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Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea - As captured by the MODIS on the orbiting Terra satellite
As captured by the MODIS on the orbiting Terra satellite
Coordinates40°0′N 51°0′E
Lake typeEndorheic
Saline
Permanent
Natural
Primary inflowsVolga River
Primary outflowsEvaporation
Catchment area3,626,000 km² (1,400,000 sq mi)[1]
Basin countriesAzerbaijan
Iran
Kazakhstan
Russian Federation
Turkmenistan
Surface area371,000 km² (143,200 sq mi)
Average depth184 m (604 ft)
Water volume78,200 km³ (18,800 cu mi)
Residence time (of lake water)250 years
Surface elevation-28 m (-92 ft)
References[1]

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. MODIS ( Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) is a payload scientific instrument launched into Earth orbit by NASA in 1999 on board A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the An endorheic basin (from Greek endo ‘inside’ + rhein ‘to flow’ also terminal or closed basin) is a closed Drainage basin In Hydrology, the inflow of a Body of water is the source of the Water in the body of water In Hydrology, the discharge or outflow of a River is the volume of Water transported by it in a certain amount of time Evaporation is the process by which Molecules in a Liquid state (e A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. Lake retention time (also called the Residence time of lake water or the water age or flushing time) is a calculated quantity expressing the EARTH was a short-lived Japanese vocal trio which released 6 singles and 1 album between 2000 and 2001 A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the This article is about the body of water For other uses see SEA and Seas. [2][3] It has a surface area of 371,000 square kilometers (143,244 sq mi) and a volume of 78,200 cubic kilometers (18,761 cu mi). M^2 redirects here For other uses see M². CM2 redirects here CM3 redirects here If you were looking for the 3rd game in the Cooking Mama series abbreviated as CM3 see here. [4] It is an endorheic body of water (has no outflows), and lies between the southern areas of the Russian Federation and northern Iran. An endorheic basin (from Greek endo ‘inside’ + rhein ‘to flow’ also terminal or closed basin) is a closed Drainage basin Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. It has a maximum depth of about 1025 meters (3,363 ft). It was perceived as a sea by its ancient coastal inhabitants because it is salty and seemed boundless. It has a salinity of approximately 1. Salinity is the Saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of Water. 2%, about a third the salinity of most seawater. Seawater is Water from a Sea or Ocean. On average seawater in the world's oceans has a Salinity of about 3

According to Strabo[5] it is named after an ancient people called Caspians. Strabo ( Greek: Στράβων 63/64 BC – ca AD 24 was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher. "Caspians" (Greek kaspioi, Aramaic kspy,Persian کاسپین) is a Greek Ethnonym applied by Strabo to ancient people

Contents

Geological history

Like the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, the Caspian Sea is a remnant of the Tethys Ocean. The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey The Tethys Ocean was a Mesozoic era Ocean that existed between the continents of Gondwana and Laurasia before the opening of the Indian It became landlocked about 5. 5 million years ago due to continental drift. The Caspian owes what reduced salinity it has to its origins as a remnant of the World Ocean. The World Ocean, world ocean, or global ocean is the interconnected system of the Earth 's Oceanic (or marine) Waters During warm and dry climatic periods, the landlocked sea has all but dried up, depositing evaporitic sediments like halite that became covered by wind-blown deposits and were sealed off as an evaporite sink when cool, wet climates refilled the basin. Evaporites (iˈvæpəraɪt are water-soluble Mineral sediments that result from the Evaporation of bodies of surficial Water. Halite is the Mineral form of Sodium chloride, Na[[chlorine Cl]] commonly known as rock salt. [6] Due to the inflow of fresh water, the Caspian Sea is a fresh-water lake in its northern portions. It is more saline on the Iranian shore, where the catchment basin contributes little flow. Currently, the mean salinity of the Caspian is three times less than the Earth's oceans. The largely dried-up Garabogazköl embayment routinely exceeds oceanic salinity. The Garabogazköl, alternatively the Kara-Bogaz-Gol (literally "mighty strait lake" is a shallow inundated depression in the northwestern corner of Turkmenistan Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment [7]

Geography

The Caspian Sea is the largest inland body of water in the world and accounts for 40 to 44 percent of the total lacustrine waters of the world. The coastlines of the Caspian are shared by Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan. Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. The Caspian is divided into three distinct physical regions: Northern, Middle, and Southern Caspian. [8] The North-Middle boundary is the Mangyshlak threshold, which runs through Chechen Island and Cape Tiub-Karagan. The Middle-South boundary is the Apsheron threshold, which runs through Zhiloi Island and Cape Kuuli. [9]

The northern jungles of Iran
The northern jungles of Iran

The divisions between the three regions are dramatic. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. The Northern Caspian only includes the Caspian shelf,[10] and is characterized as very shallow; it accounts for less than one percent of the total water volume with an average depth of only five to six meters. The sea noticeably drops off towards the Middle Caspian, where the average depth is 190 meters. [9] The Southern Caspian is the deepest, with a depth that reaches over 1000 meters. The Middle and Southern Caspian account for 33 percent and 66 percent of the total water volume, respectively. [8] The northern portion of the Caspian Sea typically freezes in the winter, and in the coldest winters, ice will form in the south.

