Tony Miller, age 12, of Camden, N.J., for his question:

HOW MANY ISLANDS ARE AT `THOUSAND ISLANDS'?

A group of islands in the Saint Lawrence River is called the

Thousand Islands. No complete count has been made of the islands since some are very small, but there are at least 1,700 in the Thousand Islands group.

Thousand Islands lies in a 40 mile stretch of the Saint Lawrence where the river runs from four to seven miles wide as it leaves Lake Ontario. A few of the islands are as much as four or five miles in length while others are only small points of rocks above the water.

The islands are noted for their beautiful scenery and mild summer climate. Many have popular public resorts. Some have luxurious summer homes.

Seventeen of the islands are included in Saint Lawrence Islands National Park, a recreation center and game preserve.

The Thousand Island International Bridge, completed in 1938, spans some of the islands and includes two main suspension structures, three smaller bridges and roadways across two islands. Its total length is about six and a half miles.