Great Lakes of America. Great Lakes Great American Lakes on the map

Great Lakes North America- a unique natural system consisting of five large lakes connected to each other by rivers and straits. What lakes are honored to be called great, what is the history of their occurrence, and where they are located, we will find out in this article.

General information

The Great Lakes are located on the territory of two states: Canada and the United States of America. They belong to the Atlantic Ocean basin, and the occupied area is 245.2 thousand square meters. km. with a volume of water 22671 cubic meters. km. This water system includes five major freshwater lakes and numerous very small lakes and rivers.

Rice. 1. Great lakes.

In terms of the size of the occupied area, the Great Lakes surpass even Lake Baikal by about 7.5 times. Despite this, Baikal holds a larger amount of water, which indicates the shallow depth of the Great Lakes. The average depth of Lake Baikal is 744 meters, and the depth of the North American Pearl is 147 meters.

The Great Lakes include:

Lake Superior;
Lake Huron;
Lake Michigan;
Lake Erie;
Lake Ontario.

All lakes are interconnected by rivers, canals and straits and together form a unique water system that exists only in North America.

Origin story

The Great Lakes system originates 12 thousand years ago, when the territory of modern North America was covered with ice. Under the influence of tectonic processes, depressions were formed - pits, which gradually filled with fresh water. Where did the water come from? The fact is that the climate gradually changed and the mainland became warmer. The ice melted, and the resulting water filled the depressions, thereby forming lakes.

Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is the fourth largest freshwater lake in the world. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that it is located exclusively in the United States. All the other "big five" lakes occupy space in both the US and Canada. Scholars often do not separate Huron and Michigan into separate lakes, but treat them as a single entity. After all, they are on the same level and are connected by a deep strait.

In the language of the Indians who originally lived on these lands, the name mishigami is translated as "big water".

Lake Erie

Most of Lake Erie is located in the United States, in Canada it washes the shores of the province of Ontario. It is connected to Lake Ontario by the Niagara River. It is in the bed of this river that the world-famous Niagara Falls is located. Compared to the rest, the lake is not at all deep, the water in it warms up well, which contributes to the reproduction of many species of fish.

Lake Ontario

The last lake in the Great Lakes is Lake Ontario. It is the smallest in this water system. Its area is 20 thousand sq. km. It is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the St. Lawrence River. Since the Atlantic Ocean is very close, the water in the lake almost never freezes.

general information

The Great Lakes formed at the end of the last ice age, approximately 10,000 years ago, when the glacier began to retreat and melting water filled the valley carved by the ice. As the glaciers retreated, their edges left sharp "cuts" that are visible today in Wisconsin and Ontario's Bruce Peninsula, as well as at Niagara Falls.

Five lakes make up more than 20% of the world's reserve fresh water- 22,812 cu. km. All five lakes are among the 18 largest lakes in the world, both in terms of area and volume. Their total area is 151,681 sq. km - this is more than the territory of England, Scotland and Wales combined.

Upper Lake is the largest and deepest, in fact, its area exceeds the area of the Czech Republic. Lake Michigan is the second largest by volume, while the shallower Lake Huron is the second largest. Lake Erie is the smallest and smallest in volume, while Lake Ontario is the smallest in area. It is also located at a much lower altitude than other lakes.

From the lakes flows the St. Lawrence River, flowing into Quebec, past the Gaspé Peninsula, and flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. In the days before they were built railways, it was the St. Lawrence River that served as the main transport artery between large industrial cities on the shores of the lake. Today, tourism is an important component of the economies of both countries near the border, as is industrial fishing.

Due to their size, the lakes have an impact on the climate in the region. In summer, their waters absorb heat, keeping them cool, while in winter they protect the area from the cold. However, it is in winter that the lakes look most impressive. Dry continental air masses, usually coming from the west, absorb the moisture of the lakes, and as soon as they reach the cold air over the spaces to the east, heavy snowfalls begin, sometimes snow falls several feet high. They say that at this time it can snow literally from nowhere, from a completely cloudless sky.