Over 130 rivers provide inflow to the Caspian, with the Volga River being the largest. The Caspian also has several small islands; they are primarily located in the North and have a collective land area of roughly 2000 square kilometers. Adjacent to the North Caspian is the Caspian Depression, a low-lying region 27 meters below sea level. Caspian Depression (Прикаспийская низменность Caspian Lowland) is a low-lying Flatland region encompassing the northern part Mean sea level (MSL is the average (mean height of the Sea, with reference to a suitable reference surface The Central Asian steppes stretch across the northeast coast, while the Caucasus mountains hug the Western shore. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south In physical Geography, a steppe ( German, from степь - "a flat and arid land" степ - /stɛp/ тал - tal дала - /dɑlɑ/ pronounced Greater Caucasus (Большой Кавказ Azerbaijani: Böyük Qafqaz Dağları sometimes translated as "Caucasus Major" "Big Caucasus" or "Large The biomes to both the north and east are characterized by cold, continental deserts. A biome is a climatically and geographically defined area of ecologically similar climatic conditions such as communities of Plants Animals and Conversely, the climate to the southwest and south are generally warm with uneven elevation due to a mix of highlands and mountain ranges; the drastic changes in climate alongside the Caspian have led to a great deal of biodiversity in the region. Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth. [7]

Fauna

An aerial view of the southern Caspian coast as viewed from atop the Alborz mountains in Mazandaran, Iran
An aerial view of the southern Caspian coast as viewed from atop the Alborz mountains in Mazandaran, Iran

The Caspian Sea holds great numbers of sturgeon, which yield eggs that are processed into caviar. For the Iranian Frigate Alborz see Iranian frigate Alborz. For Alborz High School (in Persianدبیرستان البرز see Alborz High Mazandaran is a Caspian For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Sturgeon is the Common name used for some 26 species of fish in the family Acipenseridae, including the genera Acipenser, Roe or hard roe is the fully ripe internal ovaries or egg masses of Fish and certain marine Animals such as Shrimp, Scallop Caviar is the processed, Salted Roe of certain species of Fish, most notably the Sturgeon ( black caviar) and the In recent years overfishing has threatened the sturgeon population to the point that environmentalists advocate banning sturgeon fishing completely until the population recovers. Environmentalism is a broad philosophy and Social movement centered on a concern for the conservation and improvement of the environment. However, prices for sturgeon caviar are so high that fisherman can afford to pay similarly high bribes to authorities to look the other way, making regulations in many locations ineffective. [1] Caviar harvesting further endangers the fish stocks, since it targets reproductive females.

The Caspian seal, (Phoca caspica, Pusa caspica in some sources) which is endemic to the Caspian Sea, is one of very few seal species that live in inland waters (see also Baikal seal). Caspian seals ( Pusa caspica) one of the smallest members of the " True seal " family are unique in that they are found exclusively in the brackish Caspian Endemism is the Ecological state of being unique to a place Endemic species are not naturally found elsewhere Pinnipeds ("fin-feet" lit "winged feet" or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semi-aquatic marine Mammals comprising Nerpa may refer to Baikal Seal Nerpa Nepal

The area has given its name to several species of birds, including the Caspian gull and the Caspian tern. Caspian Gull is a name applied to the Gull Taxon Larus (argentatus cachinnans, a member of the Herring Gull / Lesser Black-backed The Caspian Tern ( Hydroprogne caspia, formerly Sterna caspia; syn

There are several species and subspecies of fish endemic to the Caspian Sea, including the Kktum (also known as Caspian white fish), Caspian roach, Caspian bream (some report that the Bream occurring in the Aral Sea is the same subspecies), and a Caspian "salmon" (a subspecies of trout, Salmo trutta caspiensis). The Kutum ( Rutilus frisii kutum, family Cyprinidae also known as " Caspian White Fish " "Caspian Roach" " māhi sefid The Kutum ( Rutilus frisii kutum, family Cyprinidae also known as " Caspian White Fish " "Caspian Roach" " māhi sefid The Aral Sea ( Kazakh: Арал Теңізі Aral Tengizi, Orol dengizi Russian: Аральскοе мοре Tajik / Persian: Daryocha-i The "Caspian salmon" is critically endangered. [2]

Characteristics and ecology

The Caspian has characteristics common to both seas and lakes. A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the It is often listed as the world's largest lake, though it is not a freshwater lake. Freshwater is a word that refers to bodies of water such as Ponds lakes rivers and streams containing low concentrations of dissolved Salts and other Total dissolved

