Map of the Black Sea

Illustration of the Black Sea

The Black Sea is an inland sea between southeastern Europe and the Anatolian peninsula (Turkey) and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas and various straits. This article is about the body of water For other uses see SEA and Seas. Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Etymology In ancient times there were various explanations for the name Aegean. A strait is a narrow navigable Channel of water that connects two larger navigable bodies of water The Bosporus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and then the long island-bound strait of the Dardanelles connects it to the Aegean Sea region of the Mediterranean. The Bosporus or Bosphorus, also known as the Istanbul Strait, (İstanbul Boğazı (Βόσπορος is a Strait that forms the boundary between the The Sea of Marmara ( Turkish: Marmara Denizi, Greek: Θάλασσα του Μαρμαρά or Προποντίς, Bulgarian See also [[Hellespont]] The Dardanelles ( Turkish: Çanakkale Boğazı Greek: Δαρδανέλλια Dardanellia) formerly These waters separate eastern Europe and western Asia. The Black Sea also connects to the Sea of Azov by the Strait of Kerch. The Sea of Azov (Азо́вское мо́ре - Azovskoye more; Азо́вське мо́ре - Azovs'ke more, Azaq deñizi is the world's shallowest sea linked Cimmerian Bosporus redirects here For the ancient state see Bosporan Kingdom; for its rulers see Kings of Cimmerian Bosporus. The Black Sea has an area of 436,400 km² (168,495 sq mi),^[1] and a maximum depth of 2,200 m (7,200 ft). Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. )^[2]Like the Mediterranean Sea, there is a net inflow of seawater through the Bosporus into the oceanic region of some 200 cubic kilometers (48 cu mi) per year, that is lost to evaporation or into geologic faults and so gradually raises the salinity. CM3 redirects here If you were looking for the 3rd game in the Cooking Mama series abbreviated as CM3 see here. A cubic mile is an Imperial / US customary (non- SI non- metric) unit of Volume, used in the United States. Freshwater flows in from the surrounding areas, especially central and middle-eastern Europe, 320 km³ (76. 8 cu mi) per year. The most important river entering the Black Sea is the Danube. The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj ^[3]

Countries bordering the Black Sea are Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia, and Georgia. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between ^[4] The Crimean peninsula is an autonomous republic of Ukraine. Crimea (kraɪˈmiːə or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Крим Автономна Республіка Крим Avtonomna Respublika Krym; Крым A peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by Water but connected to Mainland via an Isthmus. Russia leases a navy base in Sevastopol from Ukraine as a result of the partition of the Black Sea Fleet after the fall of the Soviet Union. Sevastopol ( see pronunciation below) is a port city in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea Peninsula The Black Sea Fleet (Черноморский Флот is a large sub-unit of the Russian (and formerly Soviet) Navy, operating in the Black Sea The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The lease of the navy base by Russia in Sevastopol is set to expire in 2017, and is not scheduled for renewal.

Important cities along the coast include: Constanţa (306,000 with a metro of 550,000), Istanbul (11,372,613), Odessa (1,001,000), Mangalia (41,153), Burgas (229,250), Varna (357,752 with a metro of 416,000), Kherson (358,000), Sevastopol (379,200), Yalta (80,552), Kerch (158,165), Novorossiysk (281,400), Sochi (328,809), Sukhumi (43,700), Năvodari (34,669), Poti (47,149), Batumi (121,806), Trabzon (275,137), Samsun (439,000) Ordu (190,143) and Zonguldak (104,276). Constanţa (pronunciation in Romanian: /kon'stanʦa/ historical names Tomis, Κωνστάντια or Constantia, Köstence Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey ODESSA which stands for the German phrase O rganisation d er e hemaligen SS - A ngehörigen which in turn translates Mangalia (man'galia Callatis Panglicara other historical names Pangalia, Tomisovara) is a city and a port on the Romanian coast of the Burgas (Бургас sometimes transliterated as Bourgas) is the second-largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast with population 210260 Varna (Варна is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv Kherson (Херсон is a City in southern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Kherson Oblast ( province) and is Sevastopol ( see pronunciation below) is a port city in Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea Peninsula Yalta (Ялта Yalta is a city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea. Kerch (Керч Керчь Keriç Old East Slavic: Кърчевъ Ancient Greek: Pantikapaion) is a city (2001 pop 157000 on the Kerch Peninsula History In antiquity the shores of the Tsemess Bay were the site of Bata, an ancient Greek colony that specialized in the Grain trade Sochi (Сочи ˈsotɕɪ is a Russian Resort city, situated in Krasnodar Krai just north of the southern Russian border Sukhumi, also spelled as Sukhum ( Abkhaz: Аҟəа Aqwa; სოხუმი Sokhumi, Сухуми/Сухум is the capital Năvodari (nəvo'darʲ historical names Carachioi; Caracoium, Kara Koyum is a town in Constanţa County, Dobruja, Romania, with Poti (ფოთი is a Port city in Georgia, located on the eastern Black Sea coast in the region of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Batumi (ბათუმი formerly Batum or Batoum) is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and Capital of Adjara, an Autonomous Trabzon ( Greek: Τραπεζούντα, Trapezounta) is a city on the Black Sea coast of north-eastern Turkey and the capital of Samsun ( Greek: Σαμψούντα, Samsounta, Amisos) is a city in northern Turkey, on the coast of the Black Ordu (Κοτύωρα Cotyora, Armenian Orti) is a Port on the Black Sea coast of Turkey and the capital city of Zonguldak (Sandraka is a city and the capital of Zonguldak Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey.

