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The Great Lakes -

The Great Lakes of North America—Superior, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Erie—make up the largest body of freshwater by area on Earth.

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A big splash -

The area of the Great Lakes is an impressive 244,106 sq. km (94,250 sq. mi). They span 1,200 km (750 mi) east to west. That’s bigger than Texas!

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Sculptured out of ice -

The Great Lakes began to form at the end of the last glacial period, around 14,000 years ago.

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"The nation’s fourth sea coast" -

Collectively, the lakes are sometimes called "the nation’s fourth sea coast." They have also been referred to as inland seas. Their shores touch Ontario in Canada, and Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and New York in the United States.

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Étienne Brûlé (c. 1592-1632) -

Frenchman Étienne Brûlé, a scout for colonist and navigator Samuel de Champlain, was the first European explorer to discover the Great Lakes, reaching Lake Huron around 1615. However, de Champlain is credited as the first cartographer to publish maps illustrating the region. 

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Manitoulin Island -

Dispersed throughout the Great Lakes are more than 35,000 islands. The largest among them is Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron—the largest island in any body of water in the world.

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Lake Manitou -

Manitoulin Island's Lake Manitou is the world’s largest lake on a freshwater island.

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Straits of Mackinac -

The Straits of Mackinac connect Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. A regular flow of water between these two bodies means that both are sometimes considered a single lake. Pictured is the Mackinac Bridge spanning the Straits to connect the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of the US state of Michigan.

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Ocean access -

The Saint Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes Waterway make the Great Lakes accessible to ocean-going vessels.

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Shipwrecks -

Sudden and severe storms across the Great Lakes have claimed thousands of hapless vessels over the centuries. The first ship to sail the Great Lakes, Le Griffon, sank in Lake Michigan in 1679. The largest and latest shipwreck is that of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald (pictured in 1971) which sank in Lake Superior during a storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew of 29.

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Lake Superior -

As its name suggests, Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes, being the largest in surface area and in water volume. The name comes from the French name lac supérieur.

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Lake Superior -

The lake contains 12,100 km³ (2, 900 cubic mi) of water. That’s enough to cover the entire landmass of North and South America to a depth of 30 cm (12 in).

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Lake Superior -

Over 200 rivers feed Lake Superior, including the St. Louis River (pictured)—the largest US river to flow into the lake.

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Lake Superior -

A 2007 study suggests that the lake, which freezes over completely once every 20 years or so, could as a result of climate change routinely be ice-free by 2040.

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Lake Superior -

Several scenic parks and reserves fringe the lake, among them Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

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Lake Huron -

Huron is the second-largest Great Lake by surface area, and the third-largest fresh water lake on Earth. If you include its islands, it also boasts the longest shoreline, at 6,157 km (3 827 mi).

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Lake Huron -

Lake Huron is named for the Wyandot Indians, also known as Hurons, who settled in the region in the 17th century. Pictured: Huron-Wyandot chiefs from the Huron reservation (Lourette) now called Wendake in Quebec, Canada.

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Lake Huron -

Early French explorers referred to Lake Huron as La Mer Douce—"fresh water sea." Pictured is a 1680 British map, which spells the lake as Hurons.

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Lake Huron -

The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary on Lake Huron protects an estimated 116 historically significant shipwrecks ranging from 19th-century wooden vessels to 20th-century steel-hulled steamers. Glass-bottom boat tours depart from Alpena, Michigan, providing tourists with amazing views of some of the more famous shipwrecks.

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Lake Michigan -

The third largest by surface area, but actually the second largest by volume, Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake located entirely in the United States. 

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Lake Michigan -

The lake's name is derived from the Ojibwa Indian word mishigami, meaning "large lake." The word "Michigan" originally referred to the lake itself.

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Lake Michigan -

Twelve million people live along Lake Michigan's shores, mainly in the Chicago and Milwaukee metropolitan areas.

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Lake Michigan -

The sand dunes located on the east shore of Lake Michigan are the largest freshwater dune system in the world. Some of the most expansive and unique dune formations can be found at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (pictured).

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Lake Michigan -

Lake Michigan is blessed with numerous beaches. Chilly most of the year, the lake's waters warm up during the summer months, allowing for pleasant beach outings.

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Lake Erie -

The fourth largest of the Great Lakes when measured in surface area, Erie is the southernmost lake, with its northern shore in Canada and the US states of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York on its western, southern, and eastern shores.

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Lake Erie -

The lake was named by the Erie, a Native American people who lived along its southern shore, and derived from erielhonan, the Iroquoian word for "long tail," which describes its shape.

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Lake Erie -

Point Pelee National Park, located on a peninsula extending into the lake, marks the southernmost point of the Canadian mainland.

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Lake Erie -

Being the shallowest of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie is the most likely to freeze and frequently does. Its southern shores are among the best places in the region to see ice volcanoes, conical mounds of ice shaped by waves.

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Lake Erie -

Landmark features on the shores of all five Great Lakes, lighthouses are distinctive in their architecture. Pictured is the historic Lorain Harbor Lighthouse, built in 1917 and in service until 1965.

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Lake Ontario -

The smallest of the Great Lakes in surface area, Lake Ontario is, in fact, deeper than Lake Erie. Pictured is Toronto seen across the lake from Fort Niagara.

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Lake Ontario -

The name Ontario is derived from the Huron Ontarí'io, which means "lake of shining water."

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Lake Ontario -

Lying at the western end of the lake is Toronto, the provincial capital of Ontario and the most populous city in Canada.

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Lake Ontario -

Lake Ontatio is at the base of the world-famous Niagara Falls, near the Canadian town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

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Lake Ontario -

The region between Stoney Creek and Niagara-on-the-Lake on the Niagara Peninsula is renowned as a major fruit-growing and wine-making area.

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Great Lakes Circle Tour -

Discover more about these five spectacular natural wonders by following the Great Lake Circle Tour, a designated scenic road system connecting all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. 

Sources: (The Globe and Mail)

See also: The most endangered lakes in the world

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