Salonika, Gulf of

(also Thermaic Gulf), a gulf of the Aegean Sea, on the coast of Greece, between the mainland and the Khalkidhiki Peninsula. The gulf is 160 km long and approximately 90 km wide at the mouth; the average depth in the center is 80 m. The Axios (Vardar) and Pinios rivers empty into the gulf. The tides are semidiurnal, with a height of 0.5 m. The port city of Thessaloniki (Salonika) is situated on the gulf.