Great Slave Lake is the second largest lake in the Canadianterritory of Northwest Territories, behind Great Bear Lake, and the deepest lake in North America at 614 metres (2,015'), covering an area of the southern part of the territory of 28,400 square kilometres. It was named for the SlaveNorth American Indians. It is 480 kilometres long and 19 to 109 kilometres wide.
Britishfurtrader Samuel Hearne explored the area in 1771. In the 1930s, gold was discovered there, which lead to the establishment of Yellowknife, the territory's capital. Other towns around the lake include: Fort Providence, Northwest Territories, Hay River, Northwest Territories and Fort Resolution, Northwest Territories.
