Sea of Azov

Sea of Azov (Russian, Azovskoye More), inland sea, southern European Russia, connected with the Black Sea by the Kerch Strait. The Sea of Azov is shallow throughout, about 1 to 16 m (3 to 52 ft) in depth. The water is almost fresh, although the salinity level has increased over the past few decades due to the diversion of water from the rivers that flow into the sea for irrigation and other uses. Because the sea once had an abundance of fish, the Turks called it Baluk Deniz (“Fish Sea”), but increased salinity and chemical pollution have since caused a decline in the fish population. The sea is roughly triangular in shape, narrowing at the north-eastern extremity to form the Gulf of Taganrog. The three chief ports on the Azov are Taganrog in Russia, and Mariupol (known as Zhdanov between 1948 and 1989) and Berdyansk in Ukraine. Another large port, Rostov, Russia, is 45 km (28 mi) from the mouth of the Don River, the most important tributary of the Sea of Azov. Many rivers, including the Kuban, flow into the Sea of Azov. The area is about 37,555 sq km (14,500 sq mi).