What lake is more Michigan or Ontario. Great Lakes (North America)

09.11.2019

Great American lakes are a system of freshwater lakes in North America, in the United States and Canada. Includes a number of large and medium water bodies connected by rivers and sheds. The area is about 245.2 thousand km2, the volume of water is 22.7 thousand km3. Great American lakes include the five largest: upper, guron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario. On the formation of lake kitlovin the greatest influence Remote tectonic processes. The mass of the glacier produced the earthly bark, and after the glacier melted, a slow reverse process began. In great American lakes, shipping and fisheries are developed. With the help of the channels formed a waterway for sea courts The length is about 3000 km.

The lakes are among the largest clusters of fresh water, nevertheless, even taken together, they inferior to Lake Baikal in this indicator. Great American lakes are interconnected by rivers and channels and therefore water is flowing from one to another.

The top lake is the largest and in-depth in the system of great American lakes. It is the largest area of \u200b\u200bthe Fresh Lake of the world (82.7 thousand km2). Lake is located on the border of Canada and the USA. Lake top is located at an altitude of 183 m. Above sea level. Maximum depth - 406 m., Water volume - 11.6 thousand km3. The coastline is cut, there are large bays - kiwin, Whitefish. In the north of the coast, high (up to 400 m.) And rocky, and in the south - mostly low-lying and sandy.

Lake Huron - Located Eastern Lake Michigan, is connected to him by the Strait of Makinak. Guron Square is about 59.6 thousand km2. Surface height above sea level is about 176 m., Depth up to 229 m. To the lake have a yield of Michigan and Canadian province Ontario. On Gurone is Manitulin - the most big Island in the world located in fresh Lake. The name of the lake, entered by the French by the French, comes from the name of the Indian tribe of gurons.

Lake Michigan is the only of the Great Lakes, fully in the United States. Located south lake The top, connected to the Guron Lake Strait Makinak, with the Mississippi River System - Channel Channel - Lockorport. Michigan Square - about 57,750 km2, length of about 500 km, about 190 km width. Surface height above sea level - 177 m., Depth up to 281 meters. Covered with ice about four months a year.

Lake Erie. Having an area of \u200b\u200b25,700 km2, Lake Erie occupies the 13th place among the Lakes of the World (counting Caspian and Aral Seas). The lake washes the shores of the American states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Canadian province Ontario. Numerous islands are located in the southwestern part of the lake. The water temperature varies from 0-2 degrees in winter to 24 degrees in summer. The coastal part freezes from December to March-April.

Ontario Lake is the lowest in the system of the Great Lakes.

Area - 19.5 thousand km².

Height above sea level - 75 m.

Length coastline - 1146 km.

Length - 311 km.

Width - 85 km.

Maximum depth - 244 m.

The average depth is 86 m.

The Niagara River flows into the lake, the River Sv. Lavrentia follows. Shipping channels associate Ontario with Lake Erie and the Hudson River. The lake ranks 14th in the world in magnitude. Shipping is developed on Ontario.

First of all, lakes are fresh water reserves, fishing, mining, mining, transportation and sources of electricity. These lakes are an important source of water supply, not by chance on their shores are large cities and industrial enterprises of the United States and Canada, the center of ferrous metallurgy, automotive, engineering, chemical industry -
Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Toronto and others.

More than 250 cities enjoy the water, in which over 25 million people live. Every day, approximately 18 billion liters of water is closed from the lakes. The largest freshwater reserves have Canada.

Great American lakes in fisheries are also of great interest. Although in general their productivity is small - 2.5 kg / ha. Fishery fish here are herring, sig, pike, American perch, lake trout.

Ondatra and nutria are well taken out in the lakes - valuable fur beasts. Their main food is aquatic plants, as well as the dispersion of coastal meadows. Ondatra is harmless to fish, hunting and agriculture.

In the lakes also accumulate clays, sand, gravel-pebble reflections, which are used as building material and for the manufacture of clay, brick and concrete preparation.

Great Lakes

english Great Lakes, Fr. Grands Lacs.

Great lakes, satellite view (April 24, 2000)









Location

45 ° C. sh. 84 ° h. d. H.G.IO.L.

