El IGulf of Bothnia iyigebe eliphakathi nentshonalanga yeFinland nempumalanga yeSweden. Indawo yayo ingamakhilomitha ayi-116.300, ingamakhilomitha ayi-725 ubude, iphakathi kwamakhilomitha angama-80 kuya kwangama-240 ububanzi nokujula okulingene ngamamitha angama-60, ifinyelela kuma-295. Ingalo esenyakatho kakhulu yoLwandle iBaltic. Amanzi alo ajulile, ayabanda impela, ingxenye esenyakatho isala iqhwa izinyanga ezi-5 ngonyaka, futhi iphansi kasawoti, nezinhlobo ezahlukahlukene zezinhlanzi zamanzi ahlanzekile zingahlala emanzini ayo.
I-Botnia iyi-latinization ye-Old Norse expression expression botn, okusho ukuthi "okuphansi." Igama le-botn lasetshenziswa kulelo gulf njengoHelsingjabotn ngolimi lwakudala lwesiNorse, ngokungafani neHälsingland, okuyigama elinikezwe indawo esogwini olusentshonalanga ye-gulf. Ngemuva kwalokho, i-botten yasetshenziswa ezifundeni zaseVästerbotten engxenyeni esentshonalanga nase-Österbotten engxenyeni esempumalanga ("East Bottom" nase "West Bottom"). Igama lesiFinland elithi Österbotten, Pohjanmaa, noma "Pohja" -earth, linikeza umkhondo encazelweni yalo kuzo zombili izilimi: pohja lisho ukuthi "low" kanye "North" ngasikhathi sinye.
IGulf of Bothnia, kanye noLwandle iBaltic, kuyingxenye yalezo ezaziphambi komlando, kuze kube yilapho iPleistocene, yakha ithafa elibanzi lomfula woMfula i-Eridanos. Lo mfula udabuka esifundeni saseLapland, ugeleze udlule kulokho manje okuyiGulf of Bothnia, futhi uthelele eNorth Sea wakha intaba enkulu kakhulu.
Kusuka ePleistocene kwakuneziqephu eziningana zeqhwa leqhwa lapho le ndawo yacwila khona ngaphansi kogu lolwandle ngenxa yesisindo seqhwa. Lokhu kwenzeka eminyakeni engaba ngu-700.000 edlule. Kusukela lapho kuya phambili, izici ezinqume ukuthi leli gebe lamanje linjani lakhiwa isisindo seqhwa ebelicwila esifundeni nokulungiswa okulandelayo kwe-isostatic.