Chechen Island (russian: Остров Чечень; Ostrov Chechen') is a coastal island on the western shore of the
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asia ...
. It is located 20 km east of
Krainovka right off the headland on the northern tip of the
Agrakhan Peninsula. This island belongs to the
Republic of Dagestan
Dagestan ( ; rus, Дагеста́н, , dəɡʲɪˈstan, links=yes), officially the Republic of Dagestan (russian: Респу́блика Дагеста́н, Respúblika Dagestán, links=no), is a republic of Russia situated in the North C ...
, a federal subject of the
Russian Federation
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
.
The island has a length of and a maximum width of 10 km. The sea around Chechen Island usually freezes between January and March. Adjacent islands include Lopatin Island (also known as Lopatina), Bazar, Prygunki, Pichuzhonok and Yaichnyy Island and are collectively known as the 'Chechen Archipelago'.
History
One of the islands first mentions was around 1500 under the name ''sicamatela'' on an Italian map. The island is named after the
Chechens
The Chechens (; ce, Нохчий, , Old Chechen: Нахчой, ''Naxçoy''), historically also known as ''Kisti'' and ''Durdzuks'', are a Northeast Caucasian ethnic group of the Nakh peoples native to the North Caucasus in Eastern Europe. "Eu ...
. According to the Russian geographer and military man, the Chechens were previously settled up to the sea. German explorer
Samuel Gmelin, who visited the area up until 1774, mentions how Chechens would go fishing on the island.In 1863 the
lighthouse on the island was built by English builders.
In tsarist times, the island was used as a place of exile. During the Civil War, being an important stronghold of oil shipping, it changed hands. In 1918, the British located a naval aviation base on the island, which they were going to use to bomb the ships of the Volga flotilla based in Astrakhan. In April 1920, by the forces of the Volga-Caspian military flotilla, he was finally assigned to the RSFSR.
Ecology
There are many birds on Chechen Island, especially seagulls.
Caspian Sea Biodiversity Project
/ref> In very cold winters herds of '' Saiga tatarica'' find refuge in the island.[
]
References
External links
Radio operators
Islands of Russia
Landforms of Dagestan
Seabird colonies
Islands of the Caspian Sea
{{Dagestan-geo-stub