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29-511: It is surrounded by the White Sea to the west and by the Barents Sea to the north and east. Shoyna (also spelled Shoina) is one of the few communities on the peninsula and situated on the western side. A settlement of some 300 people in 2010, historically it had a much larger population (1,500 in the 1950s). However, the destruction of the local fishing industry as a result of overfishing led to

58-399: A loss of population in the region, resulting in much of the settlement being reclaimed by sand. An airstrip and lighthouse are also near Shoyna. For cetaceans, beluga whales are most commonly found. Male sperm whales are known to occur as well. There are 29 butterfly species in the forest-tundra and 14 species in the hypoarctic tundra. The data on the fauna and distribution of species in

87-640: Is a developing seaweed industry. The White Sea is an important traffic centre of northwestern Russia, interconnecting various economic regions and providing an outlet to the foreign routes. The White Sea–Baltic Canal links it through Lake Onega to the Baltic Sea and the major city and port of Saint Petersburg . The Baltic Sea, in turn, is connected by the Volga–Baltic Waterway to the Volga River , Black , Caspian , and Azov seas. The major ports on

116-630: Is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia . It is surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola Peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the northeast. The whole of the White Sea is under Russian sovereignty and considered to be part of the internal waters of Russia. Administratively, it is divided between the Arkhangelsk and Murmansk oblasts and

145-718: Is a specific feature of the northern part of the Kanin Peninsula and Kolguev Island, pointing to the connection of the biota of these territories with the subarctic regions of Fennoscandia . The climate on the Kanin Peninsula has cold winters with moderate maritime influences and cool summers. The north has a tundra climate ( ET ) and the south a subarctic climate ( Dfc ) thanks to the warmer summers. White Sea The White Sea ( Russian : Белое море , romanized :  Beloye more ; Karelian and Finnish : Vienanmeri , lit.   'Dvina Sea'; Nenets : Сэрако ямʼ , romanized:  Serako yam )

174-561: Is an underwater ridge in the northern part of the gorlo , resulting in maximum depths of 40 metres in that part. This hinders water exchange between the White and Barents seas. The exchange is assisted by the tides , which are semidiurnal (rising twice a day), with the amplitude increasing from 1 metre on the south to 10 metres in Mezen Bay. Currents are rather weak in the open seas with the speed below 1 km/h, but they significantly strengthen in

203-580: Is brought during the snow melting in May, and the inflow is minimal in February–March. This inflow raises and lowers the sea level that promotes the water exchange with the Barents Sea. As a result, annually, about 2,000 km and 2,200 km flow in and out of the White Sea, respectively. The inflow of fresh water in spring decreases the surface salinity in the top 5–10-metre layer to 23‰ (parts per thousand) in

232-511: Is one of the four seas named (not only in English) after common colour terms —the others being the Black , Red and Yellow seas. The International Hydrographic Organization defines the northern limit of the White Sea as "A line joining Svyatoy Nos ( Murmansk Coast, 39°47'E) and Cape Kanin ". There are four main bays or gulfs on the White Sea. These bays connect with the funnel-shaped opening to

261-514: The Republic of Karelia . The major port of Arkhangelsk is located on the White Sea. For much of Russia's history this was Russia's main centre of international maritime trade, conducted by the Pomors ("seaside settlers") from Kholmogory . In the modern era it became an important Soviet naval and submarine base. The White Sea–Baltic Canal connects the White Sea with the Baltic Sea . The White Sea

290-644: The 'gorlo', opposite to the Kola Peninsula , is Mezen Bay . It receives the Mezen River and the Kuloy River . Other major rivers flowing into the sea are the Vyg , Niva , Umba , Varzuga and Ponoy . The seabed of the central part and Dvina Bay is covered in silt and sand, whereas the bottom of the northern part, the Kandalaksha Gulf and Onega Bay is a mixture of sand and stones. Ice age deposits often emerge near

319-666: The Baltic Sea. From the 1920s, most northern Russian sea shipments diverted from the White Sea to the new port of Murmansk (officially founded in 1916), where the waters did not freeze in winter. The entire water area of the White Sea is the territorial waters of the Russian Federation. Any movement of foreign vessels on the White Sea is carried out in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation. The sea hosts more than 700 species of invertebrates , about 60 species of fish, and five species of marine mammals, including

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348-559: The Barents Sea via a narrow strait called " Gorlo " ( Russian : Горло , meaning "throat"). Kandalaksha Gulf lies in the western part of the White Sea; it is the deepest part of the sea, reaching 340 metres (1,115 feet). On the south, Onega Bay receives the Onega River . To the southeast, the Dvina Bay receives the Northern Dvina at the major port of Arkhangelsk . On the east side of

377-453: The White Sea are Arkhangelsk, Belomorsk , Onega , Mezen , Kem , Kandalaksha and Umba . Despite being frozen in winter, the sea remains navigable all year around because of deployment of icebreakers . White Sea Throat White Sea Throat ( Russian : Горло Белого моря ) is a strait in northwestern Russia. It separates the Kola Peninsula from the Winter Coast , and connects

406-566: The White Sea route. Dutch ships soon followed the English, and the port of Kholmogory became busy with shipments of fur and fish. Local and foreign shops and factories were established in the city at that time. The port was reinforced with a fortress which sustained a siege by the Polish-Lithuanian army in 1613. Increasing traffic overloaded the port, which relied on shallow river-waters and had limited ship-capacity. However, instead of expanding

435-714: The bays. The tidal waves are much faster than the regular currents and reach the speeds of 9 km/h in Mezen Bay, 3.6 km/h in Onega Bay and 1.3 km/h in the Kandalaksha Gulf. Rivers bring annually about 215 km of fresh water, on average, mostly to the Onega, Mezen and Dvina bays. The Northern Dvina alone may contribute up to 171 km in some years, with the Mezen, Onega, Kem and Vyg rivers adding up to 38.5, 27.0, 12.5 and 11.5 km , respectively. About 40% of this volume

