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The Great Lakes are five lakes situated on the south of Ontario.
A commonly used mnemonic for remembering the names of the lakes is HOMES, for Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior, although this mnemonic puts the lakes in no particular order. Alternative mnemonics such as Sister Mary Hates Ecumenical Overtures or She Made Harry Eat Onions place them in west-east order.
The Great Lakes from space. In order from east to west: Superior, Michegan, Huron, Erie, Ontario.
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Lake Superior is the largest of North America's Great Lakes. It is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area with Lake Baikal in Siberia having more volume. (The Caspian Sea is larger, but contains salt water.) Lake Superior has a surface area of 82,000 km² (32,000 sq. mi.), larger than the Czech Republic. It has a maximum length of 350 mi (563 km) and maximum width of 160 mi (257 km). Its average depth is 489 ft (149 m) with a maximum depth of 1,333 ft (406 m). Lake Superior contains 2,935 cubic mi (12,232 cubic km) of water. The shoreline of the lake stretches 2,730 miles (4393 km) (including islands).
The lake is called "Gitche Gumee" ("big water") in the language of the Ojibwe who have inhabited the area for over five hundred years. The lake was named Lac Supérieur by French explorers because it was the highest in elevation of all the Great Lakes.
According to an old sailor's tale, Lake Superior never gives up her dead. This is because the lake is much colder and deeper than most other bodies of water. Bodies tend to sink and (unlike the ocean) never surface again.
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| Name |
Surface |
Maximum Depth |
| Lake Michigan |
22,300 sq. m. (57750 km²) |
923 ft (281 m) |
| Lake Huron |
23 000 sq. miles (59 600 km²). |
750 ft (299 m) |
| Lake Erie |
24,000 km² (10,000 sq. miles) |
120 ft (64 m) |
| Lake Ontario |
19,009 km² |
802 ft (244 m) |
| Lake Superior |
82,000 km² (32,000 sq. mi) |
1,333 ft (406 m) |
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Lake Ontario, bounded on the north by Ontario and on the south by Ontario's Niagara Peninsula and by New York State, is one of the five Great Lakes of North America.
The name of the lake is an Iroquois word meaning either "beautiful lake" or "sparkling water". The Canadian province of Ontario was later named after the lake.
Lake Ontario is the eastern-most and smallest in surface area (19,009 square kilometers) of the Great Lakes; although, it exceeds Lake Erie in volume (1639 km³). It is the 14th largest lake in the world. Its maximum depth is 802 ft (244 m). Its primary inlet is the Niagara River (from Lake Erie) and primary outlet is the Saint Lawrence River.
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