The Volga River (about 80% of the inflow) and the Ural River discharge into the Caspian Sea, but it is endorheic, i. The Ural (Урал Kazakh: Жайық, Jayıq or Zhayyq) known as Yaik before 1775, is a river flowing through An endorheic basin (from Greek endo ‘inside’ + rhein ‘to flow’ also terminal or closed basin) is a closed Drainage basin e. there is no natural outflow (other than by evaporation). Evaporation is the process by which Molecules in a Liquid state (e Thus the Caspian ecosystem is a closed basin, with its own sea level history that is independent of the eustatic level of the world's oceans. An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants animals and micro-organisms( Biotic factors in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical ( An endorheic basin (from Greek endo ‘inside’ + rhein ‘to flow’ also terminal or closed basin) is a closed Drainage basin Mean sea level (MSL is the average (mean height of the Sea, with reference to a suitable reference surface The Caspian became landlocked about 5. 5 million years ago. The level of the Caspian has fallen and risen, often rapidly, many times over the centuries. Some Russian historians claim that a medieval rising of the Caspian caused the coastal towns of Khazaria, such as Atil, to flood. "Kazar" redirects here for the Marvel Comics character see Ka-Zar; for the village in Azerbaijan see Xəzər. For the small town and municipality in the Mexican state of Sonora see Atil Sonora Atil, also spelled Itil In 2004, the water level was -28 metres, or 28 metres (92 ft) below sea level. Mean sea level (MSL is the average (mean height of the Sea, with reference to a suitable reference surface

Over the centuries, Caspian Sea levels have changed in synchronicity with the estimated discharge of the Volga, which in turn depends on rainfall levels in its vast catchment basin. Precipitation is related to variations in the amount of North Atlantic depressions that reach the interior, and they in turn are affected by cycles of the North Atlantic Oscillation. The North Atlantic oscillation (NAO is a climatic phenomenon in the North Atlantic Ocean of fluctuations in the difference of Sea-level pressure between Thus levels in the Caspian sea relate to atmospheric conditions in the North Atlantic thousands of miles to the north and west. These factors make the Caspian Sea a valuable place to study the causes and effects of global climate change.

The last short-term sea-level cycle started with a sea-level fall of 3 m from 1929 to 1977, followed by a rise of 3 m from 1977 until 1995. Since then smaller oscillations have taken place[3].

Human history

The Caspian Sea, viewed from Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan.
The Caspian Sea, viewed from Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan.
The 17th Century cossak rebel and pirate Stenka Razin, on a raid in the Caspian (Vasily Surikov, 1906).
The 17th Century cossak rebel and pirate Stenka Razin, on a raid in the Caspian (Vasily Surikov, 1906). Baku (Bakı sometimes known as Baqy, Baky, Baki or Bakü, is the capital the largest city and the largest port of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South The Cossacks (Каза́ки́ Kazaki; Козаки́ Kozaki; Kozacy are a group of martial people living in the southern Steppe regions of Eastern For the place in Azerbaijan see Stepan Razin Azerbaijan. Stepan (Sten'ka Timofeyevich Razin ( Russian: Степан (Стенька Vasily Ivanovich Surikov (Василий Иванович Суриков ( January 24[[ 848]] ( Julian calendar: January 12) &ndash March 19

Discoveries in the Huto cave near the town of Behshahr, Mazandaran south of the Caspian in Iran, suggest human habitation of the area as early as 75,000 years ago. Behshahr بهشهر also known as Behshar (older name Ashraf ol Belād) is a city close to the capital of the province of Mazandaran in Iran. Mazandaran is a Caspian [4]

In classical antiquity among Greeks and Persians it was called the Hyrcanian Ocean. Classical antiquity (also the classical era or classical period) is a broad term for a long period of cultural History centered on the Mediterranean Hyrcania was the the name of a Satrapy located in the territories of present day Golestan, Mazandaran, Gilan and part of Turkmenistan In Persian antiquity, as well as in modern Iran, it is known as the Khazar Sea (Persian خزر) or Mazandaran (Persian مازندران) Lake. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Mazandaran is a Caspian In Turkic speaking countries it is known as the Khazar Sea. "Kazar" redirects here for the Marvel Comics character see Ka-Zar; for the village in Azerbaijan see Xəzər. Old Russian sources call it the Khvalyn (Khvalynian) Sea after the Khvalis, inhabitants of Khwarezmia. Khwarezm were a series of States centered on the Amu Darya River delta of the Ancient Arabic sources refer to Bahr-e-Qazvin — the Caspian/Qazvin Sea. Qazvin ( also spelled as Ghazvin) is the largest city and capital of the Province of Qazvin in Iran with an estimated population of 331409 in 2005

