Gulf of Panama

Gulf of Panama with minor gulfs.

The Gulf of Panama (Spanish: Golfo De Panamá) is a gulf in the Pacific Ocean, near the southern coast of Panama. It has a maximum width of 250 kilometres (160 mi), a maximum depth of 220 metres (720 ft) and the size of 2,400 square kilometres (930 sq mi). The Panama Canal connects the Gulf of Panama with the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The Panamanian capital Panama City is the main urban centre on the gulf shore.

The gulf itself also contains a few minor gulfs, with Panama Bay to the north, Gulf of Parita to the west and Gulf of San Miguel to the east. The gulf has a few islands and on the coast there are a few important ports, like Panama City, La Palma and Chitrè. The Pearl Islands archipelago is a group of over two hundred islands situated to the east in the gulf.

Panama’s largest river, Tuira, flows south into the Gulf of San Miguel.