large widemouthed inlet of the Pacific Ocean, forming the southern shore of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, southeastern Mexico. The gulf extends approximately 300 miles (500 km) from Puerto Angel, in southern Oaxaca state, southeastward to Barra del Suchiate, in southeastern Chiapas state, and measures approximately 100 miles (160 km) across its mouth. The Gulf of Tehuantepec's shores are marked by innumerable lagoons, the largest of which are Superior, Inferior, and Muerto. The gulf receives the Tehuantepec River and numerous smaller streams. The largest settlement and main port on the shores of the gulf is Salina Cruz, terminus of the railroad that crosses the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. From Juchitán, near Superior Lagoon, a highway and railroad parallel the coast southeastward to Tapachula.