Which country has the highest number of lakes?

Canada has the highest number of lakes of any country in the world. Its immense boreal forests, glaciated terrain and low-lying northern landscapes created an extraordinary patchwork of inland waters.

Canada has more than 875,000 lakes larger than 0.1 square kilometres, and estimates count close to 2 million lakes larger than three square kilometres. Lakes and other inland waters cover almost 9% of the country. The exact total varies because researchers use different minimum sizes and definitions of “lake.”

The Great Lakes are the best-known examples, but only four are partly Canadian: Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario. Canada also contains entirely Canadian giants such as Great Bear Lake and Great Slave Lake. The Great Lakes hold about 18% of the world’s fresh lake water, although that figure refers to the whole connected system, including the U.S. portion.

A common mix-up is confusing the country with the world’s largest individual lake. That distinction is usually given to the Caspian Sea, while Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake by surface area.