In ancient times, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov was called by the Greeks Meotian Lake (Greek Μαιῶτις), by the Romans Palus Maeotis, by the Scythians Kargaluk, by the Meots of Temerind (the famous mother of the sea); further from the Arabs Nitslah or Baral-Azov, from the Turks Baryal-Assak or Bahr-Assak (Dark Blue Sea; in modern Turkish Azakdenizi), from the Genoese and Venetians Mare delle Zabacche (Mare Tane). Extreme points Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov   lie between 45 ° 12′30 ″ and 47 ° 17′30 ″ sowing. latitude and between 33 ° 38 ′ (Sivash) and 39 ° 18 ′ east. longitude. Its greatest length is 343 km, the largest width is 231 km; length coastline   1472 km; surface area - 37605 km². (this area does not include islands and spits, which occupy 107.9 sq. km).

According to morphological characteristics, it belongs to flat seas and is a shallow body of water with low coastal slopes.

In remoteness from the ocean to the mainland, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is the most continental sea on the planet. The underwater topography of the sea is relatively simple. Departing from the coast, the depths slowly and smoothly increase, reaching 14.4 m in the central part of the sea. The main bottom area is characterized by depths of 5-13 m. The region of greatest depths is in the center of the sea. The location of the isobaths, which is close to symmetrical, is disturbed by their small elongation in the northeast towards the Taganrog Bay. 5 m isobath is located about 2 km from the coast, moving away from it near the Taganrog Bay and in the bay itself near the mouth of the Don. In the Taganrog Gulf, the depths increase from the mouth of the Don (2-3 m) towards the open part of the sea, reaching 8-9 m on the border of the gulf with the sea. In the bottom topography of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, there are systems of underwater elevations elongated along the eastern (Bank Zhelezinskaya) and the western (banks of the Sea and Arabat) coasts, the depths of which decrease from 8-9 to 3-5 m. The wide shallow water (20-30 km) with depths of 6-7 m is characteristic of the underwater coastal slope of the northern coast, and the steep coast is steep underwater slope to a depth of 11-12 m.

The catchment area of \u200b\u200bthe Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov Basin is 586,000 km². Sea coast   mostly flat and sandy, only on the south coast there are hills of volcanic origin, which in places pass into steep advanced mountains.

Sea currents are dependent on the very strong northeastern and southwestern winds blowing here and therefore very often change direction. The main current is a circular current along the shores of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov counterclockwise. In terms of biological productivity, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov ranks first in the world. The most developed phytoplankton and benthos. Phytoplankton consists (in%): of diatoms - 55, peridinium - 41.2, and blue-green algae - 2.2. Among benthos biomass, mollusks dominate. Their skeletal residues, represented by calcium carbonate, have a significant proportion in the formation of modern bottom sediment and accumulative surface bodies.

The hydrochemical characteristics of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov are formed primarily under the influence of an abundant influx of river waters (up to 12% of the volume of water) and difficult water exchange with the Black Sea.

The salinity of the sea before the regulation of the Don was three times less than the average salinity of the ocean. Its value on the surface varied from 1 ppm at the mouth of the Don to 10.5 ppm in the central part of the sea and 11.5 ppm at the Kerch Strait. After the Tsimlyansk hydroelectric complex was created, sea salinity began to rise (up to 13 ppm in the central part). Average seasonal fluctuations in salinity rarely reach 1%. Water contains very little salt. For this reason, the sea freezes easily, and therefore, before the appearance of the icebreakers, it was not navigable from December to mid-April.

During the XX century, almost all more or less large riversflowing into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, were blocked by dams to create reservoirs. This has led to a significant reduction in the discharge of fresh water and silt into the sea.

The Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov bears the title of the shallowest in the world. Its maximum depth does not exceed 14 meters! It does not differ in significant size. Nevertheless, there are plenty of rivers flowing into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. We will tell you about them in this article.

So, which rivers flow into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov? The names, features and the most interesting facts about these watercourses are in our article.

Sea of \u200b\u200bFive Records

The Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is an internal semi-enclosed body of water of the Atlantic Ocean, which washes the territories of two states - Russia and Ukraine. Narrow connects it with the neighboring Black Sea. The total area of \u200b\u200bthe water mirror is 38 thousand square kilometers (and it is gradually being reduced). The average salinity of the waters in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is 13.8%. The coastline is quite densely indented by numerous bays and bays.

The Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is young in age. According to one version, it was formed only about 7,500 years ago, as a result of a catastrophic rise in water levels in the Black Sea. This pond has changed its name at least a dozen times. So, the ancient Greeks called it the Lake of Meotia, the Scythians - Kargaluk, the Mongols - Balyk-Dyngiz. The modern toponym comes from the name of the same city of Azov, which, in turn, is associated with the name of the legendary Polovtsian prince Azuf.

The Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov boasts several natural records at once. There are neither more nor less than five! So this is the sea:

• The smallest in the world (the average depth of the reservoir is 8 meters).
• The smallest of those that wash the territory of Russia.
• The warmest in Europe (in summer the water in it often warms up to 28-30 degrees).
• The most remote from the Ocean on Earth.
• The most productive in Europe (a huge number of fish and shellfish live in its waters).

Despite the aridity of the climate in the basin of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, the rivers flowing into it are not so small. And among them there are watercourses of quite impressive sizes. What are these rivers - read on.

Rivers that flow into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov: names and list

The drainage basin of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov covers an area of \u200b\u200b586 thousand square kilometers, approximately comparable to the area of \u200b\u200bUkraine. Its borders extend from the Tula region in the north and to the Krasnodar Territory in the south. What rivers flow into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov? And what are they called?

Below is a list of the 15 largest rivers flowing into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov (all of them are marked on the map with the corresponding numbers). The total length of each of these watercourses is indicated in parentheses:

1. Don (1870 km).
2. Kuban (870 km).
3. Eya (311 km).
4. Chelbas (288 km).
5. Mius (258 km).
6. Beisug (243 km).
7. Salgir (232 km).
8. Kalmius (209 km).
9. Dairy (197 km).
10. Byrd (125 km).
11. Upholstery (96 km).
12. Georgian Elanchik (91 km).
13. Great Utlyuk (83 km).
14. Maly Utlyuk (67 km).
15. East Bulganak (48 km).

The deepest river flowing into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is the Don. The average water consumption in it is 680 cubic meters. m / s This is one of the largest rivers in the European part of Russia. Two millionaire cities are located on it at once: Rostov-on-Don and Voronezh. We will tell about the Don and some other rivers flowing into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov in more detail below.

Don

The ancient Greeks often called him Tanais, and the famous ancient historian Herodotus called the "eighth Scythian river." The modern name comes from the root danu of Indo-Iranian origin, which means "river".

Don is a full-flowing river that flows into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. It begins in the very center of the city of Novomoskovsk, Tula region (in a city park). Further, the river flows mainly in a southerly direction, taking in fairly large and deep-water tributaries - Voronezh, Khopyor, Manych, Seversky Donets and others. It flows into the Taganrog Bay of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, forming a vast delta with numerous channels and branches.

By the area of \u200b\u200bthe drainage basin (422 thousand sq. Km), Don is one of the five largest rivers in Europe. Its water regime fully corresponds to the watercourses of the steppe zone. The river feeds mainly on melt snow waters (70%), has a high spring flood and low low water winter time   of the year.

