- Great Lakes -

Facts and Figures

The Great Lakes of North America are a series of five interconnected large lakes, one small lake (Lake St. Clair), four connecting channels and the St. Lawrence Seaway. Covering an area of over 94,000 square miles and containing 5,400 cubic miles of water they hold roughly 18% of the total freshwater on earth and about 90% of all the freshwater in the United States. Drinking water from the Lakes is provided to about 40 million citizens of the United States and Canada. Because of their vast dimensions, rolling waves, strong waves, tides and currents, they have long been referred to as inland seas. Four of the Lakes share an international boundary with Canada. Lake Michigan is the only one totally within the United States.

There are roughly 35,000 islands in the Great Lakes. Manitoulin Island, which separates Lake Huron from Georgian Bay, is the largest island found in any inland body of water in the world!

Individual Lake Facts