Travel to the White Sea. Why was the White Sea called White? History Why the Dead Sea is called dead

There are a sufficient number of seas in the world, the names of which coincide with certain colors: Silver, White, Black, Red and so on. Let's find out the reasons why they were named this way and not something else.

Why was the Black Sea called black?

There are several versions of why the Black Sea was called black. According to the Turkish hypothesis The Black Sea received its current name from the Turks, who, trying to conquer the coastal population, constantly met very fierce resistance. Because of this, the sea was nicknamed “Karaden-Giz”, which means inhospitable.

According to the sailors, the sea gets its name from the strong storms that turn the water dark. However, strong storms in this sea are quite rare, and strong unrest(above 6 points) – no more than 17 days a year. Darkening of the water is characteristic of all seas. There is also a hypothesis that the Black Sea was so named because of the black silt that remains on the shores after storms, but, in truth, it is not that black, rather gray.

According to hydrologists who proposed their version, the sea was so named due to the fact that any metal object who have been at great depths, rise to the surface very blackened. The culprit is hydrogen sulfide, which large quantities located at a depth of over 200 meters.

Unfortunately, history does not reveal the secret: who was the first to call the sea black.

Why is the Red Sea called red?

According to scientists, the sea was so named due to the seasonal reddening of the water, which is associated with reproduction unicellular algae"Trichodesiumerythraceum". Some historians believe that the sea got its name from ancient travelers who were amazed by the reflection of the red mountains in the mirror water.

However, the Sea is called “Red” exclusively in European languages. For example, in Hebrew it has the name “Yam Suf” - reed, reed, most likely named because of the reed beds of the Gulf of Suez.

The area of ​​the Red Sea is about 460 thousand square meters. kilometers, and the volume of water is 201 thousand cubic kilometers. The average depth of the Red Sea does not exceed 440 meters, and the maximum is 3039 meters.

Over the entire year, no more than 100 mm falls over the sea territory atmospheric precipitation, and about 2000 mm (20 times more) evaporates during the same period. Thus, more than one and a half centimeters of water evaporates from the surface of the Red Sea annually.

Why was the White Sea called white?

Many title researchers are trying to figure this out. Some believe that this is due to the fact that the sea is covered with ice almost all year round, others express the opinion that the name comes from the whitish color of the water, which reflects the northern sky. But indeed, it remains white at any time of the year: sometimes fog, sometimes rain, sometimes snow.

The name “White Sea” (MareAlbum) appears for the first time on the map of Peter Plaitsius, created in 1592. In 1427, on Ptolemy's maps, the bay Arctic Ocean, which in all coordinates coincides with the White Sea, was called the “Calm” Sea.

Study of the population of Russia White Sea was started in the first half of the 17th century. And in 1770, the first map of the White Sea was created, more or less close to reality. It was based on previously made inventories of the area.

Why was the Yellow Sea called yellow?

The Yellow Sea is a semi-enclosed edge of the Pacific Ocean, on east coast Asia (west of the Korean Peninsula). It forms the Bohai, Liaodong and West Korean Gulfs. Most of the coastline is calm and paved with alluvial deposits. There are calm harbors on the coasts of the Shandong and Liaodong Peninsulas. The Yellow Sea is not deep, especially its western part, where a river flows into it, which carries out a huge amount of eroded forest and silt, the Yellow River. This is where the name comes from: Yellow River - Yellow River, Huanghai - Yellow Sea.

It’s not for nothing that the Yellow Sea is called yellow outside of Korea. Because the Yellow River, which flows into the sea from the west, carries a lot of silt from the Central Chinese plains. As a result, all this silt ends up in a shallow and closed sea, and the water begins to acquire a characteristic yellow-brownish tint. Note that all this muddy ligature, as well as the tides that carry water kilometers from the coast, are main reason the fact that not everywhere is safe to swim.

Why is the Dead Sea called dead?

All objects white that can be seen on the shore Dead Sea are salt crystals that cover the entire surface of the earth. This is not table salt, but mineral salts, as in the water of the world's oceans, but in very high concentrations. The waters of the Dead Sea are lethal to most living organisms.

Due to the huge concentration of salt in water, its density is much higher than normal density fresh water. This is why in the Dead Sea the human body will be much more buoyant than in fresh rivers. This way you will feel like a fishing float.

