The Moro Gulf is the largest
gulf
A gulf is a large inlet from the ocean into the landmass, typically with a narrower opening than a bay, but that is not observable in all geographic areas so named. The term gulf was traditionally used for large highly-indented navigable bodie ...
in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. It is located off the coast of
Mindanao Island
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of t ...
, and is part of the
Celebes Sea
The Celebes Sea, (; ms, Laut Sulawesi, id, Laut Sulawesi, fil, Dagat Selebes) or Sulawesi Sea, of the western Pacific Ocean is bordered on the north by the Sulu Archipelago and Sulu Sea and Mindanao Island of the Philippines, on the east b ...
. The gulf is one of the country's tuna fishing grounds.
Geography
The gulf stretches between and is surrounded by the main section of Mindanao on the east, and the
Zamboanga Peninsula
Zamboanga Peninsula ( tl, Tangway ng Zamboanga; cbk, Peninsula de Zamboanga; ceb, Lawis sa Zamboanga) is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region IX. It consists of three provinces (Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga Sibu ...
of Mindanao on the west. The peninsula's major drainage goes towards the gulf.
Sibuguey Bay
Sibuguey Bay is a large bay of the Moro Gulf, situated off the southwestern coast of Mindanao Island in the Philippines.
The bay bounds the southern coast of the Zamboanga Peninsula. Along with the Moro Gulf, the bay forms part of the Celebes S ...
and
Illana Bay are its major bays.
Zamboanga City
Zamboanga City, officially the City of Zamboanga (Chavacano and es, Ciudad de Zamboanga, Tausūg: ''Dāira sin Sambuangan'', fil, Lungsod ng Zamboanga, ceb, Dakbayan sa Zamboanga), is a city in the Zamboanga Peninsula region of the Philipp ...
, which is an international port, is bound by the Gulf and Celebes Sea in the East.
Cotabato City
Cotabato City, officially the City of Cotabato ( Maguindanaon: ''Kuta nu Kutawatu'', Jawi:
كوتا نو كوتاواتو; Iranun: ''Bandar a Kotawato'', بندر ا كوتاواتو; fil, Lungsod ng Cotabato), is a third class independent c ...
, on the eastern coast, is another major port.
Earthquakes
The Moro Gulf is also an area of significant tectonic activity with several fault zones in the region capable of producing major earthquakes and destructive local tsunamis, such as the devastating
1976 Moro Gulf earthquake
The 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake and tsunami took place on near the islands of Mindanao and Sulu, in the Philippines. Its magnitude was calculated as being as high as 8.0 on the moment magnitude scale.
It was the deadliest and strongest earthquak ...
which killed over 5,000 people and left over 90,000 people homeless as it hit the west coast of
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
.
See also
*
Celebes Sea
The Celebes Sea, (; ms, Laut Sulawesi, id, Laut Sulawesi, fil, Dagat Selebes) or Sulawesi Sea, of the western Pacific Ocean is bordered on the north by the Sulu Archipelago and Sulu Sea and Mindanao Island of the Philippines, on the east b ...
*
List of earthquakes in the Philippines
The Philippines lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, which causes the country to have frequent seismic and volcanic activity. Many earthquakes of smaller magnitude occur very regularly due to the meeting of major tectonic plates in the region. ...
*
Port of Zamboanga
The Port of Zamboanga (Chavacano: ''Puerto de Zamboanga'') and ( Cebuano: ''Pantalan sa Zamboanga'') is a seaport located in Zamboanga City, Philippines. It is managed by the Philippine Ports Authority, Port Management Office-Zamboanga, (PPA, PM ...
References
Moro
Bodies of water of the Celebes Sea
Landforms of Maguindanao
Landforms of Sultan Kudarat
Landforms of Lanao del Sur
Landforms of Lanao del Norte
Landforms of Zamboanga del Sur
Landforms of Zamboanga Sibugay
Landforms of Maguindanao del Norte
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