Here is a concise summary of the provided text:
**Title:** Exploring the Great Lakes and Beyond
**Summary:**
* North America's greatest lakes are the North American Great Lakes (Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie, and Ontario).
* Notable secondary lakes in the Great Lakes Watershed include:
+ Lake Saint Clair (connects Lake Huron and Lake Erie)
+ Lake Nipigon (drains into Lake Superior, 29th largest lake globally)
+ Lake Winnebago (Wisconsin, part of the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway)
+ Lake Simcoe (Ontario, historically important for connecting Lake Ontario and Lake Huron)
+ Lake Nipissing (Ontario, significant in the fur trade and timber industry)
+ Lake Champlain (New York, Vermont, Quebec, drains into the Saint Lawrence River)
* Hydrologically, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan can be considered as one, "Lake Michigan-Huron", due to their connected water levels.
* Historically, the Great Lakes were once part of even larger lakes, such as Lake Algonquin, which existed around 12,000-7,000 years ago.
* The video concludes that while the definition of a "Great Lake" may vary, all these lakes are fascinating and worth learning about.
Here are the extracted key facts, each with a number and in short sentences, excluding opinions:
**Geography & Lakes**
1. North America has numerous significant lakes, including the Great Lakes.
2. The North American Great Lakes are: Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.
3. Lake Saint Clair is located between Lake Huron and Lake Erie.
4. Lake Saint Clair has an area of 430 sq mi (1,114 sq km), ranking it 15th in the US and 45th in Canada.
5. Lake Nipigon drains into Lake Superior via the Nipigon River.
6. Lake Nipigon is within the Canadian province of Ontario, with an area of 1,872 sq mi (4,848 sq km).
7. Lake Winnebago is located in Wisconsin, with a surface area of 206 sq mi (534 sq km).
8. Lake Simcoe is in Ontario, with a surface area of 279 sq mi (722 sq km), draining into Lake Huron.
9. Lake Nipissing is in Ontario, with a surface area of 337 sq mi (873 sq km), draining into Lake Huron.
10. Lake Champlain is located in New York, Vermont, and Quebec, with an area of 513 sq mi (1,331 sq km).
**Waterways & Connections**
11. The Great Lakes Waterway connects the Great Lakes.
12. A navigation channel was dredged in Lake Saint Clair for ship passage.
13. The Fox River and Lake Winnebago are part of the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway, connecting Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River.
14. The Trent-Severn Waterway, navigable since 1920, connects Lake Ontario and Lake Huron via Lake Simcoe.
15. The Straits of Mackinac connect Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, allowing two-way water flow.
**History & Designations**
16. Lake Simcoe was originally known as "Uwenterunk" in the Wanda language.
17. The Toronto Carrying Place Trail historically connected Lake Ontario and Lake Huron.
18. Lake Simcoe was named after Lord Simcoe in 1786.
19. The French River was designated the first Canadian Heritage River in 1986.
20. Lake Champlain receives funding as part of the US National Sea Grant College Program, akin to the Great Lakes.
**Size & Comparative Facts**
21. Lake Nipigon is the 29th largest lake in the world.
22. Lake Nipigon is larger than every lake in China.
23. A past lake, Lake Algonquin, existed approximately 12,000 to 7,000 years ago, covering over 100,000 sq mi (250,000 sq km).
24. Lake Michigan-Huron, when combined, forms the world's largest freshwater lake by surface area (45,300 sq mi or 117,300 sq km).