Gulf of Riga | |
---|---|
Location | Europe |
Coordinates | 57°45′N 23°30′E / 57.750°N 23.500°E |
Primary inflows | Daugava, Pärnu, Lielupe, Gauja, Salaca |
Surface area | 18,000 km2 (6,900 sq mi) |
Average depth | 26 m (85 ft) |
Max. depth | 54 m (177 ft)[1] |
Water volume | 424 km3 (344,000,000 acre⋅ft) |
Residence time | 30 years |
Frozen | Most or all during winter |
Settlements | Riga, Jūrmala, Pärnu, Kuressaare, Salacgrīva, Saulkrasti, Ainaži |
The Gulf of Riga, Bay of Riga, or Gulf of Livonia (Latvian: Rīgas līcis, Estonian: Liivi laht, Livonian: Piški meŗ, lit. 'Small Sea')[2] is a bay of the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Estonia.
The island of Saaremaa (Estonia) partially separates it from the rest of the Baltic Sea. The main connection between the gulf and the Baltic Sea is the Irbe Strait.
The Gulf of Riga, as a sub-basin of the Baltic, also includes the Väinameri Sea in the West Estonian archipelago.