Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and is the only lake located entirely within the United States.

  • Surface Area: With a surface area of 22,300 square miles, it is the third largest of the Great Lakes. The lake is 321 miles long and has a maximum width of 118 miles.
  • Volume: It have average depth of 279 feet and reaches 925 feet at its deepest point.
  • Location: Lake Michigan is located in the United States and is shared by the states of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. It is the only Great Lake that is entirely within the United States.
  • Drainage: Lake Michigan is connected to Lake Huron by the Straits of Mackinac. Water from Lake Michigan travels through the Straits of Mackinac to Lake Huron, then to the St. Clair River, and eventually to Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
  • With a average surface elevation of 577.5 feet, the shore of the lake is home to world’s largest freshwater sand dunes. Lake Michigan is known for its beaches, dunes, and fishing and has a diverse climate and a variety of natural habitats, including savannas, prairies, and dunes.

Five Great Lakes of North America

The five Great Lakes of North America are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario. The Great Lakes are a chain of deep freshwater lakes that cover 94,250 square miles and contain 21% of the world’s surface freshwater. Lake Superior, the largest and northernmost, is shared by the United States and Canada.

Lake Michigan is the only one entirely within the U.S., while Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario straddle the U.S.-Canada border. These lakes form a vital freshwater ecosystem with economic and ecological significance.

In this article, we will explore five great lakes of North America, along with their surface area, volume, and location.

Table of Content

  • What are the Five Great Lakes of North America?
  • Five Great Lakes of North America on Map
  • List of Five Great Lakes of North America
  • Lake Superior
  • Lake Michigan
  • Lake Huron
  • Lake Erie
  • Lake Ontario

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What are the Five Great Lakes of North America?

The Great Lakes are a chain of deep freshwater lakes located in the east-central part of North America. They are Earth’s largest fresh surface water system, with a combined area of about 94,250 square miles. The Great Lakes are the second-largest group of lakes globally by total volume, holding approximately 21% of the world’s surface fresh water by volume. They are believed to have formed about 20,000 years ago when glaciers melted and filled the Earth’s surface basins. The Great Lakes were formed by deep glacial erosion. The first inhabitants of the Great Lakes region were American Indians, who gave each lake a unique name. More than 3,500 plant and animal species are found in this freshwater ecosystem, some of which are found nowhere else on Earth....

Five Great Lakes of North America on Map

Five Great Lakes of North America on a Map with names is as follows:...

List of Five Great Lakes of North America

Five Great lakes of North America with their surface area are listed below:...

1. Lake Superior

Lake Superior is the largest and northernmost of the Great Lakes, situated on the border between the United States and Canada....

2. Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and is the only lake located entirely within the United States....

3. Lake Huron

Lake Huron situated between the United States and Canada, is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. The French named the lake after the Huron Indians....

4. Lake Erie

Lake Erie is situated in the northeastern part of North America. It is the eleventh-largest lake by surface area in the world....

5. Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario is the 14th largest lake in the world by surface area. It is also the smallest and easternmost of the Great Lakes....

Summary – Five Great Lakes of North America

The Great Lakes of North America are Lakes Superior, lake Michigan, lake Huron, lake Erie, and lake Ontario. Formd by the glacial activity, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world with a total surface area of 94,250 square miles. Lake Superior is the largest by surface area and is shared by U.S and Canada and Lake Michigan is entirely within U.S. Lake Huron and Lake Michigan together are considered one water body. Lake Erie supports a diverse ecosystem and is the shallowest of the Great lake. The smallest of Great Lakes, Lake Ontario connects all lakes through the Saint Lawrence River to the Atlantic Ocean. These interconnected lakes influence the ecology of the area, economic activities like shipping and industry and provides recreational activities....

FAQs on Five Great Lakes of North America

Which is the smallest of the five Great Lakes of North America?...