There are several national parks on the shores of the Great Lakes. Here you can go sailing, kayaking, fishing or diving, and in the forests surrounding the lakes you can go cycling, bird watching, hiking and pitching tents. Bald eagles and herons can be found along the lakeshores in deserted areas, while black bears, wolves, elks and even the endangered Canada lynx can be found in more secluded forests.

The basin of the lakes is inhabited by more than 33 million people, more than one tenth of the total population of the United States of America and a quarter of the inhabitants of Canada. The governments of both countries are making great efforts to prevent pollution of the area, trying to protect this magnificent land from the damage caused by civilization.

The Great Lake is one of the most popular places for fishing in the entire Vladimir region. The reservoir is located not far from Vyazniki, and it will be convenient to get here both from Vladimir and Nizhny Novgorod. Don't miss your chance and be sure to take a ride to the pond next weekend.

Peculiarities

The Great Lake is the second largest body of water in the region and at the same time acts as one of the most popular places for fishing. Fish such as tench, roach, rotan and pike are found in this reservoir, and they are caught just fine here. The only negative is that during the period of fish spawning, the authorities of the region introduce temporary fishing restrictions, and therefore, before going to the lake, it is necessary to check the spawning schedule and the bans on fishing.

The reservoir will also be of interest to fans of eco-tourism and lovers of clean, gas-free corners of nature. Not far from the wetlands of the land, you can pick cranberries, lingonberries, blueberries and blueberries. In the lakeside groves you can see birches, larches, pines and spruces, as well as hear the gentle singing of nightingales. Of the other birds in the reservoir, there are blue-gray gulls, white jocks, great grebes and sea eagles.

Sadly, due to the lack of proper care, the Great Lake began to gradually overgrow. Here you can increasingly see reed islands, clusters of black alder and cattail. But at the same time, the most beautiful white water lilies appear here, which are especially pleasant to admire in summer.

There are two islands on the reservoir - a large island Berezovy and a very small island Sosnovka. However, these islands will not be particularly interesting to visit, so it is not necessary to look at them at all.

How to get there

The Great Lake is located in the Vyaznikovsky district of the Vladimir region, not far from the regional center. From Vladimir to this reservoir you will need to drive about 130 kilometers, and from Nizhny Novgorod - 120 kilometers. To get here from Vladimir, we recommend using the railway and getting to the Vyazniki station, and then transfer to a regular bus and get to the village of Malye Udoli. If you go to the lake by car, then go to it along the highway to Nizhny Novgorod and pass Bogolyubovo, Penkino, Pavlovskoye and Chudinovo. In Vyazniki, leave the main road, find the road that crosses the Klyazma, and follow it to Zaborochya, and then to Maly Udoli. The reservoir you need is located 3 kilometers from the indicated settlement.

Coordinates 56°16′47″N (56.279684) 42°18′17″E (42.304754)

Object data:

Area 2.8 km²

Depth up to 2.05 m

Nature

Restrictions

Guides nearby

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Severe preppers

There are about 5 million lakes in the world, but we have only heard of a few of the largest. Do you think Baikal is the largest lake in the world? In fact, Baikal occupies only the 7th line in the ranking of the largest lakes!

Did you know that the area of the largest lake on the planet is equal to the area of 52 million football fields and is comparable to the area of Moscow multiplied by 150 times? No? Then read below!

No. 10. Great Slave Lake - 28,930 square kilometers. North America.

Great Slave Lake is the 10th largest lake in the world by area, and it is also the deepest lake in North America. Its depth is 614 meters. The dimensions of the Great Slave Lake are 480 km long, 19-109 km wide, and the area is 28,930 square kilometers.