Contents 1 Name 2 Geology and bathymetry 3 Hydrology and hydrochemistry 4 Fauna 5 Mediterranean connection during the Holocene 6 Deluge theory 7 History 8 Holiday resorts and spas 9 Regional organizations 10 See also 11 References and bibliography 12 External links

Name

Modern names of the Sea are equivalents of the English name, "Black Sea", including Greek Mavre Thalassa (Μαύρη Θάλασσα), Bulgarian Cherno more (Черно море), Georgian Shavi zghva (შავი ზღვა), Laz Ucha Zuğa, or simply Zuğa 'Sea', Romanian Marea Neagră, Russian Chyornoye more (Чёрное море), Turkish Karadeniz, Ukrainian Chorne more (Чорне море), Ubykh /ʃʷaʤa/. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Bulgarian (български език IPA: ɛzˈik is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group Georgian (ka ქართული ენა kartuli ena) is the Official language of Georgia, a country in the Caucasus. The Laz language (ლაზური ნენა lazuri nena; ლაზური lazuri, or ჭანური chanuri) is spoken by the Laz people Romanian or Daco-Romanian ( dated: Rumanian or Roumanian; self designation limba română, ˈlimba roˈmɨnə is a Romance Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Ukrainian (in Ukrainian украї́нська мо́ва ukrayins'ka mova,) is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. Ubykh or Ubyx is a Language of the Northwestern Caucasian group, spoken by the Ubykh people up until the early 1990s This name cannot be traced to an earlier date than the thirteenth century, but there are indications that it may be considerably older.

Strabo's Geography (1. Batumi (ბათუმი formerly Batum or Batoum) is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and Capital of Adjara, an Autonomous Strabo ( Greek: Στράβων 63/64 BC – ca AD 24 was a Greek historian, geographer and philosopher. 2. 10) reports that in antiquity, the Black Sea was often just called "the Sea" (ho pontos). For the most part, Graeco-Roman tradition refers to the Black Sea as the 'Hospitable sea', Euxeinos Pontos (Εὔξεινος Πόντος). This is a euphemism replacing an earlier 'Inhospitable Sea', Pontos Axeinos, first attested in Pindar (early fifth century BCE,~475 BC). A euphemism is a substitution of an agreeable or less offensive expression in place of one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant to the listener or in the case of doublespeak Pindar (ˈpɪndɚ (or Pindarus, Greek:) (probably born 522 BC in Cynoscephalae a village in Boeotia; died 443 BC in Argos) was an Ancient Strabo (7. 3. 6) thinks that the Black Sea was called "inhospitable" before Greek colonization because it was difficult to navigate, and because its shores were inhabited by savage tribes; and that the name was changed to "hospitable" after the Milesians had colonized, making it part of Greek civilization. The Milesians of Hellenic (Greek civilization were the inhabitants of Miletus, a city in the Anatolia province of modern-day Turkey, near It is also possible that the name Axeinos arose by popular etymology from a Scythian Iranic axšaina- 'unlit,' 'dark'; the designation "Black Sea" may thus date from Antiquity. Folk etymology is a term used in two distinct ways A commonly held misunderstanding of the origin of a particular word a False etymology. The Scythians or Scyths (Σκύθες Σκύθοι were an Iranian speaking people of horse-riding Nomadic pastoralists who dominated the Pontic The reason for the name may be an ancient assignment of colours to the direction of the compass — black referring to the north, and red referring to the south. Herodotus on one occasion uses Red Sea and Southern Sea interchangeably. Herodotus of Halicarnassus ( Greek: Hēródotos Halikarnāsseús) was a Greek Historian who lived in the 5th century BC ( 484 BC&ndash The Red Sea is a Salt water Inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ^[5]

