Bay

Lore & Background

A bay is defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as a well-marked indentation in the coastline, whose penetration is in such proportion to the width of its mouth as to contain land-locked waters and constitute more than a mere curvature of the coast. An indentation is not regarded as a bay unless its area is as large as or larger than that of the semicircle whose diameter is a line drawn across the mouth of that indentation; otherwise it is referred to as a bight. Bays form variously by plate tectonics, coastal erosion by rivers, and glaciers. The largest bays have developed through plate tectonics as the supercontinent Pangaea broke up along curved and indented fault lines, creating bays such as the Gulf of Guinea, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Bay of Bengal, which is the world's largest bay. A bay formed by a glacier is a fjord, while rias are created by rivers and are characterized by more gradual slopes. Bays may be nested within each other; for example, Fig Tree Bay in Cyprus or James Bay is an arm of Hudson Bay in northeastern Canada. The land surrounding a bay often reduces the strength of winds and blocks waves. Bays may have as wide a variety of shoreline characteristics as other shorelines, and in some cases have beaches with a steep upper foreshore and a broad, flat fronting terrace.

Reader's Guide

Bays have been central to human activity due to their sheltered waters and access to marine resources. Historically, they provided safe anchorage for ships, leading to the development of major ports and trade routes. The legal definition of a bay under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea determines whether its waters are considered inland waters of a state or international waters, impacting rights to seabed minerals, fishing control, innocent passage, and international borders. Bays vary greatly in size and type, from small coves with narrow entrances to vast bodies like the Bay of Bengal. Their formation through tectonic, glacial, and erosional processes creates diverse coastal environments. The term 'embayment' is also used for related features such as extinct bays or freshwater environments. Bays continue to be ecologically and economically important, supporting fisheries, shipping, and recreation while their geological features influence local climate and wave action.

Did You Know?

• A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight.
• A cove is a small, circular bay with a narrow entrance.
• A fjord is an elongated bay formed by glacial action.