The word Caspian is derived from the name of the Caspi (Persian کاسی), an ancient people that lived to the west of the sea in Transcaucasia. "Caspians" (Greek kaspioi, Aramaic kspy,Persian کاسپین) is a Greek Ethnonym applied by Strabo to ancient people The South Caucasus is a mountainous geopolitical area of south-central Eurasia, also referred to as Transcaucasia, or The Transcaucasus. [11] Strabo wrote that "to the country of the Albanians belongs also the territory called Caspiane, which was named after the Caspian tribe, as was also the sea; but the tribe has now disappeared". Strabo ( Greek: Στράβων 63/64 BC – ca AD 24 was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher. [12] Moreover, the Caspian Gate, which is the name of a region in Tehran province of Iran, is another possible piece of evidence that they migrated to the south of the sea. Tehran Province (استان تهران transliterated ostān-e Tehrān; is one of the 30 provinces of Iran. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics.

Historic cities by the sea include

Cities near the Caspian Sea

Caspian Sea shore, Türkmenbaşy, Turkmenistan.
Caspian Sea shore, Türkmenbaşy, Turkmenistan. Hyrcania was the the name of a Satrapy located in the territories of present day Golestan, Mazandaran, Gilan and part of Turkmenistan Bandar-e Anzali ( known as Bandar-e Pahlavi ( before the Iranian Revolution, is a harbour town on the Caspian Sea, in the Iranian province For the small town and municipality in the Mexican state of Sonora see Atil Sonora Atil, also spelled Itil Khazaran was a city in the Khazar kingdom, located on the eastern bank of the lower Volga River. Baku (Bakı sometimes known as Baqy, Baky, Baki or Bakü, is the capital the largest city and the largest port of Azerbaijan Sumgayit (Sumqayıt Сумгаит also Sumgait and Sumqayyt) is a city in Azerbaijan, located near the Caspian Sea, about 30 kilometres away Türkmenbaşy is a city in Turkmenistan, part of the Balkan Province, on the Krasnovodsk Gulf of the Caspian Sea.

Major cities by the Caspian Sea:

Map of the Caspian Sea, yellow shading indicates Caspian drainage basin.
Map of the Caspian Sea, yellow shading indicates Caspian drainage basin. For the town of Astara across the border in Iran see Astara Iran. Baku (Bakı sometimes known as Baqy, Baky, Baki or Bakü, is the capital the largest city and the largest port of Azerbaijan A banker or bank is a Financial institution whose primary activity is to act as a payment agent for customers and to borrow and lend money Gobustan may refer to Gobustan Rayon, Azerbaijan Qobustan, Azerbaijan Khudat (also Xudat and Khudaf) is a town in the Caspian lowlands located in the northern section of Azerbaijan. Lankaran ('Lənkəran' also Länkäran, Lencoran, and Lenkoran’) is a city in Azerbaijan, on the coast of the Caspian Sea, near Nabran is a popular resort and municipality in Khachmaz Rayon of Azerbaijan. The Oil Rocks, called Neft Daşları in the Azerbaijani language, was the first Oil platform in the country Sumgayit (Sumqayıt Сумгаит also Sumgait and Sumqayyt) is a city in Azerbaijan, located near the Caspian Sea, about 30 kilometres away Astaneh-e Ashrafiyyeh is a major peanut rice silk and fragrant medicinal herbs producing town Astara is also the name of a Raion in Azerbaijan see Astara (rayon. Amol (ɒmol Persian: آمل) is a city in Mazandaran province, Iran, located on the Haraz river bank Babol (بابل is a city in the Iranian province of Mazandaran, north-east of Tehran and about 40 kilometers from Sari. Babolsar is a city in Mazandaran province, Iran. It is located on the southern coast of the Caspian sea.

