Wisconsin Geography

Wisconsin Geography, Wisconsin Facts

About half of Alabama

Although Wisconsin is not a coastal state, it is largely defined by water. Its eastern border is the shoreline of Lake Michigan. The northwestern border is Lake Superior. The Mississippi River forms the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota, as well as the border between Wisconsin and Iowa. A tributary of the Mississippi, the St. Croix River, forms the rest of the western border. Only the border between Wisconsin and Illinois to the south is dry.

Glaciers, which retreated around 10,000 years ago, shaped much of the geography of Wisconsin. The glaciers flattened much of the land, and gouged great chunks out of the ground. When the glaciers retreated, they left the area covered with glacial debris such as boulders and gravel. The only area of Wisconsin not shaped by the glaciers is the southwest corner known as the Wisconsin Driftless Area, which is more rugged, and lacks the lakes that cover the remainder of the state.

The state has over 14,000 lakes, of which Winnebago is the largest. Water sports, ice-boating, and fishing are popular, as are skiing and hunting. Public parks and forests take up one-seventh of the land, with 43 state parks, 12 state forests, 14 state trails, 3 recreational areas, and 2 national forests.

Geography Information from Teachersfirst.com

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