspian, where the bottom reaches 780 m at its maximum point. It contains more than 30% of water reserves.

The southern part is equal to the Average in area, but it is deeper and has more than 60% of the water mass.

It is here that the deepest point of the lake today is located - 1025 meters under water.

The boundaries between the parts are rather arbitrary, but they do exist.

Between the North and the Middle, the Chechen island and the Tyub-Karagan cape became the border, and between the Middle and the South - the Zhiloy island and the Gan-Gulu cape.

The bottom relief of the lake is fairly uniform, but it differs in different zones.

In Severnaya, it is flat shallow water with small alluvial areas. The middle one goes deep and is covered with silt or shells. The southern one, being the deepest, is also covered with silt, and in some places and ledges of bedrock.

Area and length

The surface area of ​​the lake is approximately 370,000 square meters. km. The water level is subject to cyclical changes: it goes down, then it rises. Scientists have found that over the past millennium, the water level in the lake has fluctuated within ten meters. This is a very big indicator.

It is associated primarily with the activity of people, as well as geological factors that constantly affect the reservoir. According to confirmed data, the water level is only growing. The South, the Middle and the North account for 40, 35, 25% of the area, respectively.

The length of the coastline is 6700 km, and taking into account the island territories - about 7000. The shores themselves are quite smooth, without high elevations. In the north, the lowland of the coast is represented by channels and islands formed by the Volga.

The area is swampy and covered with dense reeds. The eastern coastal areas are adjacent to deserts and are composed of limestone or shells. The most "mountainous" were the shores of the Absheron Peninsula and the Kazakh Gulf.

The Caspian Sea is located in an area with many islands and peninsulas. The largest and most significant peninsulas are: Agrakhan Peninsula, Apsheron Peninsula, where Baku is located, Mangyshlak Peninsula with the Kazakh city of Aktau, Buzachi Peninsula, Miankale and Tyub-Karagan.

There are about 50 large and medium-sized islands in the lake. Their total area is 350 sq. km. The most famous of them are: Chechen, Gum, Dash, Zyanbil, Seal Islands, Chygyl, Garasu and Ashur-Ada.

Water composition

The composition of the water is different from that observed in the seas and oceans. This is due not only to the fact that the Caspian Sea is closed, but also subject to a significant influence of continental runoff waters. This greatly reduces the content of chlorides and salts in the water, but increases the amount of calcium, carbonates and sulfates inherent in river water.

In the Azov Sea, for example, there are two times less calcium cations than in the Caspian Sea. Despite this, the water in the lake is salty - from 0.05 ppm at the confluence of the Volga to 11-13 ppm in the southern part.

Sea basin and its relationship with the World Ocean

The Caspian Sea basin is 3.1 million square meters. km. It includes such rivers as the Volga, Kuma, Uluchay, Samug, Sudak, Terek. The Volga is the largest and deepest river flowing into the lake. More than two hundred large rivers flow into it, and the number of its tributaries is more than 5000.

Its delta, which is the largest in Europe, begins from the Astrakhan region. The Volga receives most of its water from melting snows, rains and springs. In addition to these rivers, more than 100 rivers flow into the Caspian.

To date, the Caspian Sea has no direct connection with the ocean, but an indirect one is provided through the Volga-Don canal. Through it, ships and fleet can get from the Caspian and Volga to the Don, Azov and Black Sea.

Climate

The Caspian Sea is located in several climatic zones and the climate depends on its parts. In the northern part, it is continental with temperatures ranging from -10 ° C in winter to +25 ° C in summer. In the southern part, the climate becomes subtropical. The temperature there ranges from + 8 ° C in winter to + 27 ° C in summer.

The middle part of the Caspian Sea is located in a temperate climate with average temperatures. The highest temperature recorded on the east coast was +44 ° C.

Water temperature is also subject to significant changes and depends on latitude. During the cold season, in the northern part, the water can freeze or cool down to 0 - 1 ° C, while in the south the temperature does not drop below 10 ° C. In summer, the water warms up from +20 ° C to +27 ° C, depending on the region.

