Gulf of Corinth

Gulf of Corinth
The Peloponnesos, seen from space

The Gulf of Corinth or the Corinthian Gulf (Κορινθιακός Kόλπος, Korinthiakόs Kόlpos, in Greek) 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 route of the Corinth Canal, and in the west by the Strait of Rion, which separates the Gulf of Corinth from the outer Gulf of Patras at Cape Drepano, where the narrowest point is crossed by the Rio-Antirio bridge. The Gulf of Corinth is almost surrounded by the prefectures of Aetolia-Acarnania, 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 one of the most seismically active regions in Europe.

In medieval times, the gulf was known as the Gulf of Lepanto. Here the third Battle of Lepanto was fought in 1571, destroying the Ottoman fleet. In 1772 another Turkish fleet was destroyed by the Russians at the entrance to the gulf. The town of Lepanto is now named Naupactus.

Gulf of Corinth from Acrocorinth

The shipping routes between Athens and to the ports of the rest of the world including the Mediterranean ports pass along this gulf. Ferry routes link Aigio and Agios Nikolaos in the western part of the gulf.

The Corinth Canal
Rio-Antirio Bridge
  • Length: 130 km
  • Width: 8.4 to 32 km
  • Max Depth 935 m

Contents

Geology of the gulf

The Gulf is being created by the expansion of a tectonic rift due to the westward movement of the Anatolian Plate, and expands by 10 mm per year.[1] The surrounding faults can produce earthquakes up to magnitude 6.8, though they are relatively uncommon.

Gulfs and Bays

  • Crisaean Gulf, N
  • Dombraina (Domvrena), N
  • Strait of Rion W

Bridges

  • Rio-Antirio Bridge

Cities and towns

The cities and towns that lie next to the gulf are:

Tributaries

Northern ebbing

Southern ebbing

References

  1. ^ Ambraseys, N.N. & Jackson, J.A. 1997. Seismicity and strain in the Gulf of Corinth (Greece) since 1694. Journal of earthquake engineering, 1, 433-474

External links

Coordinates: 38°12′N 22°30′E / 38.2°N 22.5°E / 38.2; 22.5


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Gulf of Corinth — noun inlet of the Ionian Sea between central Greece and the Peloponnesus • Syn: ↑Gulf of Lepanto • Instance Hypernyms: ↑gulf • Part Holonyms: ↑Ionian Sea …   Useful english dictionary

  • Corinth Canal — Canal of Corinth Principal engineer István Türr and Béla Gerster Construction began 1881 …   Wikipedia

  • Corinth (disambiguation) — Corinth is a town in Greece. It may also refer to: Contents 1 Related to Corinth, Greece 2 Places in the United States 3 Places in Brazil 4 Places in Colombia …   Wikipedia

  • Corinth — [kôr′inth, kär′inth] 1. ancient city in the NE Peloponnesus, at the head of the Gulf of Corinth, noted for its luxury: fl. 7th 2d cent. B.C. 2. modern city near the site of ancient Corinth: pop. 12,000: Gr. name KORINTHOS 3. Gulf of arm of the… …   English World dictionary

  • Corinth,Isthmus of — Corinth, Isthmus of A narrow isthmus connecting central Greece with the Peloponnesus. It lies between the Gulf of Corinth and the Saronic Sea and is crossed by the Corinth Canal, constructed from 1881 to 1893. * * * …   Universalium

  • Corinth — /kawr inth, kor /, n. 1. an ancient city in Greece, on the Isthmus of Corinth: one of the wealthiest and most powerful of the ancient Greek cities. 2. a port in the NE Peloponnesus, in S Greece: NE of the site of ancient Corinth. 3. Gulf of. Also …   Universalium

  • Corinth — This article is about the modern Greek City of Corinth. For the ancient city, see Ancient Corinth. Corinth Κόρινθος Saint Paul church in Korinthos …   Wikipedia

  • Corinth — Cor•inth [[t]ˈkɔr ɪnθ, ˈkɒr [/t]] n. 1) geg an ancient city in Greece, on the Isthmus of Corinth 2) geg a port in the NE Peloponnesus, in S Greece: NE of the site of ancient Corinth 3) geg Gulf of. Also called Gulf of Lepanto an arm of the Ionian …   From formal English to slang

  • Corinth Canal — ▪ waterway, Greece  tidal waterway (canals and inland waterways) across the Isthmus of Corinth (Corinth, Isthmus of) in Greece, joining the Gulf of Corinth in the northwest with the Saronic Gulf in the southeast. The isthmus was first crossed by… …   Universalium

  • Corinth, Isthmus of — ▪ isthmus, Greece Modern Greek  Isthmós Korínthou,         isthmus dividing the Saronic Gulf (an inlet of the Aegean Sea) from the Gulf of Corinth (an inlet of the Ionian Sea). The Isthmus of Corinth connects the Peloponnese with mainland Greece …   Universalium

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”