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Where are the Great Lakes located in North America?

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

The Great Lakes are a chain of deep freshwater lakes located in east-central North America. They form a natural border between Canada and the United States, with the exception of Lake Michigan, which lies entirely within the United States.1

The system consists of five major lakes:
* Lake Superior: The northernmost and westernmost lake, bordered by Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.2
* Lake Michigan: Located south of Lake Superior and bordered by Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin.2
* Lake Huron: Situated at the same altitude as Lake Michigan and bounded by Ontario and Michigan.2
* Lake Erie: Bordered by Ontario, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan.2
* Lake Ontario: The easternmost lake, lying between Ontario and New York.12

Together, these lakes represent the largest surface of fresh water in the world and serve as the western portion of the St. Lawrence hydrographic system, which drains eastward into the Atlantic Ocean.12