Abrau (Russian: Абрау; from the
Abkhaz word for "sinkhole") is a
karst lake
Karst lakes are formed as the result of a collapse of caves, especially in water-soluble rocks such as limestone, gypsum and dolomite. This process is known as karstification. They can cover areas of several 100 square kilometres. Their shallow l ...
in
Russia
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 largest in
Krasnodar Krai
Krasnodar Krai (russian: Краснода́рский край, r=Krasnodarsky kray, p=krəsnɐˈdarskʲɪj kraj) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai), located in the North Caucasus region in Southern Russia and administratively a part of ...
. It lies at 84 metres above sea level, among the foothills of the
Forecaucasus, about 14 kilometres from the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...
port of
Novorossiysk. The lake is approximately 2,600 metres long and 600 metres wide.
In the early 20th century, the lake was reported to be 35 metres deep; today the deepest point is at 20 metres. Lake Abrau has no outlet. The basin of the lake is a major wine-growing region; there are numerous wineries in the lakeside village of
Abrau-Dyurso.
External links
Origin of the lake
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abrau
Mountain lakes
Lakes of the Caucasus
Lakes of Krasnodar Krai