Great Lakes

Introduction & Top Questions
Physical features
- Geology
- Physiography
- Hydrology and climate
- Plant and animal life
The economy
- Resources
- Industry and transportation
- Fishing and recreation
- Human impact on the lakes
Study and exploration

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Map showing the Great Lakes-Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario-along with their surrounding drainage basin, depth variations indicated by shading, and major nearby cities in both the United States and Canada. State, provincial, and international boundaries are marked, and a small locator globe at the bottom left highlights the region's position in North America.

The video thumbnail image shows two hands holding zebra and quagga mussels, superimposed above a clear body of water. White question marks appear in the upper left corner.

Two large cargo ships travel side by side through the Welland Canal, bordered by trees and industrial buildings in Ontario.

Map showing the St. Lawrence hydrographic system and the five main sectors of the St. Lawrence Seaway project, stretching from Lake Ontario near Kingston through various locks, canals, and dams along the Canada-United States border to Montreal. The map highlights key locations such as the Thousand Islands, International Rapids, Lake St. Francis, Soulanges, and Lachine sections, with detailed labeling of major locks, canals, and power dams. Cross sections of the lock and canal system are depicted

At a Glance

Great Lakes summary

Quizzes

water glass on white background. (drink; clear; clean water; liquid)

Water and its Varying Forms

Shallow staghorn water corals in fringing reef at low tide in Thailand. (coral reefs; endangered area; ocean habitat; sea habitat; coral reef)

Unknown Waters

Related Questions

How can seiches create large differences in water level across Lake Erie?
How did Canada and the United States cooperate to reduce Great Lakes pollution?
How did early Great Lakes drain into the Mississippi River system?
How did glaciers form the basins of the Great Lakes?
How did pollution affect Great Lakes beaches and fish populations?
How did the Wisconsin Glacial Stage shape the Great Lakes region?
How do phosphorus and nitrogen contribute to eutrophication in the Great Lakes?
How do round gobies and ruffe threaten native Great Lakes fish?
How do the Great Lakes drain into the Atlantic Ocean?
How do the Great Lakes make nearby summers cooler and winters warmer?
How does the Welland Canal help ships travel between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario?
How does water travel from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario?
How does water travel from Lake Huron to Lake Erie?
How have zebra mussels affected the Great Lakes ecosystem?
How large is the Great Lakes drainage basin?
How were sea lamprey populations controlled in the Great Lakes?
In what order does water flow through the Great Lakes?
What are seiches in the Great Lakes?
What causes powerful storms and large waves on the Great Lakes?
What types of rocks and sediments occur in the Great Lakes basin?
What was Lake Algonquin in the history of the Great Lakes?
Where are the Great Lakes located in North America?
Which Great Lake has the largest surface area?
Which Great Lake is the deepest?
Which Great Lake is the shallowest?
Which Great Lake lies entirely within the United States?
Which Great Lakes form part of the border between the United States and Canada?
Which Indigenous peoples lived in the Great Lakes region before European colonization?
Which algae and plankton form the base of the Great Lakes food web?
Which birds use the Great Lakes region for nesting and migration?
Which fish species have been important in the Great Lakes?
Which five lakes make up the Great Lakes of North America?
Which major cities developed around the Great Lakes?
Which natural resources encouraged industrial growth around the Great Lakes?
Which river carries water from Lake Superior to Lake Huron?
Why are Lake Michigan and Lake Huron considered hydrologically one lake?
Why are raised beaches found around the Great Lakes?
Why are sand dunes common along the southeastern shore of Lake Michigan?
Why did pollution become a major problem in the Great Lakes during the 20th century?
Why did the Chicago River flow reversal divert water from Lake Michigan?
Why did the Great Lakes become important transportation routes for trade and settlement?
Why do Great Lakes water levels usually rise in summer and fall in winter?
Why do cities east of the Great Lakes receive heavy lake-effect snow?
Why were coho and chinook salmon introduced into the Great Lakes?
How were the Great Lakes of North America formed?
Which of the Great Lakes is the largest?
Where does water in the Great Lakes originate?
What are the American colonies?
Who established the American colonies?
What pushed the American colonies toward independence?
When did the American colonies declare independence?
Where is Lake Ontario located?
Where does the Mississippi River start and end?
How much of North America does the Mississippi River drain?

Geography & Travel Physical Geography of Water Lakes

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External Websites

National Wildlife Federation - Great Lakes, North America
Milwaukee Public Museum - Great Lakes History: A General View
The Canadian Encyclopedia - Great Lakes
LiveScience - Great Facts About the Five Great Lakes
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Great Lakes

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Great Lakes - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
Great Lakes - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Marquette Marquette Harbor Lighthouse on Lake Superior, Marquette, Michigan.

Great Lakes

lake system, North America

Written by

Alfred M. Beeton

Director, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Adjunct Professor, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor....

Alfred M. Beeton

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 13, 2026 •History

Great Lakes, chain of deep freshwater lakes in east-central North America comprising Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. They are one of the great natural features of the continent and of the Earth. Although Lake Baikal in Russia has a larger volume of water, the combined area of the Great Lakes—some 94,250 square miles (244,106 square kilometres)—represents the largest surface of fresh water in the world, covering an area exceeding that of the United...

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