Historical and Geographical Information about the Exploration of the Caspian Sea in Cartographic Materials

Abstract

The article provides a brief overview of the historical and geographical data on the Caspian Sea and traces the change in the name of the sea at different stages of history. The study is based on the work of scientists from Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. The purpose of the work was to reveal the reasons for the change of sea names and the history of the formation of the marine scientific map in connection with the expeditions organized by Peter the Great in the early 18th century. The authors analyzed historical research and made an attempt to systematize cartographic materials and data from antiquity, the Middle Ages and modern times. The history of the Caspian and its adjacent territories has been a subject of debate since the time of Greek logographers in the ancient world, and historical research of the Caspian Sea continues to the present day. Since ancient times, the Caspian coast has been inhabited by many peoples, becoming a crossroads for the interaction of various cultures; in the late Middle Ages, the Caspian Sea played an important role, being located along the world trade transit known as the Great Silk Road. In the new era, competition for control over the Caspian Sea between states intensified, but as a result of the militarypolitical actions of Peter I, the sea became a de facto geographical object of the Russian Empire, and then the Soviet Union. However, after the collapse of the USSR at the end of the 20th century, the Caspian Sea, which has a geographically convenient location and rich resources, reappeared on the historical arena as one of the most important geopolitical issues.