The Great Lakes, with a total area of about 245,660 square kilometers, is the largest fresh water area in the world. The Great Lakes Basin is about 766 100 square kilometers, extending nearly 1 100 kilometers from north to south, and the length from the western end of Lake Superior to the eastern end of Lake Ontario is about 1400 kilometers. The lake generally flows from west to east and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Except for Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, the water level of each lake is equal, and the water level of each lake decreases in turn.
The Great Lakes are the final product of glacial activities that began about 654.38 million years ago. Today's Great Lakes are located in a valley that is constantly being expanded by glacial activities. A large amount of ice on the ground also depressed the valley. The Great Lakes are the last stage of the formation of many lakes in this area in the late Pleistocene.
Lake Superior is the northwest and largest of the five great lakes in North America, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world and the second largest lake in the world after Caspian Sea. Canada is in the northeast of the lake, and the United States is in the southwest. The lake is 616km long from east to west, 257km wide from north to south, with an average elevation of180m, a water area of 82103km2 and a maximum depth of 405m. The water storage capacity is 6.5438+0.2 million cubic kilometers. Nearly 200 rivers flow into the lake, with Nipigon River and St. Louis River as the largest rivers. The main islands in the lake are Royal Island (one of the national parks in the United States), Postel Islands, Mickey Peachton Island and St. Ignace Island. There are many woodlands near the lake, with beautiful scenery and sparse population. The water quality of Lake Superior is clear, the lake is stormy, and it is cool in Leng Xia in winter. Seasonal fishing and hunting and tourism are the main projects of the local entertainment industry. There are many kinds of minerals. There are many natural harbors and artificial ports. The main ports are Sander Bay in Canada and Tacny in the United States. The annual sailing period is 8 months. The lake was discovered by French explorers in 1622, and its name was taken from French, which means "going to the lake".
Lake Huron is the second largest of the five great lakes in North America. It extends from northwest to southeast, with a length of 33 1 km and a widest point of 163 km. The lake covers an area of 59,570 square kilometers. There are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and many rivers. The lake empties into Lake Erie from the southern end. The elevation of the lake is176m, and the maximum depth is 229m. There are many islands in the northeast. The main economic activities in the lake area are logging and fishing. There are many tourist areas along the lake. The sailing season is from the beginning of April to the end of 65438+February, and the main ports are Lockport and Roger Period City. Lake Huron is the first lake discovered by Europeans, named after the Indians of Lake Huron.
Lake Michigan, also known as Lake Michigan, is the third largest lake in North America and the only one completely belonging to the United States. Hubei is connected with Lake Huron, with a length of 5 17km from north to south and a width of 190km at its widest point. The lake basin covers an area of nearly120,000 square kilometers, and the water area is 57,757 square kilometers. The elevation of the lake is 177m, the deepest point is 28 1m, the average water depth is 84m, and the storage capacity is 4875. About 100 rivers flow into it, and there are many islands at the northern end, with Beaver Island as the largest. There are cliffs eroded by lake waves on the lakeshore, and there are many sand dunes on the southeast coast, especially in Indiana National Lakeside Area and State Park. The climate in the lake area is mild, and most of the lakeshore is a summer resort. The fruit producing area on the east coast is quite famous. There are many winding harbors on the north shore, and there are many trout and salmon in the lake, so the fishery is prosperous. Chicago, located at the southern tip, is an important industrial city with many ports. From mid-February to mid-April in 65438, the harbor was frozen and navigation was blocked, but the lake was rarely completely frozen, and ferries traveled between several ports all the year round.
Lake Erie is the fourth largest of the five great lakes in North America, with the United States in the east, west and south and Canada in the north. The lake covers an area of 25,667 square kilometers. It runs northeast-southwest with a length of 388 kilometers and a width of 92 kilometers. The elevation of the lake is174m, the average depth is18m, and the deepest point is 64m. It is the shallowest of the five lakes, with a total length of 1200 km. Many rivers such as Detroit River, Huron River and Rio Grande River are injected into it, and the lake water is discharged from the eastern end via niagara river. The islands are concentrated in the western end of the lake, with Piri Island in Canada as the largest. On the northwest coast is Cape peary National Park. The main ports are Cleveland in the United States and Bila in Akhta. The industrial zone along the lake led to the closure of many lakeside tourist areas, and the environmental damage was controlled in the late 1970s.
Lake Ontario is the easternmost and smallest of the five great lakes in North America, with Canada in the north and the United States in the south. It is roughly oval, with east-west principal axes of 365,438+065,438+0 km and the widest point of 85 km. The water surface is about 19554 square kilometers, the average depth is 86 meters, the deepest point is 244 meters, and the water storage capacity is 1688 cubic kilometers. There are niagara river River, Genesee River, Oswego River, Black River and Trent River, which are connected with Lake Erie through Welland Canal and niagara river. The famous Niagara Falls is connected with Lake Erie and irrigated to Lake Ontario, with a drop of 99 meters. The lake flows into the St. Lawrence River from the eastern end. North of Lake Ontario is an agricultural plain, and industries are concentrated in port cities such as Toronto and Rochester. June 65438+February to April of the following year, the port is closed to navigation.
(According to China Popular Science Network)
The Mississippi River is the largest river in America. Together with the Amazon River in South America, the Nile River in Africa and the Yangtze River in China, it is called the four longest rivers in the world.