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<br>[[Image:Lake Michigan.jpg|thumb|right|200x300px]]The only one of the five Great Lakes of North America that is located entirely within the United States is Lake Michigan. The other four Great Lakes are shared by the US and Canada. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume <ref>GLIN, "Lake Michigan" at Great-lakes.net. (accessed 20 November 2013).</ref> and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron (and is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of West Virginia). The wide Straits of Mackinac to the east of Lake Michigan conjoin it with Lake Huron, giving it the same surface elevation as its easterly counterpart; the two are technically a single lake. The states of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan form the boundaries of Lake Michigan. | <br>[[Image:Lake Michigan.jpg|thumb|right|200x300px]]The only one of the five Great Lakes of North America that is located entirely within the United States is Lake Michigan. The other four Great Lakes are shared by the US and Canada. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume <ref>GLIN, "Lake Michigan" at Great-lakes.net. (accessed 20 November 2013).</ref> and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron (and is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of West Virginia). The wide Straits of Mackinac to the east of Lake Michigan conjoin it with Lake Huron, giving it the same surface elevation as its easterly counterpart; the two are technically a single lake. The states of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan form the boundaries of Lake Michigan. The word "Michigan" originally referred to the lake itself, and is believed to come from the Ojibwa word mishigami meaning "great water".<ref>Encyclopedia of Chicago, "Lake Michigan" athttp://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/711.html (accessed 20 November 2013).</ref> | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
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== Geography == | == Geography == | ||
Lake Michigan is the only one of the Great Lakes wholly within the borders of the United States; the others are shared with Canada. It has a surface area of 22,300 square miles (58,000 km2),making it the largest lake entirely within one country by surface area (Lake Baikal, in Russia, is larger by water volume), and the fifth largest lake in the world. It is 307 miles (494 km) long by 118 miles (190 km) wide with a shoreline 1,640 miles (2,640 km) long. The lake's average depth is 46 fathoms 3 feet (279 ft; 85 m), while its greatest depth is 153 fathoms 5 feet (923 ft; 281 m). It contains a volume of 1,180 cubic miles (4,918 km³) of water. Hydrologically it forms a single body of water with Lake Huron, the whole being called Lake Michigan–Huron; the two sides are connected through the Straits of Mackinac and share an average surface elevation of 577 feet (176 m).<ref>"Lake Michigan[http://great-lakes.net/lakes/michigan.html#overview]accessed 20 November 2013</ref>[[2][8][9] | Lake Michigan is the only one of the Great Lakes wholly within the borders of the United States; the others are shared with Canada. It has a surface area of 22,300 square miles (58,000 km2),making it the largest lake entirely within one country by surface area (Lake Baikal, in Russia, is larger by water volume), and the fifth largest lake in the world. It is 307 miles (494 km) long by 118 miles (190 km) wide with a shoreline 1,640 miles (2,640 km) long. The lake's average depth is 46 fathoms 3 feet (279 ft; 85 m), while its greatest depth is 153 fathoms 5 feet (923 ft; 281 m). It contains a volume of 1,180 cubic miles (4,918 km³) of water. Hydrologically it forms a single body of water with Lake Huron, the whole being called Lake Michigan–Huron; the two sides are connected through the Straits of Mackinac and share an average surface elevation of 577 feet (176 m).<ref>"Lake Michigan[http://great-lakes.net/lakes/michigan.html#overview]accessed 20 November 2013</ref>[[2][8][9] | ||
== Cities == | == Cities == | ||