aral sea

     

The Aral Sea (Kazakh: Арал Теңізі, Aral Tengizi, Uzbek: Orol engizi, Russian: Аральскοе мοре, Tajik/Persian: Daryocha-i Khorazm, Lake Khwarazm) is a landlocked endorheic basin in Central Asia; it lies between Kazakhstan (Aktobe and Kyzylorda provinces) in the north and Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region of Uzbekistan, in the south. The name roughly translates as "Sea of Islands", referring to more than 1,500 islands of one hectare or more that dotted its waters.

Trivia about aral sea

  • Due to irrigation, this sea in Kazakhstan & Uzbekistan has shrunk by about 40% since the 1960s
  • Commercial fishing ceased in this shrunken Russian sea, once the world's fourth-largest lake
  • In the 1990s 5 "stan" nations agreed to give up to .3% of national income to restore this shrunken saltwater body