The Great Lakes - Part One

Pellucid pearls in northeastern North America since planetary birth Comprise Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario dearth Largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth Straddle Canadian–United States border tethering partial global girth Constituting 21% of world's surface fresh water species hearth Total surface equals 94,250 square miles And total volume equals 5,439 cubic miles immeasurable worth. Lake Erie from Erie tribe, abridged form of Iroquoian word erielhonan “long tail” Lake Huron named by French explorers for Wyandot or “Hurons” whence they did sail Lake Michigan likely from Ojibwa word mishigami “great water” aka outsize gold quail Lake Ontario i.e. “Lake of Shining Waters” shimmering like hammered coat of mail Lake Superior coined from French “lac supérieur” "upper lake", an emerald watery dale Ojibwe people called it gitchigumi medicinal to cure that, which might ail. These five lakes each reside in separate basin Form a single, naturally interconnected body of fresh water caisson Linking east-central interior of North America to Atlantic Ocean akin to an escutcheon. From interior to outlet at St. Lawrence River, Water flows via Superior to Michigan-Huron southward to Erie to avoid a shiver Finally released northward to Lake Ontario as like a well taut archer with his quiver. The lakes drain a large watershed via many rivers as an Olympic team Populated with approximately 35,000 islands this estimate not x stream. The Great Lakes region contains many thousands of smaller lakes, Often called inland lakes undulating in cascading analogous to a fluid ream Lake Michigan the only one located entirely within United States While the others border between United States and Canada – essentially a liquid seam.