Dniester Estuary

Dniester Estuary
The coast of the estuary near the castle of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi
Dniester Estuary
Location	Black Sea
Coordinates	46°14′N 30°21′E / 46.233°N 30.350°E / 46.233; 30.350
River sources	Dniester
Ocean/sea sources	Atlantic Ocean
Basin countries	Ukraine
Max. length	45.2 km (28.1 mi)
Max. width	12 km (7.5 mi)
Surface area	360–408 km2 (139–158 sq mi)
Average depth	1.8 m (5 ft 11 in)
Max. depth	2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)
Water volume	0.2 km3 (0.048 cu mi)
Settlements	Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Ovidiopol, Shabo, Zatoka
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Northern Part of the Dniester Liman
Designated	23 November 1995
Reference no.	765[1]

Dniester Estuary, or Dniester Liman (Ukrainian: Дністровський лиман; Romanian: Limanul Nistrului) is a liman, formed at the point where the river Dniester flows into the Black Sea. It is located in Ukraine, in Odesa Oblast, and connects Budjak to the Ukrainian mainland. The city of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi lies on its western shore and Ovidiopol on its eastern shore. Shabo, situated downstream of Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, is known for its wine. The estuary hosts the Bilhorod-Dnistrovsky Seaport.

The area of the liman varies between 360 and 408 km², it is 42.5 km long and has maximum width of 12 km. The average depth is 1.8 m, the maximum depth 2.7 m.

On the spit separating the liman from the open Black Sea to the south is the resort town of Zatoka. The only entirely Ukrainian road connecting to Budjak is the H33 along the spit; to avoid the marshes at the northern end of the liman, Highway M15 has to cross into Moldova. The Dniester Liman is the closest open body of water to landlocked Moldova; only 3 km of Ukrainian territory separates Moldova from the Black Sea.