There are still disputes about the status of the Caspian Sea. The fact is that, despite its common name, it is still the largest endorheic lake in the world. It was called the sea because of the features that the structure of the bottom has. It is formed by oceanic crust. In addition, the water in the Caspian Sea is s alty. As at sea, storms and strong winds are often observed here, raising high waves.
Geography
The Caspian Sea is located at the crossroads of Asia and Europe. In its shape, it resembles one of the letters of the Latin alphabet - S. From south to north, the sea stretches for 1200 km, and from east to west - from 195 to 435 km.
The territory of the Caspian Sea is heterogeneous in its physical and geographical conditions. In this regard, it is conventionally divided into 3 parts. These include the North and Middle, as well as the South Caspian.
Coastal countries
Which countries washesCaspian Sea? There are only five of them:
- Russia, located in the northwest and west. The length of the coastline of this state along the Caspian Sea is 695 km. Kalmykia, Dagestan and the Astrakhan region, which are part of Russia, are located here.
- Kazakhstan. This is a country on the shores of the Caspian Sea, located in the east and northeast. Its coastline is 2,320 km long.
- Turkmenistan. The map of the Caspian states indicates that this country is located in the southeast of the water basin. The length of the line along the coast is 1200 km.
- Azerbaijan. This state, stretching along the Caspian for 955 km, washes its shores in the southwest.
- Iran. The map of the Caspian states indicates that this country is located on the southern shores of a drainless lake. At the same time, the length of its sea borders is 724 km.
Caspian sea?
Until now, the dispute about how to name this unique body of water has not been resolved. And it is important to answer this question. The fact is that all countries on the Caspian Sea have their own interests in this region. However, the question of how to divide this huge body of water, the governments of the five states have not been able to decide for a long time. The main dispute revolved around the name. Is the Caspian still a sea or a lake? Moreover, the answer to this question is more of interest to non-geographers. First of all, politicians need it. This is due to the application of international law.
Such Caspian states,like Kazakhstan and Russia, believe that their borders in this region are washed by the sea. In this regard, representatives of the two indicated countries insist on the application of the UN Convention, adopted in 1982. It concerns the law of the sea. The provisions of this document state that the coastal states are assigned a twelve-mile water zone along their state borders. In addition, the country is granted the right to economic maritime territory. It is located at a distance of two hundred miles. The coastal state also has rights to the continental shelf. However, even the widest part of the Caspian Sea is narrower than the distance specified in the international document. In such a case, the principle of the median line can be applied. At the same time, the Caspian states, which have the longest coastal borders, will receive a large sea area.
Iran has a different opinion on this matter. Its representatives believe that the Caspian should be divided fairly. In this case, all countries will get twenty percent of the sea area. One can understand the position of official Tehran. With this solution of the issue, the state will manage a larger area than when dividing the sea along the median line.
However, the Caspian from year to year significantly changes its water level. This does not allow determining its median line and dividing the territory between states. Such countries of the Caspian Sea as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russia have signed an agreement among themselves defining those bottom zones on which the parties will carry out theireconomic rights. Thus, a certain legal truce has been achieved in the northern territories of the sea. The southern countries of the Caspian Sea have not yet come to a unified decision. However, they do not recognize the agreements reached by their northern neighbors.
The Caspian is a lake?
Proponents of this point of view proceed from the fact that the reservoir, located at the junction of Asia and Europe, is closed. In this case, it is impossible to apply the document on the norms of international maritime law to it. Supporters of this theory are convinced that they are right, referring to the fact that the Caspian Sea has no natural connection with the waters of the World Ocean. But here another difficulty arises. If the lake is the Caspian Sea, according to what international standards should the borders of states be defined in its water spaces? Unfortunately, such documents have not yet been developed. The fact is that the issues of the international lake were not discussed anywhere and by anyone.
The Caspian is a unique body of water?
In addition to those listed above, there is another, third point of view on the ownership of this amazing reservoir. Its supporters are of the opinion that the Caspian should be recognized as an international water basin, belonging equally to all countries bordering on it. In their opinion, the resources of the region are subject to joint exploitation by countries bordering the reservoir.
Solving Security Issues
The Caspian states are doing everything possible to eliminate all existing differences. And there are positive developments in this regard. One step towards problem solvingconcerning the Caspian region, was the agreement signed on November 18, 2010 between all five countries. It concerns issues of cooperation in the field of security. In this document, the countries agreed on joint activities to eliminate terrorism, drug trafficking, smuggling, poaching, money laundering, etc. in the region.