As for precipitation, their average annual rate is 200 mm. Again, everything depends on the climate and varies from 100 mm in the eastern part to 1700 mm in the southern subtropics. The best time to visit the Caspian Sea is in the summer at the end of July or in August. Ideal resorts will be Baku, Makhachkala and Astrakhan.

Flora and fauna

The fauna of the Caspian is diverse and rich. It repeats in some way other reservoirs, but in its own way it is original. There are ancient sturgeon and salmon fish species, as well as several types of herring, carp, pike perch, carp, sprat, mullet, bream, pike, roach. There are about 100 species of fish in total.

The volume of sturgeon is 90% of all reserves in the world. The only and unique species of mammal living in this area is the Caspian seal, which is the smallest of all seals. Many of the species are protected by three reserves: Astrakhan, Caspian and Gyzylagadzh.

The vegetation numbers over 700 species. The most important for maintaining favorable conditions for animals are blue-green, red, brown and diatom algae. Flora mostly represents the Neogene period of the ancient Caspian, however, some species were brought into the sea on purpose or accidentally due to shipping.

Ecological situation

The current ecological situation in the Caspian Sea is not the best. The main polluting factor was oil and its processing. As you know, it began to be mined here 150 years ago in Azerbaijan.

In this regard, the suppression of the development of finoplankton and blue-green algae began, the concentration of oxygen in the water decreased, which affected the reproduction of sturgeon fish, waterfowl and other living organisms.

The mass reproduction of the ctenophore Mnemiopsis, which entered the Caspian Sea from the Black and Azov Sea through the Volga-Don Canal, also brought a lot of troubles. The comb jelly feeds on the same plankton as the Caspian fish.

This reduced their food supply and put sturgeon on the brink of extinction. Number of valuable sturgeon fish the links with poaching have also decreased, which, according to unofficial data, accounts for more than half of the catch.

The unique in nature biological and hydrocarbon resources of the Caspian are also destroyed by phenols and heavy metals that enter it with wastewater from industrial enterprises located near the reservoir.

Countries washed by the Caspian Sea

The waters of the sea are washed by the territories of modern:

The main cities on the coast are Astrakhan, Baku, Aktau, Bender-Anzeli, Makhachkala and Turkmenbashi.

Tourist infrastructure on the Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea is located around developed countries and its tourist infrastructure is represented by a large number of coastal resort towns with many recreation centers and hotels. At the disposal of tourists, not only active recreation in the form of fishing or water parks, but also beaches, where for little money you can relax from morning to late evening, renting sun loungers, hammocks or gazebos.

Resorts on the Caspian Sea

Baku has become one of the most prestigious resorts. The capital of Azerbaijan with a population of 2.5 million people provides an opportunity not only to relax on the beach, but also to visit many sights, some of which are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

It is better to go to the beaches in the suburbs of Baku, where Shikhovo, Mardakan or Zagulba are located. The resort infrastructure of the Caspian Sea is at a high level. The beaches are clean and well maintained, and hotel complexes provide a wide range of accommodation close to the coast. V

All this is in 30 minutes drive from Baku. Sumgait should not be written off as well. It is located 30 km from Baku, but has more extensive shell-type beaches. It has less bustle of the city, but the service and maintenance is not inferior to the capital.

Kazakhstan also has several resorts in large cities. The most popular were Aktau and Atyrau. Despite the fact that Aktau is located in the desert and began to recreate the tourism infrastructure relatively recently, it has new hotel complexes with a decent quality of service.

Atyrau has ceased to be in demand, since the Caspian Sea in these places has become shallow and the beaches have ceased to exist. In general, Kazakh resorts are in low demand among foreign and Russian holidaymakers.

The Caspian Sea washes several large Turkmen cities, including Turkmenbashi and Avaza. The second city is in demand for tourism. Here, the construction of hotels and complexes also began relatively recently, but the resort has already managed to find its adherents.

One of its features are sandy-shell beaches stretching for kilometers. Resorts of Turkmenistan also cannot be called popular among foreigners, since there is a rather complicated visa system when entering the country.

In Russia, the main popular are the two resorts of Astrakhan and Dagestan, represented by Astrakhan itself, Makhachkala, Derbent, Caspian and a couple of other small cities. Derbent is one of the most picturesque. Thanks to its landscapes and ancient buildings included in the UNESCO heritage, the city has become popular not only among tourists from Russia, but also foreigners.