From October to June, the lake is covered with ice; in winter, the ice can withstand the weight of trucks. Rivers flowing into the lake: Hay, Slave, Snowdrift, etc. The Mackenzie River flows out of the lake. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

No. 9. Lake Nyasa - 30,044 square kilometers. East Africa.

Lake Nyasa (Malawi) is the ninth largest lake in the world. Lake Nyasa fills a crack in the earth's crust in the Great Rift Valley in East Africa, located between Mozambique and Tanzania. The length of the lake is 560 km, the depth is 706 m. Nyasa contains 7% of the world's reserves of liquid fresh water.

Nyasa is known for its rich ecosystem, many of the species found in the lake are endemic. The origin of the lake is tectonic.

No. 8. Big Bear Lake - 31,080 square kilometers. Canada.

The Great Bear Lake is located 200 km south of the Arctic Circle in Canada. The lake ranks eighth in area in the world and fourth in North America. The dimensions of the lake: length - 320 km, width - 175 km, maximum depth - 446 m.

The lake has a not very good history. Uranium was found here. It was from here that uranium was mined for the manufacture of bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The lake is almost always covered with ice, the ice rarely melts before the end of July. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

No. 7. Lake Baikal - 31,500 square kilometers. Eastern Siberia.

Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, the largest water reservoir, which contains 20% of the world's liquid fresh water. Baikal is also considered one of the cleanest lakes in the world.

The lake ranks seventh in terms of area in the world and first in terms of volume. The dimensions of the lake are: length - 636 km, width - 80 km, maximum depth - 1642 m, volume - 23,600 km3.
The origin of the lake is tectonic, the age is more than 25 million years. The fauna of Lake Baikal is one of the most unique in the world, many species are endemic.

No. 6. Lake Tanganyika - 32,893 square kilometers. Central Africa.

Lake Tanganyika is one of the deepest lakes in the world, along with Lake Baikal. The lake lies between 4 countries - the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Zambia and Burundi.

The dimensions of the lake are: length - 676 km, width - 72 km, maximum depth - 1470 m, volume - 18,900 km3. The origin of the lake is tectonic.

Tanganyika lies in the deepest tectonic basin in Africa and enters the basin of the Congo River, one of the largest rivers in the world.

No. 5. Lake Michigan - 58,016 square kilometers. North America.

Lake Michigan is one of the Great Lakes. This lake is the largest of the lakes located entirely within the United States. Michigan is the fifth largest in the world and the third among the Great Lakes. The volume of the lake is 4918 m3, length - 494 km, width - 190 km, maximum depth - 281 m. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

No. 4. Lake Huron - 59,596 square kilometers North America.

Lake Huron is one of the Great Lakes. This lake is located on the territory of two countries: the USA and Canada. Huron is the fourth largest lake in the world. The volume of the lake is 3538 m3, length - 331 km, width - 295 km, maximum depth - 229 m. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

No. 3. Lake Victoria - 69,485 square kilometers. East Africa.

Lake Victoria is located in Tanzania, Kenya. After the construction of the Owen Falls Dam in 1954, the lake was turned into a reservoir. There are many islands on the lake. Fishing is developed on the lake and there are many ports on the territory of the three countries. On the island of Rubondo (Tanzania), a national park has been formed.

Victoria is the third largest lake in the world. The volume of the lake is 2760 m3, the length is 320 km, the width is 274 km, the maximum depth is 80 m. The origin of the lake is tectonic.

The lake was discovered and named after Queen Victoria by British traveler John Henning Speke in 1858.

No. 2. Lake Superior - 82,414 square kilometers. North America.

Lake Superior is the second largest in the world and the largest among the Great Lakes, located on the border of the United States and Canada. The volume of the lake is 12,000 m3, length - 563 km, width - 257 km, maximum depth - 406 m. The origin of the lake is glacial-tectonic.

Etymology of the name. In the Ojibwe language, the lake is called Gichigami, which means "big water".

No. 1. Caspian Sea - 371,000 square kilometers. Europe Asia.