Most of the Don channel is navigable (right up to the city of Voronezh). In the middle of the twentieth century, the Tsimlyansk reservoir with an area of \u200b\u200b2.7 thousand square meters was formed in its lower reaches. km The creation of such a large water reservoir significantly affected not only the hydrological regime of the river itself, but also the salinity of the waters in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov.

Kuban

Kuban (ancient name - Gipanis) is the second largest river in the Azov basin. Scientists know about 300 of its names! One more amazing fact: Kuban begins on the slopes of Elbrus - highest point   Of Russia. It flows from the tongue of the mountain glacier Ullukam. Having “escaped” from the mountains of the Caucasus Range, the Kuban flows in a northwest direction and flows into the Temryuk Bay of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, breaking up into several large branches.

Interestingly, until the middle of the 19th century, the river introduced its waters into the Black Sea (through the Kiziltash estuary). But then the distribution of runoff changed, and today hydrologists draw the main riverbed along the Petrushin sleeve through the city of Temryuk.

The main source of food for the Kuban is snow and rainwater. In summer, the river is fueled by the melting of the high mountain glaciers of the Caucasus. Today, the Kuban river system is actively used to accumulate electricity - a number of small hydroelectric power stations (the so-called Kuban cascade) have been created on it.

Her

It is the third largest river flowing into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, and the second within the Krasnodar Territory. The etymology of its name is not known exactly. However, the name of the city of Yeisk, as well as the eponymous sea estuary, comes from this hydronym.

Almost the entire length of the Eurasia River (which is 311 km), its flow is regulated by a chain of small staves. Therefore, the speed of the river is low - in the range of 0.6-0.8 m / s. Its nutrition is mainly atmospheric - rain and snow. River water is highly mineralized and very hard, and therefore not suitable for irrigation. The lower reaches of Ei are excessively boggy.

Kalmius

The main river of the Donetsk region of Ukraine flows from the southern slopes of the Donetsk Ridge and flows into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov within the city of Mariupol. Kalmius is actively used for irrigation and water supply. settlements   Donbass. The length of the river is 209 kilometers, the average slope is 0.9 m / km. The shores of Kalmius are quite picturesque and rich in archaeological sites.

The main and largest tributary of Kalmius is Kalchik. According to many historians, this is the chronicle rivulet Kalka, on the banks of which in 1223 there was a large-scale battle between the Old Russian squad and the Mongol army.

Salgir

Salgir is the most big river   Crimean peninsula. It flows from the northern slopes of Chatyr-Dag, crosses the Inner Ridge of the Crimean Mountains and flows into the Gulf of Sivash. However, it does not always bring its waters to the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov - in the summer heat, the channel of the Salgir in the lower reaches often dries up.

On the river is the capital of Crimea - the city of Simferopol. Salgira waters are also actively used for irrigation of agricultural land.

“An affectionate kitten with the character of a lion” is exactly what hydrologists call this Crimean river. The fact is that during heavy rains on Salgir severe floods are possible, which cause a lot of trouble to the residents of Simferopol and other settlements. So, one of the most powerful floods on this river occurred in 1933. Then the water flow in its channel increased sharply more than 100 times.

Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov (Ukr. Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, other Greek Μαιῶτις λίμνη, lat. Palus Maeotis) - a semi-enclosed sea of \u200b\u200bthe Atlantic Ocean in eastern Europe. The shallowest sea in the world: the depth does not exceed 13.5 meters, the average depth is about 7.4 m (according to various estimates, from 6.8 to 8 m).

The Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by a long chain of straits and seas (Kerch Strait - Black Sea - Bosphorus Strait - Sea of \u200b\u200bMarmara - Dardanelles Strait - Aegean Sea - Mediterranean Sea - Strait of Gibraltar - Atlantic Ocean).

The two largest rivers flow into the sea - and the Kuban River.

THE COAST OF THE AZOV SEA AND RIVER DELTA

The coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is less picturesque and diverse than the Black Sea. But there is also a unique beauty in it. Steppes come up to the sea, and in some places floodplains overgrown with reeds. The shores are treeless, they are either low and shallow, with a sand-shell beach, then low, but steep, composed of yellow loesslike loams. The coastline of the sea forms rather smooth bends, and only long sand spits give it some indentation. A large number of braids is one of the characteristic features of the shores of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov.

West Coast.
  The western coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is represented by a long oblique - the Arabat arrow. It stretched along the seashore for 112 km, separating from it the shallow Gulf of Sivash. The width of this flat sand-shell spit ranges from 270 m in the southern and middle parts of it to 7 km in the north, where there are several small elevations.
  The Arabat arrow is huge natural beach. In parallel, a series of long shallows extended to her. They can be clearly seen from the walls of the old Genoese fortress, located near the village of Arabat, or directly from the elevated root coast. In calm sunny weather, the greenish-blue waves of the sea with a slight noise softly rush onto the sand-shell beach and the foam of a light surf surrounds it, like narrow white lace. Rolling on the wing, white-winged gulls glide low over the water. Far on the spit, the salt mined from Sivash glistens dazzling under the rays of the hot sun. Beautiful sea and the storm. When a fierce nordost blows, it darkens, becomes severe.
  With angry noise, boiling with white foam, torrential waves descend on the shores. You can admire the foamed sea, hours of running and stormy surf of the waves for hours.

Any person who has visited the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov will forever have a memory of his discreet, but exciting soul beauty.
  Hot mineral waters are discovered on the Arabat spit, surpassing Matsesta in their chemical composition and medicinal properties. On the basis of these healing waters it is supposed to create a new resort - the Azov Matsesta.

South coast.
  It is represented by the territory of the Kerch and Taman Peninsulas, between which is located the Kerch Strait connecting the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov and the Black Sea. The Kerch Peninsula is the eastern tip of the Crimea. Its area is about 3 thousand square meters. kilometers. In the bowels of the peninsula, large deposits of iron ore have been discovered that feed the metallurgy of the Azov region, oil and natural gas.
The northern and north-eastern parts of the Kerch Peninsula are composed of marls, clays, limestones; sandstones of tertiary age are found in some places.
  The western part of the Kerch Peninsula is flat, the eastern part is hilly. Within the peninsula south coast   The Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov for the most part abruptly breaks into the sea, leaving only a narrow strip of the beach. In places, steep banks are composed of bryozoans, steadily resisting the onslaught of sea waves. Such, for example, Cape Kazantip, at the base of which lies the bryozoans reef - atoll. To the west of this cape is the Arabat Gulf, to the east is Kazantip. To the east of Cape Kazantip, a low-lying alluvial stretch of the coast stretches. The shores of both bays are composed of soft clay rocks. South Oil & Gas Kazantip - Aktash salt Lake. This is a relict lake. It is the remnant of the Gulf of Kazantip, which once went far into the land.
  In the middle of the Kerch Peninsula, a low Parpach ridge stretches from west to east. Between this ridge and the shore of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. there is a wide longitudinal valley. In the lower parts of it there are salt lakes, and in particular Chokrakskoye Lake, famous for its healing properties, as well as a number of mud volcanoes.
  East of the Kazantip Bay, near the Kerch Strait, the shore of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is calmer, but here it is characterized by capes composed of hard bryozoic limestones, for example, capes Zyuk, Tarkhan and others.

The Kerch Strait connecting the Black and Azov Seas is shallow and relatively shallow. Its width varies from 4 to 15 km. The length of the strait is 41 km. Depth is about 4 m.
  In ancient times, the Kerch Strait was called the Cimmerian Bosporus. The name itself gives an allusion to the strait of the strait, as "bospor" in translation into Russian means "bull ford."
  The Crimean coast of the strait is steep in places. In its northern part lies the port city of Kerch.

