Inland salt lake between Europe and Asia, bordering Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Iran.
With a basin 750 mi (1,200 km) long and 270 mi (434 km) wide and an area of 143,550 sq mi (371,795 sq km), it is the largest inland body of water in the world. Though it receives many rivers, including the Volga , Ural , and Kura , the sea itself has no outlet. It was important as a commercial route in the premodern era, when it formed part of the Mongol-Baltic trade route for goods from Asia. Today it is a source of caviar and petroleum. Its numerous ports include Baku in Azerbaijan and Anzal and Torkam 0101; n in Iran.