Countries







Audio, photo and video on wikisklad

Schematic map of great lakes

Water levels in great lakes

Tectonic processes have the greatest impact on the formation of lake boiling; Great lakes began to form at the end of the last glacial period, about 10,000 years ago, when the mass of the glacier sold the earthly bark, and after the glacier was melted, a slow reverse process began - glaciizostasiya, which is also very noticeable in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Boat and Finland. The water mass of lakes was formed when the glacier melting. North coast Great lakes rises faster than southern, which leads to the effect of "transfusion" of water and slow flooding of land in the south. Previously, great lakes had additional stock through the current River Illinois and Ottawa, but due to the same geological processes, they, being and so on near the banks of the lakes, changed their channel somewhat and radically changed the source. As a result, today the natural stock exists only on the river of St. Lawrence.

Geography

General

Great lakes are among the largest clusters of fresh water on Earth. Only Baikal, Green African Lakes and Greenland Glaciers and Antarctica can compete with them. They are interconnected by rivers and channels, and therefore water flows from one to another. The upper lake is the largest on the area of \u200b\u200bthe Freshwater Lake Planet, and Ontario only one of the largest Lake Ladoga in Europe. The average depth of them, not being very large, surpasses the middle depth of the Baltic and North Seas.

The length of the coastline (with the islands) about 18 thousand km. The total area of \u200b\u200b244 106 km², the pool area is 768 thousand km² (including the area of \u200b\u200bthe lakes themselves), the total volume of 22,671 km³, in the four lakes of depths exceed 200 m and only the lake Ery the greatest depth of 64 m, and Saint Claire is only 8. The largest and most profound from the Great Lakes is the top lake, the smallest - Lake St. Claire.

There are several hundred mines of small rivers in the Great Lakes, the stock of lakes takes place along the St. Lawrence River, arising from Ontario lake and flowing into the Atlantic Ocean; The average water consumption in its source is 6637 m³ / s.

Previously, sewage waste, paper and other factories were reset to these lakes. Initially, Lake Erie turned out to be significantly contaminated, it turned out with a snack, many types of fishing fish were missing from it. The government allocated significant funds for the cleaning of lakes. Now lakes are relatively clean. Great lakes are very important leisure and shipping facilities.

Lake	Saint Clair	Ontario	Erie	Michigan	Huron	Upper lake
Surface Square	1114 km²	19 000 km²	25 700 km²	58 000 km²	59 600 km²	82 400 km²
Volume	3.4 km³	1640 km³.	480 km³.	4900 km³.	3540 km³	12,000 km³.
Height above sea level	175 M.	75 M.	174 M.	176 M.	176 M.	186 M.
Medium depth	3.4 M.	86 M.	19 M.	85 M.	59 M.	147 M.
Maximum depth	8 M.	246 M.	64 M.	281 M.	230 M.	406 M.
Main settlements	Detroit, Michigan. Winor, Ontario	Hamilton, Ontario Kingston, Ontario Oshava, Ontario Rochester, New York Toronto, Ontario Mississogue, Ontario	Buffalo, New York Cleveland, Ohio Erie, Pennsylvania Tolido, Ohio	Chicago, Illinois Gary, Indiana Green Bay, Wisconsin Milwaukee, Wisconsin	Sarnia, Ontario Port Huron, Michigan Bay City, Michigan	Duluth, Minnesota Su-Saint-Marie, Ontario Tander Bay, Ontario Marquette, Michigan.

According to Georgue John King from the University of Rod Island, the water level is sensitive to climate change and can change more sharply in the XXI century.

In January 2013, the Lake Level Michigan and Huron updated the record (since the start of regular observations, 1918) a low water level (before this minimum was recorded in March 1964), about 2 meters below the maximum level (October 1986). There are several reasons for this: dredging work, mining, and soil erosion.

Islands

About 35,000 islands are scattered over great lakes. The largest among them are Manitulin in Lake Huron, the largest island of the world, located in a fresh lake (area more of Luxembourg Square); Inside it has its own lake - Manitis, inside which there are also several islets. Other large Island - Air-Royal on the top lake.