The Caucasian shore of the Kerch Strait is low, sandy, sometimes with dunes. The strait fairway is cluttered with reefs, sand spits and coastal shallows, which previously made shipping difficult. Now for the passage of ships with big draft   a channel has been dug in the strait.
  The communication through the strait between the Crimea and the Caucasus was previously carried out by ordinary steamboats carrying goods and passengers. In the spring of 1955, a railway crossing was opened. On the Crimean coast, northeast of Kerch, built railroad station   Crimea, and on the Caucasian coast, on the Spit Chushka, a railway station Caucasus was built.

On large diesel-electric ferries, trains are easily and quickly transported through the Kerch Strait. The railway line between the Crimea and the Caucasus is thereby significantly reduced.
  The Taman Peninsula, which is part of the Krasnodar Territory, covers an area of \u200b\u200bapproximately 1900 square meters. km Of these, land accounts for a little over 900 square meters. km, and the rest of the territory is estuaries and marshes.
  Its nature is peculiar. From a geological point of view, this is a young peninsula, since it formed in the Quaternary. Back in the 1st century AD e. in its place there were about five islands, the transformation of which into a peninsula occurred, apparently, in the V century BC. e. under the influence of the accumulative "activity of the Kuban River, mud volcanoes and tectonic uplifts. The formation of the Taman Peninsula continues.

The surface of the peninsula is a hilly plain with low domed elevations, elongated in the form of interrupted ridges from the southwest to northeast. Mud volcanoes and ancient burial grounds - mounds are scattered almost everywhere. . The landscape is enlivened by numerous estuaries. Swamps overgrown with reeds and sedge are also widespread.

The Taman Peninsula contains in its bowels such natural resourceslike oil, combustible gases, iron ore, salt, building materials in the form of limestone, clay and gravel.
  The climate of the peninsula is moderately warm. The sun generously supplies it with the warmth of its rays, but there is little precipitation here - only 436 mm per year - and therefore there is a lack of moisture.
  On the peninsula there are fertile chernozem-like and chestnut soils covered by drought-resistant steppe, and along the valley of the Kuban River - by flooded vegetation.
  He is now famous for his vineyards.
  The shores of the Taman Peninsula are quite diverse, but two types of shores prevail: high, steep - abrasive, that is, formed as a result of the destructive work of sea waves, and low, flat - accumulative. The latter formed from sandy-clay deposits as a result of the activity of sea waves and currents.

The coast of the Taman Bay, from Cape Tuzla up to the village of Taman, is elevated and steep. On average, its height here ranges from 15 to 30 m. To the east of the village of Taman, the coast decreases and remains low throughout the southern and eastern coast of the bay. Only in places there are steep cliffs, and often due to the cultural layer of the ancient Phanagoria.
  The northern shore of the bay is also elevated and in some places abruptly breaks off to the sea.
"Accumulation" in translation from Latin means "accumulation". This term in geology denotes the process of deposition of loose material of various origins.

Spit Chushka, composed largely of quartz sand and broken shells, has low banks.
  Further east, the coast of the Taman Peninsula is high (up to 50-60 m above the level of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov) and often has a stepped landslide character. It is composed mainly of loesslike clay and is bordered by a strip of beach, consisting of sand and clay deposits, sometimes mixed with shells, pebbles and gravel.
  Then, right up to the village of Golubitskaya, the coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov sometimes decreases, then rises again, but, starting from this village, it becomes low, and acquires a marshy character in the region of the Kuban River Delta.

It is interesting to note that in the area of \u200b\u200bthe village of Kuchugury, on the low coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, eolian relief forms are observed in the form of low (1-3 m) sandy hillocks - dunes formed under the influence of northerly winds.

The sights of the Taman Peninsula are mud volcanoes (salsa), of which there are up to 25. Many of them have the appearance of low cones with truncated peaks. Some salsa are temporarily inactive. The rest emit dirt and gases, such as methane, nitrogen. carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen.
  Eruptions of mud volcanoes are usually calm and quiet, but sometimes resemble eruptions of real volcanoes, because they are accompanied by an explosion, and products of volcanic activity are then scattered hundreds of meters from the crater, and liquid mud forms large flows.
  A very interesting phenomenon is represented by mud volcanoes on the bottom of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov near the shores of the Taman Peninsula. So, intense mud volcanic activity was observed near the village of Golubitskaya. One of the eruptions was noted on September 6, 1799. An underground rumble was heard, then a deafening crack was heard and a pillar of fire and black smoke rose above the sea, 300 meters from the coast. About two hours the eruption continued, leading to the formation of the island from mud with a diameter of over 100 m and a height of up to 2 m. After a few months, it disappeared, washed away by the waves of the sea.
  Similar eruptions were repeated later - in 1862, 1906, 1924, 1950 and 1952. In 1952, to the west of the village of Golubitskaya, 5 km from the coast, also as a result of mud volcanic activity, a mud island was formed, later washed out by sea waves.

  East coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov
The eastern coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, from Temryuk to Primorsko-Akhtarsk, for about 100 km, is a low-lying delta of the Kuban River with numerous estuaries, channels, extensive meadows, overgrown with reeds and sedge. The Kuban River, originating from the glaciers of Mount Elbrus, is one of the largest and most watery rivers in the North Caucasus. Its length is 870 km. The catchment area is 57,900 square meters. km Its delta was formed on the site of the Gulf of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, which plunged deep into the land. Tens of thousands of years ago, this gulf extended to the place where Krasnodar is now located. The huge lagoon was separated from the sea in bulk and then gradually filled with river sediment. The activity of mud volcanoes (salses) of the Taman Peninsula, which in those days still had the appearance of an archipelago of small islands, also played a certain role in the formation of the southwestern part of the delta. The products of the eruptions of mud volcanoes carried channels between the islands and gradually filled the lagoon along with the river nayaos.
  The formation of the delta continues in our time, moreover, it experiences diving, which constitutes 5-6 mm per year in Achuev, and 3 mm per year in other places of the delta.
  The Kuban River annually makes an average of 11.4 billion cubic meters to the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. meters of water containing a total of over 3 million tons of dissolved substances and the mass of turbidity. The water in the river is cloudy all year round, but it carries especially much sediment during the flood period, which is observed on average 6-7 a year in the Kuban. The total amount of solid substances carried by the river (the so-called solid runoff) is 8.7 million tons per year. To transport such cargo would require more than 52,000 freight cars. Due to these deposits, the Kuban delta is growing. Now the Kuban delta, covering an area of \u200b\u200b4300 square meters. km, begins at the so-called Razder, near the city of Slavyansk, where the sleeve of the Channel is separated from the Kuban to the right (to the north). The latter carries about 40-50% of the Kuban water and flows into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov near Achuev.
  Below the Protoka, near the mouth, the Kuban is still divided into a number of branches, of which the largest are Petrushin sleeve and Cossack Yerik. Petrushin sleeve, representing here the main navigable channel of the Kuban River, goes past Temryuk and flows into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov.

