Puget, << PYOO jiht, >> Sound is a large, irregular inlet in the northwest corner of the state of Washington. Puget Sound is a leading American shipping center. The ports of Seattle, Tacoma, Bremerton, Olympia, and Everett stand on its banks. The sound is 100 miles (160 kilometers) long, and covers an area of about 2,000 square miles (5,200 square kilometers). The largest ships can steam into any part of the sound, as its depth is from 180 to 925 feet (55 to 282 meters).
The Strait of Juan de Fuca links Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean. From the meeting point of this strait and the Strait of Georgia, Puget Sound extends southward for about 35 miles (56 kilometers) before it divides into two main branches–Admiralty Inlet and the Hood Canal. The Lake Washington Ship Canal extends from Puget Sound to Lake Washington at Seattle.
Most of the sound’s shores are high and wooded. Whidbey Island, one of the many islands in Puget Sound, is more than 40 miles (64 kilometers) long.
The sound is noted for the fisheries and lumber mills along its shores. Fish packing and canning are among the most important industries of the region. Puget Sound is the center of Washington’s great lumber industry.
See also Puget, Peter .