Beaches on the Caspian Sea

The most interesting beaches of the Russian resorts are Djami, Goryanka, Laguna and the beach of the Caspian sanatorium, located in Dagestan. Unfortunately, according to tourists' reviews, there are few good beaches in Astrakhan, and most of the coastal areas are in thickets of reeds.

Jami Beach, like the Caspian Sea, belongs to hotel and sanatorium apartments located on the coast. That is why they are well equipped in terms of recreation and service. Goryanka beach differs in that only women and boys under 6 years old can enter its territory.

Among the beaches of Kazakhstan, the beaches of Manila, Nur Plaza, Dostar, and Marakesh deserve the greatest attention. The beaches of Manila and New Marrakech are very popular, since the entrance to them is free, and they work until late in the evening.

Nur Plaza and Dostar are subject to payment. The entrance costs from 35 to 80 rubles. This price already includes umbrellas, sun beds and other benefits. There is an opportunity to rent gazebos, barbecues and park cars cheaply.

The beaches of the Turkmen Avaza stretch for 30 km and have good infrastructure and huge hotel complexes... But not everything is so good. Many people point out many disadvantages of hotels and service for rather high ticket prices. Among them: cold sea water, low population, smells from oil refineries, which are located near the Caspian Sea.

The beaches of Azerbaijan are rightfully considered the most developed. There are a lot of them here for every taste and budget. Almost the entire coastal zone of Baku is built up with hotel complexes, recreation centers and beaches.

The most famous is the beach of the Shikhovo water park... It has everything for active recreation not only for adults, but also for children. Water slides and attractions will not make you bored, and a large number of sun loungers will fit everyone who wants to just lie in the sun. But do not forget about such beaches as Nabran, Sumgaiti, Novkhani and other places.

Attractions of the Caspian Sea

There are many sights on the territory of Russia that are worth visiting when arriving at the resort. In Astrakhan, they were the Astrakhan Kremlin, the Bridge of Lovers, the Wedding Waltz fountain. In Makhachkala, you can visit the Juma Mosque, many museums and theaters, and in Derbent, the ancient Naryn-Kala fortress and the 150-year-old Derbent lighthouse are often visited.

Azerbaijan possesses unique architectural objects. In the suburbs of Baku there is the Maiden Tower and a whole complex of walls with the palace of the Shirvanshahs, the Gobustan landscape with ancient rock paintings. There is also much to see in the city center. Modern hotels, galleries and museums are located here. For example, the Carpet Museum, TV Tower, Cultural Center Heydar Aliyev.

There are not so many attractions in the Turkmen Avaza. Among them are several yacht clubs, a park, a congress center and an aqua park with attractions. There are no special sights in the Kazakh Aktau, as well as streets. The whole city is divided into districts.

Entertainment and active recreation on the Caspian Sea

For people who love active rest, there are special fishing tours to Astrakhan. Prices start at 20,000 rubles. and includes accommodation, boat rental, fish freezing and cooking facilities.

In Kazakhstan, for fans of active recreation, there are bases with fitness centers, shady courts and much more. Among them, the Kenderli base stands out. Its only drawback: it is located 300 km from the coast.

The Azerbaijani coast has everything for a good pastime. Water parks Shikhov and Resort will not let children and adults who love active entertainment... Like the Turkmen water park in Avaza.

Prices for hotels in the Caspian Sea

The prices for a resort in Russia are the cheapest. Accommodation in apartments in Astrakhan will cost 600-700 rubles, and in hotels from 1200 to 3600 rubles. per day. The most popular hotels are Corvette, Bonotel, Novomoskovsky. In Dagestan, the average price for a hotel will be 1,500 rubles. Coastal hotels: Argo, Pegasus, Assorted, Sharhistan, Versailles.

In the Kazakh Aktau there are hotels Rakhat, Aktau, Victoria. Prices depend on the quality of services, but on average start at 2,000 thousand rubles. Renting an apartment starts from 600 rubles.

Baku hotels provide the best conditions and service, however, the prices here are by no means the highest. The average price is 2,000 rubles. Hotels Consul, Bosfor, Safran are popular. It is also possible to rent apartments and separate rooms.