In addition, as it turned out, the waters of the Dead Sea have a positive effect on human health due to their special climatic characteristics: in this region, the oxygen content in the air is 15% higher, as well as absolutely harmless ultraviolet radiation.

Why was the Laptev Sea called that?

The Laptev Sea is a marginal sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean. The Laptev Sea is located just between the Severnaya Zemlya islands and the Taimyr Peninsula on the western side and the New Siberian Islands on the eastern side. The area of ​​the sea is about 665 thousand square kilometers, A average depth equals 540 meters. The southern part of the sea is shallow (up to 50 meters), and the northern part is a territory of great depths (up to 3380 meters). Also, the location of the sea is different in that it is located in a seismically active zone, where earthquakes up to magnitude 5-6 are observed.

The original historical name of the sea was “Siberian Sea”. In 1878-79, it was renamed the “Nordenskiöld Sea”, in honor of the Swedish navigator, geographer, geologist, Arctic explorer and historical cartographer Niels Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld. In history he is remembered as the first person who was able to walk along the Northern sea ​​route from Atlantic to Pacific Ocean(in 1877-1878).

It received its final name “Laptev Sea” in honor of the Russian cousins ​​Khariton and Dmitry Laptev, who were polar explorers. They were the ones who made the first inventory coastline seas.

The White Sea is the warmest in the Arctic basin. Because it cuts deep into the land, and is connected to the harsh ocean near which it is located only by two straits through the Barents Sea. Legends are made about this place. Travelers love its islands very much. After all, here they touch wildlife North. But why is the White Sea called White?

White Sea on the map of Europe

The salty reservoir is located in the north of the European region Russian Federation. In terms of surface area, this is one of the smallest seas washing the country. Only Azov is smaller.

There are many small islands in this huge body of water. The most popular and famous are Solovetsky. The water area consists of several parts:

• Swimming pool (most deep area body of water);
• Gorlo (connects with the Barents Sea; the Pomors call this strait “Girlo”);
• Funnel;
• Onega Bay, Dvinskaya, Mezenskaya;
• Kandalaksha Bay.

The bottom relief of this beautiful place is very diverse and uneven. Thus, a “shallow” Throat interferes with water exchange with Barents Sea. This fact, plus its partial polar position, has given this place the title of “warmest” in the Arctic.

On the one hand, the sea belongs to the Arctic Ocean basin, one of the most severe in terms of climate. On the other hand, it partially extends beyond the Arctic Circle and strongly cuts into the land. Therefore for given climate characterized by marine and continental features, oceanic and continental.

The first mention of the White Pond dates back to the eleventh century. Of course, it wasn’t “White” then. The spacious banks along with the smooth surface of the water were widely used by Novgorodians for trade. The places here were rich in animals and fish, and therefore developed quickly.

One of the very first settlements on the coast was Kholmogory (fourteenth century). They were the ones who became Russian international seaport number one. Trade ships departed from Russia through this part of the World Ocean to Denmark.

In the mid-sixteenth century, a foreign ship arrived here for the first time. These were the British. Then they were looking for a northern route to India. Be that as it may, thanks to the commander of the ship, Europe learned more about the Russian North. Moreover, with this chance visit, trade between England and Russia began along the chosen waterway.

After the British there were the Dutch and other foreigners. The main Russian trade routes passed through the White Sea. When St. Petersburg was founded, the main waterways moved to the Baltic. And later, from the beginning of the twentieth century, most of the traffic was carried out through the Barents Sea.

Why did it happen? The White Sea is covered with ice for more than six months of the year. But this fact is not very convenient for trading. But let's get back to the title. It's time to find out more about the origin of the now familiar designation of a wide expanse of water.

About the origin of the toponym

Until the seventeenth century, the warm northern sea changed several names. It was

• Cold (still covered with ice for 6 months);
• Solovetsky (by the name of the islands);
• Northern (by location);
• Calm (what kind of storms are there if there is ice all around);
• White Bay (almost the entire surface of the reservoir is deepened into land).

IN Scandinavian myths The expanses of water were called Gandvik. At first, this term denoted the entire Arctic Ocean, including the seas of its basin. If you look at this name, the second part means “bay”, the first part means “monster”. It turns out to be “Bay of Monsters”.