Another possible explanation comes from the colour of the Black Sea's deep waters. Being further north than the Mediterranean Sea and much less saline, the microalgae concentration is much richer, causing the dark colour. Algae ( sing. alga are a large and diverse group of simple typically Autotrophic organisms ranging from Unicellular to Multicellular forms Visibility in the Black Sea is on average approximately five meters (5. 5 yd), as compared to up to thirty-five meters (38 yd) in the Mediterranean. A yard (abbreviation yd) is a unit of Length in several different systems including English units Imperial units and United

One Bulgarian understanding of the name is that the sea used to be quite stormy. The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Some sources stipulate that it goes back to the time of Noah's Ark. Noah's Ark, according to the Book of Genesis (chapters 6-9 is the story of a large vessel built at God 's command to save Noah, his family The Black Sea deluge theory is based on that idea. The Black Sea deluge is a hypothesized Prehistoric Flood that occurred when the Black Sea filled rapidly

In naval science, the Black Sea is thought to have received its name because of its hydrogen sulfide layer that begins about 200 meters below the surface, and supports a unique microbial population which produces black sediments probably due to Anaerobic Methane oxidation. Hydrogen sulfide (or hydrogen sulphide) is the Chemical compound with the formula H 2 S.

Geology and bathymetry

The Black Sea forms an enclosed basin, located between south-eastern Europe and Asia Minor. Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black The basin was formed during the Miocene orogenies which uplifted the mountain ranges and divided the ancient Tethys Ocean into several brackish basins, including the Sarmatic Sea. The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene period and extends from about 23 Orogeny (Greek for "mountain generating" is the process of natural Mountain building and may be studied as a tectonic structural event as a geographical event and The Tethys Ocean was a Mesozoic era Ocean that existed between the continents of Gondwana and Laurasia before the opening of the Indian The Caspian, Azov, Aral and Black Seas are the remnants of this evaporated basin. The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged Sea. The Sea of Azov (Азо́вское мо́ре - Azovskoye more; Азо́вське мо́ре - Azovs'ke more, Azaq deñizi is the world's shallowest sea linked The Aral Sea ( Kazakh: Арал Теңізі Aral Tengizi, Orol dengizi Russian: Аральскοе мοре Tajik / Persian: Daryocha-i

The basin is divided into two sub-basins by a convexity extending south from the Crimean peninsula. Crimea (kraɪˈmiːə or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (Крим Автономна Республіка Крим Avtonomna Respublika Krym; Крым The north-west of the basin is characterized by a relatively large shelf up to 190 km (120 mi) wide, which has a relatively shallow apron with gradients between 1:40 and 1:1000. The southern edge around Turkey and the eastern edge around Georgia, however, are typified by a shelf that rarely exceeds 20 km (12 mi) in width and an apron that is typically 1:40 gradient with numerous submarine canyons and channel extensions. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between The Euxine abyssal plain in the centre of the Black Sea reaches a maximum depth of 2,206 m (7,240 ft) just south of Yalta on the Crimean peninsula. Yalta (Ялта Yalta is a city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea. The basin is connected to the Mediterranean Sea via the Turkish Straits System (TSS) in the south-west, which includes the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits and the Sea of Marmara. The Bosporus or Bosphorus, also known as the Istanbul Strait, (İstanbul Boğazı (Βόσπορος is a Strait that forms the boundary between the See also [[Hellespont]] The Dardanelles ( Turkish: Çanakkale Boğazı Greek: Δαρδανέλλια Dardanellia) formerly The Sea of Marmara ( Turkish: Marmara Denizi, Greek: Θάλασσα του Μαρμαρά or Προποντίς, Bulgarian The Black Sea is connected to the Sea of Azov in the north-east via the Kerch straits. The Sea of Azov (Азо́вское мо́ре - Azovskoye more; Азо́вське мо́ре - Azovs'ke more, Azaq deñizi is the world's shallowest sea linked Kerch (Керч Керчь Keriç Old East Slavic: Кърчевъ Ancient Greek: Pantikapaion) is a city (2001 pop 157000 on the Kerch Peninsula

The littoral zone of the Black Sea is often referred to as the Pontic littoral. Littoral refers to the coast of an ocean or sea or to the banks of a river lake or estuary

Hydrology and hydrochemistry

The Black Sea is the world’s largest meromictic basin where the deep waters do not mix with the upper layers of water that receive oxygen from the atmosphere. A meromictic Lake has layers of water which do not intermix In ordinary " Holomictic " lakes at least once each year there is a physical mixing of the surface Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. Oxygen (from the Greek roots ὀξύς (oxys (acid literally "sharp" from the taste of acids and -γενής (-genēs (producer literally begetteris the As a result, over 90% of the deeper Black Sea volume is anoxic water. Anoxic sea water is sea water depleted of Oxygen. It is generally found in areas with restricted water exchange The current hydrochemical configuration is primarily controlled by basin topography and fluvial inputs, which result in a strongly stratified vertical structure and a positive water balance. Fluvial is used in Geography and Earth science to refer to the deposits and landforms created by the action of rivers or streams and the processes associated with The upper layers are generally cooler, less dense and less salty than the deeper waters, as they are fed by large fluvial systems, whereas the deep waters originate from the warm, salty waters of the Mediterranean. This influx of dense water from Mediterranean is balanced by an outflow of fresher Black Sea surface-water into the Marmara Sea, maintaining the stratification and salinity levels. Salinity is the Saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of Water.

