MICHIGAN, Lake, one of the five great lakes of North America, is situated between 41. 30. and 46. N. Lat., and between 85. 50. and 88. W. Long.; having a length of 330, and a breadth of 90 miles, with an area of 20,000 square miles. The lake is fed by a number of rivers from the adjoining country, the principal of which are,—the Grand, Maskegon, St Joseph, and Kalamazoo, from Michigan; the Calumet from Indiana; the Chicago from Illinois; and the Milwaukee and Sheboygan from Wisconsin; and it discharges its waters through the Straits of Mackinaw into Lake Huron. Michigan has not many large bays, the largest being Green Bay, on the W. shore, chiefly in Wisconsin, more than 100 miles in length, and varying in breadth from 15 to 35 miles. On the E. coast the principal indentations are Little Traverse Bay and Grand Haven. Lake Michigan has few islands, and these are situated chiefly near the N.E. extremity. The shores are generally low; and the water seems to be gradually retiring from the eastern shore, and making encroachments on the western. The depth of the lake is between 900 and 1000 feet; and the surface is about 600 feet above the level of the sea. Though inferior in size to Lake Superior, this lake is in some respects second to none of the great American lakes. It extends farther to the S. than Lake Superior, and its shores thus enjoy a climate more mild and a soil more fertile than is found farther north. Its position is also highly favourable for commerce, being connected at once with the Mississippi and with the eastern coast of America; with the former by the Fox River, Lake Winnebago, and the Wisconsin River, as well as by a railway from Chicago to Galena; and with the latter by the railways through the state of Michigan and along the coast of the lakes. The commerce of the lake is accordingly very great, and continually increasing. The principal harbours on its shores
are,—Green Bay, whose imports in 1851 amounted in value to L.400,000, and exports to L.200,000: Two Rivers, imports in the same year, L.23,958; exports, L.23,500: Grand River, imports, L.45,822; exports, L.55,223: St Joseph's, imports, L.111,720; exports, L.173,316: Manitowoc, imports, L.22,234; exports, L.16,067: Port Washington, imports, L.188,417; exports, L.29,052: Sheboygan, imports, L.271,855; exports, L.25,355: Milwaukee, imports estimated at L.3,035,702; exports at L.542,880: Racine, imports, L.306,884; exports, L.215,530: Kenosha, imports, L.272,262; exports, L.137,756: Waukegan, imports, L.129,132; exports, L.40,587: Chicago, imports, L.5,085,500; exports, L.1,168,056.