But Turkmen hotels are the most expensive. Price tags here start at $ 70. Despite this, many complain that the service leaves much to be desired for the money.

The Caspian Sea is a unique body of water with its own distinctive flora and fauna. On its shores there are 5 states, most of which provide good tourist infrastructure and services at affordable prices. The coastal towns have ancient landmarks that are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Article formatting: Mila Friedan

Video about the Caspian Sea

Caspian Sea Vacation Review:

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

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

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

Benefits of relaxing on the Caspian Lake:

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

You can get to the Caspian Sea in various ways, but it is worth deciding in the area of ​​which coastal city to plan a vacation.

There are several resort towns on the Caspian Lake in the Russian Federation:

Astrakhan is very popular among fishermen and lovers of outdoor activities related to water, because in its vicinity there are many rivers, and the Caspian Lake is just a stone's throw away - an hour by car.

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

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

The origin of the Caspian lake and its names

More than 5 million years ago, the ancient sea was split into several smaller ones, including the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. After the occurrence of this division, the reservoirs repeatedly merged into one whole and split up, but about 1.75-2 million years ago the reservoir was finally cut off from the waters of the World Ocean.

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

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

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

Study and development of the Caspian lake

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

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

Aristotle in the IV century BC was sure that the Hyrcanian reservoir was connected with the Black Sea by groundwater. The study of the relationship of the Caspian Sea with other large bodies of water was carried out by the Macedonian during his travels. In 323 BC, he sent the sailor and geographer Patroclus to explore the shores of the Caspian.

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

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

Expansion of the geography of trade relations allowed European, Persian and Turkish travelers to receive a lot of information about the Caspian Sea. And the eminent Marco Polo (XIII century) also described a huge reservoir.

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

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

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

The first years of Soviet rule, the Caspian was actively explored by geologists, mainly in search of deposits of oil products, the study of the water balance and fluctuations in the height of the water in the lake.

History of the Caspian Lake

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

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

About 5-6.5 million years ago, the gigantic body of water broke into shallow basins, which included the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea.

After that, they repeatedly united and moved apart.

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

Throughout its history, the lake has repeatedly changed its coastline until it acquired its current appearance.

Physical and geographical characteristics of the Caspian lake

The water surface of the lake is noticeably below the level of the World Ocean and is -27.5 ... -28.5 m. The Caspian Sea area varies depending on the level and water and is within 380-390 km2, the total volume is 73.7-74.1 km3 ...

The Caspian Sea is territorially subdivided into several parts with its own characteristics:

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

The length of the coastline almost reaches 7 thousand km. The maximum length of the lake is slightly more than 1,000 km, and the widest point is 435 km. The minimum width is considered to be a segment of 195 km. The average width is considered to be 317 km.

The shores vary greatly in their landscape. The northern coast is gently sloping and low, around it there is a semi-desert in the lowlands, and a desert on an elevation. The southern coastal area is partly low and partly mountainous and consists of the Elbrus ridge. The mountains of the Caucasus come close to the western part.

The eastern coastline is a desert and semi-desert limestone plateau. The shape of the coast changes greatly depending on the water level, which periodically fluctuates.

Climate

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

According to averaged data, the temperature in the western part of the lake is up to 2 ° C higher than in the eastern one, and with distance from the coast, it rises by 2-4 ° C compared to the coastal zone. In summer, the water in the lake warms up to 23-29 ° C, and in shallow waters in the northern part it can reach 34-40 ° C. Deeper than 100 m, the temperature stabilizes and is 4-7 ° C.

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

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

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

When in the northern part of the lake the thermometer shows large minus values, trees and flowers bloom on the southern coast. In winter, the surface of the lake is unstable, storm winds prevail. In winter, only the northern shallow water freezes, in severe winter frosts the North Caspian and the coastal waters of the Middle Caspian are covered with ice.

Flora and fauna

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

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

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

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

Islands

There are more than 50 large and medium-sized islands in the Caspian Lake with a total area of ​​about 350 sq. km.

