Black Sea | 04 Nov 2022
Key Points
- Physical Geography:
- Bordering Countries: Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania.
- Also known as the Euxine Sea.
- Surrounded by the Pontic (south), Caucasus (east), and Crimean Mountains (north).
- The Turkish straits system - the Dardanelles, Bosporus and Marmara Sea - forms a transitional zone between the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
- Sea of Azov forms a northern extension of the Black Sea linked by the Strait of Kerch.
- Has anoxic water; significant absence of oxygen in the water.
- Russia – Ukraine Conflict:
- Area of Russian Military Control in Ukraine:
- Mariupol and Odessa: Russia has its focus on:
- Mariupol, the Sea of Azov port in Donetsk.
- Odessa, to the west of Crimea.
- Bosporus and Dardanelles Straits: The Montreux convention gives Turkey certain control over the passage of warships from the Dardanelles and Bosphorus Straits that connect the Aegean, Marmara, and Black Sea.
- Naval Exercise ‘Sea Breeze’: Involving NATO states and their allies.
- Environmental Concern: