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lake
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Major natural lakes of the world

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Also known as: inland sea, landlocked sea
Written by
Robert K. Lane
Regional Director, Western and Northern Region, Environmental Protection Service, Environment Canada, Edmonton, Alberta. Head, Physical Limnology Section, Canada Centre for Inland Water, Burlington, Ontario,...
Robert K. Lane
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News •

New method detects human fecal contamination in water • Dec. 23, 2024, 7:42 AM ET (News-Medical)
‘Now she’s the world’s problem’: Some Arizona Republicans relieved Lake is heading to Washington • Dec. 13, 2024, 1:01 AM ET (Politico)
Donald Trump Announces New Role for Kari Lake • Dec. 12, 2024, 3:53 AM ET (Newsweek)
Trump picks hardline Republican Kari Lake to lead Voice of America • Dec. 11, 2024, 3:55 PM ET (Globe and Mail)

A list of major natural lakes of the world is provided in the table.

Major natural lakes of the world
name and location area1
sq mi sq km
1Conversions for rounded figures have been rounded, thousands to the nearest hundred and hundreds to the nearest ten.
2Salt lake.
3Area of lake varies according to season; figure given represents area when the surface is at an elevation of about 920 feet (280 metres).
4In the early 21st century the area was reported as 580 square miles (1,500 square km).
oil derricks near Baku
 Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan–Kazakhstan–Russia–Azerbaijan–Iran2 149,200 386,400
Upper Peninsula, Michigan
 Lake Superior, Canada–United States 31,700 82,100
Lake Victoria, Kenya–Tanzania–Uganda 26,828 69,485
Lake Huron in winter
 Lake Huron, Canada–United States 23,000 59,600
Indiana Dunes State Park
 Lake Michigan, United States 22,300 57,800
Kok-Aral Dam
 Aral Sea, Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan2 13,000 33,800
Dugout canoe on the shore of Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania
 Lake Tanganyika, Burundi–Tanzania–Congo (Dem. Rep.)–Zambia 12,700 32,900
Great Bear Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada.
 Great Bear Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada 12,028 31,153
Lake Nyasa
 Lake Nyasa (Malawi), Malawi–Mozambique–Tanzania 11,430 29,604
dogsledding across Great Slave Lake
 Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada 11,031 28,570
Lake Erie
 Lake Erie, Canada–United States 9,910 25,667
Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba
 Lake Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada 9,417 24,390
Lake Ontario
 Lake Ontario, Canada–United States 7,340 19,010
Chad: natron
 Lake Chad, Cameroon–Chad–Niger–Nigeria3, 4 6,875 17,800