LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Black Sea: Black Sea Coast
built 643 days ago
The Black Sea is an inland sea in Eastern Europe, surrounded by Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania. It is connected to the Mediterranean by the Bosphorus Strait. A Black Sea cruise will take you to lands known best for their history, variety of terrains, unique cultures and long-standing traditions. Port calls in the Ukraine, Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania are featured and sailings are typically 7 to 14 nights in length. Enjoy the sunny Crimean Coast, the colorful day-to-day activities of Istanbul, or the therapeutic resorts of Odessa. Itineraries often include visits to Greece and Italy as well.
Source:
Five ships have sunk in the strongest storm the Black Sea has seen in 30 years. An oil tanker was broken in half by 6-meter high waves in Kerch Strait and now Russian and Ukrainian parts of the coast face the threat of unprecedented pollution.
Source:
In a period of only three decades, the Black Sea has suffered the catastrophic degradation of a major part of its natural resources. Increased loads of nutrients from rivers caused an overproduction of tiny phytoplankton, which in turn blocked the light reaching the sea grasses and algae, essential components of the sensitive ecosystem of the northwestern shelf. Much of the coastal ecosystem began to collapse. This problem, coupled with pollution and irrational exploitation of fish stocks, started a sharp decline in fisheries resources. Poor planning has destroyed much of the aesthetic resources of the coastlines Uncontrolled sewage pollution has led to frequent beach closures and considerable financial losses in the tourist industry. In some places, solid waste is being dumped directly in the sea or on valuable wetlands.
Source:
Situated on a rocky peninsula on the Black Sea, the more than 3,000-year-old site of Nessebar was originally a Thracian settlement (Mesembria). At the beginning of the 6th century B.C., the city became a Greek colony. The city's remains, which date mostly from the Hellenistic period, include the acropolis, a temple of Apollo, an agora and a wall from the Thracian fortifications. Among other monuments, the Stara Mitropolia Basilica and the fortress date from the Middle Ages, when this was one of the most important Byzantine towns on the west coast of the Black Sea. Wooden houses built in the 19th century are typical of the Black Sea architecture of the period.
Source:
The Black Sea coast has long been known for cures of arthritic, rheumatic, internal and nervous disorders. Eforie Nord and Mangalia Spas specialize in mud baths (the mud is taken from the area's salty lake waters) as well as in world famous "Gerovital" and "Aslavital" original rejuvenation treatments.
Source:
Navigation in the Black Sea began early. Many of the colonial and commercial activities of ancient Greece and Rome, and in later times of the Byzantine Empire, centred on it. However, recent archaeological studies show evidence of even earlier human presence in the area. It appears that during the Palaeolithic or Mesolithic periods (see Stone Age) people inhabited an area approximately 20 km (12 mi) north of the present Turkish coast, which is 95 m (312 ft) below the current surface of the sea. This discovery lends weight to the theory that the Black Sea was once a freshwater lake, with a much smaller surface area, but was flooded by the Mediterranean Sea about 7,600 years ago, when a change in sea level occurred.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Black Sea Coast