The Caspian Sea is the world's largest
inland body of water, with a surface area of 371,000 km2 with a
maximum length of 1,030 km and a maximum width of 435 km. Its average depth is 211 meters and the
maximum depth is 1,024 meters. It has been variously classed as the world’s
largest lake or a full-fledged sea. It is an endorheic basin (a basin
without outflows) located between Europe and Asia, to the east of the Caucasus
Mountains and to the west of the steppes of Central Asia. It is bounded
by Kazakhstan to the northeast, Russia to the
northwest, Azerbaijan to the west, Iran to the south, and Turkmenistan to
the southeast. The Caspian Sea is home to a wide range of species and may be
best known for its caviar and oil industries. Pollution from the oil industry
and dams on rivers draining into the Caspian Sea have had negative effects on
the organisms living in the sea.
It would be reasonable to assume that the Caspian Sea is,
well, a sea. But at the heart of this long-running dispute is whether or not
the 370,000 sq km (143,000 sq mile) body of landlocked water should be considered
a lake.
Until the dissolution of the Soviet Union (USSR) in 1991,
that's what it was known as and shared between the USSR and Iran.
But the arrival on the scene of new countries complicated
this issue, with ensuing claim and counterclaim.
Iran had argued it was a lake and not a sea, but none of
the four other countries agreed.
Why is the difference so important?
If it was treated as a sea, then it would be covered by
international maritime law, namely the United Nations Law of the Sea.
This binding document sets rules on how countries can use
the world's oceans. It covers areas such as the management of natural
resources, territorial rights, and the environment. And it is not limited to
littoral states, meaning others can seek access to its resources.
But if it is defined as a lake, then it would have to be
divided equally between all five countries.
It would be reasonable to assume that the Caspian Sea is,
well, a sea. But at the heart of this long-running dispute is whether or not
the 370,000 sq km (143,000 sq mile) body of landlocked water should be
considered a lake.
Until the dissolution of the Soviet Union (USSR) in 1991,
that's what it was known as and shared between the USSR and Iran.
But the arrival on the scene of new countries complicated
this issue, with ensuing claim and counterclaim.
Iran had argued it was a lake and not a sea, but none of
the four other countries agreed.
Why is the difference so important?
If it was treated as a sea, then it would be covered by
international maritime law, namely the United Nations Law of the Sea..
This binding document sets rules on how countries can use
the world's oceans. It covers areas such as the management of natural
resources, territorial rights, and the environment. And it is not limited to
littoral states, meaning others can seek access to its resources.
But if it is defined as a lake, then it would have to be
divided equally between all five countries. t's difficult to say, as the final
text of the deal is yet to be published.
Another key factor is that seabed boundaries are yet to be
negotiated (although now it's the subject of bilateral agreements - not
multilateral as before).
But because the deal does not define the Caspian as a lake,
Iran - which has the smallest coastline - is viewed as a potential loser.
Iranian social media users have accused the government in
Tehran of "selling off" the Caspian Sea on Sunday.
However, Iran - which is currently under growing political
and economic pressure from the West - might see some political benefits in
securing the clause that bars any armed presence on the Caspian other than that
of the five littoral states.
Had the Caspian been defined as a lake, Azerbaijan and
Kazakhstan - who have established an early claim over large areas of the
Caspian - stood to lose out under such a split.
So the basis of all previous disagreements stems from who
gets access to what. This is important because...
It is rich in oil and gas
The Caspian Sea is highly-prized for its vast oil and gas
reserves.
It's estimated there are 50 billion barrels of oil and
nearly 300 trillion cubic feet (8.4 trillion cubic metres) of natural gas
beneath its seabed.
Image
copyrightAFPImage captionSoviet oil rigs are seen on the shores of the Caspian
sea in Azerbaijan
That is why disagreements over how to divide some of its
huge oil and gas fields have been numerous - and acrimonious. On occasion,
warships have been deployed to scare off contractors hired by rival countries.
The disagreement over its legal status has also prevented a
natural gas pipeline being built across the Caspian between Turkmenistan and
Azerbaijan. This would have allowed Turkmen gas to bypass Russia on its way to
Europe.
Russia - a major exporter of gas and oil to Europe - has
previously objected to this.
International oil companies that rushed to the Caspian in
the 1990s have now pulled out.
But there is a possibility this could be explored further
following Sunday's deal.
4. It provides the world's caviar
The Caspian Sea has a number of different species of
sturgeon, the fish that yields the highly prized delicacy caviar.
Between 80-90% of the world's caviar is sourced from the
Caspian, but the numbers have been falling over the past few decades.
Reproduced and adapted from:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-45162282
and Wikipedia
Reproduced and adapted from:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-45162282
and Wikipedia
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