Malian Gulf
| Malian Gulf | |
|---|---|
| Maliac Gulf | |
| Μαλιακός Κόλπος (Greek) | |
 | |
  Malian Gulf | |
 Map of Greece with the Phthiotis Prefecture, highlighted, which borders the Bay | |
| Location | Phthiotis |
| Coordinates | 38°52′N 22°38′E / 38.867°N 22.633°E |
| Type | Gulf |
| Etymology | Malians, an ancient Greek tribe |
| Part of | Aegean Sea |
| River sources | Spercheios |
| Ocean/sea sources | Steno Artemisiou |
| Basin countries | Greece |
| Max. width | 15 to 22 kilometers (9.3 to 13.7 mi) |
| Max. depth | 27 metres (89 ft) |
| Location | |
The Malian or Maliac Gulf (Greek: Μαλιακός Κόλπος, romanized: Maliakós Kólpos) is a gulf in the western Aegean Sea. It forms part of the coastline of Greece's region of Phthiotis. The gulf stretches east to west to a distance of 15 to 22 kilometers (9.3 to 13.7 mi), depending on the definition, and is very shallow, with a maximum depth of 27 meters (89 ft). The only harbour is that of Stylida, which serves the city of Lamia. To its east is Cape Lichada, the northwesternmost point of the island of Euboea.
Name
The gulf is named after the ancient Malians who lived on its shores.[1]
History
Due to the constant accretion of silt from the river the Spercheios and smaller streams, the gulf has been shrinking over the centuries. In the summer of 426 BC, a tsunami hit the gulf between the northwest tip of Euboea and Lamia.[2] The ancient strait of Thermopylae, which at the time the famous battle was fought, was delineated by Mount Kallidromo and the Malian Gulf, has now become a broad coastal plain.
Under the London Protocol of 1830, the line connecting the Malian Gulf and the Aspropotamos River was established as the northern border of the newly independent Greek state.[3]
References
- ^ "Information on the area MALIAKOS GULF - Greek Travel Pages". www.gtp.gr. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ K. Gupta, Harsh; K. Gahalaut, Vineet (2014). Three Great Tsunamis: Lisbon (1755), Sumatra-Andaman (2004) and Japan (2011). Springer Science & Business Media. p. 1. ISBN 978-9400765764.
- ^ Giannopoulos, Bill (3 February 2022). "ON THIS DAY: Greece officially became a sovereign state". Greek City Times. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
External links
Media related to Maliakos at Wikimedia Commons