List of 5 Largest Gulfs in the World
The largest gulfs in the world play a major role in trade, marine life, and geography. Discover the top 5 and their impressive surface areas.
Have you ever looked at a map and thought about what are those large bodies of water near the coast? The majority of them are gulfs. A gulf is a large body close to oceans. It has land on three sides and ocean or sea on one side. Gulfs are bigger than bays. These are significant for sea fishing, trade and shipping. Below are the five biggest gulfs based upon their surface area.
List of Largest Gulfs in the World
| Rank | Gulf | Surface Area |
| 1 | Gulf of Guinea | 2,350,000 km² |
| 2 | Gulf of Mexico | 1,550,000 km² |
| 3 | Gulf of Alaska | 1,533,000 km² |
| 4 | Hudson Bay | 1,230,000 km² |
| 5 | Gulf of Aden | 410,000 km² |
1. Gulf of Guinea
The Gulf of Guinea is situated on the west coast of Africa. Its surface area is 2,350,000 square kilometers. This is actually bigger than the Gulf of Mexico in size.
There's something special about this gulf. It is the one place in the world where the Equator and the Prime Meridian intersect. This position is at 0° latitude, 0° longitude. This imaginary point is known as "Null Island". Big rivers like the Niger and Volta flow into the Gulf of Guinea.
2. Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is one of the world's biggest gulf. It is approximately 1,550,000 square kilometres. Five US states touch this gulf which are Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida.
The Gulf of Mexico is linked to the Atlantic Ocean via the Straits of Florida and linked to the Caribbean Sea via the Yucatan Channel.
3. Gulf of Alaska
The Gulf of Alaska is in the northern part of the world. It's located on the south coast in the United States of Alaska. The surface area of it is 1533000 square kilometers.
The Gulf of Alaska is home to many key fish species. Fishing is among the leading professions among the people of this gulf. It also has oil under the sea, near an area called Cook Inlet.
4. Hudson Bay
The Hudson Bay is located in Canada. It has a surface area of 1,230,000 square kilometers. It is known as "bay" but is classified as a gulf by geographers as almost all sides are covered with land.
It is 1,370 km long and 1,050 km wide. It is not very deep. Average depth is as low as 100 metres. Many rivers from a very large area drain into Hudson Bay. This area covers portions of numerous Canadian Provinces and even portions of the U.S. States.
Henry Hudson was an explorer and was the reason behind the name Hudson Bay. It is very cold in the bay, keeping it frozen for most of the year.
5. Gulf of Aden
The Gulf of Aden is a link between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. It is located between the Arabian coast to the North, and the coast of the Horn of Africa to the South. The horn of Africa is the triangular section of Africa which extends towards Asia. The deepest part of it reaches 2700 metres down.
Every year, more than 20 000 ships pass through the Gulf of Aden. It is through here that ships pass which transport oil to Europe from the Middle East, as well as ships which transport goods back and forth between Asia and Europe. This makes it one of the most important and heavily busy waterways of the world.
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