The Cossack Erik is the left-bank sleeve of the Kuban; it carries its waters to the large Akhtanizovsky estuary, which has a connection with the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov through the Peresypsky Girlo.
The modern Kuban River Delta is a labyrinth of shallow lakes or estuaries, interconnected by channels, or, locally, Eriks, which form bizarre loops between low-lying areas of swampy land.
  In the Kuban delta, huge areas are occupied by floodplains that stretch for tens of kilometers. The fins of the Kuban delta adjacent to the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov are called Priazovskie. They are divided by the Protoka River into two massifs: the Azov floodplains proper in the western part and the Angelino-Cheburgolsky ones in the eastern part.
  The Azov floodplains are bizarre labyrinths of swamps and estuaries of various sizes, with fresh, semi-salted and salt water, overgrown with surface and underwater vegetation. Among the first, reeds, reeds, sedges, cattails, and brambleweed dominate. The underwater, or “soft” vegetation of estuaries is char algae, pond, hornwort, water lilies, etc.

In Priazovsky estuaries there are thickets of a wonderful plant - a lotus. During flowering, large pink flowers of amazing beauty, spreading a strong aroma, rise above the big-leafed emerald leaves on the stems. This tropical new home brought to us from Africa is a useful medicinal and food plant.
  The estuaries of the Kuban delta are rich in fish. Here it meets more than 70 species, including ram, bream, pike perch, pod, pike, tyulka, common carp weighing up to 15 kg, catfish weighing up to 100 kg.
  In the deltas and estuaries of the delta there are a lot of birds, especially waterfowl: wild geese, ducks. There are whole colonies of cormorants and pelicans. Swans, herons and many birds of prey live here. Of the mammals, foxes are numerous, wild cats are found, and wild boars are found in deaf floodplains. Muskrat acclimatized, giving beautiful brown fur.

The bowels of the delta are rich in minerals - natural gas, oil, mineral waters.
  Most of the Kuban River Delta has not yet been developed agriculturally, although the soils here are very fertile.
  But gradually the Azov Sea changes the landscape. In the floodplains, instead of the dense reeds and rotten estuaries, the blue squares of rice receipts already stretch for many kilometers. In 1952, the Kuban irrigation system with an area of \u200b\u200b23 thousand hectares was commissioned. In 1967, 62 thousand hectares of land reclaimed by land reclamation plains were occupied under rice. When the Krasnodar reservoir on the Kuban River comes into operation, the rice fields will expand to 250-300 thousand hectares and will give up to 700 thousand tons of high-quality rice annually to our Motherland.

To the north of Primorsko-Akhtarsk, floodplains are found only in the mouths of the steppes of the Azov rivers - Beisug and Chelbas.
  The shores of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov are represented on this site by low and gentle sand spits, but for the most part the coast here is steep or steeply descending to the sea. It is composed, like the coastal plain, with loesses and loesslike loams and clays of the Late Glacial period. Loess is a rock that is easily washed away by the waves, and therefore the seashore is quickly destroyed here. The average rate of destruction along the coast is 3 m per year. The maximum is up to 18 m. The soils of this part of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov are represented by carbonate West Caucasia fertile chernozems. Previously, this entire region was a feather-grass-mixed steppe, on which herds of wild horses — tarps and herds of swift saigas — grazed. There were even moose. Now these lands are plowed up, and in the summer there [a boundless yellow-green sea of \u200b\u200bbread sways, the fields of corn and sunflower are spread.
  In addition to the Kuban River, steppe rivers (counting from south to north), such as Kirpili, pouring their waters into the Kirpilsky estuary flow into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov from the east; Beisug falling into Beisugsky estuary; Chelbas, flowing into the estuary Sweet; It, carrying water to the large Yeisk estuary, and, finally, the small rivers Wet Chuburka and Kagalnik, flowing directly into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov.
  A characteristic feature of the landscape of the eastern coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, as noted above, is the presence of numerous estuaries.

Delta of the Don.
  In its northeastern part, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov forms a vast, very elongated Taganrog Bay, into which one of the largest rivers in the European part of the USSR flows - Don. Its length is 1870 km, and the catchment area is 422,000 square meters. km Don annually puts into the sea an average of about 28.6 cubic meters. km of water. Significant masses of river water greatly desalinate the Taganrog Bay, and sediments carried by the river shallow it and lead to, which occupies an area of \u200b\u200b340 square meters. km The modern Don Delta begins 6 km below Rostov-on-Don, where the Dead Don’s non-navigable sleeve is separated to the right.
  On the Don River there is always great revival; diverse and numerous vessels sail up and downstream. The calm expanse of a mighty river is cut by passenger ships, cargo ships and fishing longboats.
Below the village of Elizavetinsky, the Don begins to wind heavily in a wide low-lying valley, crushing into numerous branches and channels, which, in the local area, are called eriks. These sleeves and eriks become more and more as they approach the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov.
  The landscape here is peculiar. Everywhere you can see islands rising slightly above the water with fantastically indented shores covered with dense reed beds. Islands close to the sea are constantly flooded sea \u200b\u200bwaterand the vegetation on them is scarce or absent altogether. With strong westerly winds, the waters of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov rush to the mouth of the Don, support river waters, the Don leaves the banks, flooding not only the delta, but also the loan almost 100 km upstream.
  East winds blowing downstream of the Don have the opposite effect. Moreover, sometimes water is so strong that not only the river branches but also the Taganrog Bay become shallow, which disrupts normal shipping. The amplitude of the overtaking phenomena is +3, -2 m.

Don carries out into the sea an average of about 14 million tons of river sediment and about 9.5 million tons of dissolved minerals. Due to sediment, the Don Delta is growing, which is gradually moving ever farther into the sea at a speed of about 1 km per century.

  North coast
  The northern coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov stretches from the mouth of the Don to the city of Genichesk. On this site a number of small rivers flow into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. Originating in the spurs of the Donetsk Ridge, they carry their waters into the sea of \u200b\u200bthe Mius and Kalmius rivers. Arising on a low Priazovskaya Upland, the Berdya, Obitochnaya, Korsak rivers and a number of small rivers drying up in the summer flow into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. The northern coast is characterized by the presence of a number of sand spits, stretched mainly from the north and north-east to the south and south-west, moreover, the braids with their ends are bent to the west, for example, Curve, Belosarayskaya ( south of the city   Zhdanova), Berdyansk (near the city of Berdyansk).

Between the braids and the root shore gulfs and estuaries are formed, for example Berdyansk and Obitonny. If alluvial spit is excluded, then the rest of the northern shore of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is an even steppe, mostly descending to the sea in a cliff. Scythes and a narrow coastal strip are composed mainly of Quaternary marine sediments. To the north, the plain is composed of loesses, loesslike loams and clays of the late glacial period. Fertile chernozems developed on these rocks. As far back as the last century, boundless feather grasses and grasses stretched here, and feather grass fescue steppes in the western half. Tarpanes, feral camels grazed in them, and even earlier, even red deer and elk met. There were beavers in the rivers. During the flowering period, these steppes, according to N.V. Gogol, represented a green-golden ocean, over which millions of flowers were sprayed. However, such steppes have long disappeared, they are almost completely plowed. They were replaced by endless fields of wheat, corn, sunflower, orchards and vineyards.

