CASPIAN SEA

on borders of Europe and Asia (43° N., 49° 30’ E.), and surrounded E., W., and N. by Ru ia and 8. by Persia; is largest inland sea in the world; length, 760 m.; breadth, 130 to 300 m.; area, 170,000 sq. m. It is 90 ft. below sea-level, is tidele , has no outlet; shallow in N., (3 to 12 fathoms); ‘deeper in S8., (420 to 516 fathoms); northern part frozen in winter; receives waters of Volga, Ural, Emba, Kur, and other rivers; is believed to have been formerly connected with Sea of Aral; valuable fisheries—sturgeon, salmon, perch, carp, etc.; important export of caviare and isingla ; canals connecting upper waters of Volga with Lake Ladoga and the Diina give through communication to Baltic Sea; schemes for connecting Caspian with Sea of Azov and Black Sea not yet materialized; seal hunting is carried on in N.; transport trade in icant Chief port, Astrakhan. ‘or war operations see Ru ia.