Bothnian Bay

Bothnian Bay
Bay of Bothnia
The rocky shoreline of Ohtakari, in the southeast of the bay
Bothnian Bay Location of the Bothnian Bay in Europe
Location	Fennoscandia
Coordinates	65°N 023°E / 65°N 23°E / 65; 23
Type	Sea
Primary outflows	Bothnian Sea
Catchment area	260,675 km2 (100,647 sq mi)
Basin countries	Finland, Norway, and Sweden
Surface area	36,800 km2 (14,200 sq mi)
Average depth	43 m (141 ft)
Max. depth	147 m (482 ft)
Water volume	1,490 km3 (360 cu mi)
Frozen	110–190 days annually

The Bothnian Bay or Bay of Bothnia (Swedish: Bottenviken; Finnish: Perämeri) is the northernmost part of the Gulf of Bothnia, which is in turn the northern part of the Baltic Sea. The land holding the bay is still rising after the weight of ice-age glaciers has been removed, and within 2,000 years the bay will be a large freshwater lake since its link to the south Kvarken is mostly less than 20 metres (66 ft) deep. The bay today is fed by several large rivers, and is relatively unaffected by tides, so has low salinity. It freezes over each year for up to six months. Compared to other parts of the Baltic, it has little plant or animal life.