The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth and is classified as the largest lake or sea due to its size. Located at the junction of Europe and Asia. Volume - 78,200 m3, length - 1200 km, width - 435 km, maximum depth - 1025 m. The coastline of the Caspian Sea is approximately 6500 kilometers long.

130 rivers flow into the Caspian Sea, the largest of them are the Volga, Terek, Sulak, Ural, Kura, Artek, etc. The Caspian Sea washes the shores of Kazakhstan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Russia, Azerbaijan.
The origin of the lake is oceanic.

On the North American continent there is a beautiful corner of nature known as the Great Lakes. The basin of these reservoirs is considered one of the largest drainage systems on our planet. It occupies a rather impressive territory - 768 thousand km². It contains almost 18% of the world's fresh water! Information about where the Great Lakes are located, their origin and description can be found in this article.

History of occurrence

Scientists believe that about 12 thousand years ago there was an icy desert on the site of North America. The origin of the Great Lakes is associated with the formation of tectonic depressions, which were subsequently plowed and deepened by a giant glacier, slowly moving from north to south. Huge masses of ice crushed the soil, consisting mainly of soft sandstone and shale. They easily crushed mountains and moved huge blocks from their place, as a result of which even deeper depressions and moraines were formed. Thus, wide pits were formed, which, after the melting of glaciers, were gradually filled with water.

General information

This largest drainage system is located in North America, in the St. Lawrence River basin, on the border of two states - the United States and Canada. The Great Lakes are a group of the five largest bodies of water, which includes the Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario. The total length of their coastline is approximately 18 thousand km. They contain more than 22 thousand km³ of water, and their surface area is 245.3 thousand km². Lake Michigan is located in the United States. As for the rest of the reservoirs and the rivers connecting them, the border with Canada passes through them.

The Great Lakes system itself is special, as it is arranged in steps. The difference in the height of the placement of the Upper, Huron, Michigan and Erie is no more than 9 m. But as for the lake. Ontario, then it is almost 100 m lower than the rest. All of the above reservoirs are interconnected by small, but rather full-flowing rivers. So, Upper and Huron are connected via the St. Marys River 112 km long, and Ontario and Erie - through Niagara, which forms the world-famous waterfall of the same name, whose height is about 50 m. In addition, Huron is connected to Erie by the 43-kilometer St. Clair, and with Lake Michigan - the Strait of Mackinac, the width of which is at least 3 km.

Proximity of settlements

The Great Lakes (this is clearly visible on the map) are replenished by several hundred small streams, and the flow is carried out along the St. Lawrence River, which flows from Ontario directly into the Atlantic Ocean. These waters have very low mineralization - only up to 0.13 g/l. About 170 lakes are found in the lake data system. various kinds fish, including salmon, perch, trout, carp, whitefish and many others.

It must be said that the Great Lakes region in the southern and southeastern parts is adjacent to the very densely populated and industrialized, and from the west and north - to the agrarian and raw materials territories of Canada and the United States. So, in the USA, on the shores of Michigan, there are two largest cities- Milwaukee and Chicago, near Erie - Cleveland and Buffalo, and near Ontario - Canadian Toronto. In addition, the lakes communicate with the Mississippi basin with the help of a whole system of navigable canals.

Upper

Lake Superior is the largest fresh water body in North America. In terms of the amount of fresh water, this giant ranks third after Russian Baikal and African Tanganyika. The average depth of the largest American lake is 147, and the maximum is 406 meters. It contains over 11 thousand km³ of water.

The northern shore of Lake Superior is located in the province of Ontario (Canada). The rest of the coast is located in the United States. The lands of Minnesota extend from its western part, Michigan from the south, and Wisconsin from the southwest. The total length of the coastline is 4387 km. The width of this freshwater giant reaches 260, and the length is 560 km. This reservoir is located at an altitude of 182 m above sea level.

