Saimaa in Finland
Rating: 8,0/10 (380 votes)  Saimaa is the largest lake in Finland. Located in the south-eastern part of the country. The area of the entire lake system of Saimaa is about 4400 sq. km. A river flows out of the lake - Vuoksa, going east and flowing into Lake Ladoga.
Finland's largest lake is a collection of numerous bodies of water connected to each other. As a whole, Saimaa is the fourth largest lake in Europe. The length of its coastline is almost 15 thousand kilometers. The huge surface of the lake's water is covered with numerous lakes - only out of 13710. The total area of the lakes is 1850 sq. km. The average depth of the lake is only seven meters, but at its deepest point it is 85 meters. Saimaa, like most other lakes in Finland, was created by the melting of glaciers.
In 1850, the Saymen Canal, more than 42 kilometers long, was opened, connecting the lake with the Gulf of Finland. 19 kilometers of the Saimaa Canal are located in Russia. There are other canals connecting the Saimaa with some of the country's other large lakes. The opening of the Saimaa Canal led to detailed measurements of the lake's waterways. A map of the lake's underwater landscape was compiled in 1859. It showed in detail the main waterways from Lappeenranta to Mikkeli, Iisalmi, Joensuu. Since 1857, by order of the Senate, a detailed underwater map of the entire lake system has been compiled. The work was carried out by former naval officer Johan Bartram. Since 1940, work on the map has been continued by Aaro Hellaakoski.
Saimaa is of great importance for tourist and industrial shipping. In addition, the Saimaa seal, a subspecies of the ringed seal, is one of two subspecies found in fresh water. Other fish abound in the lake as well, in particular salmon.
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