SUBTOPIC=Description
– Hudson Bay is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada.
– It has a surface area of 1,230,000km (470,000sqmi).
– The bay is about 1,370km (850mi) long and 1,050km (650mi) wide.
– Hudson Bay is relatively shallow with an average depth of about 100m (330ft).
– It is connected to the Arctic Ocean through the Hudson Strait and Foxe Channel.
SUBTOPIC=History
– Explored by Henry Hudson in 1610.
– European presence in the region dates back to the early 17th century.
– The Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) was established in 1668.
– HBC secured a trading monopoly in the region in 1670.
– HBC’s trade monopoly was abolished in 1870, leading to the cession of Ruperts Land to Canada.
SUBTOPIC=Geography and Climate
– Hudson Bay is considered an epicontinental sea.
– It is the second-largest bay in the world after the Bay of Bengal.
– The bay has an average depth of 100m (330ft).
– Frozen from the middle of December to the middle of June.
– The bay has a maximum temperature range of 8 to 27°C (46 to 81°F).
SUBTOPIC=Extent
– Hudson Bay encompasses 1,230,000km (470,000sqmi).
– It is politically entirely part of Nunavut.
– The bay drains a large area of about 3,861,400km (1,490,900sqmi).
– James Bay is the southern arm of Hudson Bay.
– It is connected to the Arctic Ocean through various straits and channels.
SUBTOPIC=Exploration
– Hudson Bay was explored in the early 17th century by European explorers.
– The search for the Northwest Passage influenced exploration in the region.
– The establishment of trading posts by the HBC facilitated trade with Indigenous peoples.
– The bay was extensively charted by the Canadian government in the early 20th century.
– Churchill, Manitoba, became an important deep-sea port for wheat exports in 1929.
Hudson Bay, 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 is located north of Ontario, west of Quebec, northeast of Manitoba, and southeast of Nunavut, but politically entirely part of Nunavut. It is an inland marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. The Hudson Strait provides a connection between the Labrador Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the northeast, while the Foxe Channel connects the Hudson Bay with the Arctic Ocean in the north. It drains a very large area, about 3,861,400 km2 (1,490,900 sq mi), that includes parts of southeastern Nunavut, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, all of Manitoba, and parts of the U.S. states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Montana. Hudson Bay's southern arm is called James Bay.
| Hudson Bay | |
|---|---|
| |
 Hudson Bay, Canada | |
  Hudson Bay Location of Hudson Bay within Canada | |
| Location | Canada |
| Coordinates | 60°N 86°W / 60°N 86°W |
| Type | Bay |
| Etymology | Henry Hudson |
| Ocean/sea sources | Arctic Ocean |
| Catchment area | 3,861,400 km2 (1,490,900 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Canada and the United States |
| Max. length | 1,370 km (850 mi) |
| Max. width | 1,050 km (650 mi) |
| Surface area | 1,230,000 km2 (470,000 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 100 m (330 ft) |
| Max. depth | 270 m (890 ft) |
| Max. temperature | 8 to 27 °C (46 to 81 °F) |
| Min. temperature | −51 to −29 °C (−60 to −20 °F) |
| Frozen | middle of December to middle of June |
| Islands | ≈ 1,500 |
| Settlements | Rankin Inlet, Arviat, Puvirnituq, Churchill |
| References | |
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.