Kazakhstan’s Munaily District near the Caspian Sea shoreline

iss074e0672348 (June 5, 2026) --- Kazakhstan’s Munaily District, near the Caspian Sea shoreline, is a sparsely populated region with exposed flats and a rapid decline in water level due to evaporation and reduced input from the Volga River. Ports along the Caspian shoreline support the petroleum, chemical, and agriculture industries. The International Space Station was orbiting 263 miles above eastern Kazakhstan at the time of this photograph.