Black_Sea

The Black Sea is also known as the Euxine Sea. It is a famous freshwater sea in the world. Located between Eastern Europe and Western Asia, this sea in the Atlantic Ocean has long been legendary.

It has become popular not only because its name suggests an inappropriate nature, but also because there are a number of unusual features in the sea that amaze everyone. For a long time it was known as an uninhabitable sea and the inhospitality of this body of water led to difficulty in navigation.

Ancient navigators considered the Black Sea a difficult body of water to navigate because barbaric tribes lived along its shores. In addition, the anoxic nature of the Black Sea water slowed down the decomposition process in the lower water layers, giving rise to several gruesome rumors and bringing the sea into disrepute.

However, with the passage of time, the image of the sea, considered one of the most difficult bodies of water to navigate, has changed. Home to a beautiful collection of flora and fauna as well as more than ten small islands, the Black Sea is now one of the world's most popular tourist attractions. Apart from this, there are many interesting facts that make the Black Sea an attractive place for marine lovers.

1. Where is the Black Sea located?

Spread over an area of 436,400 km, the Black Sea is located in Eurasia and surrounds Europe, the Caucasus and Anatolia. Countries bordering the Black Sea include Romania, Turkey, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Russia, and Georgia.

This body of water is surrounded by the Pontic, Caucasus and Crimean mountains to the south, east and north respectively. It is also bounded by the Strandsha Mountains to the southwest and the Dobrogea Plateau to the northwest. With a maximum depth of 2,212 meters, this freshwater sea is the meeting point of a number of rivers such as the Danube, the Southern Bug, the Dnieper, the Rioni and the Dniester.

2. Why is it called the Black Sea?

One of the best and least known facts about the Black Sea is the origin of its name. There are various theories as to how this sea should be called by this particular name. Theories suggest that before it was called the Black Sea, the body of water was known as the 'Inhospitable Sea', largely because of the barbaric tribes that lined its shores.

After the Greeks occupied its coast, the name was changed to "Hospitality". It is said that the sea was called 'Muhuda' for a long time. However, this sea has been given many names by different people over the centuries but this particular name is one of the most famous and is believed to have been given by the Turks in the Middle Ages.

According to historical documents, during the Ottoman Empire, the Black Sea was known by names such as Bahr-e Ziya or Karadenis, which means "Black Sea" in Ottoman Turkish.

There are other hypotheses that suggest several reasons for the origin of the name of the Black Sea. According to one theory, storms in winter caused the waters of the Black Sea to turn black and sailors referred to it as the Black Sea. Another theory is that objects that sink in water become covered with black sludge after a period of time. Finding such goods across the sea may have been the reason for its name.

3. Low oxygen water: Is there life in the Black Sea?

One of the most intriguing things about the Black Sea is its anoxic water. That is oxygen-poor water. Absence of significant amount of oxygen in water. The Black Sea is one of the largest bodies of water with a meromitic basin, which means that water moves between the lower and upper layers of the sea. There is a significant temperature difference between these layers, and the lower layers are completely oxygen-free, so it becomes inactive.

At the same time, the Black Sea receives fresh water from its rivers and rainfall. However, the Black Sea exchanges water with the Mediterranean Sea. As this exchange takes place in the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits, inflow of dense water from the Mediterranean occurs at the bottom of the basin, and outflow of surface water from the Black Sea occurs near the surface of the basin.

Because there is very little mixing between the two water layers in the Black Sea, marine life cannot survive in the oxygen-poor zone (anoxic zone) of the Black Sea. Only the oxygen-rich surface waters of the Black Sea support marine life.

4. Foreign small islands: dangerous snake islands

The Black Sea is home to many small islands. These islands are about ten in number and the sea is home to some of the most unique animal and plant species. These islands – mostly belong to countries like Bulgaria, Ukraine, Turkey and Romania.

This also includes the Snake Island located near the Danube Delta. Most importantly, these islands in the Black Sea have become major tourist attractions and play a major role in developing the economies of those countries.

5. Scary rumours

What seems to be a curious and frightening fact is the belief that the dead remain in the Black Sea. Although the Black Sea has been submerged for hundreds of years, the remains of ships and people can still be found on the sea floor, as can decaying materials such as ropes and wood.

The scientific explanation for this alarming fact is that due to the lack of oxygen (anoxic nature) in the bottom water layers of these seas, the decomposition process is slow, and therefore the remains of the dead do not survive in the sea water. Unfortunately, this phenomenon has led to the creation of many rumors about the Black Sea