Mar de Azov

"El mar de Azov (en ucraniano, , Azovske more; en ruso, , Azóvskoie more; en tártaro de Crimea: Azaq deñizi) es un mar interior europeo, localizado al noreste de la península de Crimea, entre Rusia y Ucrania. Comunica con el mar Negro a través del estrecho de Kerch y en él desembocan el río Don y el río Kubán. La tradición popular dice que el nombre actual proviene de un príncipe cumano llamado Azum o Asuf, que murió mientras defendía una ciudad de la región en 1067. La mayor parte de los estudiosos lo hacen derivar de la ciudad de Azov, cuyo nombre ruso proviene del tártaro Azaq ('bajo'), en referencia a su situación geográfica."

"The Sea of Azov (Russian: , Azovskoye more; Ukrainian: , Azovs'ke more/Azovke more; Crimean Tatar: Azaq deñizi, , ) is a sea in south-eastern Europe. To the south it is linked by the narrow (about 4 km or 2.5 mi) Strait of Kerch to the Black Sea, and it is sometimes regarded as a northern extension of the Black Sea. The sea is bounded in the north by mainland Ukraine, in the east by Russia, and in the west by the Crimean Peninsula. The Don and Kuban are the major rivers that flow into it. The Sea of Azov is the shallowest sea in the world, with the depth varying between 0.9 and 14 meters (2 ft 11 in and 45 ft 11 in). There is a constant outflow of water from the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea. The sea is largely affected by the inflow of numerous rivers, which bring sand, silt, and shells, which in turn form numerous bays, limans, and narrow spits. Because of these deposits, the sea bottom is relatively smooth and flat with the depth gradually increasing toward the middle. Also, due to the river inflow, water in the sea has low salinity and a high amount of biomass (such as green algae) that affects the water colour. Abundant plankton results in unusually high fish productivity. The sea shores and spits are low; they are rich in vegetation and bird colonies."