Flowing rivers

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

The largest and most significant rivers of the Caspian basin:

Approximately 88% of the total runoff falls on such rivers as the Volga, Terek, Ural and Emba, which flow into the north of the Caspian. 7% of the runoff falls on such rivers as the Kura, Sulak, Samur and others, smaller, flowing into the western part of the Caspian. The Iranian part of the reservoir receives about 5% of the runoff of the Sefidrud, Heraz and Gorgan rivers.

Ecological state

The state of the Caspian Lake and adjacent territories is a source of concern to ecologists.

The main causes of environmental problems are associated with humans and their activities:

• extraction and transportation of oil and gas products;
• inflow of pollutants from river runoff waters;
• poaching;
• waste from coastal cities;
• rapid jumps in the water level in the Caspian Sea due to irrigation of lands by the waters of rivers flowing in and the use of hydroelectric power plants.

How the Caspian Lake is used

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

Main directions of economic activity:

Recreational resources of the Caspian lake

The climate and nature of the Caspian coast with its clean beaches from sand, healing mud and healing springs gives great potential and excellent conditions for spa treatment and tourist recreation.

The development of the resort and tourist infrastructure, although noticeably inferior to the similar industry of the Black Sea coast, is actively expanding and improving the quality of service. The most notable spike in development in last years noted in the Republic of Dagestan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.

Rest on the coast of the Caspian Sea in the Russian Federation and the former CIS countries is notable for its low cost and, on average, in quality in some places is inferior to that on the Black Sea, but in actively developing places the level is quite high.

Popular recreation areas with developed infrastructure:

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

The development of the Turkmen resort and tourism industry is hampered by internal policies that isolate the state from most tourists. And in Iran, mass recreation is difficult because of the harsh Sharia law.

There are 3 protected areas on the coast:

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

There are many interesting facts:

1. Its size is larger than Japan, but smaller in area than Germany.
2. In terms of depth, the Caspian Sea is in third place, second only to Tanganyika and Baikal.
3. Every 2.5 centuries, a complete renewal of the waters takes place.
4. On the Iranian coast, an albino beluga is caught, whose caviar is the most expensive in the world. It has a white tint and is packaged in unusual cans made of real gold.
5. The largest beluga weighed over 1200 kg and was caught in the 1920s. XX century on the Russian coast. In terms of its dimensions, it is comparable to a great shark.
6. Throughout the history of the lake, it has had more than 70 different names.
7. Scientists are still debating whether to consider the Caspian Lake as a sea, justifying this by the fact that its area exceeds the size of some seas, and the bottom is created according to the oceanic type. But at the same time, the reservoir is closed and does not connect with the ocean and other seas.
8. The smallest coastline of the five countries belongs to the Russian Federation.
9. More than 80% of water flows into the lake from the river. Volga.

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

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

Article formatting: Mila Friedan

Video about the Caspian Sea

Film about the Caspian Sea:

The Caspian Sea is the largest closed body of water on the planet Earth, located on the continent of Eurasia - in the border territories 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 a decent depth, a bottom from the oceanic crust and other signs). In terms of maximum depth, it is the third among closed bodies of water - 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, the Caspian Sea had about 70 different names among different peoples. The most famous of them: Khvalynskoe or Khvalisskoe (took place during the time of Ancient Rus, arose by the name of the people praises who lived in the Northern Caspian Sea and traded with the Russians), Girkanskoe or Dzhurdzhanskoe (derived from the alternative names of the city of Gorgan, located in Iran), Khazar, Abeskunskoe (by the name of the island and the city in the Kura delta - now flooded), Saraisk, Derbent, Sihai ...
• 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 Kaspiev living in 1st millennium BC on the southwest coast.

