shallow northwestern arm of the Yellow Sea, off the northern coast of China. It is enclosed by the Liaodong Peninsula (northeast) and the Shandong Peninsula (south). The Gulf of Liaodong to the northeast and Laizhou Bay to the south are generally considered part of the Bo Hai. Within these limits, the gulf's maximum dimensions are 300 miles (480 km) from northeast to southwest and 190 miles (306 km) from east to west. The strait leading to the gulf is about 65 miles (105 km) in width. The Huang He (Yellow River), China's second longest river, discharges into the gulf. The gulf has long been a source of prawns and salt. There are both onshore and offshore petroleum deposits, and several oil refineries are located there.