It is worth noting that the coastline of Lake Superior is quite heavily indented by numerous bays and bays. The south coast has a flat landscape and sandy beaches. This picturesque place was chosen by the inhabitants of the North American continent, who tend to come here with their families on vacation. As for the northern coast, it consists entirely of rocks and cliffs.

All the Great American Lakes are fed by a large number of medium and small rivers. For example, approximately two hundred flows into the Upper, and the largest is the river. Nipigon. In addition, the lake has its own islands. The largest of them is Isle Royal, which is 72 km long and 14 km wide. Now on the territory of this island there is a national park connected to the mainland by ferries constantly running back and forth.

Huron

For some time now, some geographers have been trying to combine this lake with the third largest body of water - Michigan. Such attempts are explained by the fact that they are on the same level. These rather impressive water masses are very similar to two communicating vessels with similar characteristics. The Huron is the second largest body of water in the Great Lakes. It occupies an area of almost 6 thousand km². With regards to the volume of fresh water, it is inferior to Lake Michigan and amounts to 3.538 thousand km³. Huron is located 177 m above sea level.

The average depth of the lake does not exceed 60, and the maximum reaches 230 m. Its coastline is 6.157 thousand km, while the length is 332, and the width is 295 km. In the northern part of Huron is a large island called Manitoulin. It is considered the largest of all that are located in fresh water. Its area is 2.766 thousand km². In addition, people live on it. The population of this island is approximately 13 thousand people.

The Great Lakes of North America have always been famous for their large number of rare fish species. Over time, they began to breed in other fresh water bodies around the world. Take at least lake trout. She lives at a depth of 20 to 60 m. Unfortunately, in the mid-1950s, this species of fish was almost completely destroyed. And the point is not only in its excessive catch, but also in the appearance of the sea lamprey in the waters of Huron, which came here as a result of the opening of a new channel in 1925.

This lake is extremely famous, first of all, for the fact that frequent storms and storms arose on it, after which numerous ship cemeteries were formed. Judge for yourself with early XVIII For centuries, its waters have swallowed up more than one thousand ships! According to the documents, the first ship to sink was the Griffin. His downfall took place in September 1679. He was walking with a large load of furs. But the most widely known event is the Great Storm that hit the Great Lakes in 1913. It was a real hurricane, rampaging in the area for four days. Huron suffered the most from this element. In its waters, the elements found 36 ships, most of them washed ashore, but 10 ships sank along with their crews. The victims of the Great Storm were 235 sailors.

On Lake Huron there is a small bay of Saginay, located in the southwestern part of the reservoir. Here at the bottom rests 185 sunken ships. Another large ship graveyard is located near Manitoulin Island. 212 ships are buried there. Almost all of them were trucks carrying furs, grain or other goods, so the damage from their crashes amounted to more than one million dollars.

Michigan

This lake is the third largest freshwater body of water and, unlike its counterparts, located entirely within the United States. As mentioned above, all the Great Lakes of North America are located in steps. This reservoir is, like the Huron, 177 m above sea level. Its average depth is 85, and the maximum is 281 m. Lake Michigan occupies about 58 thousand km². Its coastline is 2636 km long, 190 km wide and 494 km long. Beaver is the largest island in Lake Michigan. Its length is 21, and its width is 10 km. It is part of the archipelago of the same name with many smaller islands.

Four states adjoin this reservoir: Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Indiana. About 12 million people live along the entire coastline. The largest coastal cities are Milwaukee and Chicago. Lake Michigan in the summer is very popular with vacationers. It is famous for its beaches with clean, soft and slightly creaking sand underfoot. It owes this feature to the high content of quartz. In addition, the formation of sand dunes has been observed along the Michigan coast. As for the local water temperature, it remains warm even at the end of summer.

