Lake Nicaragua (nk´ å-rä´gwå) is the largest body of fresh water in North America south of the Great Lakes. It is 110 miles long, its maximum width is forty-five miles and it covers an area of about three thousand square miles. A large part of the lake, however, is less than fifty feet deep. It is drained by the San Juan (hwän´) River into the Caribbean Sea. Undoubtedly Lake Nicaragua formerly was much higher and drained into the Pacific Ocean, but disturbances, probably volcanic, have uplifted the land and forced it to flow eastward. In the background of the picture may be seen Ometepec (-m´t-pk´) Volcano which stands upon an island of the same name. It is an active volcano. This lake is a part of the so-called Nicaraguan Canal route which would join the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. This route is estimated to be 170 miles long, of which only twenty-eight would need excavation after utilizing Lake Nicaragua and the San Juan River. It was difficult to decide whether this or the Panama route would be better. The Panama route was followed, as the active volcanoes will always be a danger in Nicaragua. But two canals may be desirable when the world recovers from the war. To provide for this the United States Senate in March, 1919, ratified a treaty with Nicaragua by which it is agreed that for a payment of $3,000,000 the United States shall have the right to build a canal and establish a naval base on Point Coseguina (k´s-gw´nä) on the southern shore of Bay of Fonseca (fn-s´kä). Also, the United States is to have the ownership of two islands in the Caribbean Sea. The people are mixed Spanish and Indian. Notice the soldier in the foreground. Keystone ID: 12911 Note: All titles, descriptions, and location coordinates are from the original Keystone Slide documentation as supplied by the Keystone View Company. No text has been edited or changed.