Physical features

Part of the border between the United States and Canada runs through Lake Superior. The Canadian province of Ontario is to the east and north of the lake. The state of Minnesota is to the west, and the states of Wisconsin and Michigan are to the south. The lake spreads over an area of 31,700 square miles (82,100 square kilometers), and its deepest point is 1,330 feet (405 meters).

About 200 rivers flow into the lake. The largest are the Nipigon River, which flows from the north, and the St. Louis River, which flows from the west.

There are many islands on the lake. They include the Apostle Islands, Michipicoten, St. Ignace, and the Isle Royale, which is a United States national park. Lake Superior also has deep bays and high cliffs on its northern shore. Almost all the land surrounding the lake is covered with forests.

Economy

Valuable mineral deposits of iron ore, taconite, copper, and nickel are located near the lake. The area has many natural harbors, and improvements to others have created more ports. Some of the natural harbors are Thunder Bay, Ontario; Duluth and Two Harbors in Minnesota; and Marquette, Michigan. Giant freight boats carry ores and grains from these ports. They pass through the Sault Sainte Marie Canal on their way to other Great Lakes ports or to ports around the world. Hunting, sport fishing, and tourism are major activities in these areas.

Exploration and history

The French explorer Étienne Brûlé was probably the first European to see Lake Superior, in 1622. In 1667, the French Jesuit missionary Claude-Jean Allouez mapped the lake. Daniel Greysolon, Sieur Dulhut (or DuLuth), opened the lake to active trading in 1679. During that time, French fur trading thrived. The entire region, however, came under British control between 1763 and 1783. Trade remained in the hands of the British until 1817, when John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company took over south of the Canadian border.