Syvash
Encyclopedia
Syvash or Sivash also known as the Rotten Sea , is a large system of shallow lagoon
s on the west coast of the Sea of Azov
(northeastern coast of the Crimean Peninsula
, Ukraine
). Sıvaş in the Crimean Tatar language
means dirt. The total water area: 2 560 km², length: 200 km, width: up to 35 km. The total water/land area of the Sivash system is over 10 000 km².
It nearly cuts the Crimean Peninsula off from the mainland, and serves as a natural border between the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the Kherson Oblast
that passes through Sivash. It is separated from the Sea of Azov by the long (110 km), narrow (max. 500 m) Arabat Spit
, broken only at its northern end by the Henichesk Strait, at the mouth of which lies the port town of Henichesk. The Isthmus of Perekop
separates Sivash from the Black Sea
and connects the Crimean Peninsula to the mainland.
Sivash is extremely shallow. The deepest place is about 3 m, with 0.5–1 m being the predominant depth. The bottom is covered with silt up to 5 m thick. Being very shallow, the waters in Sivash heat up in the summer and produce a rotten smell, hence the name, "Rotten Sea". For the same reason the water is extremely salty. The amount of various salts is estimated at 200 million tonne
s. Several plants harvest the mineral resources of Sivash. The Sivash area is a wetland
of international importance. The shores are low, slightly sloping, swampy and salty. In summer, the water level of Sivash decreases significantly, revealing barren solonets soils called "sivashes" by locals.
Sivash can be divided into Western Sivashes (Western Sivash) and Eastern Sivashes (Eastern Sivash), connected to one another by the Chongar Strait, with the Eastern Sivash connecting to the Sea of Azov through the Henichesk or Genichesk Strait.
In the history of the Russian Civil War
, Sivash became famous for the surprise crossing by the Red Army
during the Perekop-Chongar Operation.
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
s on the west coast of the Sea of Azov
Sea of Azov
The Sea of Azov , known in Classical Antiquity as Lake Maeotis, is a sea on the south of Eastern Europe. It is linked by the narrow Strait of Kerch to the Black Sea to the south and is bounded on the north by Ukraine mainland, on the east by Russia, and on the west by the Ukraine's Crimean...
(northeastern coast of the Crimean Peninsula
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
). Sıvaş in the Crimean Tatar language
Crimean Tatar language
The Crimean Tatar language is the language of the Crimean Tatars. It is a Turkic language spoken in Crimea, Central Asia , and the Crimean Tatar diasporas in Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria...
means dirt. The total water area: 2 560 km², length: 200 km, width: up to 35 km. The total water/land area of the Sivash system is over 10 000 km².
It nearly cuts the Crimean Peninsula off from the mainland, and serves as a natural border between the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the Kherson Oblast
Kherson Oblast
Kherson Oblast is an oblast in southern Ukraine, just north of Crimea. Its administrative center is Kherson. The area of the region is 29000 km², its population is 1.12 million.Important cities in the oblast include:...
that passes through Sivash. It is separated from the Sea of Azov by the long (110 km), narrow (max. 500 m) Arabat Spit
Arabat Spit
The Arabat Spit , also called Arabat Tongue, is a spit which separates a large, shallow and very salty system of lagoons named Sivash from the Sea of Azov. The spit is located between the town of Henichesk, Ukraine, on the north and the north-eastern shores of Crimea on the south. It is separated...
, broken only at its northern end by the Henichesk Strait, at the mouth of which lies the port town of Henichesk. The Isthmus of Perekop
Isthmus of Perekop
The Isthmus of Perekop is the narrow, 5-7 km wide strip of land that connects the peninsula of Crimea to the mainland of Ukraine. The isthmus is located between the Black Sea to the west and the Azov Sea the east. The isthmus takes its name from the Tatar fortress of Perekop.The border between the...
separates Sivash from the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
and connects the Crimean Peninsula to the mainland.
Sivash is extremely shallow. The deepest place is about 3 m, with 0.5–1 m being the predominant depth. The bottom is covered with silt up to 5 m thick. Being very shallow, the waters in Sivash heat up in the summer and produce a rotten smell, hence the name, "Rotten Sea". For the same reason the water is extremely salty. The amount of various salts is estimated at 200 million tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s. Several plants harvest the mineral resources of Sivash. The Sivash area is a wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
of international importance. The shores are low, slightly sloping, swampy and salty. In summer, the water level of Sivash decreases significantly, revealing barren solonets soils called "sivashes" by locals.
Sivash can be divided into Western Sivashes (Western Sivash) and Eastern Sivashes (Eastern Sivash), connected to one another by the Chongar Strait, with the Eastern Sivash connecting to the Sea of Azov through the Henichesk or Genichesk Strait.
In the history of the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
, Sivash became famous for the surprise crossing by the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
during the Perekop-Chongar Operation.