From the north, lake shores are often covered with whole colonies of stones of coral origin. Often their surface is covered with rather original and peculiar patterns, which distinguishes these natural formations from the well-known ordinary pebbles. Almost the entire east coast of Lake Michigan is covered with rocks, while the south coast is covered with dunes. This feature can be explained by the predominance of westerly winds in these places. It is they who in winter contribute to the formation of a rather impressive layer of ice on the surface of the lake.

Erie

This is the fourth largest body of water, one of the five Great Lakes. It covers an area of 25.7 thousand km². Erie stretches for 388 km, and its width is a little over 90 km. This is the shallowest reservoir, the average depth of which is only 64 m. This lake is located on the territory of three US states - Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania, as well as in the province of Ontario (Canada). Numerous islands are located in its southwestern part. There are several large cities along the coast of Erie, such as Buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo and others.

As you know, the Great American Lakes together and separately are unique corners of nature. Eri was no exception. The climate here is really unusual. This is the so-called snow effect. It occurs due to the circulation of cold air masses in the winter months over warm lake water. Reaching Buffalo, he literally brings down a huge amount of snow on the city. The snow effect is a short-lived phenomenon that disappears when Erie freezes.

Ontario

Its area is 19.5 thousand km². It is the smallest of the Great Lakes. Its average depth is 86, and the maximum is 244 m. Despite its relatively small size, Ontario is the most important transport artery for both Canada and the United States. Due to its great depth, this lake never completely freezes over, so ships ply here all year round.

Since Ontario is located below all the Great Lakes, that is, only 75 m above sea level, a large number of locks have been equipped for convenient navigation, which have a limited width. This could lead to a significant reduction in the volume of freight traffic. To prevent this from happening, they developed the so-called lake trucks, which are the largest river vessels in the world, reaching a length of up to three hundred meters.

Ontario, like all of the above Great Lakes, has a special climate. The local conditions contribute to the successful development of agriculture, as the spring flowering of plants is delayed here, and ripened fruits, such as peaches, plums, apples and cherries, are stored until late autumn. Even on this coast, grapes grow well, from which they make a delicious and fragrant drink.

abuse

The large-scale and reckless use of these unique reservoirs in the United States and Canada could not but lead to quite serious socio-economic and environmental issues, and above all to the pollution of not only surface, but also groundwater.

Especially detrimental to the Great Lakes was the intensively developing economy of the United States after the Second World War. It was during this period that the unprecedented growth of American industry began. Industrial, domestic and other effluents poured into these water bodies without any treatment. The result of such actions was a sharp decrease in the oxygen content, and as a result, the mass death of fish.

By that time, the use and further disposal of toxic chlorine compounds and synthetic fertilizers had led to their entry into food products. By the end of the 60s of the last century, about 40% of all water systems in the United States became unsuitable for both fishing and bathing due to extreme pollution. Moreover, quite large volumes of toxic liquids fell into the Great Lakes. The United States has thus become the main cause of the ecological catastrophe in the area.

By the way, already in the 70s of the last century, Lake Erie turned out to be practically “dead” due to intensive discharges of the chemical industry. All this happened through the fault of enterprises that did not pay due attention to high-quality wastewater treatment. As a result, the waters of Lake Erie were oversaturated with phosphorus, causing excessive algal blooms and, as a result, a significant reduction in the fish population.

Ecological situation

Once on the shores of the largest freshwater lakes of the North American continent, many different animals lived, and their waters literally teemed with a variety of fish species. James Fenimore Cooper wrote about all this in great detail and fascinatingly in the not so distant past in his works Deerslayer and Pathfinder, or On the Shores of Ontario. Since then, herds of noble wild deer, thickets of dense deciduous forests have disappeared, and with them the Indian tribes. The American lakes themselves have become an ecologically unfavorable zone.

Despite the fact that the governments of the United States and Canada are making great efforts to protect the natural resources of the Great Lakes, yet this does not bring any significant changes for the better. As long as various enterprises of the metallurgical, chemical and oil refining industries exist near this water system, they will inevitably destroy the ecosystem of these unique reservoirs.