Hudson Bay | |
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![]() Hudson Bay, Canada
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Location | North America |
Coordinates | 60°N 085°W / 60°N 85°WCoordinates: 60°N 085°W / 60°N 85°W |
Ocean/sea sources | Arctic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean |
Catchment area | 3,861,400 km2 (1,490,900 sq mi) |
Basin countries | Canada, United States |
Max. length | 1,370 km (851.28 mi) |
Max. width | 1,050 km (652.44 mi) |
Surface area | 1,230,000 km2 (470,000 sq mi) |
Average depth | 100 metres (330 ft) |
Max. depth | 270 metres (890 ft) |
Frozen | mid-December to mid-June |
Islands |
Belcher Islands, Ottawa Islands |
Settlements | Churchill, Sanikiluaq |
Hudson Bay (Inuktitut: Kangiqsualuk ilua,French: baie d'Hudson) (sometimes called Hudson's Bay, usually historically) is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada with a surface area of 1,230,000 km2 (470,000 sq mi). It drains a very large area, about 3,861,400 km2 (1,490,900 sq mi), that includes parts of southeastern Nunavut, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana. Hudson Bay's southern arm is called James Bay.
The Eastern Cree name for Hudson and James Bay is Wînipekw (Southern dialect) or Wînipâkw (Northern dialect), meaning muddy or brackish water. Lake Winnipeg is similarly named by the local Cree, as is the location for the city of Winnipeg.
Hudson Bay encompasses 1,230,000 km2 (470,000 sq mi), making it the second-largest water body using the term "bay" in the world (after the Bay of Bengal). The bay is relatively shallow and is considered an epicontinental sea, with an average depth of about 100 m (330 ft) (compared to 2,600 m (8,500 ft) in the Bay of Bengal). It is about 1,370 km (850 mi) long and 1,050 km (650 mi) wide. On the east it is connected with the Atlantic Ocean by Hudson Strait; on the north, with the Arctic Ocean by Foxe Basin (which is not considered part of the bay), and Fury and Hecla Strait.