The Great Lakes - Part One

Pellucid pearls in northeastern North America since planetary birth Comprise Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario dearth Largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth Straddle Canadian–United States border tethering partial global girth Constituting 21% of world's surface fresh water species hearth Total surface equals 94,250 square miles And total volume equals 5,439 cubic miles immeasurable worth. Lake Erie from Erie tribe, abridged form of Iroquoian word erielhonan “long tail” Lake Huron named by French explorers for Wyandot or “Hurons” whence they did sail Lake Michigan likely from Ojibwa word mishigami “great water” aka outsize gold quail Lake Ontario i.e. “Lake of Shining Waters” shimmering like hammered coat of mail Lake Superior coined from French “lac supérieur” "upper lake", an emerald watery dale Ojibwe people called it gitchigumi medicinal to cure that, which might ail. These five lakes each reside in separate basin Form a single, naturally interconnected body of fresh water caisson Linking east-central interior of North America to Atlantic Ocean akin to escutcheon. From interior to outlet at St. Lawrence River, Water flows via Superior to Michigan-Huron southward to Erie to avoid a shiver Finally released northward to Lake Ontario like a well taut archer with his quiver. The lakes drain a large watershed via many rivers as an Olympic team Populated with approximately 35,000 islands this estimate not x stream. The Great Lakes region contains many thousands of smaller lakes, Often called inland lakes undulating in cascading analogous to a fluid ream Lake Michigan the only one located entirely within United States While the others border between United States and Canada – essentially a liquid seam. Lakes Michigan and Huron are basically a single lake, Sometimes called Lake Michigan-Huron, combined doth make Total area of 45,300 square miles (117,000 km2) Have the same surface elevation of 577 feet (176 m), Connected by 295-foot deep Straits of Mackinac Islands dis pull layed like a rake. approximately 35,000 islands extant throughout oceanic like sea largest among them is Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron perhaps, the largest island in any inland body of water in the world. The second-largest island is Isle Royale in Lake Superior. Both of these islands are large enough to contain multiple lakes themselves — Manitoulin Island's Lake Manitou is listed in Guinness Book of World Records as world's largest lake located on a freshwater island. Connection to the ocean The Saint Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes Waterway connect the Great Lakes to ocean-going vessels. The move to wider ocean-going container ships — which do not fit through the locks on these routes — has limited container shipping on the lakes. Most Great Lakes trade is of bulk material and bulk freighters of Seawaymax-size or less can move throughout entire lakes and out to Atlantic. The Great Lakes are also connected to Gulf of Mexico by way of Illinois River (from the Chicago River) and Mississippi River.