Caspian Sea

At the southeastern corner of the Caspian, the long sandy spit of Miankaleh almost encloses the shallow Gulf of Gorgan, also called Astarabad Bay. Streams descend from the wooded slopes of the Alborz to the lagoon, while the country east of it becomes drier towards the Gorgan steppe. Near the end of the spit lie the islands of Ashuradeh, at the entrance to the bay.