The Great Lakes
system is a major
watershed in
North America and includes the previously mentioned 'big five' lakes (
Superior,
Michigan,
Huron,
Erie, and
Ontario) as well as the
lakes
rivers and
straits which connect them, and the lakes and rivers which flow into and out of them.
The connecting bodies of water are as follows:
The St. Marie's River, which connects Superior to Huron and features the Soo Locks
The Straits of Mackinac, which separate Michigan from Huron
The Huron River, which connects Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair
Lake St. Clair
The Detroit River, which connects Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie
The Niagara River, which separates Lake Erie from Lake Ontario, featuring Niagara Falls
The Welland Canal, which by-passes Niagara falls
The St. Lawrence River, which flows from Lake Ontario to the sea.
Some of the major tributaries of the Great Lakes System are:
Lake of the Woods in Northern Minnesota and Ontario, and the Rainy River through which it flows to Superior
Lake Nipigon, in Northern Ontario and the Nipigon River through which it flows to Superior
Lake Nipissing, in Northern Ontario
Lake Winnebago, in Wisconsin
The Wabash River in Indiana and Illinois
The Chicago River
The Rouge River system in Michigan
The Thames River in Southern Ontario
The Genessee River in Upstate New York
The Finger Lakes in Upstate New York
Lake Champlain in Vermont
The Ottawa River in Quebec and Ontario
A majority of the population of Canada is concentrated around the Great Lakes System, as is the large industrial swath of the United States known as the Rust Belt with its large population centers.