Morphometry

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

Hydrology

• The presence of a constant flow: no, drainless.
• Inflows:, Ural, Emba, Atrek, Gorgan, Heraz, Sefidrud, Astarchay, Kura, Pirsagat, Kusarchay, Samur, Rubas, Darvagchay, Uluchay, Shuraozen, Sulak, Terek, Kuma.
• Bottom: very diverse. At shallow depths, sandy soil with an admixture of shells is common, in deep-water places it is 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 thick 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 ″ in. etc.
• Height above sea level:-28 m.
• Coastal landscape: due to the fact that the coastline of the Caspian Sea is very long, and it itself is located in different geographic 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 cut by numerous channels. The eastern shores are mostly limestone - desert or semi-desert. The western and southern shores are adjacent to mountain ranges. The most indented 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 banks:
  • Russia: Astrakhan, Derbent, Kaspiysk, Makhachkala, Olya.
  • Kazakhstan: Aktau, Atyrau, Kuryk, Sogandyk, Bautino.
  • Turkmenistan: Ekerem, Karabogaz, Turkmenbashi, Khazar.
  • Iran: Astara, Balboser, Bender-Torkemen, Bender-Anzali, Neka, Chalus.
  • Azerbaijan: Alat, Astara, Baku, Dubendi, Lankaran, Sangachaly, Sumgayit.

Interactive map

Ecology

The ecological situation in the Caspian Sea is far from ideal. Practically all large rivers flowing into it are polluted by wastewater from industrial enterprises located upstream. This could not but affect the presence of pollutants in the waters and bottom sediments of the Caspian - 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

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• Artificial settlement: not all of the above fish species in the Caspian Sea are indigenous. About 4 dozen species came by accident (for example, through canals from the Black and Baltic Seas), or were deliberately inhabited by humans. An example is mullet. Three Black Sea species of these fish - striped mullet, ostronos and singil - were released in the first half of the 20th century. Loban didn’t take root, but ostronos with singil have successfully acclimatized, and by now they have settled practically throughout the entire water area of ​​the Caspian, having formed several commercial herds. At the same time, the fish feed faster than in the Black Sea, and reach larger sizes. In the second half of the last century (since 1962), attempts were also made to settle in the Caspian Sea such Far Eastern salmon fishes as pink salmon and chum salmon. In total, several billion fry of these fish were released into the sea for 5 years. The pink salmon did not survive in the new habitat, the chum salmon, on the contrary, successfully took root and even began to spawn in the rivers flowing into the sea. However, she could not reproduce in sufficient numbers and gradually disappeared. So far, there are 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, reclamation of rivers is needed, otherwise, without human help (artificial sampling of eggs and its incubation), the fish will not be able to maintain their numbers.

Fishing spots

In fact, fishing is possible anywhere along the coast of the Caspian Sea, which can be reached by land or water. What 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 are located (especially large watercourses), the water in the sea is greatly desalinated, therefore freshwater fish (carp, catfish, bream, etc.) usually prevail in catches, and species characteristic of flowing rivers (barbel, shemaya). From marine species in desalinated areas, those for which salinity does not matter (mullet, some of the gobies) are caught. In certain periods of the year, semi-anadromous and anadromous species can be found here, feeding in the sea, and spawning in rivers (sturgeon, some of herring, Caspian salmon). In places where there are no rivers flowing into it, freshwater species are found in slightly smaller numbers, but at the same time marine fish appear, usually avoiding desalinated areas (for example, sea pike perch). Away from the coast, fish that prefer salt water and deep-sea species are caught.

Conventionally, there are 9 places or areas that are interesting in terms of fishing:

1. North Shore (RF)- this site is located on the northern coast of the Russian Federation (from the Volga delta to the Kizlyar Bay). Its main features are insignificant salinity of water (the lowest in the Caspian Sea), shallow depth, the presence of multiple shoals, islands, highly developed aquatic vegetation. In addition to the Volga delta with its numerous channels, bays and eriks, it also includes the near-estuarine seashore, 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 food base. The ichthyofauna in these parts may not be distinguished by the richness of species, but it is distinguished by its multiplicity, and its individual representatives reach very considerable sizes. Typically, the main 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. Bersh, silver bream, white-eyed, blue bream are somewhat less common. Representatives of sturgeon (sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, beluga, etc.), salmon (nelma, brown trout - Caspian salmon) are also found in these places, but their catch is prohibited.
2. Northwest coast (RF)- this section covers the western coast of the Russian Federation (from the Kizlyar Bay to Makhachkala). The rivers Kuma, Terek and Sulak flow here - they carry their waters both along natural channels and artificial canals. There are bays in this area, some of which are quite large (Kizlyarsky, Agrakhansky). The sea in these places is shallow. Freshwater fish predominate in the catches: pike, perch, carp, catfish, rudd, bream, barbel, etc.
3. West Bank (RF)- from Makhachkala to the border of the Russian Federation with Azerbaijan. A site where mountain ranges adjoin the sea. The salinity of the water here is slightly higher than in previous places, therefore, in the catches of fishermen, marine species are more common (sea pike perch, mullet, herring). However, freshwater fish are by no means uncommon.
4. West Bank (Azerbaijan)- from the border of the Russian Federation with Azerbaijan along the Absheron Peninsula. Continuation of the site, where mountain ranges adjoin the sea. Fishing here is even more similar to the typical sea one, thanks to such fish as ostronos and singil (mullet) and several species of gobies, which are also caught here. In addition to them, there are kutum, herring, and some typically freshwater species, for example, the carp.
5. Southwest coast (Azerbaijan)- from the Absheron Peninsula to the border of Azerbaijan with Iran. Most this site occupies the Kura River delta. The same fish species that were listed in the previous paragraph are caught here, but freshwater fish are more often caught.
6. North coast (Kazakhstan)- this section covers the northern coast of Kazakhstan. The Ural delta and the Akzhaiyk state reserve are located here, so fishing directly in the river delta and in some adjacent water area is prohibited. Fishing is possible only outside the reserve - upstream of 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. North-east coast (Kazakhstan)- from the mouth of the Emba to Cape Tyub-Karagan. Unlike the northern part of the sea, where the water is greatly diluted by the large rivers flowing into it, its salinity somewhat increases here, so those fish species appear that avoid freshened areas, for example, sea pike perch, which is caught in the Dead Kultuk Bay. Other representatives of the marine fauna are also often found in the catches.
8. East coast (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan)- from Cape Tyub-Karagan to the border of Turkmenistan and Iran. Differs in almost complete absence of flowing rivers. The salinity of the water here has maximum values... Of the fish in these places, marine species predominate, the main catch is mullet, sea pike perch and gobies.
9. South Coast (Iran)- covers the southern coast of the Caspian. Along the entire length of this section, the Elburs mountain range adjoins the sea. Many rivers flow here, most of which are represented by small streams, there are also several medium and one large river. Among fish, in addition to marine species, there are also some freshwater, as well as semi-anadromous and anadromous species, for example, sturgeon.

Fishing features

The most popular and catchy amateur tackle that is used on the Caspian coast is a heavy spinning rod converted into a "sea donk". Usually it is equipped with a strong reel, on which a rather thick line (0.3 mm and more) is wound. The thickness of the 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 ultra-long casting (in the Caspian it is generally believed that the further from the coast the casting point is, the better). After the sinker, there is a thinner line - with several leads. Shrimps and amphipods that live in coastal thickets of seaweed are used as a bait - if you intend to fish for sea fish, or an ordinary bait like a worm, May beetle larvae and others - if freshwater species are found in the fishing area.

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

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Photo 8. Sunset in Aktau.

The Caspian Sea is simultaneously considered both an endless lake and a full-fledged sea. Brackish waters and hydrological regime similar to the sea.

The Caspian Sea is located on the border of Asia and Europe. Its area is about 370 thousand km 2, the maximum depth is just over one kilometer. The Caspian Sea is conditionally divided into three almost equal parts: South (39% of the area), Middle (36%) and North (25%).

The sea washes simultaneously the Russian, Kazakh, Azerbaijani, Turkmen and Iranian shores.

Shore of the Caspian Sea(Caspian Sea region) has a length of about 7 thousand kilometers, if you count together with the islands. In the north, the low seashore is covered with swamps and thickets, and has multiple water channels. The eastern and western coasts of the Caspian have a winding shape, in some places the shores are covered with limestone.

There are many islands in the Caspian: Dash-Zira, Kyur Dashi, Dzhambaysky, Boyuk-Zira, Gum, Chigil, Khere-Zira, Zenbil, Ogurchinsky, Tyuleniy, Ashur-Ada, etc. Peninsulas: Mangyshlak, Tyub-Karagan, Apsheronsky and Miankale. Their total area is approximately 400 km 2.

It flows into the Caspian Sea more than a hundred different rivers, the most significant are the Ural, Terek, Volga, Atrek, Emba, Samur. Almost all of them provide the sea with 85–95% of the annual drainage.

