The Five Famous Great Lakes of North America
The Five Famous Great Lakes of North America
By Sherri Dickie | |[pic] | |[pic]
1 When the last ice age ended about four thousand years ago, the glaciers melted and formed North America's five Great Lakes. Glaciers are made up of fallen snow accumulated over many years that compresses into large, thickened ice masses. Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario make up the Great Lakes system. The Great Lakes contain one fifth of the world's fresh surface water, making them the largest system of freshwater on earth.
2 From Duluth, Michigan, at the western tip of Lake Superior to the outlet of Lake Ontario the Great Lakes are 1,160 miles (1,867 km) in length. This natural international boundary between Canada and the United States runs through the center of Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. All of the Great Lakes are connected to each other by either natural and/or man-made links.
3 Lake Superior is the largest, deepest, and coldest of the Great Lakes. It is about six hundred feet above sea level with a depth of 1,332 feet. St. Mary's River connects Lake Superior to Lake Huron, and the Sault (pronounced Soo) St. Marie Locks bypass the St. Mary's rapids. The city of Duluth, on the southwestern point of Lake Superior, is the only international port located so deep in the United States. Lake Superior's drainage basin is rich in natural resources and scenic beauty. A drainage basin or watershed is a region of land where water from rain or melted snow drains downhill into a body of water, such as a river, lake, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean.
4 Lake Michigan is the only one of the Great Lakes solely located in the United States. Lake Michigan is connected to Lake Huron at the Straits of Makinac. The world's largest freshwater dunes can be found on Lake Michigan's shoreline. The dunes provide habitat for rare native plants and animals such as the piping plover and the Pitcher's thistle. They also shelter other important geological features such as coastal wetlands. The city of Chicago is located on the southernmost tip of Lake Michigan.
5 Lake Huron is the second largest of the Great Lakes and has the longest shoreline. The Detroit River, St. Clair River, and Lake St. Clair connect Lake Huron and Lake Erie to each other. Georgian Bay, the largest bay on the Great Lakes, is located on Lake Huron. Manitoulin Island, the world's largest island within a freshwater lake, is also on Lake Huron. Ships pass through Lake Huron at the Sault St. Marie locks.
6 Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are linked by the Niagara River with a detour around Niagara Falls at the Welland Canal. Lake Erie is the warmest and shallowest of the Great Lakes, and the only lake that freezes over during the winter. It is also the busiest lake with thirteen major industrial distribution centers.
7 Lake Ontario is the smallest of the Great Lakes. The city of Toronto, the capital of Ontario, is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario. Ships navigate back and forth along the Great Lakes, through Lake Ontario to the St. Lawrence Seaway. From the seaway they sail on to worldwide distribution centers by way of the Gulf of St Lawrence at the mouth of the Atlantic Ocean.
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|Name _____________________________ | |[pic] |Date ___________________ |
The Five Famous Great Lakes of North America
|1. |2. |
|The five Great Lakes are Superior, St. Clair, Huron, Erie and |How is a glacier made? |
|Ontario. |[pic] |
|[pic] False |[pic] |
|[pic] True |[pic] |
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|3. |4. |
|The Great Lakes make up one-fifth of the world's freshwater. |Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are connected by: |
|[pic] False |[pic] Straits of Mackinac |
|[pic] True |[pic] Sault Ste. Marie Canal |
| |[pic] Welland Canal |
| |[pic] Niagara River |
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|5. | |
|What lake is famous for its dunes, and why are the dunes | |
|important? | |
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|Name _____________________________ | |[pic] |Date ___________________ |
The Five Famous Great Lakes of North America
How have the Great Lakes led to good relations between United States and Canada?
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