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Key Facts about Caspian Sea

25-10-2024

09:53 AM

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1 min read
Key Facts about Caspian Sea Blog Image

Overview:

The Caspian Sea has been shrinking since the mid-1990s, but the rate at which it's disappearing has sped up since 2005.

About Caspian Sea:

  • It is the world’s largest inland body of water, covering a total surface area of about 386,400 sq.km.
  • It is located between Asia and Europe.
  • It lies to the east of the Caucasus Mountains and to the west of the vast steppe of Central Asia. 
  • Bordering countries: It is bordered by Russia and Azerbaijan on the west, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan on the north and east, and Iran on the south. 
  • The sea was named for the Kaspi, ancient peoples who once lived on its western shores.
  • Formation:
    • Going by the definition of a sea, the Caspian Sea is a lake and not a sea, as it is an enclosed water body without any direct outlet to the ocean. 
    • However, 5.5 million years ago, it was part of the ancient Parathethys Sea (an ancient sea in the Tethys Ocean) and got landlocked as a result of tectonic uplift and sea-level fall.
    • Hence, the seafloor of the Caspian Sea is composed of oceanic basalt and not continental granite.
  • The composition of the water of the Caspian Sea also varies from almost fresh in the northern parts of the lake to saltier southwards. 
  • The mean salinity of the Caspian Sea is now about one-third that of the oceans
  • Three major rivers—the Volga, the Ural, and the Terek—empty into the Caspian from the north. 
  • Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is the largest city on the Caspian. Another important city along the Caspian is Iran’s Nowshahr.
  • The sea is also known for its abundance of energy resources (oil and natural gas reserves in offshore fields and onshore on the coast of the sea).
  • It is the source of most of the world’s caviar. 

Q1: What is caviar?

Caviar is a delicacy made from the salt-cured eggs (roe) of sturgeon fish, traditionally sourced from the Caspian and Black Sea regions. Known for its distinctive taste and luxurious status, caviar is highly prized in culinary circles worldwide. It comes in a variety of colors, most commonly shades of black, grey, or golden, with each type of caviar having a unique texture and flavor.

News: The planet’s largest lake is shrinking fast. Experts fear it may never recover