What a Gulf Lies Between Us Trivia Quiz

The Gulf of Guinea is part of the Atlantic Ocean and is situated off the north eastern coast of Africa. Rivers that drain into it include the Volta and Niger, and it includes two smaller regions, called bights, the Bight of Benin and the Bight of Bonny.

Within the gulf are islands such as São Tomé and Príncipe and Bioko. It is bordered by several countries including Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Gabon.

Gulfs are often defined by their size, being surrounded by land on three sides and an opening to the sea. Their characteristics often overlap with bays.

The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large gulf on the northern coast of Australia. Its land borders are Northern Territory and Queensland with Australia's northernmost point, Cape York, on the eastern side. The gulf is part of the Arafura Sea, between Australia and Papua New Guinea.

One of the main industries in the region is shrimp fishing, helped by the seagrass beds in the water; the mining of minerals such as manganese and bauxite is also common.

The Amundsen Gulf lies off the coast of Canada, primarily bordering the Northwest Territories with a smaller part off the coast of Nunavut. It is at the western end of the much sought after Northwest Passage, the route between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans.

It is named for the polar explorer Roald Amundsen, who explored the route in the first decade of the twentieth century. He later became the leader of the first group to reach the South Pole in 1912. When researching, I half expected that the gulf bearing his name would be in Antarctica, which only proves my knowledge of geography is not what it should be.

The Gulf of Thailand is an inlet of the South China Sea, located between Thailand to the west and Cambodia to the east. The southern part of Vietnam, particularly the Mekong delta, is also to the east and Thailand's capital, Bangkok, is located right at the top of the gulf in an area known as the Bay of Bangkok.

The region is known for fishing, with more than 40% of Thailand's total catch being made in the gulf. The gulf has several coral reefs, which attract divers - the warm waters also help - and whale watching is also popular.

This arm of the Baltic Sea separates the eastern coast of Sweden from the western coast of Finland. The country of Finland is surrounded by gulfs as the Gulf of Finland lies to its south, between its coast and those of Estonia and Russia.

The island of Aland, a part of Finland, is situated at the southern end of the Gulf of Bothnia. The main industry around the gulf is logging, as the land regions are forested, with some fishing, mainly for domestic use.

The gulf lies to the south of Panama and is part of the Pacific Ocean. Panama City is located more or less centrally on the curve of the gulf, and the southern end of the Panama Canal is reached there. The Pearl Islands, a major tourist destination, are located within the gulf and have also hosted various international versions of the 'Survivor' franchise.

Unfortunately, the Gulf of Panama does have serious ecological problems, with pollution from farming and the discharge of untreated sewage among the issues affecting the region. Conservation efforts are being made but balancing the needs of industry and those of the environment continues to be a challenge.

Iran lies on the eastern side of the Persian Gulf with Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq forming the western side, going north. It is linked to the Gulf of Oman by the Strait of Hormuz with both gulfs being part of the Indian Ocean. Iran has the longest coastline and Iraq the shortest.

The region is well known for being a major producer of oil and natural gas, but the gulf also provides a home for marine mammals such as dolphins, porpoises and dugongs. It is also a habitat for birds, including those that stop over there during migration, and a wide variety of fish.

This gulf lies off the eastern coast of Argentina in the region of Patagonia, and is the largest gulf in that part of the country. It is part of the Atlantic Ocean and, unusually, no rivers flow into its waters. It is known for its sea life with dolphins and several species of whale visiting the region.

Although it is called a gulf, the area enclosed is less pronounced than most, with only the southern land border being a noticeable barrier. The area is known for the production of oil and gas, with wind farms being a more recent development.

The Gulf of Mannar lies between the southern coast of India and Sri Lanka. It is located in the Laccadive Sea, itself part of the Indian Ocean. Although called a gulf, it is not surrounded as much as most gulfs, although the underwater ridge known as Adam's Bridge, or Rama's Bridge, does form a barrier between it and the Palk Strait and is believed to have been a land bridge in the past.

The gulf is named for Mannar Island, which is linked to India via a ferry on the Palk Strait side. The Gulf of Mannar is renowned for the flora and fauna found there and is home to the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve.

The world's largest gulf, the Gulf of Mexico borders the USA, Mexico and the island of Cuba. It is part of the Atlantic Ocean and is connected to the Caribbean Sea by the Yucatan Channel. Five states of the USA, including Louisiana and Texas, border the gulf while Mexico has six states bordering it, such as Veracruz and Tabasco.

The region is particularly prone to hurricanes and some of the most destructive in history have originated there, including the one which devastated Galveston in 1900, Camille in 1969 and Andrew in 1992. There are also issues with pollution due to the high level of oil and gas extraction. On the plus side, the waters are full of mammals and fish, with numerous varieties of turtles also making their home there.