The Caspian Sea is a landlocked endorheic (having no natural outflow except evaporation) sea between Asia and Europe. It is the world's largest inland body of water, with a surface area of 143,000 square miles and a maximum depth of about 3,200 feet. read more
The Caspian Sea is bordered by five countries, Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan. Three major rivers—the Volga, Ural, and Terek—and numerous smaller rivers flow into the Caspian Sea. However, these rivers and canals provide a connection between the Caspian Sea and the ocean. read more
For example, Kazakhstan claims that since the Caspian Sea is connected to open seas such as the Black Sea, through Volga-Don Canal, and Baltic Sea, through Volga River, therefore it receives the properties of open waters. read more
The Caspian Sea presently lies about 28 m (92 ft) below sea level in the Caspian Depression, to the east of the Caucasus Mountains and to the west of the vast steppe of Central Asia. The sea bed in the southern part reaches as low as 1,023 m (3,356 ft) below sea level, which is the second lowest natural depression on earth after Lake Baikal (−1,180 m, −3,871 ft). read more