The surface water has an average salinity of 18 to 18. 5 parts per thousand (compared to 30 to 40 for the oceans) and contains oxygen and other nutrients required to sustain biotic activity. "Parts-per" notation is used especially in Science and Engineering, to denote Ratios (relative proportions in measured quantities particularly Oxygen (from the Greek roots ὀξύς (oxys (acid literally "sharp" from the taste of acids and -γενής (-genēs (producer literally begetteris the These waters circulate in a basin-wide cyclonic shelfbreak gyre known as the Rim Current which transports water round the perimeter of the Black Sea. A gyre is any manner of swirling Vortex. It is often used to describe large-scale Wind or Ocean currents. Within this feature, two smaller cyclonic gyres operate, occupying the eastern and western sectors of the basin. Outside the Rim Current, numerous quasi-permanent coastal eddies are formed due to upwelling around the coastal apron and ‘wind curl’ mechanisms. The intra-annual strength of these features is controlled by seasonal atmospheric and fluvial variations. Sea Surface Temperature of the surface waters varies seasonally from 8 °C (46 °F) to 30 °C (86 °F). The Celsius Temperature scale was previously known as the centigrade scale. Fahrenheit is a temperature scale named after Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686–1736 a German Physicist who proposed it in 1724

Directly beneath the surface waters the Cold Intermediate Layer (CIL) is found. This layer is composed of cool, salty surface waters, which are the result of localised atmospheric cooling and decreased fluvial input during the winter months. The production of this water is focussed in the centre of the major gyres and on the NW shelf and as the water is not dense enough to penetrate the deep waters, isopycnal advection occurs, dispersing the water across the entire basin. An isopycnal is a surface of constant Potential density of Water. Advection, in mechanical and chemical engineering is a transport mechanism of a substance or a conserved property with a moving Fluid. The base of the CIL is marked by a major thermocline, halocline and pycnocline at ~100-200 m and this density disparity is the major cause of deep water isolating. The thermocline (sometimes metalimnion) is a thin but distinct layer in a large body of water such as an ocean or lake in which temperature changes more rapidly with depth In Oceanography, a halocline is a strong vertical Salinity Gradient. A pycnocline is a rapid change in water Density with depth. In Freshwater environments such as Lakes this density change is primarily caused

Below the pycnocline, salinity increases to 22 to 22. 5 ppt and temperatures rise to around 8. 5 °C (47. 3 °F). The hydrochemical environment shifts from oxygenated to anoxic, as bacterial decomposition of sunken biomass utilises all of the free oxygen. Certain species of extremophile bacteria are capable of using sulfate (SO₄²⁻) in the oxidation of organic material, which leads to the creation of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S). An extremophile is an Organism that thrives in and may even require Physically or Geochemically extreme conditions that are detrimental to the Redox (shorthand for reduction-oxidation reaction describes all Chemical reactions in which atoms have their Oxidation number ( Oxidation state Hydrogen sulfide (or hydrogen sulphide) is the Chemical compound with the formula H 2 S. This enables the precipitation of sulfides such as iron-sulphides like pyrite, greigite and iron-monosulphide as well as the dissolution of carbonate matter such as Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) found in shells. The term sulfide ( sulphide in British English) refers to several types of Chemical compounds containing Sulfur in its lowest Oxidation Greigite is an Iron Sulfide mineral with formula Fe(IIFe(III2S4 Calcium carbonate is a Chemical compound with the Chemical formula Ca[[Carbon C]] O 3 Organic matter, including anthropogenic artefacts such as boat hulls, are well preserved. During periods of high surface productivity, short-lived algal blooms cause organic rich layer known as sapropels to occur. Sapropel (a contraction of ancient Greek words sapros and pelos, meaning Putrefaction and mud respectively is a term used in Marine geology Scientists have reported an annual phytoplankton bloom that can be seen in many NASA images of the region. ^[6]

Another danger to people posed by the anoxic layer could come from a small asteroid's impact into the Black Sea. Recently modelling shows there is a significant threat to life for people living on the sea's shore. ^[7]

Fauna

Jellyfish, near Romanian coast.	Actinia, near Romanian coast.	Actinia, near Romanian coast.	Goby, near Romanian coast.
Stingray, near Romanian coast.	Goat fish, near Romanian coast.	Hermit crab, near Romanian coast.	Blue sponge (?), near Romanian coast.
Spiny Dogfish (Black Sea Sharks at Risk)

