evidence: An inland sea, the Azov sea is located in Eastern Europe and is connected to the Black Sea through the 4 km long Kerch Strait, whose narrowest point lies in the Azov sea. [...] Azov sea has been a bone of contention between Russia and Ukraine; however, it is dominated by the former. If one were to go back to the Cold War, the Sea of Azov would have been the smallest sea of the nations that made up the erstwhile Soviet Union. [...] Azov sea is connected to the Atlantic Ocean through the Black, Aegean, Marmara and Mediterranean seas. As the steppes around the Azov sea became populated in the 19th century and railway lines connecting the sea with the interiors were laid, the Azov sea facilitated maritime trade and commerce.