Later, this area is designated on maps as Grandvicus sinus. It was the middle of the 16th century. But by its end there were two names: Russian - “White Sea” and Scandinavian - “Grandvicus sinus”. This is evidenced by Mercator's maps, where the northern water pool designated "Bella more id est Album mare". By the end of the seventeenth century, only the Russian name remained.

By the way, in myths there is also such a name as “Bay of Snakes”. There were no snakes in the salt water, of course. It owes this designation to its curved, serpentine shape.

Why "White"?

The color is widely used in various names given by the Russian people. The basis is taken not only from the direct values ​​of the color itself (shades in the spectrum), but also semantic meanings, symbolic. Why is Red Square called Red Square? Where did the red corner come from in the house? For what reason did the girl and the fellow turn red?

And there is also the Red Sea. Plus Black, Yellow. And, of course, White.

Hypotheses for the appearance of the White Sea in the name familiar to contemporary people:

1. Because for more than half a year it is covered with dazzling white ice. To many researchers, this explanation seems the most likely. When you look at pictures taken from space, you see a bright serpentine strip of pure ice.

2. Because it reflects the northern white sky. The color of the water near the sea, freed from ice, also has a characteristic tint. And it doesn't matter what the weather is. The white tint remains.

3. Because the country of Hyperborea was once located on these lands. The famous mystical civilization (like Atlantis) existed “beyond the north wind” (“beyond Boreas”). Life here flourished. People died when they got tired of living. They knew neither strife nor illness. It was this polar civilization that ruled all nations. Even Atlantis was once its colony.

The semantic meaning of white is “divine”, “heavenly”, “spherical”. And prosperous Hyperborea, the “mother” of other mystical civilizations, was located on the territory of the modern White Sea. For this reason, the area acquired a name that indirectly asserts spiritual prosperity and divine purpose.

In searching for an answer to the question of why the sea is called that way, you can come across a lot of assumptions and hypotheses. Let's look at the most convincing of them. We will also try to answer the question of why the sea is called the sea and nothing else.

Why is a collection of salt water in a vast depression of land called a sea? Some sources claim that the word "sea" comes from the Proto-Slavic form *morje. The word itself originates from Israeli mythology and biblical stories, where it denoted not only part of the world's oceans, but also various other bodies of water. It is noteworthy that this word had another interpretation. The ancient Jews sometimes used it to designate all the world's evils.

Now let’s try to figure out why some seas have such unusual names and whether they are directly related to the color palette.

Why is the Black Sea called black?

There are several answers to this question. According to one theory, this sea got its name thanks to the Turks, who for a long time were unable to cross it in order to conquer the peoples inhabiting the coastal strip. It was then that they gave him the nickname “Kara-den-giz”, which means “inhospitable”, “unkind”. Well, black color, obviously, was associated with bad hospitality.

Sailors who sail on it say that it appears black during a storm. But in fairness, it is worth saying that this sea is stormy with a force above 6 points only 20 days a year, and the rest of the time it seems more azure than black.

There is a version that it got its name due to the silt washed ashore, but it is also larger gray than black.

The version that seems more plausible is that the Black Sea got its name due to the fact that any object lowered to its bottom and removed from there after some time will be black, which it will acquire due to the accumulation of hydrogen sulfide at great depths. And who called the Black Sea black for the first time, history is silent.

Why is the Red Sea called red?

There are two main versions of the answer to this question. According to one, it appears red when a special kind of algae blooms. According to another version, it was first named so by travelers who saw coastal rocks reflected in its waters, colored red by sunset or sunrise.

It is noteworthy that this sea is not called red in the language of the peoples living on its shores. In this area it is more commonly called reed or reed because of the rapid growth of these plants in the vicinity of the Suez Canal.

Why is the Dead Sea called dead?

Death by swimming in waters of Dead The sea is definitely not in danger for you, rather, quite the opposite. High concentration healthy salts in this sea it has a pronounced healing and even rejuvenating effect on the human body.

But many other organisms cannot live in these waters, for which such a concentration of salts, which does not even allow the human body to sink to the bottom of this sea, is simply lethal. The density of the water in this sea is many times greater than the density of fresh water. It has also been noted that the oxygen content in the air in the Dead Sea region is 15% higher, and people sunbathing on its shores do not experience the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.

