Caspian Sea: State of the Environment 2019

The Caspian region is rich in biological resourc- es and is the world’s largest spawning grounds of sturgeon. Although biological diversity in the Caspian Sea is relatively small, over 130 fish spe- cies and rare lotus fields can be found in its water. The area also has wetland habitats that provide nesting and migration grounds for over 100 spe- cies of bird. The Caspian Sea is also home to the native Caspian seal, the sea’s only marine mam- mal (Ivanov 2000). Oil production, fishing and shipping are the most common economic activities in the Caspi- an Sea’s waters. In the first half of the twentieth century, offshore oilfields in the Southern Cas- pian were developed. At present, exploration and production continues in the sea and in the adjacent territories. In the Caspian Sea basin, industry and agriculture are well developed, though the sea’s western coast is more devel- oped than its eastern coast. Certain ports in the region, namely Makhach- kala, Bautino, Aktau, Baku, Turkmenbashi and

Anzali, are currently being reconstructed and expanded. Baku is the largest port on the Cas- pian Sea and is also the largest capital city on the southern shore of the Absheron Peninsula. It covers an area of 2,130 km² and has a pop- ulation of over 2.2 million (Azerbaijan, State Statistical Committee of the Republic of Azer- baijan 2017). Three more cities on or nearby the sea’s coast have more than half a million peo- ple: Resht (Iran), Makhachkala and Astrakhan (Russian Federation). There are also several cit- ies close to the sea with populations of 100,000– 500,000 inhabitants.

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