North America’s Great Lakes system consists of five lakes: Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario.
Together, these freshwater lakes form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total area. They occupy a connected drainage basin along the Canada–United States border, although Lake Michigan lies entirely within the United States. Water flows generally eastward from Lake Superior through the other lakes and eventually reaches the Atlantic Ocean through the Saint Lawrence River.
The lakes are often listed from west to east or from largest to smallest, which can cause confusion about their order. Their names also come from several languages and cultures, including Indigenous names, French usage, and English geographic descriptions.
The five-lake count refers to the principal Great Lakes. The system also includes connecting rivers, straits, bays, islands, and smaller associated lakes, but these are not counted as additional Great Lakes.