The largest bays of the Caspian are: Kaidak, Agrakhan, Kazakh, Dead Kultuk, Turkmenbashi, Mangyshlak, Gyzlar, Girkan, Kaidak.

Caspian climate

The Caspian Sea is located in three climatic zones at once: subtropical climate in the south, continental in the north and temperate in the middle. In winter, the average temperature varies from -10 to +10 degrees, while in summer the air warms up to about +25 degrees. During the year, precipitation falls from 110 mm in the east and up to 1500 mm in the west.

The average wind speed is 3‒7 m / s, but in autumn and winter it often increases to 35 m / s. The most drained areas are coastal areas Makhachkala, Derbent and the Absheron Peninsula.

Caspian Sea water temperature ranges from zero to +10 degrees in winter, and from 23 to 28 degrees in the summer months. In some coastal shallow waters, the water can warm up to 35-40 degrees.

Only the northern part of the sea is subject to freezing, but in especially cold winters, the coastal zones of the middle part are added to it. The ice cover appears in November and disappears only in March.

Problems of the Caspian region

Water pollution is one of the main environmental problems in the Caspian. Oil production, various harmful substances from rivers flowing in, waste from nearby cities - all this negatively affects the state sea ​​water... Additional troubles are created by poachers, whose actions reduce the number of fish of certain species found in the Caspian Sea.

Sea level rise is also causing serious financial damage to all Caspian countries.

According to conservative estimates, the restoration of destroyed buildings and the implementation of comprehensive measures to protect the coast from flooding cost tens of millions of dollars.

Cities and resorts on the Caspian Sea

The most big city and the port washed by the waters of the Caspian Sea is Baku. Among the others settlements Azerbaijan, located in close proximity to the sea, are Sumgait and Lankaran. On eastern shores the city of Turkmenbashi is located, and about ten kilometers from it by the sea is the large Turkmen resort of Avaza.

On the Russian side, the following cities are located on the sea coast: Makhachkala, Izberbash, Derbent, Lagan and Kaspiysk. Astrakhan is often called a port city, although it is located about 65 kilometers from the northern shores of the Caspian Sea.

Astrakhan

Beach recreation in this region is not provided: along the sea coast there are only continuous reed thickets. However, tourists go to Astrakhan not for idle lying on the beach, but for fishing and various types of outdoor activities: diving, riding on catamarans, jet skis, etc. In July and August, excursion ships run across the Caspian Sea.

Dagestan

For a classic seaside vacation, it is better to go to Makhachkala, Kaspiysk or Izberbash - this is where not only good sandy beaches, but also a worthy recreation center. The range of entertainment on the seashore from the Dagestan side is quite wide: swimming, therapeutic mud springs, windsurfing, kiting, rock climbing and paragliding.

The only drawback of this area is the underdeveloped infrastructure.

In addition, among some Russian tourists there is an opinion that Dagestan is far from the most peaceful territory that is part of the North Caucasian Federal District.

Kazakhstan

A much calmer environment can be found in the Kazakh resorts of Kuryk, Atyrau and Aktau. The latter is the most popular tourist city in Kazakhstan: there are many good entertainment facilities and comfortable beaches. In summer, the temperature here is very high, reaching up to +40 degrees in the daytime, and dropping only to +30 at night.

The disadvantages of Kazakhstan as a tourist country are the same poor infrastructure and rudimentary transport links between the regions.

Azerbaijan

The best places for recreation on the Caspian coast are Baku, Nabran, Lankaran and other Azerbaijani resorts. Fortunately, everything is fine with the infrastructure in this country: for example, in the area of ​​the Absheron Peninsula, there are several modern comfortable hotels with swimming pools and beaches.

However, in order to enjoy a vacation on the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan, you need to spend a lot of money. In addition, it is possible to get to Baku quite quickly only by plane - trains rarely run, and the journey from Russia itself takes two or three days.

Tourists should not forget that Dagestan and Azerbaijan are Islamic countries, so all "unbelievers" need to adjust their usual behavior to local customs.

If you follow the simple rules of stay, nothing will spoil your holiday on the Caspian Sea.