Top 10 largest seas in Russia by area

Maritime borders make up more than half of all the borders of our country. Their length reaches 37 thousand kilometers. The largest seas of Russia belong to the waters of three oceans: the Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic. The territory of the Russian Federation is washed by 13 seas, among which the Caspian is considered the smallest.

The rating presents the largest seas in Russia in terms of area.

10 Baltic Sea | area 415000 km²

Baltic Sea (area 415000 km²) opens the list of the largest seas in Russia. It belongs to the Atlantic Ocean basin and washes the country from the northwest. The Baltic Sea is the freshest compared to others, as a large number of rivers flow into it. The average depth of the sea is 50 m. The reservoir washes the shores of 8 more European countries. Due to the large reserves of amber, the sea was called Amber. The Baltic Sea holds the record for gold content in water. This is one of the shallowest seas with a large area. The archipelago sea is part of the Baltic, but some researchers distinguish them separately. Due to its shallow depth, the Archipelago Sea is inaccessible to ships.

9. Black Sea | area 422000 km²

Black Sea (area 422000 km², according to other sources 436000 km²) is part of the Atlantic Ocean, belongs to the inland seas. The average depth of the sea is 1240 m. The Black Sea washes the territories of 6 countries. The largest peninsula is Crimean. A characteristic feature is a large accumulation of hydrogen sulfide in the water. Because of this, life exists in water only at depths of up to 200 meters. The water area is distinguished by a small number of animal species – no more than 2,5 thousand. The Black Sea is an important sea area where the Russian fleet is concentrated. This sea is the world leader in the number of names. An interesting fact is that the descriptions say that it was along the Black Sea that the Argonauts followed the Golden Fleece to Colchis.

8. Chukchi Sea | area 590000 km²

The Chukchi Sea (590000 km²) is one of the warmest seas in the Arctic Ocean. But despite this, it was in it that the ice-bound Chelyuskin steamer ended up in 1934. The Northern Sea Route and the dividing strip of the world time transition pass through the Chukchi Sea.

The sea got its name from the Chukchi people living on its shores.

The islands are home to the world’s only wildlife sanctuary. This is one of the shallowest seas: more than half of the area has a depth of 50 meters.

7. Laptev Sea | area 672000 km²

Laptev sea (672000 km²) belong to the seas of the Arctic Ocean. It got its name in honor of the domestic researchers Khariton and Dmitry Laptev. The sea has another name – Nordenda, which it bore until 1946. Due to the low temperature regime (0 degrees), the number of living organisms is quite low. For 10 months the sea is under ice. There are more than two dozen islands in the sea, where the remains of dogs and cats are found. Minerals are mined here, hunting and fishing are carried out. The average depth is over 500 meters. The adjacent seas are the Kara and East Siberian, with which it is connected by straits.

6. Kara Sea | area 883 km²

Kara Sea (883 km²) belongs to the largest marginal seas of the Arctic Ocean. The former name of the sea is Narzem. In 400, it received the name Kara Sea because of the Kara River flowing into it. The rivers Yenisei, Ob and Taz also flow into it. This is one of the coldest seas, which is in the ice almost throughout the year. The average depth is 1736 meters. The Great Arctic Reserve is located here. The sea during the Cold War was the burial place of nuclear reactors and damaged submarines.

5. East Siberian | area 945000 km²

East Siberian (945000 km²) – one of largest seas of the Arctic Ocean. It is located between Wrangel Island and the New Siberian Islands. It got its name in 1935 at the suggestion of the geographical public organization of Russia. It is connected to the Chukchi and Laptev Seas by the straits. The depth is relatively small and averages 70 meters. The sea is under ice for most of the year. Two rivers flow into it – the Kolyma and the Indigirka. The islands of Lyakhovsky, Novosibirsk, and others are located near the coast. There are no islands in the sea itself.

4. Sea of ​​Japan | area 1062 thousand km²

Japanese Sea (1062 thousand km²) was divided among four countries by Russia, North Korea, South Korea and Japan. It belongs to the marginal seas of the Pacific Ocean. Koreans believe that the sea should be called East. There are few islands in the sea and most of them are located off the eastern shores. The Sea of ​​Japan ranks first among the Russian seas in terms of the diversity of species of inhabitants and plants. The temperature in the northern and western parts is very different from the southern and eastern. This leads to frequent typhoons and storms. The average depth here is 1,5 thousand meters, and the greatest is about 3,5 thousand meters. This is one of the deepest seas washing the shores of Russia.

3. Barents Sea | area 1424 thousand km²

Barencevo sea (1424 thousand km²) is one of the three leaders of the largest seas of our country in terms of area. It belongs to the Arctic Ocean and is located beyond the Arctic Circle. Its waters wash the shores of Russia and Norway. In the old days, the sea was most often called Murmansk. Thanks to the warm North Atlantic current, the Barents Sea is considered one of the warmest in the Arctic Ocean. Its average depth is 300 meters.

In 2000 the Kursk submarine sank in the Barents Sea at a depth of 150 m. Also, this zone is the location of the Northern Sea Fleet of our country.

2. Sea of ​​Okhotsk | area 1603 thousand km²

Sea of ​​Okhotsk (1603 thousand km²) is one of the deepest and largest seas in Russia. Its average depth is 1780 m. Sea waters are divided between Russia and Japan. The sea was discovered by Russian pioneers and named after the Okhota River, which flows into the reservoir. The Japanese called it the North. It is in the Sea of ​​Okhotsk that the Kuril Islands are located – a bone of contention between Japan and Russia. In the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, not only fishing is carried out, but also oil and gas development. This is the coldest sea among the Far East. An interesting fact is that in the Japanese army, service on the Okhotsk shores is considered very difficult, and a year is equal to two.

1. Bering Sea | area 2315 thousand km²

Bering Sea – the largest in Russia and belongs to the seas of the Pacific Ocean. Its area is 2315 thousand km², the average depth is 1600 m. It separates the two continents of Eurasia and America in the North Pacific Ocean. The marine area got its name from the researcher V. Bering. Before his research, the sea was called Bobrov and Kamchatka. The Bering Sea is located in three climatic zones at once. It is one of the important transport hubs of the Northern Sea Route. The rivers flowing into the sea are Anadyr and Yukon. About 10 months of the year the Bering Sea is covered with ice.