Mediterranean connection during the Holocene

Main article: Black Sea deluge theory

While it is agreed that the Black Sea has been a freshwater lake (at least in upper layers) with a considerably lower level during the last glaciation, its post glacial development into a marine sea is still a subject of intensive study and debate. A lake (from Latin lacus) is a Terrain feature (or Physical feature) a body of Liquid on the surface of a world that is localized to the An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets There are catastrophic scenarios such as put forward by William Ryan (geologist) and Walter Pitman as well as models emphasizing a more gradual transition to saline conditions and transgression in the Black Sea. The name William Ryan can refer to William Fitts Ryan represented New York in Congress from 1961 until his death in 1972 William H Walter Clarkson Pitman III is a Geophysicist and a Professor emeritus at Columbia University.

They are based on different theories about the level the freshwater lake had reached by the time the Mediterranean Sea was high enough to flow over the Dardanelles and the Bosporus. See also [[Hellespont]] The Dardanelles ( Turkish: Çanakkale Boğazı Greek: Δαρδανέλλια Dardanellia) formerly The Bosporus or Bosphorus, also known as the Istanbul Strait, (İstanbul Boğazı (Βόσπορος is a Strait that forms the boundary between the On the other hand, a study of the sea floor on the Aegean side shows that in the 8th millennium BC there was a large flow of fresh water out of the Black Sea. ^[8]

In a series of expeditions, a team of marine archaeologists led by Robert Ballard identified what appeared to be ancient shorelines, freshwater snail shells, drowned river valleys, tool-worked timbers, and man-made structures in roughly 300 feet (91 m) of water off the Black Sea coast of modern Turkey. Robert Duane Ballard (born June 30, 1942 in Wichita Kansas) is an oceanographer most noted for his work in underwater Archaeology Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Radiocarbon dating of freshwater mollusc remains indicated an age of about seven thousand years. Radiocarbon dating is a Radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring Radioisotope Carbon-14 (14C to determine the age of

Deluge theory

Main article: Black Sea deluge theory

In 1997, William Ryan and Walter Pitman from Columbia University published a theory that a massive flood through the Bosporus occurred in ancient times. The Black Sea deluge is a hypothesized Prehistoric Flood that occurred when the Black Sea filled rapidly Columbia University is a private University in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. The Bosporus or Bosphorus, also known as the Istanbul Strait, (İstanbul Boğazı (Βόσπορος is a Strait that forms the boundary between the They claim that the Black and Caspian Seas were vast freshwater lakes, but then about 5600 BC, the Mediterranean spilled over a rocky sill at the Bosporus, creating the current communication between the Black and Mediterranean Seas. The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged Sea. Subsequent work has been done both to support and to discredit this theory, and archaeologists still debate it. This has led some to associate this catastrophe with prehistoric flood myths. The story of a Great Flood (also known as the Deluge) sent by a Deity or deities to destroy Civilization as an act of Divine retribution is a

History

The Black Sea was a busy waterway on the crossroads of the ancient world: the Balkans to the West, the Eurasian steppes to the north, Caucasus and Central Asia to the East, Asia Minor and Mesopotamia to the south, and Greece to the south-west. The oldest processed gold in the world, arguably left by Old Europeans, was found in Varna, and the Black Sea was supposedly sailed by the Argonauts. For other uses of this term see Argonaut. In Greek mythology, the Argonauts ( Ancient Greek:) were a band of heroes The land at the eastern end of the Black Sea, Colchis, (now Georgia), marked for the Greeks an edge of the known world. In ancient Geography, Colchis or Kolchis ( Georgian and Laz: კოლხეთი k'olxeti; Greek:, Kolchís Georgia ( საქართველო, Sakartvelo) is a Transcontinental country in the Caucasus region situated at the dividing line between The steppes to the north of the Black Sea have been suggested as the original homeland (Urheimat) of the speakers of the Proto-Indo-European language, (PIE) the progenitor of the Indo-European language family, by some scholars (see Kurgan; others move the heartland further east towards the Caspian Sea, yet others to Anatolia). Urheimat ( German: ur- Original, Ancient; Heimat Home, Homeland) is a linguistic term denoting the Kurgan (курга́н is the Russian word (of Turkic origin for a Tumulus, a type of Burial mound or barrow heaped over a The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged Sea. Anatolia (Anadolu Ανατολία Anatolía) or Asia minor, comprising most of modern Turkey, is the geographic region bounded by the Black Numerous ancient ports line Black Sea's coasts, some older than the pyramids [1].

