Named coastal gulfs and their geographic relationships. Named bays belong in Bays; connecting marine passages belong in Straits.
Test your knowledge with these top questions!
Which ocean current circles counterclockwise through the Gulf of Alaska off southern Alaska?
The Alaska Current carries relatively warm water westward along the coast, softening winters and feeding rich fisheries.
Which tanker caused the 1989 oil spill in Prince William Sound in the Gulf of Alaska?
The tanker ran aground on Bligh Reef and spilled about 11 million gallons of crude oil into the sound.
Which river waterway empties into the northern Persian Gulf at the Iran-Iraq border?
The waterway forms where the Tigris and Euphrates meet, then flows about 200 kilometers southeast to the gulf.
Which country forms most of the Persian Gulf eastern shoreline?
Iran holds the long northern and eastern shore of the gulf, facing six Arab states across the water.
Which tiny porpoise lives only in the northern Gulf of California?
Fewer than two dozen vaquitas remain, threatened mainly by entanglement in illegal fishing nets.
Which peninsula does the Gulf of California separate from mainland Mexico?
The gulf runs about 700 miles between the Baja California Peninsula and mainland Mexico.
Which Iranian island is the largest island in the Persian Gulf?
Qeshm sits in the Strait of Hormuz and is known for its salt caves, mangrove forests, and star-shaped valleys.
Which narrow strait links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman?
At its narrowest point the strait is about 21 miles wide, with separate inbound and outbound shipping lanes.
Which US state forms the northern and eastern shores of the Gulf of Alaska?
The gulf curves around southern Alaska from the Alaska Peninsula to the islands of Southeast Alaska.
Which major river empties into the Gulf of Mexico through its delta in Louisiana?
The Mississippi drains about 40 percent of the continental United States before reaching the Gulf.