  NATURE OF THE AZOV SEA
  The Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is a peculiar and remarkable reservoir in many respects. It is the smallest of all the seas of the Soviet Union, but in its importance in the national economy is not in last place. Its area bounded by parallels is 45 ° 16 "N and 47 ° 17" N. W. and meridians 33 ° 36 "east and 39 ° 21" east d. is only 37800 square meters. km (without Sivash and estuaries). The greatest depth does not exceed 14 m, and the average depth is about 8 m. At the same time, depths of up to 5 m occupy more than half the volume of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. Its volume is also small and equal to 320 cubic meters. km For comparison, let us say that the Aral Sea is almost 2 times larger than the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, the Black Sea is almost 11 times larger than the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, and 1,678 times larger in volume. Nevertheless, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is not so small; two European states such as the Netherlands and Luxembourg would freely be placed on it. Its longest length is 380 km and its greatest width is 200 km. The total length of the coastline of the sea is 2686 km.
The underwater relief of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is very simple, the depths generally slowly and smoothly increase with distance from the coast, and the greatest depths are in the center of the sea. Its bottom is almost flat. The Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov forms several bays, of which the largest are the Taganrog, Temryuk and the highly isolated Sivash, which is rather considered an estuary. There are no large islands on this sea. There are a number of shallows, partially flooded and located near the coast. Such, for example, the islands of Biryuchiy, Turtle and others.

  HISTORY OF THE AZOV SEA
  Meotida
  In ancient times, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov did not exist, and the Don flowed into the Black Sea in the area of \u200b\u200bthe modern Kerch Strait. The theory of the Black Sea Flood suggests that the filling of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov occurred around 5600 BC. e.
  In antiquity, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov was called by the Greeks Meotian Lake (dr. Greek Μαιῶτις), by the Romans Palus Maeotis ("Meotian Swamp"), by the Scythians Kargaluk, by the Meots of Temerind (which means "mother of the sea"), by the Arabs - Bahr al -Azuf, among the Turks - Bahr el-Assak or Bahr-s Assak (Dark Blue Sea; modern tour. Azak Denizi) and also Balysira (Balisira), among the Genoese and Venetians - Mare delle Zabacche.
  The sea was renamed many times (Samakush, Salakar, Mayutis, etc.). At the beginning of the XIII century. affirmed the name of the Saxin Sea. The Tatar-Mongol conquerors replenished the collection of Azov names: Balyk-Dengiz (fish sea) and Chabak-Dengiz (chabachye, bream sea). According to some data, Chabak-dengiz as a result of the transformation: chabak - dzybakh - zabak - azak - azov - the modern name of the sea occurred (which is doubtful). According to other sources, azak is a Turkic adjective meaning low, low, according to other sources, azak (Turkic estuary), which was transformed into Azau and then into Russian Azov. In the interval of the above names, the sea also received the following: Barel-Azov (Dark Blue River); Frankish Sea (Franks were understood as Genoese and Venetians); Surozh Sea (Surozh was called the modern city of Sudak in Crimea); Caffe Sea (Caffa - an Italian colony in place modern city   Theodosius in Crimea); Cimmerian Sea (from the Cimmerians); Akdeniz (Turkish meaning White Sea). It is most reliable that the modern name of the sea comes from the city of Azov.

According to the etymology of the word "basics" there are a number of hypotheses: by the name of the Polovtsian prince Azum (Azuf), who was killed during the capture of the city in 1067; by the name of the wasp tribe (assy), which in turn happened as if from an Avestan, meaning "fast"; they compare the name with the Turkic word azan - "lower", and the Circassian uzev - "neck". The Turkic name of the city of Azov is Auzak. But back in the 1st century. n e. Pliny, listing in his writings Scythian tribes, mentions the Asoki tribe, similar to the word Az. It is believed that the modern name of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov came to Russian toponymy at the beginning of the 17th century, thanks to the annals of Pimen. Moreover, at first it was assigned only to its part (the Taganrog Bay, which was called the Don Estuary before the appearance of the city of Taganrog). Only in the second half of the XVIII century the name "Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov" was assigned to the entire body of water. The sea gave its name to the villages of Azov and Priazovskaya, and the cities of Azov (in the lower reaches of the Don River, Rostov Region) and Novoazovsk, the village of Priazovskoye and other settlements.

In the history of the study of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov there are three stages:
  Ancient (geographical) - from the time of Herodotus to the beginning of the XIX century.
  Geological and geographical - XIX century - 40s of the XX century
  Integrated - mid XX century - Today.
  The first map of Pontus Euxinus and Meotis was made by Claudius Ptolemy, he also identified geographical coordinates   for cities, river mouths, capes and bays of the coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov.
  In 1068, the Russian prince Gleb Svyatoslavich, who ruled at that time in Tmutarakan, measured the distance between Kerch and Taman on ice. As the inscription on the Tmutarakan stone testifies, the distance from Tmutarakan to Korchev (the ancient name of Kerch) was approximately 20 km (over 939 years this distance increased by 3 km.) From the XII-XIV centuries. the Genoese and Venetians began to compose portolans (locations and sea charts) of the Black and Azov Seas.

GEOGRAPHY OF THE AZOV SEA
  The extreme points of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov lie between 45 ° 12′30 ″ and 47 ° 17′30 ″ sowing. latitude and between 33 ° 38 ′ (Lake Sivash) and 39 ° 18 ′ east. longitude. Its largest length is 380 km, the largest width is 200 km; coastline 2686 km; surface area - 37,800 km² (this area does not include islands and braids occupying 107.9 km²).
  According to morphological characteristics, it belongs to flat seas and is a shallow body of water with low coastal slopes. In remoteness from the ocean, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is the most continental sea on the planet.
In winter, partial or complete freezing is possible, while ice is carried to the Black Sea through the Kerch Strait. As a rule, ice formation is typical for January, but in the cold years it can take place a month earlier.

Map of the depths of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov

The underwater topography of the sea is relatively simple. Departing from the coast, the depths slowly and smoothly increase, reaching 13 m in the central part of the sea. The main bottom area is characterized by depths of 5–13 m. The region of greatest depths is in the center of the sea. The location of the isobaths, which is close to symmetrical, is disturbed by their small elongation in the northeast towards the Taganrog Bay. 5 m isobath is located about 2 km from the coast, moving away from it near the Taganrog Bay and in the bay itself near the mouth of the Don. In the Taganrog Gulf, the depths increase from the mouth of the Don (2-3 m) towards the open part of the sea, reaching 8–9 m on the border of the gulf with the sea. In the bottom topography of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, there are systems of underwater elevations elongated along the east (Zhelezinskaya Bank) and the western (banks of the Sea and Arabat) coasts, the depths of which decrease from 8–9 to 3–5 m. A wide shallow water (20–30 km) with depths of 6–7 m is typical for the underwater coastal slope of the northern coast, and for the southern coast it is steep underwater slope to a depth of 11-13 m.
  The catchment area of \u200b\u200bthe Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov Basin is 586,000 km².
  Sea coasts are mostly flat and sandy, only on the south coast there are hills of volcanic origin, which in places pass into steep advanced mountains.
  Sea currents are dependent on the very strong northeastern and southwestern winds blowing here and therefore very often change direction. The main current is a circular current along the shores of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov counterclockwise.

