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Gulf of Riga

Coordinates: 57°45′N 23°30′E / 57.750°N 23.500°E / 57.750; 23.500
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gulf of Riga
Location in Northern Europe.
Gulf of Riga is located in Latvia
Gulf of Riga
Gulf of Riga
LocationEurope
Coordinates57°45′N 23°30′E / 57.750°N 23.500°E / 57.750; 23.500
Primary inflowsDaugava, Pärnu river, Lielupe, Gauja, Salaca
Surface area18,000 km2 (6,900 sq mi)
Average depth26 m (85 ft)
Max. depth54 m (177 ft)[1]
Water volume424 km3 (344,000,000 acre⋅ft)
Residence time30 years
FrozenMost or all during winter
SettlementsRiga, Jūrmala, Pärnu, Kuressaare, Salacgrīva, Saulkrasti, Ainaži

The Gulf of Riga, Bay of Riga, or Gulf of Livonia is a bay of the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Estonia.

The island of Saaremaa (Estonia) is between it and the rest of the Baltic Sea. The islands of Kihnu, and Ruhnu are also in the gulf. The main connection between the gulf and the Baltic Sea is the Irbe Strait.

The Gulf of Riga also includes the Väinameri Sea in the West Estonian archipelago.

The main rivers flowing into the gulf are the Daugava, Pärnu, Lielupe, Gauja, and Salaca.

In winter, most or all of the gulf freezes as the water is not very salty. People walk over the bay on the ice. Sometimes they need to be rescued. The thickest recorded ice was 90 centimetres (2 ft 11 in) thick in the winter of 1941–42. Ice hole fishing has been a traditional source of winter food, and is still common.[2]

References

[change | change source]
  1. "Gulf of Riga | Baltic Sea". Encyclopedia Britannica.
  2. Press, Associated (2013-03-29). "Latvia rescues 220 people stranded on ice floes in Gulf of Riga". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-08-21.