Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea is the world’s largest inland body of water, bordered by Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan. Its isolated basin has no natural outlet to the ocean.

Caspian Sea level: The elevation of the Caspian Sea’s surface, which fluctuates over time as inflows and evaporation change. Volga inflow and evaporation help drive major shifts in the sea’s shoreline.
Caspian Sea sturgeon: Sturgeon species that inhabit the Caspian basin, including the beluga sturgeon. The Caspian’s sturgeon underpin its historic caviar fishery and face severe population declines.
Paratethys Sea: An ancient inland sea that once extended across parts of Europe and western Asia. The Caspian is a remnant of the Paratethys system, which fragmented as continents and drainage routes changed.
Caspian Sea legal status: The framework governing the Caspian Sea’s classification, boundaries, navigation, and resource rights. Its unusual mix of inland waters and seabed resources required a settlement among five coastal states.
Volga River: Europe’s longest river, flowing south through Russia into the Caspian Sea. It supplies most of the Caspian’s river water.
Caviar: Salt-cured fish eggs, especially those harvested from sturgeon. Caspian sturgeon made the region synonymous with high-value caviar production.
Caspian Sea basin: The geological depression occupied by the Caspian Sea and its surrounding drainage area. Its deep southern sub-basin and broad northern shelf reflect distinct geological histories.
Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea: A 2018 agreement among the five Caspian littoral states establishing principles for the sea’s legal regime. It set shared rules but left some delimitation questions to bilateral agreements.
Evaporation: The process by which liquid water becomes water vapor and enters the atmosphere. In the Caspian’s arid southern basin, evaporation removes water without an ocean outlet to replenish it.
Caspian Pipeline Consortium: A consortium that operates an oil pipeline from western Kazakhstan to Russia’s Black Sea coast. It carries oil produced near the Caspian to global markets without relying on sea transport.

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