The 5 Countries That Border the Caspian Sea in 2024

The Caspian Sea is one of the world’s most fascinating bodies of water. The uniqueness of this sea is just amazing. It not only is home to an abundance of marine life, it also has a storied history. There have been territorial disputes with the countries that border the Caspian Sea, however. There are myriad reasons why, including that the sea is extremely rich in oil and natural gas, which makes a country a lot of money. The Caspian Sea has helped the economies of several countries and ensured the wealthy and famous get their beloved caviar. 

But the question we ask ourselves is, what are the countries that border the Caspian Sea? Well, let’s take a look at the five countries surrounding the sea and go over in more detail the countries’ claims to the sea and more.

Kazakhstan

There are 3,000 miles of Caspian coastline and Kazakhstan has the most with 884 miles of coastline. On the coast, the country enjoys beachfront hotels and tourist destinations enjoyed by many. Because scientists believe that the Caspian Sea has around 3.4 billion long tons of oil and 88 billion cubic feet of gas, the bordering countries have taken advantage of these money-makers. Kazakhstan has a total of 6 billion long tons of oil deposits and the Caspian Sea, even though there are only three refineries the country keeps on its shores. Kazakhstan also has naval ships protecting its maritime borders with the other countries.

Turkmenistan

The country with the second-longest Caspian coastline is Turkmenistan. Besides stationing naval ships in its Caspian waters, it also has various offshore oil reserves. In 2021, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan joined in an agreement to establish an oil field in the Caspian Sea along both nations’ borders. The joint oil field has 60 million tons of oil and reserves. Turkmenistan also has created the Awaza tourist zone. The goal was to spur tourism along its Caspian coast, however, it has not made much of a difference in tourist numbers. There are also ferries traveling from Turkmenistan cities to other cities in the surrounding countries. 

Azerbaijan

Located in the southern Caucasus region, Azerbaijan has the third longest Caspian coastline out of the five countries surrounding the sea. All rivers and lakes that exist in the country flow directly into the Caspian Sea and are part of its basin. When it comes to oil and natural gas, Azerbaijan is rich. Furthermore, the country holds about 20% of the Caspian Seas oil fields. This, of course, has been a detriment to the sea environmentally. There are several pipelines that stretch from the Caspian Sea through Azerbaijan to supply oil to other countries. Lastly, Azerbaijan has invested in marketing to bring tourists to the country, including its Caspian coastline. 

Russia

One of the largest countries in the world, Russia has several hundred miles of coastline with the Caspian Sea. However, much of its economy relies on the Caspian Sea’s wealth when it comes to oil and natural gas, as well as caviar production. Russia is one of the leaders in caviar production in the entire world. The country also has several oil fields scattered throughout its chunk of the sea. Although crippled when it comes to tourism because of the Russia-Ukraine War, the country’s Caspian Sea coastline has historically provided tourists with sunny beaches and great sea activities.

Iran

The Caspian Sea lies to the north of Iran. The geography of the country in this region is characterized by Caspian Hyrcanian forests near the shores of the Caspian Sea. This makes for a fantastic landscape that is easy for tourists to fall in love with. Tourism along Iran’s Caspian coastline is quite profitable. Besides tourism, Iran also has gas fields on the Caspian Sea, but no robust offshore oil fields. The country also has a strong caviar production in the sea.

Conclusion

And there you have it, these are the five countries that border the Caspian Sea. The countries surrounding this beautiful sea are special in their own way. Although they have had squabbles in the past, they have worked out their differences. This has ensured that economic matters like caviar production and oil drilling are shared and distributed in the best way possible. The most pressing thing that they have to work together on is to be more environmentally friendly so that the Caspian Sea can thrive.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/PeterHermesFurian