Environment Protection
Special attention is paid to solving environmental issues. The territory on which the Caspian states and Eurasia are located is a region under the threat of industrial pollution. Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan are dumping waste from exploration and production of energy carriers into the waters of the Caspian Sea. Moreover, it is in these countries that a large number of abandoned oil wells are located, which are not operated because of their unprofitability, but nevertheless continue to have an adverse impact on the environmental situation. As for Iran, it dumps agricultural waste and sewage into the sea. Russia threatens the ecology of the region with industrial pollution. This is due to the economic activity that has unfolded in the Volga region.
The countries on the Caspian Sea have made some progress in solving environmental problems. Thus, since August 12, 2007, the Framework Convection has been in force in the region, which sets itself the goal of protecting the Caspian Sea. This document developed provisions on the protection of bioresources and the regulation of anthropogenic factors affecting the aquatic environment. According to this convection, the parties mustto cooperate in carrying out activities to improve the environmental situation in the Caspian Sea.
In 2011 and 2012, all five countries also signed other documents significant for the protection of the marine environment. Among them:
- Protocol on Cooperation, Response and Regional Preparedness for Oil Pollution Events.
- Protocol relating to the protection of a region against pollution from land-based sources.
Development of gas pipeline construction
Today, another problem is unresolved in the Caspian region. It concerns the laying of the Nabucco gas pipeline. This idea is an important strategic task for the West and the United States, which continue to look for sources of energy resources alternative to Russian ones. That is why, when resolving this issue, the parties do not turn to such countries as Kazakhstan, Iran and, of course, the Russian Federation. Brussels and Washington supported the statement of the President of Turkmenistan, made in Baku on November 18, 2010 at the summit of the heads of the Caspian countries. He expressed the official position of Ashgabat regarding the laying of the pipeline. The Turkmen authorities believe that the project should be carried out. At the same time, only those states, on the territories of the bottom of which it will be located, must give their consent to the construction of the pipeline. These are Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. Iran and Russia opposed this position and the project itself. At the same time, they were guided by the issues of protecting the Caspian ecosystem. To date, pipeline construction has notis being conducted due to disagreement between the project participants.
Holding the first summit
The countries on the Caspian Sea are constantly looking for ways to solve the problems that have matured in this Eurasian region. For this, special meetings of their representatives are organized. Thus, the first summit of the heads of the Caspian states took place in April 2002. Ashgabat became its venue. However, the results of this meeting did not meet expectations. The summit was considered unsuccessful due to Iran's demands for the division of the sea into 5 equal parts. This was strongly opposed by other countries. Their representatives defended their own point of view that the size of national waters should correspond to the length of the coastline of the state.
The failure of the summit provoked a dispute between Ashgabat and Baku over the ownership of three oil fields located in the center of the Caspian Sea. As a result, the heads of the five states did not develop a unanimous opinion on any of all the issues raised. However, at the same time, an agreement was reached to hold a second summit. It was supposed to take place in 2003 in Baku.
Second Caspian Summit
Despite existing agreements, the planned meeting was postponed every year. The heads of the Caspian littoral states gathered for the second summit only on October 16, 2007. The venue was Tehran. At the meeting, topical issues related to determining the legal status of a unique reservoir, which is the Caspian Sea, were discussed. State borders withindivision of the water area were preliminarily agreed during the development of the draft of the new convention. The problems of security, ecology, economy and cooperation of coastal countries were also raised. In addition, the results of the work that the states have carried out since the first summit were summed up. In Tehran, representatives of the five states also outlined ways for further cooperation in the region.
Meeting at the third summit
Once again the heads of the Caspian countries met in Baku on 2010-18-11. The result of this summit was the signing of an agreement on expanding cooperation on security issues. During the meeting, it was pointed out that which countries werehes the Caspian Sea, only those should ensure the fight against terrorism, transnational crime, weapons proliferation, etc.
Fourth Summit
Once again, the Caspian states raised their problems in Astrakhan on September 29, 2014. At this meeting, the presidents of the five countries signed another statement.
In it, the parties fixed the exclusive right of the coastal countries to deploy armed forces in the Caspian Sea. But even at this meeting, the status of the Caspian was not finally settled.
