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A gulf is a portion of the ocean that penetrates land. Gulfs vary greatly in size, shape, and depth.
Gulfs may be formed by movements in Earth’s crust. The planet’s tectonic plates may rift, or break apart, creating a gulf. Or one plate may fold under another, a process called subduction. Subduction may create a gulf by making downfolds, or troughs, in the rock under the ocean.
Gulfs are sometimes connected to the ocean by narrow passages of water called straits. Gulfs can also have wide openings and are sometimes indistinguishable from larger bodies of water.
The Gulf of Mexico, bordered by the United States, Mexico, and the island nation of Cuba, is the world’s largest gulf. The Persian Gulf is an arm of the Arabian Sea bordered by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman. Vast deposits of petroleum in this region make the Persian Gulf strategically important.