   #copyright

Caspian Sea

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: General Geography

                       Caspian Sea
   Caspian Sea - The Caspian Sea viewed from orbit

                      The Caspian Sea viewed from orbit

   Coordinates                    40°0′N 51°0′E
   Lake type                      Endorheic
                                  Saline
                                  Permanent
                                  Natural
   Primary sources                Volga River
   Primary outflows               Evaporation
   Catchment area                 1,400,000 km²
   Basin countries                Azerbaijan
                                  Iran
                                  Kazakhstan
                                  Russian Federation
                                  Turkmenistan
   Surface area                   371,000 km²
   Average depth                  184 m
   Max-depth                      1025 m (3363 ft)
   Water volume                   78,200 km³
   Residence time (of lake water) 250 years
   Surface elevation              -28 m

   The Caspian Sea is the largest lake on Earth by both area and volume,
   with a surface area of 371,000 square kilometres (143,244 mi²) and a
   volume of 78,200 cubic kilometres (18,761 mi³). It is a landlocked
   endorheic body of water and lies between Asia and Europe. It has a
   maximum depth of about 1025 meters (3,363 ft). It is called a sea
   because when the Romans arrived for their first time, they tasted the
   water and found it to be salty. It has a salinity of approximately
   1.2%, about a third the salinity of sea water.

Geography

   The Caspian Sea is bordered by Russia ( Dagestan, Kalmykia, Astrakhan
   Oblast), Azerbaijan, Iran ( Guilan, Mazandaran and Golestan provinces),
   Turkmenistan ( Balkan Province), and Kazakhstan, with the central Asian
   steppes to the north and east. On its eastern Turkmen shore is a large
   embayment, the Garabogazköl.

   The sea is connected to the Sea of Azov by the Manych Canal and the
   Volga-Don Canal.

Cities near the Caspian Sea

   Major cities by the Caspian Sea:
     * Sari, Iran
     * Baku, Azerbaijan
     * Astara, Iran
     * Astara, Azerbaijan
     * Lankaran, Azerbaijan
     * Sumqayit, Azerbaijan
     * Oil Rocks, Azerbaijan
     * Khachmaz, Azerbaijan
     * Astrakhan, Russia
     * Derbent, Russia
     * Babolsar, Iran
     * Bandar Anzali, Iran
     * Rasht, province of Gilan, Iran
     * Ramsar, Iran
     * Chalous, province of Mazandaran, Iran
     * Nushahr, province of Mazandaran, Iran
     * Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan (formerly Krasnovodsk)
     * Atyrau, Kazakhstan (formerly Guriev)
     * Aktau, Kazakhstan (formerly Shevchenko)

   The Caspian Sea, viewed from Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan.
   Enlarge
   The Caspian Sea, viewed from Baku, Republic of Azerbaijan.

Islands

     * Bulla
     * Çikil
     * Çilov
     * Gil
     * Nargin
     * Pirallahı
     * Qara Su
     * Qum
     * Səngi Muğan
     * Vulf
     * Zənbil
     * Ashuradeh (Mazandaran)

History

   The sea is estimated to be about 30 million years old. It became
   landlocked about 5.5 million years ago. Discoveries in the Huto cave
   near the town of Behshahr, Mazandaran, (Southern land of Caspian Sea)
   suggest human habitation of the area as early as 75,000 years ago.^[
   citations needed]

   In classical antiquity it was called the Hyrcanian Ocean. It has also
   been known as the Khazar Sea. In Persian antiquity, as well as in
   modern Iran, it is known as the Mazandaran Sea. Old Russian sources
   call it the Khvalyn (Khvalynian) Sea after the Khvalis, inhabitants of
   Khwarezmia. Ancient Arabic sources refer to Bahr-e-Qazvin – the Qazvin
   Sea. The word Caspian is derived from the name of the Caspi, an ancient
   people that lived to the west of the sea in Transcaucasia.

   Historical cities by the sea include
     * Hyrcania, Persia (Iran)
     * Tamisheh, Mazandaran, (which is now in Modern Iran)
     * Atil, Khazaria
     * Khazaran
     * Baku, Azerbaijan

Fauna

   An aerial view of the southern Caspian coast as viewed from atop the
   Alborz mountains in Mazandaran, Iran.
   Enlarge
   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. In recent years overfishing has threatened
   the sturgeon population to the point that environmentalists advocate
   banning sturgeon fishing completely until the population recovers.
   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.^[ citations
   needed] Caviar harvesting further endangers the fish stocks, since it
   targets reproductive females.

   The Caspian Seal (Phoca caspica, Pusa caspica in some sources) is
   endemic to the Caspian Sea, one of very few seal species living in
   inland waters (see also Baikal Seal).

   The area has given its name to several species of birds, including the
   Caspian Gull and the Caspian Tern.

   There are several species of fish endemic to the Caspian sea, including
   Kutum (also known as Caspian White Fish), Caspian Roach, Bream, and a
   species of salmon. Caspian Salmon is critically endangered.

Oil

   The area is rich in energy wealth. As well as recently discovered oil
   fields, large natural gas supplies are also in evidence, though further
   exploration is needed to define their full potential. Geopolitical
   jockeying is taking place amongst Caspian-bordering countries,
   especially in the light of Middle East instability and the subsequent
   recasting of many Western countries' energy policies. Another factor
   influencing this is the new US military deployment to the Central Asian
   region.