Lakes

Upper lake

Huron

Michigan

Erie

Ontario

Geology

The fundamental tectonic processes that have formed great lakes took place from 1.1 to 1.2 billion years ago, when two previously connected tectonic plates separated from each other and created the middle-continental rift.

Great lakes were estimated to be formed at the end of the last ice age (about 10,000 years ago), when the Lavrentian glacial shield retreated. The retreat of the glacier left behind a large number of melt water, which filled out pools carved with glaciers.

When the glacier retreat was first cleaned by the Ice of Lie Michigan and Erie. In their place, the lakes appeared one after another Chicago, Mom., Whitlsi. With a common drain into the Mississippi River Pool. When Ontario and Huron lakes were cleared of ice, lake was formed in their place. Algonquin With stock in Lake Erie. During the greatest development, the area of \u200b\u200bLake Algonkin reached 250 thousand km². With the retreating of the glacier lake Ontario formed as a separate reservoir - lake Iroquis - with a drain across the Mogau's River in the Hudson River and Next Atlantic Ocean. Further retreating of the glacier opened stock across the river of St. Lawrence.

Climate

The climate of the Great Lakes is wet, moderate type, similar to the climate of the middle Baltic. For the area of \u200b\u200bthe Great Lakes are characterized by sharp differences of meteo conditions. This is due to the proximity of such different areas as cold hackons bay in the north and very warm Mexican bay in the south. The most variable season is winter, it is snowy, the active activity of cyclones is observed. With cyclones, frequent invasions of the arctic air are connected and frequent invasions at this time leading to a sharp cooling, while sometimes in a matter of hours are riveted with ice important for navigation. In winter, at first ice covers the lake top, then - Huron and Michigan, last time - Erie. Lakes are not completely mesh, but navigation stops, becoming impossible from December to April. Spring lasts long, freaks are frequent. Summer is cool, it, like winter, volatile, with frequent rains and strong wind. Autumn includes a period of up to two weeks, called "

Great Lakes (English. Great Lakes, Fr. Grands Lacs, sometimes the great Lavrentian lakes) - a system of freshwater lakes in North America, in the United States and Canada (Lake Michigan is entirely in the United States, on the rest of the lakes and connecting their short rivers. and Canada. Includes a number of large and medium water bodies connected by rivers and straits.

Actually, great lakes include the five largest: upper, guron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario, although sometimes the Saint Claire lakes are included in them, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth (total area 244 106 km², total volume 22 671 km³ ), containing 21% of the surface in the world of fresh water (and 84% of freshwater stocks North America). Several medium-sized lakes are connected with them, the most important of which are: Saint Meris, Manitu, Napiga, Nipissing. Lakesthe atlantic ocean pool, the stock on the river of St. Lawrence.

Tectonic processes have the greatest impact on the formation of lake boiling; Great Lakes They began to form at the end of the last glacial period, about 10,000 years ago, when the mass of the glacier produced the earthly bark, and after the glacier was melted, a slow reverse process began - glaciizostasiya, which is also very noticeable in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Boat Bay and Finland. The water mass of lakes was formed when the glacier melting.

The northern coast of the Great Lakes rises faster than southern, which leads to the effect of "transfusion" of water and the slow flooding of lands in the south. Previously, great lakes had additional stock through the current River Illinois and Ottawa, but due to the same geological processes, they, being and so on near the banks of the lakes, changed their channel somewhat and radically changed the source. As a result of this, today natural stock exists only on the river of St. Lawrence.

Shipping and fisheries are developed here. With the help of the channels, a waterway for maritime ships with a length of about 3000 km is formed. Great lakes are connected by channels with the Hudson River and the Mississippi River Basch.
Main ports: Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, Toronto.

Great lakes are among the largest clusters of fresh water on Earth. Only Baikal and Greenland and Antarctica glaciers can compete with them. They are interconnected by rivers and channels, and therefore water flows from one to another. The upper lake is the largest on the area of \u200b\u200bthe Freshwater Lake Planet, and Ontario is one more largest in Europe Ladoga Lake. The average depth of them, not being very large, surpasses the middle depth of the Baltic and North Seas.

