Inland sea, indenting east-central Canada.
With an area of 480,000 sq mi (1,243,000 sq km), it is bounded by Nunavut, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. It is connected with the Atlantic Ocean via the Hudson Strait and with the Arctic Ocean via the Foxe Channel. Named for Henry Hudson , who navigated its eastern coast in 1610, the bay and the surrounding area, known as Rupert's Land , were controlled by the Hudson's Bay Company (182169). Hudson Bay is shallow, with an average depth of 330 ft (100 m); the coast is mainly a marshy lowland. The islands it contains are administratively part of Nunavut. For conservation purposes, the Canadian government has designated the whole Hudson Bay basin a "mare clausum" (closed sea).