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Caspian-Uncharted Waters

Youth from Derbent at the Seaside.

Youth from Derbent at the Seaside.

CASPIAN-Uncharted Waters
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously described as the world's largest lake or a sea.Over 130 rivers provide inflow to the Caspian, with the Volga River being the largest. The Caspian Sea is becoming one of major economic world asset loaded with immense gas and oil resources, which are only beginning to be fully realized.

Legal status of the Caspian Sea remains a key problem since collapse of Soviet Union in 1991 .Negotiations related to the demarcation of the Caspian Sea have been going on among the states bordering the Caspian - Iran , Russia and three independent countries which emerged after Soviet Union fell apart -Azerbaijan ,Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

Differences over how the dividing lines should be drawn have left the issue of legal status unresolved. At present, the Caspian’s legal status is defined by the Agreement between the Soviet Russia and Iran from 1921, and the Agreement on Trade and Navigation between the USSR and Iran from 1940.

There are three major issues regulated by the Caspian Sea status: access to mineral resources ,access for fishing and access to international waters (through Russia's Volga river ).Regulations are different depending if a body of water is labeled as Sea or Lake.

Youth from Derbent at the Seaside. Students from Islamic University in Makhachkala arrived for a pray at the mosque in Izberbash . View for the wall coming from Derbet citadel to the sea. Potato seller drinking his tea at Xazar settlement by Derbent. Skeletons in the garbage bins at the Makhachkala main bazaar. Man looking at the sea from Derbet. Lesson at the Jewish school in Derbent. Derbet used to have one of the biggest and oldest Jewish community in the Caucasus .Out of 40 thousands people only about 3 thousand is left .In the school 30 children are learning Hebrew and Jewish traditions and history. Young couple meeting by the sea in Machachkala-capitol of Dagestan. Mamedov Gadhin Nekhmiedin-formet head of muslim society in Derbent at the funeral of his friend at the Azeri cemetery in Derbent. Habibat Jarokhmedova resting at the sea side under watchful eye of her husband.Couple used to live in Moscow but after Habibat had heart attack they moved back to Dagestan .Each day her husband comes with her to the beach so Habibat can recover from her illness breathing fresh air from the sea. Fog from the sea blanketing Aktau at the dawn. View for Aktau center. Woman putting her makeup on at the devastated area by the sea side. Father with child at the Carrousel by the seaside. Roma in the bus with his dog is on the way to Dog Exhibition. Family at the makeshift boardwalk. Girl in the bus going to new settlement Kuzultebe in Aktau outskirts. Newly constructed Buddhist Temple in Artesian at the border with Dagestan. Man on the road between Lagan and Artesian. Man fishing from rusted boats at Olya at the Volga Delta. Pensioner's Goods for sale in Astrakhan Bazaar. Workers of Olya Kolkhoz on their way back home. Astrakhan residents walking under central heating pipes. Policeman by the road to Makhachkala. View for ruins of former hotel Karabakh from train at Baku Railway station. Group of young Azeri on Nizami Street in Baku. People living at Bibi-Heybat oil-field on Baku outskirts walking towards the main road . School teacher and pupil talking at the seaside in port of Bandar-e Anzali. They came from Astana-city which one half is in Azerbaijan and other in Iran. Last day of election campaign. Boy taking photo of window display of shop with man clothes. Iranian girls walking under election posters. Sailor looking at books at the book store located in the former cinema.