Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area and the third-largest freshwater lake by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh water. Located in central North America, it is the northernmost and westernmost of the Great Lakes of North America, straddling the Canada–United States border with the Canadian province of Ontario to the north and east and the U.S. states of Minnesota to the west and Michigan and Wisconsin to the south. It drains into Lake Huron via St. Marys River, then through the lower Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence River and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean.
| Lake Superior | |
|---|---|
| Gichi-gami or Anishinaabewi-gichi-gami (Ojibwe) | |
Lake Superior taken from the International Space Station on June 6, 2019 | |
Lake Superior | |
Lake Superior bathymetric map. The deepest point, roughly off its southeastern shore, is marked with "×". The deep trenches in its eastern part may have originated from tunnel valleys. | |
| Location | North America |
| Group | Great Lakes |
| Coordinates | 47.7°N 87.5°W |
| Lake type | Glacial |
| Primary inflows | Nipigon, St. Louis, Pigeon, Pic, White, Michipicoten, Kaministiquia, Ontonagon, Tahquamenon Rivers |
| Primary outflows | St. Marys River |
| Catchment area | 49,300 sq mi (128,000 km2) |
| Basin countries | Canada and the United States |
| Max. length | 350 mi (560 km) |
| Max. width | 160 mi (260 km) |
| Surface area | 82,100 km2 (31,700 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 483 ft (147 m) |
| Max. depth | 1,333 ft (406 m) |
| Water volume | 12,070 km3 (2,900 cu mi) |
| Residence time | 191 years |
| Shore length1 | 1,729 mi (2,783 km) plus 997 mi (1,605 km) for islands |
| Surface elevation | 601.71 ft (183 m) (2013 average) |
| Islands | Isle Royale, Apostle Islands, Michipicoten Island, Grand Island, Slate Islands |
| Settlements |
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| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
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