Islands

The Caspian Sea has numerous islands throughout, although the majority of the islands are small and uninhabited islands in the North Caspian. Bandar-e Anzali ( known as Bandar-e Pahlavi ( before the Iranian Revolution, is a harbour town on the Caspian Sea, in the Iranian province Bandar Torkaman ( Bandar-e Torkaman, Persian بندر ترکمن, formerly Bandar Shah) is a port in Golestan province, Behshahr بهشهر also known as Behshar (older name Ashraf ol Belād) is a city close to the capital of the province of Mazandaran in Iran. Chaloos ( Persian: چالوس also transliterated as Chalous and Chalus is a city in Mazandaran Province in Iran. Qa'em Shahr (قائمشهر also spelt Qâemŝahr or Ghaemshahr, is a City in the Mazandaran Province of Iran. Gorgan ( Persian: گرگان Caspian: Vergen is the capital of the Golestan Province, Iran. Jooybar (جويبار also transliterated as Jouybar, is a city in Mazandaran province of Iran. Kordkuy is a city in the Golestan Province of Iran. Kordkuy (former Tamiše) is located on the west part of the Golestân province Lahijan ( Persian: لاهيجان Lāhijān) is a city in Iran 's North-Western Gilan province, on the shores of Langarud or Langrud ( is a city located in the province of Gilan in Iran, it is on the south coast of the Caspian Sea. Mahmood Abad (محمود آباد also transliterated as Mahmoud Abad, is a city in Mazandaran Province of Iran. Neka ( Persian: نکا Nekâ) is a small city in Mazandaran province of Iran, located 20 kilometres east of Sari in Noshahr (also written Nowshahr, Noushahr and) is a port city in the province of Mazandaran in northern Iran. Noor is a city in northern Iran in the Caspian sea coast It was previously called Sooldeh. Ramsar (in Persian: رامسر is a town in the Mazandaran province of Iran, on the coast of the Caspian Sea. Rasht ( رشت, Resht) is the capital of Gilan province in northwestern Iran and the largest city along the Caspian sea coast Rudbar or Roodbar ( رودبار) is a city situated in the mountainous region of Gīlān Province in Iran. Roudsar is a city in Gilan Province, Iran which is in between Alborz mountain range and the Caspian sea. Sari (/Sārī/ ساری ساری is the provincial capital of Mazandaran, located in the north of Iran, between the northern slopes of the Alborz Mountains Tonekabon (in Persian: تنكابن is a city in Mazandaran Province, Iran, on the shore of the Caspian Sea formerly known as Shahsavar Atyrau (Атырау ɑtɪˈɾaw named Guryev during the Soviet era) is a city in Kazakhstan, and the capital of Atyrau Province. Aktau (Ақтау Aqtaw; Актау Aktau) until 1992 Shevchenko (Шевченко is a city in Kazakhstan 's Mangyshlak Astrakhan (А́страхань Ästerxan Persian: حاجی‌ترخان Haji-Tarkhan) is a major city in southern European Russia and Derbent (Дербе́нт Azeri: Dərbənd; Lezgian: Дербент Avar: Дербенд; Persian: دربند Darband Makhachkala (Махачкала́ Avar: МахIачхъала is a city in Russia, the capital of the Republic of Dagestan. Türkmenbaşy is a city in Turkmenistan, part of the Balkan Province, on the Krasnovodsk Gulf of the Caspian Sea. Hazar is a city in Turkmenistan, part of the Balkan Province, formerly Çeleken. Esenguly is a city in Turkmenistan, part of the Balkan Province. Garabogaz is a city in Turkmenistan, part of the Balkan Province, formerly Bekdaş. Although the majority of the islands are uninhabited, some of them do have human settlers. Many of the islands near Azerbaijan hold significant geopolitical and economic importance, due to their oil reserves.

Bulla Island is off the coast of Azerbaijan, and holds tremendous oil reserves. Bulla Island, also Khara Zira or Khere Zire, Azeri: Bulla adası (Xərə Zirə is an island in the Bay of Baku, Caspian Sea. Pirallahı Island, off the Azerbaijani coast as well, also possesses oil reserves; it was one of the first places in Azerbaijain that was found to have oil, and was the first place in the Caspian Sea to have sectional drilling done. Pirallahi Island or Pirallakhi Island ( Azeri: Pirallahı adası is an island in the Caspian Sea. Nargin was used as a former Soviet base and is the largest island in the Baku bay. Boyuk Zira (Böyük Zirə also known as Nargin, is an uninhabited island off the Bay of Baku, Azerbaijan. A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. Baku (Bakı sometimes known as Baqy, Baky, Baki or Bakü, is the capital the largest city and the largest port of Azerbaijan Ashuradeh is situated on the easternmost end of Miankaleh peninsula to the north east of Gorgan Bay, near the Iranian coast. Ashūradeh ( Persian: آشوراده or Ashur Ada (Ашур-Ада is the only island of the Iranian coast of the Caspian Sea. It was separated from the peninsula after islanders created dug a channel.

Various islands, particularly around Azerbaijan, have suffered extensive environmental damage due to oil production. Vulf, for example, has had its ecosystem severely damaged due to neighboring islands' oil production, although seals and other animals continue to inhabit it. Vulf or Volf is an island also known as Dash Zira. The word "Zira" originated in the Arabic word "Jazīra" meaning "island"

Hydrocarbon resources

Historical development

The Caspian area is rich in energy resources. Wells were being dug in the region as early as the 10th century. [13] By the 1500s Europeans were aware of the rich oil and gas deposits around the area. English traders Thomas Bannister and Jeffrey Duckett described the area around Baku as “a strange thing to behold, for there issueth out of the ground a marvelous quantity of oil, which serveth all the country to burn in their houses. This oil is black and is called nefte. There is also by the town of Baku, another kind of oil which is white and very precious, and it is called petroleum"[14]