Salinity
  Changes in the salinity of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov in the 20th century
  The hydrochemical characteristics of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov are formed primarily under the influence of an abundant influx of river waters (up to 12% of the volume of water) and difficult water exchange with the Black Sea.
The salinity of the sea before the regulation of the Don was three times less than the average salinity of the ocean. Its value on the surface varied from 1 ppm at the mouth of the Don to 10.5 ppm in the central part of the sea and 11.5 ppm at the Kerch Strait. After the creation of the Tsimlyansk hydroelectric complex, the salinity of the sea began to increase. By 1977, the average salinity of the sea increased to 13.8 ppm, and in Taganrog Bay to 11.2. In the greater water area of \u200b\u200bthe sea, water salted to 14-14.5 ‰. In the period of relatively high humidity (1979-1982), a rapid decrease in salinity to 10.9 ‰ was noted, but by 2000 its value had again increased and stabilized at 11 ‰. Average seasonal fluctuations in salinity rarely reach 1-2 percent.
  In the northern part of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, water contains very little salt. For this reason, the sea freezes easily, and therefore, before the appearance of the icebreakers, it was not navigable from December to mid-April. The southern part of the sea does not freeze and remains at a moderate temperature.
  During the 20th century, almost all the more or less large rivers flowing into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov were blocked by dams to create reservoirs. This has led to a significant reduction in the discharge of fresh water and silt into the sea.
  The main ionic composition of water in the open part of the sea differs from the salt composition of the ocean in the relative poverty of chlorine and sodium ions and in the increased content of the predominant components of land waters - calcium, carbonates and sulfates.

  Transparency and color of water
The transparency of the waters of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is low. It is not the same in different regions and at different times of the year and ranges from 0.5 to 8 m. The inflow of a large amount of muddy river waters, the rapid agitation of bottom silts during sea waves and the presence of significant plankton masses in Azov water determine its low transparency. The lowest transparency is observed in the Taganrog Bay (0.5-0.9 m, occasionally up to 2 m). The color of the water here varies from greenish yellow to brownish yellow. In the eastern and western parts of the sea, transparency is much higher - on average 1.5–2 m, but can reach 3-4 m. In the central region of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, due to the great depths and influence of the Black Sea waters, transparency has values \u200b\u200bfrom 1.5–2 5 to 8 m. The water here is greenish-blue. In summer, transparency almost everywhere increases, but in some parts of the sea, due to the rapid development of the smallest plant and animal organisms in the upper layers of the water, it drops to zero and the water acquires a bright green color. This phenomenon is called the "flowering" of the sea.

  Flora and fauna
  Phytoplankton and benthos are developed. Phytoplankton consists (in%): of diatoms - 55, peridinium - 41.2, and blue-green algae - 2.2. Among benthos biomass, mollusks dominate. Their skeletal residues, represented by calcium carbonate, have a significant proportion in the formation of modern bottom sediment and accumulative surface bodies.
  The ichthyofauna of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov currently includes 103 species and subspecies of fish belonging to 76 genera, and is represented by migratory, semi-aisle, marine, and freshwater species.
  Passing fish species walk in the sea before puberty, and enter the river only for spawning. The breeding season in rivers and or on loans usually does not exceed 1-2 months. Among the Azov migratory fish, there are valuable commercial species, such as beluga, stellate stellate, herring, fish, and shemaya.
  Semi-passage species for breeding come from the sea to the rivers. However, in rivers they can linger for a longer time than passing ones (up to a year). As for juveniles, it rolls out of spawning grounds very slowly and often remains in the river for the winter. Semi-passage fish include mass species, such as pike perch, bream, ram, sabrefish and some others.
Sea species breed and feed in salt waters. Among them are the species that constantly live in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov - pelengas, Black Sea Kalkan, Glossa flounder, tyulka, perkarina, three-spined stickleback, long-snouted needle fish and all kinds of gobies. And finally, there is a large group of marine fish entering the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov from the Black Sea, including regular migrations: the Azov and Black Sea hamsa, the Black Sea herring, red mullet, singyl, ostronos, loban, the Black Sea kalkan, horse mackerel, mackerel, etc.
  Freshwater species usually constantly live in one area of \u200b\u200bthe reservoir and do not make large migrations. These species usually inhabit desalinated water areas of the sea. There are fish such as sterlet, crucian carp, pike, ide, bleak, etc.

Marine mammals in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov are represented by one species - a guinea pig (other names - Azov, Azov dolphin, puff, chushka pig). Porpoise leads a herd life. The group includes from two to ten individuals. The population has always been small, current data are not available. Azovka is the smallest cetacean animal. And representatives of the local Azov-Black Sea population are smaller than dolphins from other parts of the range. Females are slightly larger than males: 90-150 cm. The known maximum sizes of males reached 167 cm, and females - 180 cm. The average weight of azovka is 30.2 kg. Life expectancy is 25-30 years.
  By the number of plant and animal organisms, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov has no equal in the world. In terms of fish productivity, that is, the number of fish per unit area, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov exceeds the Caspian Sea by 6.5 times, the Black Sea by 40 times and the Mediterranean Sea by 160 times.

Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, the city of Yeysk

Geographical features of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov
  Large or geographic features of particular interest are listed in the order they follow clockwise along the coast starting from the Genic Strait.

Bays and estuaries:
  In Ukraine:
  in the north-west: Utlyuk estuary, Milk estuary, Upholstery Bay, Berdyansk Bay.
  On Russian territory:
  in the northeast: Taganrog Bay, Miuss estuary, Yeisk estuary;
  in the east: Yasensky Bay, Beisugsky estuary, Akhtarsky estuary;
  in the south-east: Temryuk Bay;
  in the south-west: Kazantip Bay, Arabat Bay;
  in the west: Sivash Bay (since April 1, 2014, it has been de facto part of the Russian-Ukrainian state border).

  Spit, capes, the largest islands:

Main article: Spit of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov
  In Ukraine:
in the north-west: Fedotova Spit and Spit Biryuchy Ostrov (Utlyuk estuary), Upholstery Spit (Upholstery Bay), Berdyansk Spit (Berdyansk Bay);
  in the northeast: Belosaray spit, Spit Curve.
  On Russian territory:
  in the northeast: Beglitskaya Spit, Petrushina Spit, Taganrog Cape;
  in the east: Cape Chumbursky, Glafirovskaya spit, Long spit, Kamyshevatskaya spit, Yasenskaya spit (Beisugsky estuary), Achuevskaya spit (Akhtarsky estuary), Yeisk spit, Sazalnikskaya spit;
  in the southeast: Cape Achuevsky and Cape Kamenny (Temryuk Bay);
  in the Kerch Strait: Chushka Spit, Tuzlinskaya Spit, Tuzla Island;
  in the south-west: Cape Chroni, Cape Zyuk, Cape Chagany and Cape Kazantip;
  in the west: the spit of the Arabat Spit.

Rivers flowing into the sea:
  In Ukraine:
  in the north-west: Maly Utlyuk, Dairy, Korsak, Lozovatka, Upholstery, Byrd, Kalmius, Georgian Elanchik;
  On Russian territory:
  in the northeast: Wet Elanchik, Mius, Sambek, Don, Kagalnik, Wet Chuburka, Her;
  in the southeast: Protoka, Kuban.

Legal status
  The international legal status of the sea is determined by a number of sources of law, the most relevant of which is the Agreement between the Russian Federation and Ukraine on cooperation in the use of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov and the Kerch Strait (ratified by both parties in 2004). In this document, Azov is assigned to the category of inland waters of Russia and Ukraine.