Previously, waste paper and other factories were discharged into these lakes. Initially, Lake Erie turned out to be significantly contaminated, it turned out with a snack, many types of fishing fish were missing from it. The government allocated significant funds for the cleaning of lakes. Now the lakes are again clean. Great lakes are very important leisure and shipping facilities.

Due to wind directions in cold seasons on the southern and eastern shores The lakes manifests the snow effect of the lake.

The water level in Lake Michigan remained almost constant for the twentieth century. According to Georgue John King from the University of Rod Island, the water level is sensitive to climate change and can change more sharply in the XXI century.

In January 2013, the Lake Level Michigan and Huron updated the record (from the moment of regular observations, 1918) a low water level (before this minimum was recorded in March 1964), about 2 meters below the maximum level (October 1986). There are several reasons for this: dredging work, mining, and soil erosion.

About 35,000 islands are scattered in great lakes. The largest among them are Manitulin in Lake Huron, the largest island of the world, located in a fresh lake (area more of Luxembourg Square); Inside it has its own lake - Manitis, inside which there are also several islets. Another major island is Air-Royal on the top lake.

Reprint of articles and photos is allowed only with a hyperlink to the site:

One of the most beautiful corners of the continent is the territory known as the Great Lakes of North America. It is located in the pool and is known to almost the whole world as incredible. beautiful placewhere nature persists in immunity. What kind of lakes come there and how are they great? Does the continent have other large reservoirs of this type? Let's deal with and find answers to all possible questions about these unique. natural places North American continent.

Group of Great Lakes

This unique natural conglomerate of water bodies is located on the border of the territories of the United States of America and Canada. Under definition, they understand a group of five main lakes, which are sometimes added and more modest in size. Nevertheless, the top, Huron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario are always mentioned first. Sometimes in North America also includes Sant Claire. In addition, the pool includes rivers - Niagara, St. Lawrence, Sant-Meris, Detroit. Waters in the local places are distinguished by minimal mineralization. More than one hundred seventy species of fish from families of Trodule, Karp, Okuneny, Salo, Sigovy, live in the water area. In the south, the territory is surrounded by industrial areas, and in the north - the region of the agrarian and commodity industry. In addition, on the shores there are cities like Chicago and Milwaukee, Cleveland, Buffalo, Detroit and Toronto.

The great lakes of North America are among the largest hydrogen systems - they contain eighteen percent of the global stock of freshwater. Replenishment of the basin occurs with precipitation, surface and underground flows.

Upper lake

This is the largest fresh reservoir on the continent. North America included in the great lakes of North America is inferior in volume only Baikal and Tanganic. Eleven and a half thousand cubic kilometers provide a reservoir confident third place. The depth of the upper lake averages one hundred and forty-seven meters, and the maximum reaches four hundred six. It is located between the United States and Canada. The coastline in length takes four thousand three hundred eighty-seven kilometers. All of it is cut by numerous coves and bays. SAMI big Lake North America in length is five hundred sixty kilometers, and in width - two hundred and sixty, which cannot but impress even one who is not familiar with the usual sizes. From the southern part it surrounds the plain. In the north - rocks and rocks. Saint Marys River unites Lake with Huron.

It is believed that it was a reservoir due to the movement of tectonic plates, in which deep faults have arisen, and then the glaciers were leveled. Anyway, this is a unique place that is rightfully considered natural miracle Sveta.

Huron

The lake, the location of which binds it to the Great Group, is known to mankind for a long time. Once the Indians lived here, by the name of the tribe and was nailed with a reservoir. They were engaged in agriculture, caught fish and hunted. During the colonization, these places attracted Europeans. The first here began to prevent the French by the coastline map. Woodworking factories began to appear at the lake and the search for minerals began. Indians practically disappeared from these edges. Huron is distinguished by a surprisingly long coastline, which makes up six thousand one hundred and fifty-six kilometers. There are many small islands on its territory.

Technological progress has changed the ecological system of the lake, many mollusks and fish disappeared from the water, so the governments of Canada and the United States have developed a protective program.