The world’s first offshore wells and machine-drilled wells were made in Bibi-Heybat Bay, near Baku, Azerbaijan. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit In 1873 exploration and development of oil began in some of the largest fields known to exist in the world at that time on the Absheron peninsula near the villages of Balakhanli, Sabunchi, Ramana and Bibi Heybat. This article is about the peninsula For the rayon of Azerbaijan see Absheron (Rayon. Total recoverable reserves at that time number more than 500 million tons. By 1900 Baku had more than 3,000 oil wells, 2,000 of which were producing at industrial levels. By the end of the 19th Baku's fame as the "Black Gold Capital" was spreading throughout of the world, causing many skilled workers and specialists to flock to the city

By the turn of the 20th century, Baku was the global center for the international oil industry. In 1920, when the Bolsheviks captured Azerbaijan, all private property - including oil wells and factories - was confiscated. The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists ( Большевик Большевист (singular, derived from bolshe, "more" were a faction After that, the republic's entire oil industry was directed towards the purposes of the Soviet Union. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 By 1941 Azerbaijan was producing a record 23. 5 million tons of oil, and the Baku region supplied nearly 72% of all oil extracted in the entire USSR. [13]

In 1994 the "Contract of the Century" was signed, signaling the start of major international development of the Baku oil fields. Azerbaijan produces about 800000 barrels of oil per day and 1 bcma of gas — a production that will grow to historical peak of 1 The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, a major pipeline allowing Azerbaijan oil to flow straight to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, opened in 2006. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is a crude oil pipeline from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli Oil field in the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Ceyhan is one of the most populous towns within the Turkish province of Adana and is an important Mediterranean port

Current issues

The oil in the Caspian basin is estimated to be worth over US $12 trillion. The sudden collapse of the USSR and subsequent opening of the region has led to an intense investment and development scramble by international oil companies. In 1998 Dick Cheney commented that "I can't think of a time when we've had a region emerge as suddenly to become as strategically significant as the Caspian. Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney (born January 30 1941 is the forty-sixth and current Vice President of the United States. Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering ( CASPIAN) is a USA Grass-roots Consumer group dedicated to fighting Supermarket "loyalty" "[15]

A key problem to further development in the region is the status of the Caspian Sea and the establishment of the water boundaries among the five littoral states (see below). The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged Sea. The current disputes along Azerbaijan's maritime borders with Turkmenistan and Iran could potentially affect future development plans.

Much controversy currently exists over the proposed Trans-Caspian oil and gas pipelines. The Trans-Caspian Oil Pipeline is a proposed Oil pipeline from the Kazakhstani port of Aktau to Baku in Azerbaijan. The Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline ( Turkmen: Transhazar turbaly geçiriji) is a proposed Submarine pipeline between Türkmenbaşy These projects would allow western markets easier access to Kazakh oil, and potentially Uzbek and Turkmen gas as well. The United States has given its support for the pipelines. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Russia officially opposes the project on environmental grounds. Analysts note that the pipelines would bypass Russia completely, thereby denying the country valuable transit fees, as well as destroying its current monopoly on westward-bound hydrocarbon exports from the region. [16] Recently both Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan have expressed their support for the Trans-Caspian Pipeline. [17]

Existing and proposed canals

Although the Caspian Sea is endorheic, its main tributary, Volga, is connected by important shipping canals with the Don River (and thus the Black Sea) and with the Baltic Sea, with branch canals to Northern Dvina and to the White Sea. An endorheic basin (from Greek endo ‘inside’ + rhein ‘to flow’ also terminal or closed basin) is a closed Drainage basin Lenin Volga-Don Shipping Canal (Волго-Донской судоходный канал имени В The Volga-Baltic Waterway, formerly known as the Mariinsk Canal System (Russian Мариинская водная система is a series of Canals and Rivers The Northern Dvina Canal is a 64 km long Canal in Vologda Oblast in Russia. The White Sea-Baltic Sea Canal (Belomorsko-Baltiyskiy Kanal BBK) is a Ship canal that joins the White Sea and the Baltic Sea near

Another Caspian tributary, the Kuma River, is connected by an irrigation canal with the Don basin as well. The Kuma-Manych Canal (Кумо-Манычский канал is an Irrigation Canal serving the Kuma-Manych Depression.

