<span>Lakes and ponds are inland bodies of standing or slowly moving water. Although lakes and ponds cover only 2 percent of the world's land surface, they contain most of the world's fresh water. Individual lakes and ponds range in area from a few square meters to thousands of square kilometers. In general, ponds are smaller than lakes, though regional idiosyncrasies of naming abound—Henry David Thoreau's famous Walden Pond in Massachusetts has a surface area of 64 acres. Lakes and ponds are an important source of fresh water for human consumption and are inhabited by a diverse suite of organisms.</span>
