Bay of Bengal
Topic: India: Location, Size, Extent and Divisions · NCERT: Class 6, Ch 2 "Oceans and Continents"; Class 7, Ch 2 "India and Her Neighbours"
Meaning
The Bay of Bengal is the arm of the Indian Ocean that lies east of the Indian Peninsula. It is the world's largest bay. India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka surround it. Many great rivers drain into it: the Ganga, Brahmaputra, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands lie in it. Its warm waters often produce cyclones, which are strong, spinning storms that hit India's east coast.
Example
Cyclones that form over the Bay of Bengal often strike the coasts of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. The Ganga and Brahmaputra together build a huge delta at its head, shared by West Bengal and Bangladesh.
Don't confuse with
- Arabian Sea: this is the western arm of the Indian Ocean, west of the peninsula. It holds Lakshadweep, not the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.