A bay is a body of water found along the coastline. It can be either large or small, and is typically defined by its surrounding land features. Bays are often named for their geographic location, such as San Francisco Bay in California or Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Other times, bays are named for their physical characteristics, like Laguna Madre in Texas which means mother lagoon in Spanish. Still other bays carry the name of historical figures or events, like Massachusetts' Plymouth Bay or New York's Hell Gate.