Isle Royale

Isle Royale (, ROY-əl; French: Île Royale; Ojibwe: Minong) is an island of the Great Lakes located in the northwest of Lake Superior and part of the U.S. state of Michigan. The island, 450 smaller islands, and the surrounding waters make up Isle Royale National Park. Isle Royale is 45 miles (72 km) long and 9 miles (14 km) wide, with an area of 206.73 square miles (535.4 km2), making it the fifth-largest lake island in the world. In addition, it is the largest natural island in Lake Superior, the second-largest island in the Great Lakes (after Manitoulin Island), the third-largest in the contiguous United States (after Long Island and Padre Island), the largest in the contiguous U.S. with no road link to the mainland, and the 33rd-largest island in the United States. Isle Royale is defined by the United States Census Bureau as Census Tract 9603 of Keweenaw County, Michigan. As of the 2000 census there was no permanent population on Isle Royale. After the island was made a national park, some existing residents were allowed to stay, and a few leases are still in effect.