English: The world’s largest enclosed inland body of water, the Caspian Sea sits between Europe and Asia. Covering about 143,200 square miles (371,000 square kilometers) the vast body of water claims shoreline on five countries (Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan). In ancient times the Caspian Sea was economically important for fisheries and maritime trade. In modern times it has become an important source of abundant energy resources. The Caspian Sea is estimated to contain 48 billion barrels of oil and 8.7 trillion cubic meters of gas both in offshore deposits and in onshore fields. On April 5, 2017, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer aboard the Aqua satellite captured a true-color image of the Caspian Sea. The depth and salinity of the long lake varies from north to south – a change that creates changes in reflectance in the waters which are easily visible from space. The northern part of the Caspian Sea is shallow, measuring only about 16-20 feet (5-6 meters) deep while the southern end drops to more than 3,300 feet (1,000 meters). The tans and bright swirls of colors are not just from lake depth, but also from sediment at various levels in the water.