To reach a wider audience, the Caspian Environment Programme (CEP), in close cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and GRID-Arendal, is publishing these Vital Caspian Graphics. Our ambition is to provide a broad picture, in a concise and highly visual form, of issues relevant to the environment of the Caspian Sea and the surrounding area, including security, geopolitics and the exploration of natural resources. Though easy to look at and read, the graphics are nevertheless based on reliable scientific data and facts.