Gulf of Bothnia

Partly this frozen Gulf of Bothnia, satellite image (2002)

The Gulf of Bothnia (Swedish Bottniska viken; Finnish Pohjanlahti ) is the northern foothills of the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland. The name is related to the Swedish term for this part of the Baltic Sea, Botten Havet ( bottom - Sea, however if this is the original meaning of the name, or a popular etymological reinterpretation is uncertain ). At it limits the landscapes Norrbotten, Västerbotten and Ostrobothnia.

Since the Gulf of Bothnia is frozen for several months in the year, he has a minor role for the shipping. Yet there are some port cities, such as Luleå and Oulu.

The Gulf of Bothnia starts just north of the archipelago of Åland. The Åland Sea between the Swedish mainland and Åland and the Archipelago Sea between Åland and Finland disconnect the Gulf of Bothnia of the Baltic Proper. The Gulf of Bothnia consists of two basins, which are separated by the Straits Kvarken: The Bothnian Sea in the south and the Bothnian Bay in the north. In the Bothnian Bay, the salinity is so low that one can speak of brackish water. There live also many freshwater fish.

The frozen Gulf of Bothnia in Piteå

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