Michigan

On the shores of this reservoir is one of the most famous US cities - Chicago. The Square of Lake Michigan is more than fifty seven thousand kilometers. White beaches, resembling the shores of the Atlantic, liked the Americans even at the beginning of the last century, as a result of the rest here became extremely popular. Despite the northern location, the reservoir is covered with ice only four months a year. Fishing is considered the most popular entertainment here. Like the largest lake of North America, the Great, Michigan is full of various types of salmon, perch and carp. Their fishing is carefully monitored by the Agency for Environmental Protection.

Other popular holiday is beach. The coastline in the length of forty kilometers allows you to place twenty-eight urban holiday destinations outdoors.

Erie

The fourth in the System of the Great, the Lake covers an area of \u200b\u200btwenty-five thousand seven hundred square kilometers. In the world it is in size to the thirteenth. Located in Canada and the United States, stretching from the west to the east. It is washes the borders of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Ontario. From December to the beginning of April, Erie hidden ice. Numerous rivers fall into it - Detroit, Huron, Kujag, Grand, Reizin. Lake Erie surrounds several cities - Toledo, Buffalo, Cleveland, Monroe. The name of the reservoir is associated with local Indians - the tribe of Ereiyehonan. The average depth is nineteen meters, and the maximum equals sixty four.

Ontario

Listing large lakes North America, it is impossible not to remember it. His name is connected with the advent of local Indians and translated "beautiful." In the system of great Ontario is the smallest, but its volume is even more than Erie. The length of the coastline is slightly over a thousand kilometers. The maximum depth is two hundred forty-four meters, and the average equals eighty six. Most of Water falls here from Niagara, the rest deliver the river Humber, Osusigo, Jenshi, as well as precipitation. On the lake there are several islands, the biggest wolf. You can get to it only on the ferry.

Ontario almost never freeze. According to its shores there are cities like Toronto, Rochester, Hamilton, Kingston. Like many others large lakes North America, Ontario boasts large quantity Fish, variety of animals, plants and birds.

Saint Clair

The Great Lakes of North America, the list of which was given above may also include this reservoir. Saint Claire Lake takes a thousand one hundred fourteen kilometers square. Its depth is noticeably inferior to others and even in the maximum version does not exceed eight meters. The main river is the same name and associates Saint Claire with Huron. In addition, Tears, Saydengham and Clinton are shown here. River Detroit connects the lake with Erie. For the first time, Europeans were on the local shores in August 1679, on the day of St. Clara. In the southwest is Detroit, the city of the United States of America, and Winsor - it belongs to Canada. Right on the lake passes

Manitou

Listing the lakes of North America, the list cannot be not supplemented with this name. Manitu - unique lake. It is located on the island of Manitulin. Island, in turn, is located in Lake Huron. Thus, the manitis turns out to be inside it. At the same time, he has the most impressive dimensions with a length of twenty kilometers and a width of six. Interesting fact - On the manita, too, there is islands. They are also located lakes. The most complex system allocates this place among others. In addition, the manitis is incredibly salted water. Even those who decided to do this for the first time can lie down and swim. Around the lake is located that can be visited from May to October.

Napigon

In the North-West, Ontario province is another reservoir associated with the system of the Great Lakes. This is a NIPIA. The area of \u200b\u200bthe lake is almost five thousand kilometers, and the maximum depth equals one hundred sixty five meters. From Napigon, the same river flows out, which flows into the upper lake near the city of Tander Bay. The territory is famous for many deer Caribou, living on the shores. Once the lake was much larger and called Agassis. Modern name is associated with the word "continuous water" used by local inhabitants from the tribe of Ojibv. it perfect place For recreation, it is perfect for fishermen - here you can catch a pike, ciga, trout or pike perch. Catching is controlled by special services of a commercial nature, so it is not necessary to fear the ecology serious harm.

Nipissing

This lake is also located in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located above sea level - at the height of a hundred ninety-five meters. Along the coastline there are small islands of apparent origin. It takes almost eighty kilometers, and in width thirty, with a maximum depth of fifty-two meters. The name is translated as "Little Water" - the reservoir is eleventh in size in the province. Here excellent conditions For habitat fish, which here lives more than forty species. The list includes lumps, perch, Sudakov, Sigov. The largest city is North Bay. For the first time, Nipissing saw the French researcher in the 1610th, over the next two hundred years the lake gained transport importance, and therefore people began to settle around it. When there were a Canadian Pacific railway, the number of population has increased rapidly. Now there are about fifty thousand people. In addition, a lot of tourists arrive in the warm season here. They are attracted here national parks Nature Conservation: Manitu Islands, West Sandy Island, Mashkinong and Saus Bay.

