Sea · Russia, Ukraine
Sea of Azov
The Sea of Azov is the shallowest sea in the world: even its deepest spot is only about 14 metres deep. It lies north of the Black Sea and is joined to it by the narrow Kerch Strait.
Picture credit: AlixSaz (CC BY-SA 4.0) · AlixSaz (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikimedia Commons
Where is Sea of Azov?
Part of: Black Sea.
Countries on its coasts: Russia, Ukraine.
The story behind it
On average the Sea of Azov is only about 8 metres deep, so a three-storey house standing on its floor would often stick out of the water. It is about 70 times as big as Lake Constance. The great rivers Don and Kuban pour in so much fresh water that the sea is much less salty than the ocean, and in Taganrog Bay the water is almost fresh. In winter, ice forms along the northern coasts from late December to early March, but in summer the water warms up to 25 to 30 °C. About 80 kinds of fish live here, including sturgeon, herring and many anchovies and sardines. Along the western shore runs the Arabat Spit, a sandy strip more than 112 km long, and behind it lies the Sivash, a system of shallow, salty lagoons. Port cities such as Taganrog, Mariupol, Berdiansk and Yeysk lie on its shores.
Find it on the globe
Sea of Azov is there as a name written across its water — tap the water and its card opens. From far away the planet is only a blue ball; detail arrives as you zoom in, and this one appears once you are close enough. Open it on the globe.
Questions children ask
How big is the Sea of Azov?
The Sea of Azov covers about 37 600 km², about 70 times the size of Lake Constance. Some sources give a slightly larger figure of about 39 000 km².
Why is the Sea of Azov less salty than other seas?
The rivers Don and Kuban bring in lots of fresh water, more than 90% of all the river water that flows in. So the sea is only about a third as salty as the ocean, and in Taganrog Bay it is almost fresh.
Does the Sea of Azov freeze?
Yes, partly. From late December to early March, ice forms along its northern coasts, while in summer the water can reach 25 to 30 °C.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure on this page was checked against public reference sources before publication. Where sources genuinely disagree, the text says so.
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