Volga Delta

Together they form a "vast (more than 300 km2 (120 sq mi)) and extremely diverse area of western substeppe ilmens (WSI)" which, because of the varying degrees of wetness and salinization, house a wealth of flora and fauna.

[3] The origin of these mounds and ilmens is still debated: the early suggestion that they were formed by aeolian (wind) action is now discredited, and now they are thought to have arisen either underwater or through river flow.

[4] The second zone, in the delta proper, generally has very little relief (usually less than one metre), and is the site of active and abandoned water channels, small dunes and algal flats.

The lotus has been adopted as the motif of the national flag of the neighbouring Kalmyks, since it is a venerated symbol in their Buddhist beliefs – they are the sole European people of Mongolian (Oirat) origin.

The delta has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports significant numbers of many waterbird species, including breeding squacco herons, great white egrets and Dalmatian pelicans.

The Volga discharges large amounts of industrial waste and sediment into the relatively shallow northern part of the Caspian Sea.

Volga Delta and northwestern Caspian Sea. While most of the green seen in this image appears to be diluted mud, some may be phytoplankton or algal blooms , particularly in the lower right corner of the image.
The Volga Delta is the only place in Russia where flamingoes may be found.