Other large lakes

It is worth mentioning a few more reservoirs that do not belong to the system of the Great, but still worthy of visits. For example, a large salty is the largest non-fresh reservoir in the United States. This lake is located in Utah. Connoisseurs of extreme conditions can go to Alaska. There is Lake Iliamna. It is interesting to look at the largest reservoir of the country, Oah, which is located on the border of the North and South Dakota. One more is located in Louisiana and is called Pontchartrayin. In California, water with similar properties is called Solton-si. Along the Canadian-American border, Shamplane, Riine Lake and Forestry are located - after acquaintance with them, you can go to the Great Lakes, which are quite close, in the same province of Ontario or New York.

Great Lakes America: Unique Freshwater Mirrors

Lakes are often called the pearls of the earth. On our planet, their hundreds of thousands: completely different, large and small, tropical and amateur. In each of them, his own feature was concluded, her, even a small, mystery. Among this great diversity there is an axampy of lakes, known to the world, which are truly decorated with a whole mainland. These are great American lakes.

Without them unthinky North American Continent

This unique lake system is located on the border of the United States and Canada. Even attempt to describe them turns into essence, in the listing of records. Most reference books inform that the system consists of a "magnificent five: lakes top, Huron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario. Sometimes Saint Claire lake is added to them, although it is significantly less in its area.

There is another feature. Lake Huron and Michigan are connected to each other not just rivers, like all other lakes of the system, but a wide strait. In addition, the level of their surface is absolutely the same. Based on this, strictly hydrographically, this couple needs to be considered one water, but this approach is inconvenient in an economic sense, and contradicts, if you can put it, established a folk habit.

Great lakes are striking their scale. Their total area is a little more than 244 thousand km², water volume - 22 671km³. Hydrologists calculated that 18% of all world freshwater was concluded in the basin of the Great Lakes. And how not to compare them with the pearl of Russia, Lake Baikal! It is about 7.5 times smaller than the area, but the water in Baikal is even a little more than in great lakes - 24% of world freshwater reserves!

Comparison, in particular, unequivocally suggests that with a huge area, great lakes are relatively shallow. Indeed, the biggest among them, the top, has a middle depth of only 147 meters (Baikal is 744 meters equal to 744).

The northern shores of the lakes are predominantly wooded, small-populated, suitable for recreation and tourism. Along southern Coast There was a network of important industrial centers.

All lakes are interconnected by rivers and narrow straits. There are several hundred rivers in them, but all of them are small, local significance. It follows from the system only one big River - St. Lawrence. It carries fresh water lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

Water consumption in this river significantly exceeds the quantity that comes into lakes with small robusts. The fact is that the nutrition of the giants occurs mainly due to underground sources and precipitation.

Mainland relief in the place where lakes are located, has a common bias from north to south. Thus, the northernmost giants, the top lake, has the most large height Above the level of the world ocean. The further south, the level of the next lake is slightly lower. The greatest difference is between Erie and Ontario lakes: the Niagara track flows between them with its famous waterfall on the whole world.

Lakes are incredibly rich in fish, this is a real klondike for lovers fishing. It is estimated that great lakes have become a house for 174 species of fish!

History of the emergence of the system of the Great Lakes of America

Geologists determined that the system of the Great Lakes was formed, according to historical standards, quite recently, about 12 thousand years ago. At that time, almost the entire surface of North America was covered with a thick layer of ice, reaching, apparently, at least a kilometer. The mass of ice sold the earthly bark, forming peculiar lenses. These lenses gradually deepened under the action of the glacier: he plunged their bottom, like the Giant Bulldozer.

When the glacial period on the planet is over, the mass of ice melted, and part of its waters was in the depressions, as if in a trap. So it was formed that now is called great American lakes. Studying the chemical composition of fossils, scientists came to the conclusion that in ancient times the water temperature in the lakes was significantly lower than now.

