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The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, described as the world's largest lake and usually referred to as a full-fledged sea. [2] [3] [4] An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia: east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asia, south of the fertile plains of Southern Russia in Eastern Europe, and north of the mountainous Iranian Plateau.
Therefore, mean depth figures are not available for many deep lakes in remote locations. [9] The average lake on Earth has the mean depth 41.8 meters (137.14 feet) [9] The Caspian Sea ranks much further down the list on mean depth, as it has a large continental shelf (significantly larger than the oceanic basin that contains its greatest depths).
[1] [2] The lagoon has a variable surface area typically about 18,000 km 2 (6,900 sq mi). [2] It is very shallow, with an average depth of 10 meters. It is separated from the Caspian Sea by a narrow, rocky ridge having a very narrow opening through which the Caspian Sea waters flow into it.
3,755 km 2 (1,450 sq mi) 642 km 3 (154 cu mi) 2.3% Erie Canada, United States. North American Great Lakes: 25,667 km 2 (9,910 sq mi) 488 km 3 (117 cu mi) Fresh Khövsgöl Mongolia. Nearby the eastern, Sayan Mountains: 2,760 km 2 (1,070 sq mi) 381 km 3 (91 cu mi) Fresh Winnipeg Canada. Manitoba: 24,514 km 2 (9,465 sq mi) 294 km 3 (71 cu mi) Fresh
There has been a bit of low-level controversy on the lake lists over time as to whether the Caspian Sea should be listed as a lake or as a sea (or perhaps an 'inland ocean'). The main voice advocating for keeping the Caspian out of the main lists (by depth, area, volume, etc.) has been Kwamikagami.
The water level of the Caspian Sea has varied within 4 m over a period of 30 years. Water levels in the Caspian Sea down to true altitude of -29 m reduce the depth of the lower Volga and restrict ship movement in this part of the Volga-Don Waterway.
It is the larger northern part of the wider Aral–Caspian Depression around the Aral and Caspian Seas. The level of the Caspian sea is 28 metres (92 ft) below sea level, however several areas in the depression are even lower, and among them Karagiye near Aktau is the lowest at −132 metres (−433 ft).
The sector along the southeast coast of the Caspian is mostly in Turkmenistan. Elevations throughout the ecoregion range between -28 and +100 meters. The dry areas were once underwater, but as the sea has slowly receded the dry areas have revealed a landscape of sand dunes, ridges, salt domes, salt pans ('shors'), and clay deserts ('takyrs'). [3]