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SOURCE OF PHOTO AND MATERIAL:
  Team Nomad
  The Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb., 1890-1907.
  Neznamov P. A. Map of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov in 1699 // Transactions of the State. East. the museum. - 1941. - Vol. 14. - S. 73-81, rep. cards.
  Velokurova N.I. Hydrometeorological characteristics of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov / N.I. Velokurova, D.K. Starov. - Moscow-Leningrad: Gidrometeoizdat, 1947.
  Tushin Yu. P. Russian navigation on the Azov, Caspian and Black Seas (XVII century) / Yu. P. Tushin; Auth. foreword V.V. Mavrodin; The artist. D. Stankevich; Leningrad Order of Lenin A.A. State University Zhdanova. - M.: Science (The main edition of the eastern literature), 1978. - 184 p. - 10,000 copies. (region)
  Encyclopedia of Taganrog. - Rostov-on-Don: Rostizdat, 2003 .-- 512 p. - ISBN 5-7509-0662-0.
  A. Brodyanoy. Names of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. - Vradievka: Publishing house A. Kovalenko, 2008. - 48 p. - ISBN 978-966-2035-01-8.
  http://club.foto.ru/
  Wikipedia site

Complete information about the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov: its history and origin, where the sea got its name from, information about seasonal water fluctuations, why the water in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is muddy and why goby fish gob.

Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov

The origin of the name of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov

Where did the usual name come from - the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov? They say that in the first century AD they called it Blue, and after the formation of the Tmutarakan principality, the sea received the name of the Russian. Then there were a number of new names: Samakush, Salakar and even Mayutis. And at the beginning of the thirteenth century, a new name was established - the Saxin Sea. The Tatar-Mongol conquerors replenished the collection of Azov’s names with the following names: Balyk-dengiz, which means “sea of \u200b\u200bfish” and Chabak-dengiz, meaning “sea of \u200b\u200bbream”. Some see the root name "Azov" in the transformation of the name Chabak-Dengiz. Another group believes that the name was the result of the transformation of the word "azak", meaning the mouth of the river, in Azau, and then in the familiar to us Azov.

The uniqueness of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov

The Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is part of the Atlantic basin. It is a continuation of a long chain of seas that begin with the Mediterranean, Marmara and Black Seas. The Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is connected directly to the basin of the ocean itself through a network of narrow straits, it is the smallest sea in the world, and at the same time the smallest and most freshwater, at the same time it is the only sea to which the Donetsk region has access. The Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is a real sea, unlike the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea, which, in essence, are lakes, because they have no connection with the world ocean.

Origin of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov

It was formed somewhere at the end of the Mesozoic - the beginning of the Cenozoic (Cenozoic era) from some Gulf of the Black Sea when the Crimean mountains were raised. Crimean mountains are part of the Alpine folding, they arose simultaneously with the Alps, Tatras, Carpathians and the Greater Caucasus. The mountains rose, and the sea separated, forming the Kerch Strait, connecting the Black and Azov Seas. Part of the land rose - the bottom of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, so it turned out to be shallow. The average depth of the sea is somewhere around 8 meters, the deepest fixed point in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is 14 meters, a well-trained diver easily dives to the bottom at any point in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. The area of \u200b\u200bthe Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is about 38 thousand square meters. km Two main rivers flow into the sea - the Don and the Kuban (aquifers), due to which the sea water is diluted with fresh water, and the sea becomes less salty. This ensured its uniqueness in terms of various living organisms that live there. The biogeocenosis that formed in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov occupies a middle intermediate position between the sea and the lake. Fish that are considered freshwater go to spawn there - bream, pike perch. In addition, there are also fish that are considered marine - sturgeons, ram, etc., they coexist peacefully.

Due to the special composition of water in the sea, there were few blue-green harmful algae, which often cause water to bloom (the phenomenon when algae multiplies is called blooming water). Algae pollute the water, have a bad effect on fish and oxygen saturation of the water, because they take it. All this provided a unique sanatorium regime for the vertebrate and invertebrate animals that live there.

Water level fluctuations in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov

Due to the fact that the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is connected with the World Ocean, tidal oscillations are observed there, but they are insignificant. Probably, almost any resident of the Donetsk region at least once in his life visited the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov during the holiday season, and personally saw diurnal fluctuations in water, somewhere within a few tens of centimeters. This is due to the narrowness of the straits that connect the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov with the oceans, where the influence of tidal phenomena is greatest. The effect of hydraulic resistance occurs, while this tide reaches the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, it loses its strength, loses energy in winding and narrow straits. Therefore, diurnal fluctuations in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov are not very noticeable, but seasonal sea level fluctuations are so noticeable in it, the so-called wind surges - mass movement under the influence of constant winds. The official maximum recorded distance of the water edge from the summer level is about 4.5 km. The bottom recedes, the bottom is exposed: this effect can be seen if you pour water into a flat plate and blow it hard - a mass of water will move from one side of the plate to the other. Because of this phenomenon, small estuaries are filled, the so-called “rotten sea” of Sivash, which adjoins the eastern part of Crimea (exactly where the Red Army took place when the assault of the Crimea took place in the 20th year, when the Wrangel was knocked out). In summer, on the contrary, Sivash is shallow, streams, salt even appears in some places, chunks of salt come out due to natural evaporation and remain on the surface, but the features and tricks of this sea.

Turbid water in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov

The water in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is muddy, but this is not the fault of the sea in itself, this is not because it is somehow dirty, rotten, etc. Two powerful rivers - the Kuban and Don flow along the plains, collect silty particles along their road, suspension, clay particles, and throw into the sea. In the sea, mixing with the remains of microorganisms that are in the water, they form black mud, which accumulates at the bottom of the sea and has to some extent some healing properties of the balneological type (silty particles mixed with biogenic residues of life in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov).

Lately, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov has not been going through its best years, despite the fact that environmentalists say its pollution, nothing can be done so far and that’s why: the waters of the Don and Kuban rivers are very intensively sorted out for field irrigation. Because of this, the so-called “daily debit” of the river drops significantly, and the influx of fresh water decreases. Therefore, the level of the sea itself falls and water from the Black Sea (through the Kerch Strait) begins to flow into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. There is a well-established stable Kerch current, which carries the water of the Black Sea to the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. Prior to the beginning of intensive agricultural activity in the Stavropol Territory, in the Don region, on the contrary, a reverse current was observed, water flowed from the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov to the Black Sea, where it mixed with the water of the Black Sea (having very little effect). Now, on the contrary, there is a salt water inflow and the sea salinity is increasing annually. Most of all, it affected the marine inhabitants - fish that spawned for a very long time in less salty (almost fresh) water, and now the fish simply do not want to go to spawn in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov.

Pestilence in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov

As soon as the salinity of the water in the sea increased, less useful algae, which were unusual for the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, began to multiply in it. In recent years, pestilence of fish “goby” has intensified in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, most often vacationers on the sea coast face this problem in the summer season, on the beaches of many resort towns   bulls are thrown ashore. And they are thrown ashore due to a lack of oxygen in the water. When they receive oxygen dissolved in water in their gills, they feel a lack of it, which is caused by a lack of oxygen in the water. There are a large number of algae in the sea, which also need oxygen for their photosynthesis. Taking him out of the water, they rob him of other marine life.

Silt in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov

In addition, algae increase the siltiness of the sea. The age of life of algae is inexpensive, they die and their organic remains just increase it. Silting is affected not only by currents, but also by the decomposition of the remains of small-celled animals and plants that lived in this water. When they die, their organic remains sink to the bottom, subsequently turning into sludge, and since the amount of algae in the sea only increases every year, the amount of sludge will also increase proportionally.

The Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is one of those seas that fully freezes in winter. The Black Sea never freezes completely, but the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov freezes completely during frosty winters. The ice turns out to be mooring, it freezes to the shore and the entire water surface becomes covered with ice, if you wish, you can walk on such ice.