Ancient trade routes in the region are currently being extensively studied by American, Bulgarian, and other scientists. It is widely believed that the Black Sea is packed with archaeology to be found. Perhaps the most promising areas in deepwater archaeology are the quest for submerged prehistoric settlements in the continental shelf and for ancient shipwrecks in the anoxic zone, which are expected to be exceptionally well preserved due to the absence of oxygen.

The Black Sea has witnessed the rivalries of Hittites, Carians, Thracians, Greeks, Persians, Scythians, Romans, Byzantines, Goths, Huns, Avars, Bulgars, Slavs, Varangians, Crusaders, Venetians, Genovese, Tatars, Ottomans, and Russians. The Hittites were an ancient Anatolian people who spoke a language of the Anatolian branch of the Indo-European language family and established The Carians ( Greek: Κάρες Kares) were the inhabitants of Caria. "Thracians" also refers to modern inhabitants of Thrace, regardless of ethnicity layout and formatting it should ensure no clashes with the top of the infobox The Scythians or Scyths (Σκύθες Σκύθοι were an Iranian speaking people of horse-riding Nomadic pastoralists who dominated the Pontic Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC The Goths ( Gothic: Gothic usvg|14px|u]]Gothic asvg|14px|a]]Gothic s The Huns were an early confederation of Central Asian equestrian nomads or semi-nomads with a Turkic core of aristocracy The Bulgars (also Bolgars or proto-Bulgarians) were a seminomadic people probably of Turkic descent originally from Central Asia, The Varangians or Varyags ( Old Norse: Væringjar Greek: Βάραγγοι Βαριάγοι Váraggoi / Varyágoi, Ukrainian The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents Genovese is an Italian surname meaning someone from Genoa. It may refer to Genovese crime family, one of the "Five Families" of the Tatars ( Tatar: Tatarlar/Татарлар sometimes spelled Tartars, are a Turkic -speaking ethnic group or multiple ethnic groups The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries

The Black Sea was a significant naval theatre of World War I and saw both naval and land battles of the World War II. Naval warfare in World War I was mainly characterized by the efforts of the Allied Powers, with their larger fleets and surrounding position to blockade the The Eastern Front of World War II (die Ostfront 1941-1945, der Rußlandfeldzug 1941-1945 (Russian campaign or der Ostfeldzug 1941-1945 (Eastern Campaign

Holiday resorts and spas

In the years following the end of the Cold War, the popularity of the Black Sea as a tourist destination has been steadily increasing, particularly in Bulgaria. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian Overall, tourism at Black Sea resorts has become one of the region's growth industries. ^[9] The following is a list of well-known Black Sea resorts:

2 Mai (Romania) Agigea (Romania) Ahtopol (Bulgaria) Anapa (Russia) Albena (Bulgaria) Alupka (Crimea, Ukraine) Alushta (Crimea, Ukraine) Balchik (Bulgaria) Batumi (Georgia) Burgas (Bulgaria) Byala (Bulgaria) Constantine and Helena (Bulgaria) Corbu (Romania) Costineşti (Romania) Eforie Nord (Romania) Eforie Sud (Romania) Emona (Bulgaria) Eupatoria (Crimea, Ukraine) Feodosiya (Crimea, Ukraine) Giresun (Turkey) Gagra (Abkhazia, Georgia1) Gelendzhik (Russia) Golden Sands (Bulgaria) Gonio (Georgia) Gurzuf (Crimea, Ukraine) Jupiter (Romania) Kamchia (Bulgaria) Kavarna (Bulgaria) Kiten (Bulgaria) Kobuleti (Georgia) Koktebel (Crimea, Ukraine)

Lozenetz (Bulgaria) Mamaia (Romania) Mangalia (Romania) Năvodari (Romania) Neptun (Romania) Nesebar (Bulgaria) Novorossiysk (Russia) Ordu (Turkey) Obzor (Bulgaria) Odessa (Ukraine) Olimp (Romania) Pitsunda (Abkhazia, Georgia1) Pomorie (Bulgaria) Primorsko (Bulgaria) Rize (Turkey) Rusalka (Bulgaria) Samsun (Turkey) Saturn (Romania) Sinop (Turkey) Sochi (Russia) Sozopol (Bulgaria) Sudak (Crimea, Ukraine) Sulina (Romania) Sunny Beach (Bulgaria) Şile (Turkey) Sveti Vlas (Bulgaria) Trabzon (Turkey) Tuapse (Russia) Vama Veche (Romania) Venus (Romania) Yalta (Crimea, Ukraine)