Why is the White Sea called white?

But we know the answer to the question of who first called the White Sea white, quite reliably. This name appears on the map of Peter Plaitsius, which was compiled at the end of the 16th century. The more common and most supported version of why the White Sea is called white is the version that the water in it really has a whitish tint, which does not change depending on weather conditions. It is believed that the sea acquires this shade due to the reflection of the white northern sky in it.

The sacred and beautiful, cold and calm White Sea, which stands out with its characteristic outlines on the map of Russia, has given rise to more than one legend.

Not only are the stories about monsters and miracles taken from Scandinavian mythology and Orthodox chronicles of the northern lands interesting. The origin of the name itself is mysterious: scientists are still plagued by doubts why the White Sea is called that.

The White Sea is located in the Arctic Ocean basin. It is deeply “integrated” into the mainland, and therefore lies almost entirely south of the Arctic Circle.

This is partly why the White Sea is considered the warmest of the entire Arctic basin. Relatively small in size, in area it can only compete with Azov (in Russia).

Origin of the name of the White Sea

The most popular version blames the name of the sea on ice, which completely hides the water most of the year.

Under the thick white crust and snow-covered hills, it is difficult to recognize the raging elements. From an airplane, the sea looks like a winding ribbon from a neat apron of a first-grader.

There are two more elegant versions of the origin of the White Sea toponym:

1. The Northern White Sea was considered sacred, so it was given a color that has a light, divine meaning. Initially, the meaning of its name was closely related to the Celestial Sphere.

2. The sea was called white for its fantastic ability to maintain this shade of water at any time of the year.

Even in summer, it reflects the grayish sky, preventing the expanses from taking on the characteristic blue tone.

On other days there is thick fog above the surface. And even a drizzle of rain, smoothly turning into snow, does not change the majestic picture.

One could stop at these beautiful and cold theories, if not for a few ancient legends and scientific facts.

What was the White Sea called before?

The ice-covered reservoir changed its name several times - from Severny and Studeny to Solovetsky (islands with the same name are still located in its waters).

Some peoples called it Calm, others called it not even the sea, but the White Bay.

But the most interesting names it was given by Scandinavian mythology: the Bay of Serpents and the Bay of Monsters (“Gand-vik”, or “Kanda”).

Presumably, their imagination was influenced by the harsh nature of the Arctic Ocean and the serpentine shape of the sea: from above, it resembles a curling ribbon or a curved reptile.

Other "white" seas

White color is a popular solution not only in interior design, but also when choosing a variety of geographical names.

On the map you can find not only “white” spots, but also various rivers, seas and peaks of the same shade.

It is interesting that Lithuanians and Latvians call the Baltic Sea white in their languages. Since ancient times, the word Balt meant the color snow.

Therefore, every self-respecting Baltic has no doubt that Baltijas is White.

There is another sea that has taken on an innocent shade - the Aegean. Only the Greeks call it Aegean.

But the Bulgarians (and other Slavs from the southern shores) still, like centuries ago, are not inferior to them, assuring that the true name of the sea is White. And from here comes another theory as to why the Russian White Sea is called that.

Toponymy from the Mediterranean

There is a version that during the Middle Ages, pilgrims from Russia often visited monasteries in Serbia and Bulgaria. There they could get acquainted with the true White Sea and bring the historical name to their northern latitudes.

Confirmation of this is often found in chronicles, so the version has the right to life. True, historians cannot reliably name the starting point of the toponym, because in some sources the Aegean Sea is called the White Sea, and in others - the Mediterranean.

Why, you ask, was it necessary to borrow other people's names for their native places?

Scientists have an answer: in the Middle Ages, most of the Russian north had pagan names. The sea kept its Scandinavian roots and was called Kanda Bay.

During the period of active pilgrimage, monks from the Solovetsky Islands undertook to “change the picture” in the Orthodox, truly Slavic direction.

But where do you get ideas? Of course, from the source of wisdom - from the Christian lands on the Mediterranean.

This is how Solovki appeared (you won’t believe it!) its own Mount Golgotha, as well as Mount Sinai and Mount Olivet not far from the Pomeranian villages.

And then, on a map dated 1592, the toponym White Sea appeared for the first time.