The smallest, shallowest and most freshwater sea in the world - the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is not inferior to Black in popularity among Crimean tourists. Warm water, sandy beaches, cozy bays - the best place to relax for children and adults. The shores of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov are chosen by sky-surfers and divers. Despite environmental problems, fishermen's interest in local waters is not running out. In the generous sea you can still catch gobies, flounder, mullet and hamsa ... And also the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is called the paradise of mollusks, because it is here that a huge number of mussels live!

By the blue sea

Many millions of years ago, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov was part of the vast ocean of Tethys. The history of the reservoir is closely connected with the geological past of the Crimea, the Caucasus, the Black and Caspian Seas. Under the influence of internal processes, the earth’s crust sometimes descended, then rose, forming mountain ranges. Subsequently, blocks of stone eroded the waters and destroyed the winds, turning them into plains. As a result, the waters of the oceans then flooded certain sections of land, then exposed them. Only in the Cenozoic era do the outlines of the continents and the seas become what we are used to seeing them on modern maps. At this time, in the process of raising the Crimean mountains, one of the bays of the Black Sea turns into a separate body of water. Crimea arises, separated by a narrow Kerch Strait from the mainland and connecting the Black and Azov Seas. In ancient times, this strait was called the Cimmerian Bosporus. The allusion to the shallow water of the strait is obvious, since “bosporus” in translation means “bull ford”.

Within the Crimean peninsula, the southern coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is for the most part steep cliffs. Such, for example, Cape Kazantip, at the base of which lies a reef - atoll. In the west of this cape is the Arabat Gulf, in the east - Kazantip. To the east of Kazantip lies a low-lying alluvial section of the coast. The shores of the bays are composed of soft clay rocks. South of the cape   Kazantip - there is a relict salt Aktash lake. It is the remnant of the Kazantip Bay, which once deeply dug into the land.

There are no large islands on the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, but there are a number of shallows partially flooded with water and located near the coast. Such, for example, the islands of Biryuchiy, Turtle and others.

The depth of the smallest and shallowest sea in the world does not exceed 14 meters. The volume of the entire reservoir is 320 cubic meters. For comparison, the Aral Sea is 2 times larger than the Azov Sea, and the Black Sea - almost 11 times!

However, the main advantage is not in size! No wonder in ancient times the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov was called "fish" or "bream". The generous waters fed him from time immemorial.

origin of name

In Russia, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov became known in the 1st century AD. They called it then the Blue Sea. After the formation of the Tmutarakan principality, the reservoir was called Russian. Subsequently, the sea was renamed many times: Samakush, Salakar, Mayutis, there were many variations. Finally, at the beginning of the 13th century, the name Saksinsky Sea was approved.

Tatar-Mongol conquerors replenished the collection of names of Azov, naming it in their own way - Balyk-dengiz, which means “sea of \u200b\u200bfish”.

Another version of the origin of the name of the reservoir says: Azak is a Turkic adjective meaning "low or low."

In the Middle Ages, the Russians called the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov Sourozh.

However, the origin of the name from the city of Azov should be considered the most reliable. Concerning the etymology of the word "basics" there are also a number of hypotheses, one of which is associated with the name of the Polovtsian prince Azum (Azuf), who was killed during the capture of the city in 1067.

It is believed that the modern name of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov came to Russian toponymy at the beginning of the XVII century due to the annals of Pimen. At first, it was assigned only to its part - the Taganrog Bay, and only during the Azov campaigns of Peter I did the name Azov spread over the entire body of water.

The ancient Greeks, in turn, called the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov Mayotis Liman - "Meotian Lake", and the Romans - "Meotian Swamp". In those days, the southern and eastern shores of it were inhabited by the Meot people. This impartial nickname is associated with the shallow water and swampiness of the eastern shores of the reservoir.

The first map of Meotida was compiled by Claudius Ptolemy, he determined the geographical coordinates for cities, estuaries, capes and bays of the coast of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov.

In 1068, the Russian prince Gleb measured the distance between Kerch and Taman on ice. It is known that the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov completely freezes during extremely cold winters, so you can easily walk along it without fear of falling under the ice.

As the inscription on the Tmutarakan stone testifies, the distance from Tmutarakan to Korchev (the ancient name of Taman and Kerch) was approximately 20 kilometers. It turns out that 939 years, this distance increased by 3 kilometers.

From the XII-XIV centuries, the Genoese and Venetians also begin to compose portolans - sea charts of the Black and Azov Seas. During the reign of the Italians in the Crimea, a variety of fish was actively mined in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. Trade flourished, and sturgeons caught in Azov were brought alive to Constantinople.

By the way, one of the routes of the Great Silk Road passed at the confluence of the Don into the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. From here followed roads to all the major cities of the states located on the coast of the Azov and Black Seas, such as Phanagoria, Kafa (Feodosiya), Olbia, Sugdeya (Sudak) and Sevastopol.

Catch a fish big and small ...

Despite the shallow water, the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov has long been famous for the wealth of the underwater world. This is due to the special composition of water. For several thousand years, two powerful rivers Don and Kuban flowed into the reservoir, which desalinated local waters. As a result, a special system of the community of living organisms was formed, which occupies a middle position between the marine and lake habitats, which are called biocenosis. Salted water has drawn attention to the sea of \u200b\u200bfreshwater fish species such as bream and pike perch. At the same time, marine representatives continue to spawn here: sturgeons, ram and others. Freshwater for a long time did not allow the blue-green algae to multiply, which make the water bloom, "sucking out" oxygen from it, which is so necessary for fish for normal life. This factor allowed Azov to be very prolific for decades.

Another record of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov - in terms of biological productivity, it ranks first in the world. Among benthos biomass, mollusks dominate. Their residues, represented by calcium carbonate, have a significant proportion in the formation of modern bottom sediment. No wonder the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is also called the sea of \u200b\u200bmollusks. These marine life are an important source of fish nutrition. Bright representatives of this species of underwater inhabitants are the heart, sendesmia and mussel.

More than 70 species of various fish live in the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, including: beluga, sturgeon, stellate stellate, flounder, mullet, tyulka, hamsa, ram, fish, sewing, different kinds   gobies.

The largest fish is the kilka and today pleases zealous fishermen. They say that in especially generous years, its catch reached 120 thousand tons!

At the mouths of rivers flowing into the sea, as well as estuaries, 114 species and subspecies of fish are found. Among them there are predators - zander, sterlet and beluga.

In the late 60-70s, the salinity of the sea reached 14% due to the arrival of the Black Sea waters, with which jellyfish fell into the sea. Their appearance was a bad omen.

The last time the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov is going through hard times. Environmentalists are sounding the alarm, but there are no real actions to save the ecosystem of the reservoir. The main problem is the increase in water salinity. The waters of the Don and Kuban rivers are taken for irrigation and the influx of fresh water into Azov is decreasing. At the same time, salty water from the Black Sea flows through the Kerch Strait. A change in the percentage of salt immediately affected the fish, which are used to spawning in desalinated water. For one problem, a string of others. As soon as the water became more salty, harmful algae, alien to the flora of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov, began to multiply in it. In recent years, a sad picture has been observed - a massive pest of gobies. Due to the lack of oxygen that underwater vegetation draws, the fish are washed ashore and die.

Today, scientists puzzle over how to help the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov. It is useless to hope that agricultural land will cease to be watered. There are proposals related to the artificial narrowing of the Kerch Strait. Perhaps this measure would allow to slightly reduce the flow of salt water, and thus the unique ecosystem of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov would be saved.