
The area of the Bothnian Sea.
The 'Bothnian Sea' (
Finnish ''Selkämeri'',
Swedish ''Bottenhavet'') links the
Bothnian Bay (called also Bay of Bothnia) with the
Baltic proper. Together the Bothnian Sea and Bay make up a larger geographical identity,
Gulf of Bothnia. Bothnian Sea, as well as the whole Gulf of Bothnia, is situated between
Sweden, to the west, and
Finland, to the east.
The surface area of Bothnian Sea is approximately 79,000 km². Largest coastal towns, from south to north, are
Rauma and
Pori in Finland, and
Gävle and
Sundsvall in Sweden.
Umeå (Sweden) and
Vaasa (Finland) lie in the extreme north, near Bothnian Bay.