The amount of water reserves in the lake system is slowly, but steadily decreases. However, this trend is observed on the entire planet.

Brief description of the Great Lakes America

Each of the great American lakes is unique, worthy of separate large description. It will be possible to list only the most general information.

Lake top

Even among such gigantic reservoirs, it is giant! It suffices to say that the volume of water in the lake is approximately equal to the total volume in the remaining four lakes "big five." Among his records should be mentioned as follows:

The largest freshwater planet lake area;
The deepest among great lakes;
The northernmost in this group, and the most raised relative to the world ocean - 186 m above its level;
During the storms, the height of the waves exceeds 10 meters.

The top is mostly located in Canada, its northern shores are usually rocky, covered with forests, southern - gentle and sandy. From it, the Saint Meris River flows into Huron. Washes the states - Minnesota and Michigan.

Lake Huron

Lake Huron's coastline is incredibly cut, and is more than 6 thousand km! (For comparison - from Moscow to Madrid only 3440 km). As already mentioned, the lake is connected to the Michigan lake wide (3 km. Width) by the Strait of Machino.

It is characteristic that there are about 30 thousand islands on Huron, among them the largest is the island of Manitulin. It is notable for at least the fact that the title of the largest terrestrial island is in freshwater lake. The state of Luxembourg would fit on it, and a little free place would remain. On Manitulina, too, there are lakes, among them and large-manitis. And this is not the whole "Matrista", on the Manitu there are their islands with lakes!

The average depth of Huron is 59 meters. Washes the American state of Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario.

Lake Michigan.

Of all the great lakes, only one is located exclusively in the United States. Its average depth is 85 meters, the length of the coastline is over 1.5 thousand km. For several months in the year the lake is covered with ice. The water is suffering from industrial load, because in close proximity is such a major city as Chicago. In recent decades, the country's authorities make a lot in order to improve the ecological picture on Michigan, and in this direction there are great successes.

Lake Erie

Extended from the southwest northeast for 390 km. The average depth is 19 meters. It is mostly located in the United States, but comes to the Canadian province of Ontario. Thanks to a small depth, the water of the lake is well warmed, so there is a wonderful fishing, as well as many farms involved in the breeding of fry. However, the so-called "dead zones" are observed in the lake, associated with phosphorite pollution. These zones in the last 20 years have been significantly reduced. Also, Eri's shores are famous for its vineyards, because the climate is softer here than in similar in breadth, but distant from water, places.

Ontario Lake

The smallest area among the "big five, with an average depth of 86 meters. It closes the entire system, dropping water in the Atlantic. Largest cities In the vicinity - Toronto, Kingston and Rochester. The proximity of the ocean and the small depth lead to the fact that the lake never freezes, there is almost no storms here. On the coast there are many nature reserves, places for organized family holiday; No wonder the name of the lake from the Language of Indians Guron is translated as "beautiful."

Interesting Facts about the Great Lakes of America

The entire system of the Great American lakes is a huge network of channels, rivers, shipping routes, the total length of which exceeds 3 thousand km. Lakes give work and water dozens of millions of people. The total length of the coastline of the unique lake system is about 18 thousand km, which significantly exceeds the length of the US land border!

It is noteworthy that on lakes, especially the biggest, often there are storms with huge waves. It is estimated that over the past two centuries in the waters of the "fives" sank over 600 vessels!

During the Second World American pilots used great lakes to test takeoffs and landings on aircraft carriers. The training session was 18 thousand pilots, about 300 aircraft were surfed!

Pretty mystical is an uninterrupted phenomenon, when on the lakes, in perfectly quiet, mad weather, gigantic waves rise, with a crushing force flying on the shore. Indians called this phenomenon "three sisters". Scientific explanations are reduced to the fact that the bottom of the lakes is experiencing harsh fluctuations. The mystery remains that at the same time the surrounding seismic stations do not fix any underground jolts.

On great American lakes you can write whole books. They were a cradle for many Indian tribes, the first European settlements were formed around them. And now these natural pearls have become indispensable for two great powers, USA and Canada, successfully inscribed in their economy and culture, being decorated with a whole continent, and in essence, the property of the entire planet.