The Bay of Biscay is named (for English speakers) after Biscay on the northern Spanish coast, probably standing for the Western Basque Districts (Biscay up to the early 19th century). Its name in other languages is: Asturian: Golfu de Biscaya, Basque: Bizkaiko Golkoa,. Breton: Pleg-mor Gwaskogn, French: Golfe de Gascogne (named after Gascony), Galician: Golfo de Biscaia, Gascon Occitan: Golf de Gasconha, Spanish: Golfo de Vizcaya. The Continental Shelf extends far into the bay, resulting shallow waters in many areas and thus the rough seas for which the region is known. Large storms occur in the bay, especially during the winter months. The Bay of Biscay is home to some of the Atlantic's fiercest weather and abnormally high waves occur here. Up until recent years it was a regular occurrence for merchant vessels
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