Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Guanabara Bay
Guanabara Bay, with Sugar Loaf Mountain in the background, southeastern Brazil.
list of bays and gulfs
Bays and gulfs are concavities formed by tidal erosion in the coastline of an ocean, lake, or sea. The difference between a bay and a gulf is not clearly defined, but the term bay usually refers to a body of water somewhat smaller than a gulf. Numerous exceptions, however, are found throughout the world, such as the Bay of Bengal, which is larger than the Gulf of Mexico and about the same size as the Arabian Sea. This is a list of bays and gulfs, ordered alphabetically by continent or region and by country. Fjords—deep, glacially formed inlets—are also included. (See also list of fjords.)
Africa
Asia
Australia
Europe
North America
Oceania (Pacific region)
South America
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.
Discover how ordinary objects work, and expand your understanding of the familiar.
" height="20" alt="HEW Logo">
By clicking "Sign Up", you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.