What is the largest gulf in the world?

At 615,000 square miles, the Gulf of Mexico is the largest gulf in the world. A gulf is defined as a portion of a larger body of saltwater that is partially enclosed by land. In the case of the Gulf of Mexico, the lands that partially enclose it are Mexico's northeastern coast and the region of the U.S. that is known as the Gulf Coast, which includes the Florida panhandle and the coastal areas of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

The Gulf of Mexico is also the 10th largest body of water in the world. With more than 3,000 miles of coastline between the United States and Mexico, the Gulf of Mexico is a massive body of water. One of the world's major ocean currents, the gulf stream, originates in the Gulf of Mexico. It is now believed that the Gulf of Mexico was formed approximately 300 million years ago as a result of plate tectonics.