Caspian Sea

The Caspian Sea (Russian: Каспийское море) is a large saltwater lake and the world's largest inland body of water located in Central Asia that appears in Metro Exodus. The desertified area around what is left of it in the Metro universe is known as the Caspian Desert (Russian: Прикаспийская пустыня). It serves as the main setting of the Caspian chapter.

Overview
Before the war, the Caspian Sea was the largest lake in the world, with a surface area of 371 000 km2. Being away from major populated areas, the region (or at least the northern shore) was spared from nuclear bombing. The hardest was yet to come, however, as the region experienced desertification, and a large portion of the lake dried out, turning the former lake bed and the area around it into a scorching hot desert. Predictably, famine followed, and the surviving population fought over the few resources that remained. In recent years, the region came to be dominated by the Munai-bailer, a raider group that managed to secure the oil reserves and subsequently enslaved most of the local population.

Gallery
Каспийское море