Thousand Islands, Archipelago in Ontario and New York State, North America.
The Thousand Islands are an island group in the Saint Lawrence River that extends roughly 50 miles between Lake Ontario and the city of Kingston. The total of 1,864 islands forms natural channels and passages that divide the water into numerous branching arms.
The Iroquois Confederacy and the Ojibwa people called this region Manitouana and understood it as the Garden of the Great Spirit. Toward the end of the 19th century, numerous stone summer residences were built here that remain today.
The name comes from the French term Milles Îles and points to what looked like an endless number of small land pieces in the river. Today locals and visitors use the waterways with private boats and ferries to move between inhabited islands.
Navigation through the area requires care because many rocks and shoals sit just above or below the water surface. Travelers moving by boat should use nautical charts and watch for local markers.
A piece of land officially counts as part of the group only if it stays above water all year and supports at least two living trees. This simple rule helps separate true islands from mere rocks or seasonal rises.
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