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 Sea ...

and

Illana Bay Illana Bay, also known as the Iranun Bay, is a large bay of the Moro Gulf, off the southwestern coast of Mindanao island in the Philippines. Illana Bay and Moro Gulf form part of the Celebes Sea. See also *Sibuguey Bay Sibuguey Bay is a larg ...

are its major bays.

Zamboanga City Zamboanga City, officially the City of Zamboanga (Chavacano and es, Ciudad de Zamboanga, Tausug language, Tausūg: ''Dāira sin Sambuangan'', fil, Lungsod ng Zamboanga, ceb, Dakbayan sa Zamboanga), is a city in the Zamboanga Peninsula region ...

, 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 co ...

, 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 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 ...

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 {{Philippines-geo-stub