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The Atlas of Caspian Sea Hydromorphology
and the 400 meters depth is situated in the 5-6 km distance to the
sea. The continental shelf in the western coast is very broad and
extensive and its average width is about 130 km.
In terms of the structural geomorphological, physiographical and
meteorological features, the Caspian Sea can be divided into three
parts of north, south and middle Caspian (Figure 3). The line connecting
Chechnya islands and Cape Tiob-Karagan is chosen as the contractual
border between north and middle Caspian, and the connecting line of
Zhiloy and Cape Kuuli is chosen as the contractual border between
middle and south Caspian. It is note worthy that Mangyshlak bulge,
as an underwater elevated strip with the depth of less than 10 meters,
constitutes the natural border between north and middle Caspian from
Tiob-Karagan peninsula to Cape Kulali and to Chechnya peninsula.
The Absheron bulge also naturally divides the middle and south
Caspian. This asymmetric underwater bulge continues from Absheron
peninsula to Cheleken peninsula.
The whole surface area of north Caspian kis 919420 m
2
and constitutes
24.3 % of the whole Caspian Sea surface area. Also, the whole surface
areas of middle and south Caspian are 137812 km
2
and 148640
km
2
.Because of the presence of big gulfs such as Kizliar, Astrakhan,
Mangyshlak and bays, the coast in the northern part of Caspian Sea
has got severe coastal bluffs. The Agrakhan, Buzachi, Chi-Tiob,
Karagan, and Mangyshlak peninsulas and big islands such as Tioleni
and Kulali are situated in the north Caspian. Lots of islands and
waterways can be found in shorelines and deltas of Volga and Ural
rivers. The middle part of Caspian Sea has a quite flat coastline. The
Absheron peninsula is situated in the western part of the middle
