Called Pohjanlahti in Finland, and Bottniska Viken in Sweden, The Gulf of Bothnia occupies the northern most part of the Baltic Sea. It is framed by Sweden on the left, Finland on the right, and the Åland Islands on the bottom. Approximately 45,200 square miles of water, the Gulf of Bothnia has a North-South distance of 450 miles and an East-West distance that varies from 50 miles to 150 miles. The deepest part of the gulf is 965 feet, and the gulf has an average depth of about 200 feet. The Gulf, along with the large number of lakes in Finland, help regulate the temperature in the nation.
Several rivers from both Finland and Sweden empty into the Gulf of Bothnia. Because of this, the Gulf has lower salinity than ocean water found in other parts of the world. Being close to the Arctic Circle, this means lots of ice come the wintertime. The ice gets so bad that icebreaking ships abandon the northern most ports to help out with the more southern ports. Those northern ports are usually closed from January to the end of April, if not early May. The average temperature in January ranges from -4° to -12° c.
Some Ports on the Gulf:
Rivers that Flow into the Gulf:
Wildlife Found in the Gulf or Washed Upon the Shore:
Encyclopedia Britannica - 15th Edition: Published 1998. Micropaedia Volume 2, Bayeu to Ceanothus, page 410.
The Land and People of Finland Charbonneau, Claudette & Lander, Patricia. J. B. Lippincott, New York, 1990
Library of Nations: Scandinavia Editor: George Constable. Time-Life Books, Amsterdam 1985
http://www.vattenkikaren.gu.se/fakta/sandbe.html , Aquascope-Facts-Sand Beach-Gulf of Bothnia