Sivash Sea

Sivash Sea (sēväsh') [key]or Putrid Sea,Rus. Gniloye More, salt lagoon, c.1,000 sq mi (2,590 sq km), S Ukraine, extending along the northeastern coast of the Crimea. It is separated—except at the Genichesk Strait—from the Sea of Azov by the Arabat Tongue, a narrow sandspit c.70 mi (110 km) long; the Perekop Isthmus separates it from the Black Sea in the north. The sea is a complex system of shallow inlets, straits, and sandbars. The water, which has a salt content of up to 20%, has been the source of table salt and of several chemicals, including bromine.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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