Which Georgian Bay island group is called the world's largest freshwater archipelago?

The Georgian Bay island group called the world’s largest freshwater archipelago is the Thirty Thousand Islands.

The Thirty Thousand Islands lie mainly along Georgian Bay’s eastern shore in Ontario, Canada, within the Great Lakes. The name is descriptive rather than an exact census: the group has no formal geographical boundaries, and its island count depends on how small rocks and islets are classified.

The broad region generally extends from Beausoleil Island in the south toward the French River in the north, covering about 200 kilometres of rugged shoreline. Its maze of granite islands, channels and sheltered bays reflects the Canadian Shield landscape and supports forests, wetlands and abundant wildlife.

The title is often confused with Manitoulin Island, which lies nearby but is a separate island. Manitoulin is the world’s largest island in a freshwater lake, not the name of the entire Georgian Bay archipelago. The wider coastal area was designated the Georgian Bay Littoral Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2004, highlighting its ecological importance.