Tigre Island. Physical geography The Gulf of Fonseca covers an area of about , with a coastline that extends for , of which are in Honduras, in Nicaragua, and in El Salvador. The climate in the Gulf is typical of tropical and subtropical regions, with two distinct seasons, the rainy and the dry. The Gulf receives nearly 80% of its total yearly rainfall of during the rainy season from May to November. The dry season occurs between December and May and contributes to an annual evaporation rate of . As a result of less water flowing into the Gulf, the currents tend to flow inward from the Pacific Ocean, and levels of salinity in the estuaries increase, and seasonal drought occurs. Temperatures in the Gulf average between ; March and April are the warmest months and November and December the coolest. Relative humidity varies between 65 and 86% depending on location. In contrast, the interior of the country is semitropical and cooler with an average temperature of . The vegetation of the wetland ecosystem is dominated by species of mangroves. Of the six species of mangrove identified in the Gulf, red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) is the most common, mostly occupying the areas permanently inundated by the tides. Black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) is the second-most pervasive species and is generally found around the rivers where sediments are deposited along the shoreline. White mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa) is the third-most dominant, followed by botoncillo (Conocarpus erectus); both are generally found further inland and are inundated by the tide less frequently. The dominance of different species over others correlates with the frequency of floods, water quality, and levels of salinity. The amplitude of tides is on average per day in the Gulf. During low tides, the soils are inhabited by crabs, conch, and other species. During the high tide, the mangrove forests serve as a feeding ground and habitat for fish, shrimp, and other species, as the root structure of mangroves provides a refuge from larger predators. A number of volcanoes lie within and around the gulf. In popular culture The Horatio Hornblower novel The Happy Return (Beat To Quarters) is set partially in the Gulf of Fonseca. References External links Footnotes to history UNESCO Land, Island and Maritime Frontier Dispute (El Salvador/Honduras: Nicaragua intervening), International Court of Justice case registry Application for Revision of the Judgment of 11 September 1992 in the Case