Volga Delta and northwestern Caspian Sea

Lotus plant—The Volga Delta is the only place in Russia where pelicans, flamingoes, and lotuses may be found.

The Volga Delta is the largest inland delta in Europe, and occurs where Europe's largest river system, the Volga River, drains into the Caspian Sea in the Russian republic of Kalmykia. The delta is located in the Caspian Depression—the far eastern part of the delta lies in Kazakhstan. The delta drains into the Caspian approximately 60 km downstream from the city of Astrakhan. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (498x677, 51 KB) Summary Photo of Volga Delta and north Caspian Sea. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (498x677, 51 KB) Summary Photo of Volga Delta and north Caspian Sea. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x800, 286 KB) Lotus auteur : dlee origine : http://www. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x800, 286 KB) Lotus auteur : dlee origine : http://www. ... Species Pelecanus occidentalis Pelecanus thagus Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Pelecanus onocrotalus Pelecanus crispus Pelecanus rufescens Pelecanus philippensis Pelecanus conspicillatus A pelican is any of several very large water birds with a distinctive pouch under the beak belonging to the bird family Pelecanidae. ... Species Phoenicopterus roseus Phoenicopterus minor Phoenicopterus jamesi Phoenicopterus andinus Phoenicopterus chilensis Phoenicopterus ruber Flamingos (genus Phoenicopterus monotypic in family Phoenicopteridae) are gregarious wading birds, usually 3–5 feet in height, found in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres. ... Binomial name Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. ... Delta may refer to: Look up delta in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Europe forms the westernmost part of Eurasia. ... Volga in Yaroslavl (autumn morning) Length 3,690 km Elevation of the source 225 m Average discharge 8,000 m³/s Area watershed 1. ... Caspian Sea viewed from orbit Caspian redirects here. ... The Republic of Kalmykia (Kalmyk: Хальмг Таңһч; Russian: ) is a federal subject of the Russian Federation (a republic). ... Caspian Depression The Caspian Depression is a low-lying flatland region that lies at the northern end of the Caspian Sea. ... Astrakhan coat of arms features the Khans crown and a sabre Astrakhan (А́страхань; Tatar: Ästerxan), a major city in southern European Russia and the administrative center of Astrakhan Oblast. ...

The Volga Delta has grown significantly in the past century because of changes in the level of the Caspian Sea. In 1880, the delta had an area of 3,222 sq. km. Today the Volga Delta covers an area of 27,224 sq. km and is approximately 160 km across. It has a classical "delta pattern". The delta lies in the arid climate zone, characterized by very little rainfall. The region receives less than one inch of rainfall in January and in July in normal years. Strong winds often sweep across the delta and form linear dunes. Along the front of the delta, one will find muddy sand shoals, mudflats, and coquina banks. 1880 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... January, from the Très riches heures du duc de Berry January is the first month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... July is the seventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... Categories: Stub ...

The changing level of the Caspian Sea has resulted in three distinct zones in the delta. The higher areas of the first zone are known as "Behr's mounds," which are linear ridges of clayey sands ranging from 400 m to 10 km in length, and averaging about eight meters in height. Between the Behr's mounds are depressions that fill with water and become either fresh or saline bays. The second zone, in the delta proper, generally has very little relief (usually less than one meter), and is the site of active and abandoned water channels, small dunes and algal flats. The third zone is composed of a broad platform extending up to 60 km offshore, and is the submarine part of the delta. The algae (singular is alga) comprise several different groups of living things that produce energy through photosynthesis. ...

The delta has been protected since the early 1900s, with one of the first Russian nature preserves having been set up there in 1919, but much of the local fauna is considered endangered. The Delta is a major staging area for many species of water birds, raptors and passerines. Although the delta is best known for its sturgeons, catfish and carp are also found in large numbers in the delta region. 1900 is a common year starting on Monday. ... 1919 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Fauna is a collective term for animal life, as distinct from Flora (plant life) Fauna is an ancient Roman goddess. ... The term raptor can refer to: In zoology, a bird of prey. ... Families Many, see text A passerine is a bird of the giant order Passeriformes. ... Species See text Sturgeon (Acipenser) is a genus of fishes, of which some twenty different species are known, from European, Asiatic and North American rivers. ... Families Akysidae Amblycipitidae Amphiliidae Ariidae Aspredinidae Astroblepidae Auchenipteridae Bagridae Callichthyidae Cetopsidae Chacidae Clariidae Claroteidae Cranoglanididae Diplomystidae Doradidae Hypophthalmidae Ictaluridae Lacantuniidae Loricariidae Malapteruridae Mochokidae Nematogenyidae Pangasiidae Parakysidae Pimelodidae Plotosidae Schilbeidae Scoloplacidae Siluridae Sisoridae Trichomycteridae Catfish (order Siluriformes) are a diverse group of fish. ... Genera Abramis Aristichthys Barbodes Carassius Cirrhinus Ctenopharyngodon Cyprinus Epalzeorhynchos Henicorhynchus Hypophthalmichthys Labeo Mylopharyngodon and others Carp swarm in great numbers to eat feed thrown by tourists in Urfa, Turkey. ...

Industrial and agricultural modification to the delta plain has resulted in significant wetland loss. Between 1984 and 2001, the delta lost 277 sq km of wetlands, or an average of approximately 16 sq km per year, from natural and human-induced causes. The Volga discharges large amounts of industrial waste and sediment into the relatively shallow northern part of the Caspian Sea. This page is about the year 1984. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... A subtropical wetland in Florida, USA, with an endangered American Crocodile. ...

References

• earthwatch.org
• Wetland Loss in World Deltas, Coastal Studies Institute, Louisiana State University
• wetlands.org

External links

• Tourism in the Volga Deltac