Some people call it a sea, while others call it a lake. In ancient times, people thought it was an ocean! One thing’s for sure: the Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth. It is 371,000 km2 and it borders five countries: Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran and Turkmenistan. The northern part of the lake is about 6 m deep. The southern end is more than 1,000 m. It is the world’s largest lake, but it is not a freshwater lake. So, what exactly is the Caspian Sea? The Caspian Sea is not connected with an ocean which makes it like a lake. However, it is very big and its water is salty– which makes it like a sea. 130 rivers flow into the lake. As there are no outlets, the Caspian Sea loses water only through evaporation1. This makes its brackish water even saltier. The Caspian Sea is an amazing natural attraction with a huge variety of wildlife. It is home to the Caspian seal, the Caspian turtle and 90% of the world’s sturgeons, including the beluga. This is the fish that produces caviar. Caviar is the eggs of the sturgeon. It is very tasty but extremely expensive. Caspian turtle The Caspian Sea gets its name from ‘Caspi’, the people who lived on its western shores. It is almost four times bigger than Portugal. Caspian seal 1 process during which a liquid turns into gas Reading & Listening 1 How much do you know about the Caspian Sea? Take the quiz. Listen, read, and check your answers. 1 How many countries border the Caspian Sea? A three B four C five 2 How deep is the southern end of the Caspian Sea? A about 5 m B over 1,000 m C over 3,000 m 3 The Caspian Sea is like a lake because it A has salty water. B is extremely big. C doesn’t connect to an ocean. 4 What produces caviar? A the sturgeon B the Caspian seal C the Caspian turtle

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