GREAT LAKES, the name given to the chain of lakes on the northern border of the United States. They include Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Saint Clair, Erie and On tario; Michigan only lying wholly within the United States, and no one of the lakes wholly within the territory of the Dominion of Canada. Their area is about 94,000 square miles; eleva tion, Lake Superior 600 feet above the sea, and Lake Ontario 250 feet. The fall of Lake Superior to Lake Erie is about 40 feet. No large river flows into the Great Lakes; the Saint Lawrence River is the outlet. The basin of the Great Lakes averages in width about 100 miles north and south of the north and south shores respectively. The combined coast lines in the United States have a shore line of about 3,075 miles. These great inland seas constitute the largest body of fresh water in the world and their fisheries have an annual value of about $3,500,000. Like all large bodies of water they affect the climate of the surround ing country. Good farms, extensive forests and valuable minerals are found along the coasts. On the southern shore of Lake Superior (q.v.) are found masses of ore and low mountains ap eruptive origin. The Great Lakes have been the means of developing to a con siderable extent the Northwest, as they are the main thoroughfares by which the products of the large farms, the cattle ranches, the mines and the forests have been brought to eastern markets. Coal and manufactured products, of the east pass over the lakes to western markets; The line of cities around the Great Lakes have increased in commercial importance and popula tion with great rapidity. Among these, lake
ports, all terminals of railroad trunk I nes, are Toledo, Chicago, Cleveland, Milwaukee and Buffalo. The "Soo" canals connect Lake Su perior with Lakes Michigan and Huron, the Detroit River makes the connection with Lake Erie, and the Welland Canal around Niagara Falls with the Saint Lawrence River, the out let to the Atlantic Ocean. These connect :rig links have undergone great engineering de velopment in the interests of transportation and an enormous traffic and tonnage passes through them annually. The freighters built to ac commodate the trade in iron ore, coal and grain, together with elevators and machinery, represent the greatest development in rarw handling ever known. The total freight tonnage passing through the *Soo" canals in a recent year was 79,718.334' tons; through the Detroit River 85,376,705 tons valued at $927, 191,016; and 1,156 vessels, of which 837 were steamers, used the latter passage. (For canals connecting the Great Lakes with rivers, see articles on the respective lakes; also BOUND ARIES OF THE UNITED STATES; CANALS; SHIP CANALS). Consult Chandler and Lansing,