Lake Erie (pronounced [ˈi.ɹi]) is the most southern of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north by Ontario, on the south by the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, and on the west by the state of Michigan.

The name of the lake is named after the Erie tribe of Native Americans who lived along its southern shore before European contact.

Lake Erie (42º30'N, 81°00'W) is the world's 13th largest natural lake, if the Caspian and Aral Seas are counted. It has a surface area of 9,910 sqmi (25,700 km²); an average depth of 62 ft (19 m); and contains 116 cubic miles (484 km³) of water. For comparison, Lake Superior has an average depth of 483 ft (147m), a volume of 2,900 cu. mi. (12,100 km³) and shoreline of 2,726 mi (4385 km).

Lake Erie has an elevation of 569 ft (173 m) above sea level. Its length is 241 mi (388 km) and its breadth is 57 mi (92 km). The average depth is 62 ft (19 m) with a maximum depth of 210 ft (64 m). The western section, comprising 1/4 of the area is even shallower with an average depth of 42 ft (13 m) and a maximum depth of 62 ft (19 m).

Lake Erie is primarily fed by the Detroit River (from Lake Huron and Lake St. Clair) and drains via the Niagara River and Niagara Falls into Lake Ontario. Navigation downstream is provided by the Welland Canal, part of the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Other major tributaries of Lake Erie include the Grand River, the River Raisin, the Huron River, the Maumee River, the Sandusky River and the Cuyahoga River.

The American states Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York are located to the south of Lake Erie; Michigan lies to the west, and the Canadian province of Ontario lies to the north. Point Pelee National Park, the southernmost point of the Canadian mainland, is located on a peninsula extending into the lake. Several islands are found in the western end of the lake; these belong to Ohio except for Pelee Island, which is part of Ontario.

The cities of Buffalo, New York; Erie, Pennsylvania; Toledo, Ohio; Monroe, Michigan; and Cleveland, Ohio are located on the shores of Lake Erie. It was the last of the Great Lakes discovered by the French explorers, who had followed rivers out of Lake Ontario and portaged into Lake Huron.

(Source: Wikipedia)

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