¹ Abkhazia has been a de facto independent republic since 1992, although remains a de jure autonomous republic of Georgia. A resort is a place used for Relaxation or Recreation, attracting visitors for Holidays or Vacations Resorts are places towns or sometimes 2 Mai (doj maj " May 2nd " is a village in the Limanu commune, Constanţa County, Romania, and a small resort on the shore Agigea (a'ʤiʤěa Acica Greek: Aghikos) is a commune in Constanţa County, Romania. Ahtopol (Ахтопол is a town and seaside resort on the southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. Anapa (Ана́паАнапэ originally is a seaport for the Natkhuay tribe Adyghe_people, and now a town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, Albena (Албена is a major Black Sea resort in northeastern Bulgaria, situated 12 km from Balchik and 30 km from Varna. Alupka (Алупка Алупка Alupka Alepou is a resort City located in Crimea, Ukraine, situated to the west of Yalta. Alushta (Алушта Aluşta Alouston is a resort town in Crimea, Ukraine, founded in the 6th century CE by Emperor Justinian Balchik (Балчик Balçık Κρουνοι Krounoi, Διονυσοπολις Dionysopolis; Balcic is a Black Sea coastal Town and Batumi (ბათუმი formerly Batum or Batoum) is a seaside city on the Black Sea coast and Capital of Adjara, an Autonomous Burgas (Бургас sometimes transliterated as Bourgas) is the second-largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast with population 210260 Byala ( Bulgarian: Бяла white) is a Town and seaside resort in Northeastern Bulgaria. Saints Constantine and Helena (Св св Константин и Елена is a Resort town on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast within a landscaped park 10 km north Corbu is a commune in Constanţa County, Romania. The commune includes three villages Corbu (historical names Corbu de Jos, Costineşti is a commune and resort in Constanţa County, Romania, located on the shore of the Black Sea, about 30 kilometres south of the county Eforie (efo'rie Εφορία is a town and a holiday resort on the Black Sea shore in Constanţa County, Romania. Eforie (efo'rie Εφορία is a town and a holiday resort on the Black Sea shore in Constanţa County, Romania. Emona (Aemon is a Village and seaside resort in southeast Bulgaria, situated in Obshtina Nessebar in Burgas Province. For the lake Kerkinitis see Kerkini Eupatoria or Yevpatoria (Євпаторія Евпатория Kezlev Eupatoria Kerkinitis is a city in Crimea Feodosiya ( Ukrainian Феодосія Crimean Tatar Kefe Russian Феодосия is a Port and Resort city in Crimea Giresun ( Greek: Κερασούντα, Pharnacia, Choerades) is the provincial capital of Giresun Province in the Gagra ( Abkhaz and Russian: Гагра გაგრა is a town in Abkhazia, the breakaway republic Gelendzhik (Геленджи́к is a Resort town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated on the Gelendzhik Bay of the Black Golden Sands ( Bulgarian: Златни пясъци Zlatni pyasatsi; Czech: Zlaté Písky; Finnish: Kultahietikko; Gonio fortress ( previously called Apsaros or Apsaruntos is a Roman fortification in Adjara, on the Black sea, 15km south of Batumi, at the mouth of Gurzuf (Гурзуф Гурзуф Gurzuf is a resort in Crimea, Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea. Jupiter is a summer resort on the Romanian seacoast on the Black Sea, 4 km (2 The Kamchiya (also Kamchia and Kamčija, Bulgarian: Камчия Panisos is a 244 Kavarna (Каварна Cavarna Karvuna black diamond) is a Black Sea coastal town and seaside resort in the Dobruja region of northeastern Kobuleti (ქობულეთი is a town in Georgia 's southwestern region of Ajaria. Koktebel (Коктебель Коктебель Köktöbel formerly known as Planerskoye, is one of the most popular resort townlets in South-Eastern Crimea. Lozenets (Лозенец also Lozenec or Lozenetz) may refer to Lozenets Burgas Province, a village in Bulgaria Mamaia is the biggest resort on the Romanian Black Sea shore It is situated immediately north-east of Constanţa, Romania Mangalia (man'galia Callatis Panglicara other historical names Pangalia, Tomisovara) is a city and a port on the Romanian coast of the Năvodari (nəvo'darʲ historical names Carachioi; Caracoium, Kara Koyum is a town in Constanţa County, Dobruja, Romania, with Neptun is a summer resort on the Romanian seacoast, on the Black Sea, 6 km (3 Nesebar (ˈneseʙɑːr Bulgarian: Несебър Nesebăr, Thracian: Menebria Greek: Μεσημβρια Mesimvria, previously History In antiquity the shores of the Tsemess Bay were the site of Bata, an ancient Greek colony that specialized in the Grain trade Ordu (Κοτύωρα Cotyora, Armenian Orti) is a Port on the Black Sea coast of Turkey and the capital city of Obzor (Обзор Naulochos Tetranaulochos Latin: Naulochus, Tetranaulochus, or Templum Iovis) is a Town and seaside ODESSA which stands for the German phrase O rganisation d er e hemaligen SS - A ngehörigen which in turn translates Olimp is a summer resort on the Romanian seacoast on the Black Sea, 7 km (4 Pitsunda (ҵҵунда Georgian: ბიჭვინთა - Bichvinta Пицунда) is a Resort town in Gagra district of the Pomorie (Поморие formerly known as Αγχίαλος Anchialos in Greek, Anchialus in Latin, Tuthom in Bulgar and Primorsko (Приморско is a town and seaside resort in southeastern Bulgaria, part of Burgas Province. Rize ( Greek: Riza, რიზე Ռիզե is the capital of Rize Province, in northeast Turkey, on the Black Sea Rusalka (Русалка "mermaid" also Russalka and Roussalka) is a seaside resort on the northern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast located in Samsun ( Greek: Σαμψούντα, Samsounta, Amisos) is a city in northern Turkey, on the coast of the Black Saturn is a summer resort on the Romanian seacoast on the Black Sea, 1 km (0 Sinop ( Greek: Σινώπη /Sinope is a city with a population of 47000 on İnce Burun ( İnceburun, Cape Ince) by its Sochi (Сочи ˈsotɕɪ is a Russian Resort city, situated in Krasnodar Krai just north of the southern Russian border Sozopol (Созопол Sozopolis Antheia Apollonia is a ancient town and seaside resort located 15 km south of Burgas on the southern Bulgarian Black Sudak or Sudaq (Sudaq Судак is a small historic town located in Crimea, Ukraine situated to the west of Feodosiya (the nearest railway Sulina is a town and Free port in Romania, at the mouth of the Sulina branch of the Danube. Sunny Beach (Слънчев бряг Slanchev bryag; Zonnestrand Sonnenstrand Солнечный берег Solnechniy bereg) is a major seaside resort on See River Sile for the river in Italy Síle is also a girl's name in Irish, usually anglicized as Sheila. Sveti Vlas (Свети Влас " Saint Blaise " Larissa Monasterion is a town and seaside resort on the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria, located Trabzon ( Greek: Τραπεζούντα, Trapezounta) is a city on the Black Sea coast of north-eastern Turkey and the capital of Tuapse (Туапсе́ ТIуапсэ is a town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated on the northeast shore of the Black Sea, south This article is about the village of Vama Veche. Vama Veche is also the name of a Romanian rock band Venus is a summer resort on the Romanian seacoast on the Black Sea, 3 km (1 Yalta (Ялта Yalta is a city in Crimea, southern Ukraine, on the north coast of the Black Sea. Abkhazia (Аҧсны Apsny აფხაზეთი Apkhazeti or Abkhazeti Абха́зия Abhazia) is a De facto

