Great Lakes are actually a lot of the world.On one know many others are in the shade "leader PR race."Nevertheless, they are interesting.The thirteenth largest in this ranking Erie - Lake, part of the Great system.It is not only a large reservoir of drinking water, but also the node plexus various historical events.
Geography
If you want to find a body of water on the card, it is necessary to look at the US border and Canada.It was there that Erie is located.Lake in the Great North American waters is the fourth from the top.In this group, it is the small size and volume of resources.That is, the least water Erie.The lake is linked to other geographic features like rivers through.For example, it connects with the Ontario Niagara.Other water "sleeves" stretched him to lakes Huron and St. Clair, as well as the Hudson River.According to the administrative-territorial division, the lake is located in two states.One part of it - in the US, the other belongs to Canada.Several rivers carry their water in Erie.Lake supplement such natural "sleeves" as Detroit, Huron, Grand, Maumee, Reiziņš, Sandusky, Cuyahoga.
Area Lake Erie
Although imperceptible place in the structure of water bodies of the area, Erie has a considerable size.It has an elongated shape.Direction: from the west-south-west to east-northeast.The length of the lake is three hundred eighty-eight kilometers.Much less width - just ninety-two kilometers.The lake is shallow, although the maximum rate of up to sixty-four meters.The water is warmed up in the summer and twenty-four degrees, the coastal part of the winter freeze.The average temperature during the cold period keeps around zero Celsius.Total area of Lake Erie - 25 700 km².It was formed - by archaeological standards - recently.About four thousand. Years ago.Glaciers promoted accumulation in this area a lot of water (due to leaching softwood).
history
name of this body of water comes from the name of an Indian tribe that lived in the area.Erie - Iroquois tribe, who settled once on the southern shores of the reservoir.The word translated as "elongated tail."And due to the tribal totem - cougar.The coast of the ancient sand dunes its inhabitants laid hunting trails among chic oak.The fact is that only this kind of trees grow in the local shores.There was even a special term."Oak Savannah" - so called this wonderful region.Locals, as in many other places destroyed by the colonialists.The first white, released to its shores, was the Frenchman Louis Zholie.He explained the settlement here, which became the beginning of the colonization of the region.Erie was known at the time of the Anglo-American war.There was a big water fight.Ships under the direction of American Oliver Perry defeated the British fleet.
Ecology
In connection with the intensification of human activities Lake Erie and Michigan, as well as others, have been disruptive changes that threaten the local flora and fauna.So, in the sixties of the last century they significantly increased the level of phosphates.This created a threat to the existence of algae.They die and rot, creating dead zones.Fish there, of course, too, could not survive.Only serious intergovernmental work (US and Canada) put an end to this process.Stoke dirty water is minimized.The lake has been restored.Some time in the industrial way it caught fish.For example, sturgeon inhabiting the local depths, up to three or four meters.However, it turned out that the local fish is dangerous to health.Her catch today is not performed.It should be noted that the climate is ideal for agriculture, which is used by residents of the district.In both countries, along the banks of the Erie, the development of wine-making, producing a product known worldwide.
Modernity
now on the shores of Lake thriving agriculture.On the Canadian side is grown fruits and vegetables.The zone is considered to be exceptional.In the US, next to the lake is cultivated grapes.Development of navigation.Among other local lakes is the most intense.In this unique area created several parks, where are engaged in the protection of wildlife.The most famous of them is considered as Long Point.The border between the United States and Canada, which runs along the water, is not protected.Anyone can cross it freely.The city on Lake Erie - Cleveland - famous for its lighthouse.Come to see him when he was completely covered with ice, presenting a wonderful sight.The shores of the lake are popular among tourists.They tell interesting stories, many of which are quite significant.So, there were many times optical phenomenon visually closer to the North American coast Canadian.People saw him as if at arm's length.But in fact, before it was over eighty kilometers.
