{"id":8731,"date":"2023-11-05T18:15:12","date_gmt":"2023-11-05T17:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lakebeyond.com\/?p=8731"},"modified":"2023-11-05T18:15:12","modified_gmt":"2023-11-05T17:15:12","slug":"how-many-miles-around-is-lake-superior","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lakebeyond.com\/how-many-miles-around-is-lake-superior\/","title":{"rendered":"How Many Miles Around Is Lake Superior"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Introduction <\/h2>\n

Lake Superior is the largest of the Great Lakes, situated in North America and bordered by the US and Canada. Among its many impressive features, it boasts the distinction of being the world’s largest freshwater lake in surface area. It’s a vast expanse of sparkling blue and green, fed by snow melting of the mountains and by Prairie and Arctic ocean currents. For centuries, it has attracted adventurers, settlers and industry, and has served as an essential component of regional identity and culture. One of the more curious aspects of Lake Superior is its impressive circumference of distance, which we will consider in the following article.<\/p>\n

Exploration and Maps <\/h2>\n

The first Europeans to come across Lake Superior were the French, who reached it in the late 17th century. An expedition called La Vérendrye—led by Pierre Louis La Vérendrye and his brothers—explored the lake extensively, mapping much of its northern and western shores. These maps, some of the earliest on record, helped other European nations to better understand the lake and its surroundings. Later, in the 19th century, Victorian travelers followed in their footsteps and documented the lake in great detail, both through writing and in terms of cartography.<\/p>\n

Modern Measurement <\/h2>\n

Despite these early efforts to measure Lake Superior, the exact circumference of the lake has been difficult to ascertain. The shoreline is vast and difficult to navigate, and can be affected by changes in weather, or by periodic alterations in sea levels.One of the most reliable sources of information on the lake’s circumference is the US Geological Survey, which conducts regular surveys of the lake and its tributaries. Their most recent estimates indicate that Lake Superior has a circumference of more than 3,200 kilometers (about 1,988 miles).<\/p>\n

Records and Comparisons <\/h2>\n

Lake Superior is the world’s third largest lake by surface area, after the Caspian and Super Siberian Lakes in Russia. All three of these lakes have impressive cirfumferences of over 3,000 kilometers. In terms of distance, Lake Superior outstrips the remaining four of the Great Lakes combined. It is larger than an average US state, and is also larger than some of the smaller countries in the world, like Croatia.<\/p>\n

Impact of Distance on the Economy<\/h2>\n