   A key problem is the status of the Caspian Sea and the establishment of
   the water boundaries among the five littoral countries. Russia,
   Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan signed an agreement in 2003 to divide the
   northern 64% of the sea among themselves, although the other two
   bordering countries, Iran and Turkmenistan, did not agree to this. This
   is likely to result in the three agreeing nations proceeding with oil
   development regardless; Iranian and Turkmen development is likely to
   stall.

   At present, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have seen the biggest increase in
   oil production, an increase of 70% since 1992. Despite this, the region
   is still achieving less than potential output, with total regional
   production 1.6 million barrels (250,000 m³) per day, roughly equal to
   Brazil's production. This is expected to triple by 2010.

   The oil in the Caspian basin is estimated to worth in the region of $12
   thousand billion dollars.

International disputes

   Image:Caspian Borders Old.PNG
   Old division of the Caspian Sea
   Image:Caspian Borders New.PNG
   New division of the Caspian Sea

   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). Access to
   the Volga-river is particularly important for the landlocked states of
   Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. This issue is of course
   sensitive to Russia, because this potential traffic will move through
   its territory (albeit onto the inland waterways). 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. If
   a body of water is labeled merely as lake then there are no such
   obligations. Environmental issues are also somewhat connected to the
   status and borders issue. 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). Some
   assets were assigned to Azerbaijan. Kazakhstan and especially
   Turkmenistan got a very small share (because they lack major port
   cities).
     * According to a treaty signed between the Persians (predecessor of
       today's Iran) and the Russian Empire the Caspian Sea is technically
       a lake and it is to be divided into two sectors (Persian and
       Russian), but the resources (then mainly fish) would be commonly
       shared. The line between the two sectors was to be seen as an
       international border in a common lake (like Lake Albert). Also the
       Russian sector was sub-divided into administrative sectors of the
       four littoral republics.
     * After the dissolution of the Soviet Union not all of the newly
       independent states assumed continuation of the old treaty. At first
       Russia and Iran announced that they would continue to adhere to the
       old treaty (but they don't have a common border any more, so this
       is practically impossible). Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan
       announced that they do not consider themselves parties to this
       treaty.
     * Later followed some proposals for common agreement between all
       littoral states about the status of the sea.
          + Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan insisted that the
            sectors should be based on the median line, thus giving each
            state a share proportional to its Caspian coastline length.
            Also the sectors would form part of the sovereign territory of
            the particular state (thus making them international borders
            and also allowing each state to deal with all resources within
            its sector as it wishes unilaterally).
          + Iran insisted that the sectors should be such that each state
            gets a 1/5th share of the whole Caspian Sea. This was
            advantageous to Iran, because it has a proportionally smaller
            coastline.
          + Russia proposed a somewhat compromising solution: the seabed
            (and thus mineral resources) to be divided along sectoral
            lines (along the two above-described variants), the surface
            (and thus fishing rights) to be shared between all states
            (with the following variations: the whole surface to be
            commonly shared; each state to receive an exclusive zone and
            one single common zone in the centre to be shared. The second
            variant is deemed not practical, because of the small size of
            the whole sea).

     * Current situation

   Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have agreed to a solution about their
   sectors. There are no problems between Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, but
   the latter is not actively participating, so there is no agreement
   either. Azerbaijan is at odds with Iran over some oil fields that the
   both states claim. 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). Less
   acute are the issues between Turkmenistan and Iran. Regardless, the
   southern part of the sea remains disputed.
     *
          + Russia and Kazakhstan signed a treaty, according to which,
            they divide the northern part of the Caspian Sea between them
            into two sectors along the median line. Each sector is an
            exclusive zone of its state. Thus all resources, seabed and
            surface are exclusive to the particular state.
          + Russia and Azerbaijan signed a similar treaty about their
            common border.
          + Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan signed a similar treaty about their
            common border.
          + Iran doesn't recognize the bilateral agreements between the
            other littoral states, but this has limited practical
            implications, because it doesn't have common borders with
            Russia and Kazakhstan. Also Iran continues to insist on a
            single multilateral agreement between all five littoral states
            (as the only way to achieve 1/5-th share).
          + The position of Turkmenistan is unclear.

   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. 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.

Characteristics and ecology

   The Caspian has characteristics common to both seas and lakes. It is
   often listed as the world's largest lake, though it is not a freshwater
   lake.

   The Volga River (about 80% of the inflow) and the Ural River discharge
   into the Caspian Sea, but it is endorheic, i.e. there is no natural
   outflow (other than by evaporation) except the Manych Canal. 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. 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.
   In 2004, the water level is -28 metres, or 28 metres (92 feet) below
   sea level.

   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. 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 . These changes have
   caused major environmental problems .

Transportation

   Several scheduled ferry services operate on the Caspian Sea, including:
     * line between Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan (formerly Krasnovodsk) and
       Baku
     * line between Baku and Aktau

Freezing

   The northern part of the Caspian Sea freezes during winter. In the
   coldest winters ice can also be found at south. When weather is not as
   harsh icebanks can form in the shallow waters neighbouring the coast.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caspian_Sea"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
