Gulf of Corinth


The Gulf of Corinth or the Corinthian Gulf is a deep inlet of the Ionian Sea, separating the Peloponnese from western mainland Greece. It is bounded in the east by the Isthmus of Corinth which includes the shipping-designed Corinth Canal and in the west by the Strait of Rion which widens into the shorter Gulf of Patras and of which the narrowest point is crossed since 2004 by the Rio–Antirrio bridge. The gulf is bordered by the large administrative divisions : Aetolia-Acarnania and Phocis in the north, Boeotia in the northeast, Attica in the east, Corinthia in the southeast and south and Achaea in the southwest. The gulf is in tectonic movement comparable to movement in parts of Iceland and Turkey, growing by per year.
In the Middle Ages, the gulf was known as the Gulf of Lepanto.
Shipping routes between the Greek commercial port Piraeus to western Mediterranean and hemisphere ports pass along this gulf. A ferry crosses the gulf to link Aigio and Agios Nikolaos, towards the western part of the gulf.
The gulf was created by the expansion of a tectonic rift due to the westward movement of the Anatolian Plate, and expands by per year. The surrounding faults can produce earthquakes up to magnitude around 6.5, though they are relatively uncommon. On June 15, 1995 an earthquake of magnitude 6.2 occurred near the city of Aigion. A large part of the northern margin of gulf is characterized by gentle gradients. The southern margin of the gulf is largely characterized by steep gradients.

Nature

s such as fin whales or dolphins are known to enter the Corinthian gulf occasionally.

Gulfs and bays

The main cities and towns that lie next to the gulf are, from the northwest clockwise, and grouped by regional unit:
All tributaries are listed west to east.

Northern