Canals proposed in the past

The Main Turkmen Canal, construction of which was started in 1950, would run from Nukus on the Amu-Darya to Krasnovodsk on the Caspian Sea. Nukus ( Karakalpak: No‘kis, formerly Нөкис) is the sixth-largest city in Uzbekistan, and the capital of the autonomous Karakalpakstan The Amu Darya (formerly Oxus River the Greeks (Ptolemeus called it Oxiana palus) is the longest river in Central Asia. Türkmenbaşy is a city in Turkmenistan, part of the Balkan Province, on the Krasnovodsk Gulf of the Caspian Sea. It would be used not only for irrigation, but also for shipping, connecting the Amu-Darya and the Aral Sea with the Caspian. The project was abandoned soon after the death of Joseph Stalin, in favor of the Qaraqum Canal, which runs on a more southerly route and does not reach the Caspian. Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party The Qaraqum Canal (Karakum CanalKara Kum CanalGaragum Canal Каракумский канал Karakumsky Kanal, Turkmen Garagum kanaly in Turkmenistan is the [18]

Since the 1930s through the 1980s, the projects for a Pechora-Kama Canal were widely discussed, and some construction experiments using nuclear explosions were conducted in 1971. Pechora-Kama Canal (Канал Печора-Кама or sometimes Kama-Pechora Canal was a proposed canal intended to link up the basin of the Pechora River in the For this project, shipping was a secondary consideration; the main goal was to redirect some of the water of the Pechora River (which flows into the Arctic Ocean) via the Kama into the Volga. The Northern river reversal or Siberian river reversal was a grandiose project to divert the flow of the Northern rivers in the Soviet Union, which "uselessly" Pechora (Печо́ра Komi: Печӧра Nenets: Санэроˮ яха is a major River in European Russia ( Komi Republic The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major Kama (река́ Ка́ма is a major river in Russia, the longest left tributary of the Volga and the largest one in discharge in fact it is larger than The goals were both irrigation and stabilizing the water level in the Caspian, which was thought to be falling dangerously fast at the time.

Eurasia Canal

In June 2007, in order to boost his oil-rich country's access to markets, Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbaev proposed a 700km link between the Caspian and Black seas. Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev ( Kazakh: Нұрсұлтан Әбішұлы Назарбаев æbəʃʊˈlɯ nɑzɑrˈbɑjəf Russian: Нурсултан Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering ( CASPIAN) is a USA Grass-roots Consumer group dedicated to fighting Supermarket "loyalty" The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey It is hoped that the "Eurasia Canal" would transform the landlocked Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries into maritime states, enabling them to significantly increase trade volume. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south While the canal would traverse Russian territory, it would benefit Kazakhstan through its Caspian Sea ports. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The most likely route for the canal, the officials at the Committee on Water Resources at Kazakhstan's Agriculture Ministry say, would follow the Kuma-Manych Depression, where currently a chain of rivers and lakes is already connected by an irrigation canal (Kuma-Manych Canal). The Kuma-Manych Depression (Кумо-Манычская впадина Kumo-Manychskaya vpadina is a Geological depression in southwestern Russia that separates The Kuma-Manych Canal (Кумо-Манычский канал is an Irrigation Canal serving the Kuma-Manych Depression. Upgrading the Volga-Don Canal would be another option. Lenin Volga-Don Shipping Canal (Волго-Донской судоходный канал имени В [19]

International disputes

Negotiations related to the demarcation of the Caspian Sea have been going on for nearly a decade now among the littoral states bordering the Caspian - Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran. The status of the Caspian Sea[20] is the key problem. There are three major issues regulated by the Caspian Sea status: access to mineral resources (oil and natural gas), access for fishing and access to international waters (through Russia's Volga river and the canals connecting it to the Black Sea and Baltic Sea). Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. International waterways Several international treaties have established freedom of navigation on semi-enclosed seas Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. Access to the Volga River is particularly important for the landlocked states of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. A landlocked country is commonly defined as one enclosed or nearly enclosed by land Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. This issue is of course sensitive to Russia, because this potential traffic will move through its territory (albeit onto the inland waterways). Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending A waterway is any navigable Body of water. These include Rivers Lakes Seas Oceans and Canals In order for a waterway If a body of water is labeled as Sea then there would be some precedents and international treaties obliging the granting of access permits to foreign vessels. This article is about the body of water For other uses see SEA and Seas. If a body of water is labeled merely as lake then there are no such obligations. A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the Environmental issues are also somewhat connected to the status and borders issue. See also Natural environment The '''biophysical''' environment is the symbiosis between the physical environment and the Biological Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions such as Governments States or subnational administrative

It should be mentioned that Russia got the bulk of the former Soviet Caspian military fleet (and also currently has the most powerful military presence in the Caspian Sea). Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Caspian Flotilla ( Каспийская флотилия in Russian, or Kaspiyskaya flotiliya is the oldest Russian military Some assets were assigned to Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South Kazakhstan and especially Turkmenistan got a very small share because they lack major port cities. Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia.

Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan announced that they do not consider themselves parties to this treaty. Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia.

Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have agreed to a solution about their sectors. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South There are no problems between Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, but the latter is not actively participating, so there is no agreement either. Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. Azerbaijan is at odds with Iran over some oil fields that the both states claim. Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. An oil field is a region with an abundance of Oil wells extracting Petroleum (crude oil from below ground There have been occasions where Iranian patrol boats have opened fire at vessels sent by Azerbaijan for exploration into the disputed region. There are similar tensions between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan (the latter claims that the former has pumped more oil than agreed from a field, recognized by both parties as shared). Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. Less acute are the issues between Turkmenistan and Iran. Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Regardless, the southern part of the sea remains disputed.

After Russia adopted the median line sectoral division and the three treaties already signed between some littoral states this is looking like the realistic method for regulating the Caspian borders. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Russian sector is fully defined. The Kazakhstan sector is not fully defined, but is not disputed either. Azerbaijan's, Turkmenistan's and Iran's sectors are not fully defined. It is not clear if the issue of Volga-access to vessels from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan is covered by their agreements with Russia and also what the conditions are for Volga-access for vessels from Turkmenistan and Iran. Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Turkmenistan ( Türkmenistan; also known as Turkmenia) is a Turkic country in Central Asia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics.

The Caspian littoral States meeting in 2007 signed an agreement that stops any ship not flying the national flag of a littoral state on Caspian waters. [21]

Transportation

Several scheduled ferry services (including train ferries operate on the Caspian Sea, including:

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b van der Leeden, Troise, and Todd, eds. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Tengiz field (Tengiz is Kazakh for "sea" in western Kazakhstan, is located in the low-lying wetlands along the northeast shores of the Caspian Sea. Shah Deniz gas field is the largest Natural gas field in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan produces about 800000 barrels of oil per day and 1 bcma of gas — a production that will grow to historical peak of 1 The Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline ( Turkmen: Transhazar turbaly geçiriji) is a proposed Submarine pipeline between Türkmenbaşy The Trans-Caspian Oil Pipeline is a proposed Oil pipeline from the Kazakhstani port of Aktau to Baku in Azerbaijan. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline is a crude oil pipeline from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli Oil field in the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean , The Water Encyclopedia. Second Edition. Chelsea, MI: Lewis Publishers, 1990. page 196.
  2. ^ Caspian Sea » General background. CaspianEnvironment. org. Retrieved on 2007-05-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors.
  3. ^ ESA: Observing the Earth - Earth from Space: The southern Caspian Sea. ESA. int. Retrieved on 2007-05-25. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors.
  4. ^ Lake Profile: Caspian Sea. LakeNet.
  5. ^ Strabo, 11. 2. 15. Strabo gives a lost work of Eratosthenes as his source. Eratosthenes of Cyrene ( Greek; 276 BC - 194 BC was a Greek Mathematician, Poet, athlete, Geographer and
  6. ^ Comparable evaporite beds underlie the Mediterranean.
  7. ^ a b "General background of the Caspian Sea". Caspian Environment Program. Accessed 29-01-2008.
  8. ^ a b Amirahmadi, Hooshang. The Caspian Region at a Crossroad: Challenges of a New Frontier of Energy and Development (Hardcover). Page 112. St. Martin's Press. Accessed 28-01-2008.
  9. ^ a b Dumont, Henri J. et al. Aquatic Invasions in the Black, Caspian, and Mediterranean Seas (Nato Science Series). Kluwer Academic Publishers. Accessed 28-01-2008.
  10. ^ Kostianoy, Andrey and Aleksey N. Kosarev. The Caspian Sea Environment (Hardcover). Springer. Accessed 28-01-2008.
  11. ^ Caspian Sea. (2006). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved August 13, 2006, from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9110540
  12. ^ Strabo. Geography. 11.3.1
  13. ^ a b The Development of the Oil and Gas Industry in Azerbaijan SOCAR
  14. ^ Back to the Future: Britain, Baku Oil and the Cycle of History SOCAR
  15. ^ The Great Gas Game Christian Science Monitor (October 25, 2001)
  16. ^ Russia Tries to Scuttle Proposed Trans-Caspian Pipeline Eurasianet
  17. ^ Russia Seeking To Keep Kazakhstan Happy Eurasianet
  18. ^ Nikolaĭ Gavrilovich Kharin, "Vegetation Degradation in Central Asia Under the Impact of Human Activities". Pp. 56-58. Springer, 2002. ISBN 1402003978. On Google Books
  19. ^ Caspian Canal Could Boost Kazakh Trade Business Week, July 9, 2007. BusinessWeek is a business Magazine published by McGraw-Hill.
  20. ^ 8.3 The Status of the Caspian Sea - Dividing Natural Resources Between Five Countries - Khoshbakht B.Yusifzade
  21. ^ Russia Gets Way In Caspian Meet

References

External links

Dictionary

Caspian Sea

-proper noun

  1. A landlocked sea between Asia and European Russia, and the world’s largest inland body of water.
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