The territory of our country is washed by the waters of as many as 12 seas, each of which plays a huge role in the life of the state and each is unique in its own way. The sea feeds us with fish necessary in the human diet, makes caviar happy for the holidays.
The sea is an important transport artery and a desirable resort. The sea can even be almost fresh, calm and with a very difficult character.
From time immemorial, the sea has captured the minds and hearts of daredevils who risked their lives to unveil the veil of his secrets. The sea gave life and took them, served as a border and reliable protection from uninvited guests.
The sea can be very different, large and very small, warm and very cold, the ice of which fetters the expanse of water all year round.
Our today's rating will tell you about the ten smallest seas by area, washing the coast of Russia.
List
- 10. Sea of Japan, 1062 thousand km²
- 9. East Siberian Sea, 944.6 thousand km²
- 8. Kara Sea, 893.4 thousand km²
- 7. Chukchi Sea, 672 thousand km²
- 6. The Black Sea, 422 thousand km²
- 5. The Baltic Sea, 419 thousand km²
- 4. The Caspian Sea, 371 thousand km²
- 3. The White Sea, 90.8 thousand km²
- 2. Pechora Sea, 81.263 thousand km²
- 1. Sea of Azov, 39 thousand km²
10. km²
Japanese Sea has an area of 1062 square kilometers. This is a rather stormy sea for which waves more than ten meters high and hurricanes are not uncommon.
Life in the Sea of Japan is very diverse, because more than 900 species of fish live here. One of the inhabitants was 12 species of sharks and 200 species of commercial fish and a species of deadly jellyfish. Four states are located on its shores, the inhabitants of which from time immemorial have mined fish and seafood in it. The greatest depth of the Sea of Japan is more than 3700 meters.
9. km²
East-Siberian Sea has an area of 944.6 thousand square kilometers and a maximum depth of about 915 meters. Most of the year the East Siberian Sea is covered with ice, but even when there is no ice, the water here is very cold.
This sea can be safely called the most severe northern sea. Despite this, there are fish and even mammals in the sea, such as, for example, seals.
8. km²
Kara Sea has an area of 893.4 thousand square kilometers. This sea borders the Arctic Ocean and is very cold, but despite the harsh climate, there are plenty of life in its waters.
This is one of the coldest seas in the world, the water temperature in which often does not exceed zero degrees, and sometimes it is much lower. Almost all year round the Kara Sea is icebound, which makes shipping difficult. There are many little-studied currents flowing into the sea, and there are deposits of natural gas and oil at the bottom, but because of the ice and climate, they are not produced.
7. km²
Chukchi Sea, an area of 672 thousand square kilometers, is named after the peoples living on its shores. The waters are always cold, their temperature does not exceed 12 degrees and they wash two countries. This truly icy sea is covered in ice for more than 9 months of the year. And when there is no ice, the waves reach seven meters in height.
The fauna is represented by a large number of fish; whales with walruses are also found here. The average depth of the Chukchi Sea is 50 meters, and in the north the thickness of the ice, which does not melt at all, is several meters.
6. km²
The coast Black Sea They are a desirable vacation spot for tourists from all over Russia, because the quality and relative availability of the Black Sea resorts has been known since the days of the USSR.
The area of the Black Sea is 422 thousand square kilometers, and an invisible border between Europe and Asia runs along its surface. Dangerous predators such as sharks are found in this sea, and there are also a huge number of jellyfish. In addition, there are also seals.
It is worth noting that life is practically absent at depth, since hydrogen sulfide breaks out from the bottom craters. In addition to it, gas and oil deposits were discovered at a depth of.
The waters of the Black Sea are washed by seven countries, playing a very important role for them. The greatest depth is 2210 meters, and the bottom is dotted with the skeletons of the injured ships. The sad fact is that, due to human activities, the ecological state of the Black Sea leaves much to be desired.
5. km²
Baltic Sea covers an area of 419 thousand square kilometers. This sea can be called very young, because its age is only four thousand years, which, by geographical standards, is very small.
The Baltic Sea washes the shores of nine countries, and in the history of Russia plays the role of the cradle of our fleet. This is a fairly calm sea, because even in the most severe storm, the wave height does not exceed the value of a couple of meters.
4. km²
Caspian Sea has an area of 371 thousand square kilometers and can rightfully be called the largest enclosed body of water in the world. Closed it is called due to the fact that it is in no way connected with the oceans or with other seas. Despite this, it plays a very important role in the life of our country.
130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, and five countries are located on its shores. The depths of the sea are rich in life in the form of numerous representatives of fish, animals and plants. In addition, there are large deposits of gas and oil in the Caspian Sea, which gives it very important economic importance.
Very good resorts are located on the shores, attracting thousands of tourists annually. Scientists have proved that people lived in its vicinity more than 75 thousand years ago, and the sea itself was formed more than ten million years ago.
3. km²
White Sea, an area of 90.8 thousand square kilometers is located in the north of our homeland. The harsh climate of this sea holds him captive of ice for six months. Despite this, there are many fish in the White Sea. The largest depth indicator is 343 meters, and the average level is 67 meters
The waters of the sea bring about three tons of fish to the inhabitants of Russia annually. In the White Sea is a very important strategic port of Arkhangelsk.
2. km²
Pechora Sea, with an area of only 81.263 thousand square kilometers, is washed exclusively by the coast of Russia. The sea got its name in honor of the river flowing into it.
Interesting fact: The Pechora Sea is very difficult to find on the map, and many residents of our country do not even know about its existence.
The formation of this mysterious sea occurred as a result of the melting of glaciers and the filling of the large hollow with meltwater. The largest depth in this sea is 210 meters. For a long time, only representatives of the northern peoples lived on the shores, who were engaged in hunting and fishing. The fauna and flora are rather poor; this is primarily due to the harsh climate and low temperatures.
1. km²
Sea of Azov It is the smallest sea in Russia, but also the smallest in the world. The average depth of this sea is only about eight, and the maximum is 13.5 meters. It washes the territories of Russia and Ukraine, and along its banks are located popular resort areas where thousands of people come annually.
The area of this sea is only 39 thousand square kilometers. Due to the low depth in warm time, the waters of the Sea of Azov warm up to 30 degrees and delight lovers of swimming in warm water.
To all its other unique characteristics, it’s worth referring to age, because he is only 7 thousand years old, which makes him also the youngest. Dolphins are found in the Sea of Azov, as well as freshwater fish such as crucians or pikes.