Sea of Azov

A much larger part of the Sea of Azov, skirting along the southern coast.  The right hand margin is the intended map edge for the time being, but I'll be adding to the bottom edge.  That, too, will largely be water, specifically the Black Sea, as the Timan and Kerch peninsulas meet as two narrow hands, cutting off the Azov.  As any map shows.

The swamp on the east is more than just soggy ground, it is a mixture of shallow lagoons and estuaries affected by tides, with reed beds and marshes.  The tides are only 1 to 8 inches (2 to 20 cm).  The reed beds are tall, 6 to 10 feet (2-3 meters), while the marshes are waterlogged the year round.  Spots have quagmires that can trap and sink a person attempting to cross them.  The water is brackish, the ground water affected by the saltiness of the sea.

Usually, a boat or skiff is necessary to cross or move about in these places.  The Ottoman Turks have authority here, governing through the Emir of Kubanistan.  Emirs are typically military leaders; unlike other parts of the empire that are mastered by Beys, which act as governors who take their orders from Constantinople, Emirs tend to rule as independents, often with an army that does not take orders from the Sultan or the Vizier... though the latter would be responsible for granting monies to the Emir.  The political organisation of the Ottoman Empire is interesting, but I won't go into now.

Kubanistan is beset by many tribal enemies, though not by any large organised force.  The land itself consists of a harsh steppe that is flat and subject to extreme weather conditions, particularly dry summers that make agriculture difficult.  The large swampy areas on the north resisted trade, while the better routes followed the Don River to where it was practical to cross over to the Volga, thus avoiding the northern Caucasus plains altogether (those between the Black and Caspian seas).  Flocks were raised, moving from grassland to grassland, but with raiders to the north, east and south, even this was made difficult.  It just wasn't a great part of the world, though we'll only skirt the edge of the large province, we'll show enough to demonstrate a poor infrastructure.