Gulf of Riga

Gulf of Riga
Location in Northern Europe.
Gulf of Riga
Location	Europe
Coordinates	57°45′N 23°30′E / 57.750°N 23.500°E / 57.750; 23.500
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.