Location of the Black Sea

Where on earth is the Black Sea?

It is located in Asia, east of the Mediterranean. You can go to Google Maps and type in Black Sea, with or without quotes, if you want to see it on a map.

The shorelines of the Black Sea are in Turkey, Georgia, the Russian Federation, Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine.

Its catchment area - from which the rivers that run into the Black Sea get their water - is huge and lies in about 22 countries. Examples are Germany, Austria and Hungary.

The image on the left shows the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov (the latter is the green blob on the upper right of the image).

The Mediterranean and Aegean Seas are more to the left (to the west: not in this image.) Notice the Nile delta, below (to the south) and the smaller and in this picture less clear Danube delta in the Black Sea.
Copyright: NASA.

The small Sea of Azov lies to the east of the Black Sea. The Caspian Sea - not in these pictures - is the world's largest inland sea, much larger than the Sea of Azov. It is farther to the east and connected to the Black Sea by the rivers Don and Volga (and the Lenin channel in between). The Caspian Sea is also in trouble. The Black and Caspian Seas are famous for their sturgeon and caviar.

Phytoplankton blooms (the green swirls) in the Black Sea (photograph on the right) and in the smaller Sea of Azov (entirely green in this photograph).
Copyright: NASA.

The Danube delta. Copyright: NASA.

The Bosphorus, the Dardanelles and the Sea of Marmara are between the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. Together, they are called the Turkish Straits.

Why is the Black Sea called the Black Sea? If you search the web, you will find several answers.

• Because of its high amount of phytoplankton? Sounds like a modern-day explanation.
• Because "kara" (black) refers to areas where Turkish normads were living when they named the sea Karadeniz or Kara Dervis and the Mediterranean Akdeniz? They, apparently named the rivers, mountains and other features they passed after certain colours. Black may have stood for inhospitable.
• Because metal objects lying on the bottom of this sea will acquire a black coating?

Take a look at the links page for additional information about these water bodies.

This is a SmarterScience web site.

© SmarterScience
Most recent update: January 16, 2008