464-404: The central part, but remains relatively cold in the north, at 7–8 °С, due to the water exchange between the surface and the cold bottom part which is enhanced by the shallow depths in the northern parts. Deep sea (about 100 m or more) is characterised by stable temperature (−1.4 °С) and salinity (30‰). The depth distribution of water temperature is very inhomogeneous across the sea. For example, at

493-497: The command of Hugh Willoughby , his crew had sought a northern route to the Indies , especially India and China. The expedition, sponsored by King Edward VI of England and a group of about 240 English merchants, had London's authorisation to establish trade connections. The ships of Willoughby were separated and the other two were lost at sea, but Edward Bonaventure managed to pass the White Sea and reach Kholmogory, from where Chancellor

522-739: The eastern and 26–27‰ in the western parts of the sea, reaching 10–12‰ in Dvina Bay; it also increases the content of silicon and silicates in water, which is a characteristic feature of the White Sea. Storms are the strongest in October–November. Shallow sea depths reduce the wave height to the average of 1 metre, sometimes reaching 3–5 metres. The sea is quiet in July–August. The climate varies between polar and subarctic with frequent fogs and clouds. Winds are predominantly southwestern in winter with speeds of 4–8 m/s. They bring cold air from

551-402: The exit from Dvina Bay, water temperature drops to 0 °C at the depth of only 12–15 m, but the same temperature is reached at 65 m at the exit from the Kandalaksha Gulf. Residents of Novgorod knew of the White Sea from at least the 11th century and rapidly explored its commercial significance for navigation and its coastal forests rich in fur animals . One of the earliest settlements near

580-429: The forest-tundra of the Kanin Peninsula are generally typical of this natural zone. The most abundant species are Erebia disa , Oeneis norna , Clossiana freija , Pieris napi , and Vacciniina optilete . The dominant species in southern tundra localities are Erebia euryale , Erebia pandrose , and Boloria aquilonaris , which coincides with the result of the 1903 research. A high abundance of E. pandrose

609-533: The friendly beluga and the white whale. Several other dolphin species, such as harbour porpoises , appear less frequently while larger whales such as bowhead , humpback and rorquals , northern bottlenose , orcas have been considered as rare visitors to the waters while actual frequency of occurrences within White Sea basin is not specified. The fishing industry is relatively small, mostly targeting harp seal , ringed seal , herring , saffron cod , European smelt , Atlantic cod and Atlantic salmon . There

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638-429: The old port, Ivan IV established a new one down-river in 1584, called New Kholmogory, which from 1596 began to become known as Arkhangelsk. Between the 15th and early 18th centuries, the White Sea served as the major trade route in and out of Russia. This role decreased later after the foundation of Saint Petersburg (1703), which opened a more direct ice-free connection between Russia and the bulk of Western Europe via

667-625: The sea shores grew up in the late 14th century at Kholmogory , on the Northern Dvina . From there, in 1492, a merchant fleet laden with grain and carrying ambassadors of Ivan III of Russia sailed to Denmark, marking the establishment of the first international seaport in Russia . The first foreign ship to arrive in Kholmogory was the English Edward Bonaventure commanded by Richard Chancellor in 1553. Together with two other ships under

696-477: The sea shores. Northwestern coasts are tall and rocky but the slope is much weaker at the southeastern side. The White Sea contains a large number of islands, but most of them are small. The main island group is the Solovetsky Islands , located almost in the middle of the sea, near the entrance to Onega Bay. Kiy Island in Onega Bay is significant due to a historic monastery. Velikiy Island, located close to

725-449: The sea, which increases from 24 to 26‰ in the centre to 30.5‰ in the gorlo , reaching 34.0–34.5‰ toward the Barents Sea. The freezing period varies from year to year as shown in the satellite image to the right. The ice is not stationary, but 90% of it is floating and is continuously removed to the Barents Sea. Ice thickness is usually about 40 cm but may reach 150 cm in cold winters. In summer, surface water warms up to 15 °С in

754-626: The shore, is the largest island in the Kandalaksha Gulf. The White Sea is a water-filled depression in the block of a continental shelf known as the Baltic Shield . Its bottom is very uneven and contains the Kandalaksha Hollow in the northwest and the Solovetsky Islands in the south. Also, the Onega Bay has many small underwater elevations. The opening and the gorlo of the sea are rather shallow, with depths about 50 metres or less. There

783-609: The south, establishing the temperature of about −15 °C (February) over most of the sea. The northern part is warmer at about −9 °C, sometimes reaching −6 °C, due to the warm air masses from the Atlantic. Arctic anticyclones, however, change winds to the northeastern ones, bringing much colder weather with temperatures of about −25 °C. Summers are cold, cloudy and relatively humid, with northeastern winds and frequent rains. Average July temperatures are 8–10 °C. Occasional southeastern winds bring warm air from Europe, raising

812-439: The temperature to 17–19 °C and sometimes even to 30 °C. Annual precipitations increase from 282 mm in the north 529 in the south. In winter, from October–November to April–May, the sea freezes, with the average January water temperatures of −1.9 °C in the north, between −1.3 and −1.7 °С in the centre, and between −0.5 and −0.7 °С in the bays. These variations are due to the distribution of water salinity across

841-611: Was escorted to Moscow to meet the Russian Tsar , Ivan IV . Returning from Russia in 1554, Chancellor brought back a detailed description of Moscow and the Russian north, which were largely unknown to Europe, as well as a letter from the Tsar expressing desire to establish trade relations with England. In 1555 Queen Mary issued a charter authorising the Muscovy Company to trade with Russia via

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