Regional organizations

Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)      members      observers	GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development
Community of Democratic Choice (CDC)      members      observers	Black Sea Forum for Partnership and Dialogue (BSF)      members      observers

See also the Balkans Regional organizations and Post-Soviet Regional organizations

See also

• Anoxic event
• Black Sea deluge theory
• Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
• Romanian Black Sea Coast
• Ancomah
• Tourism
• 1927 Crimean earthquakes

References and bibliography

• Charles King, The Black Sea: A History, 2004, ISBN 0-19-924161-9
• William Ryan and Walter Pitman, Noah's Flood, 1999, ISBN 0-684-85920-3
• Neal Ascherson, Black Sea (Vintage 1996), ISBN 0-09-959371-8
• Özhan Öztürk. Charles King (born 1967 is Ion Raţiu Professor of Romanian Studies Professor of International Affairs and Professor of Government at Georgetown University, where Charles Neal Ascherson (born October 5, 1932) is a Scottish Journalist. Karadeniz: Ansiklopedik Sözlük (Black Sea: Encyclopedic Dictionary). 2 Cilt (2 Volumes). Heyamola Publishing. Istanbul. 2005 ISBN 975-6121-00-9.
• Rüdiger Schmitt, "Considerations on the Name of the Black Sea", in: Hellas und der griechische Osten (Saarbrücken 1996), pp. 219–224
• West, Stephanie. "‘The Most Marvellous of All Seas’: the Greek Encounter with the Euxine", Greece & Rome, Vol.  50, Issue 2 (2003), pp.  151–167.

External links

• Space Monitoring of the Black Sea Coastline and Waters
• Pictures of the Black sea coast all along the Crimean peninsula
• Black Sea Environment and Marine Life - Learning Pages
• The Center for Black Sea Archaeology
• The Black Sea Trade Project
• Earth from Space: Black Sea
• National Geographic Society
• Black Sea Environmental Internet Node
• Black Sea-Mediterranean Corridor during the last 30 ky: UNESCO IGCP 521 WG12
• Trabzon

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