Saimaa

Saimaa
Saimaa
	View from Joutseno town in western direction.
Location	southeastern Finland
Coordinates	61°15′N 28°15′E / 61.25°N 28.25°ECoordinates: 61°15′N 28°15′E / 61.25°N 28.25°E
Primary outflows	Vuoksi River, Saimaa Canal
Basin countries	Finland
Surface area	4,400 km2 (1,087,264 acres) total; (1,377 km2 (340,264 acres) largest basin)
Average depth	17 m (56 ft)
Max. depth	82 m (270 ft)
Water volume	36 km3 (8.6 cu mi)
Shore length1	13,700 km (8,500 mi)
Surface elevation	76 m (250 ft)
Islands	3507
Settlements	Lappeenranta, Imatra, Savonlinna, Mikkeli
	1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

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Saimaa (Finnish pronunciation: [sɑimɑː]; Saimen in Swedish) is a lake in southeastern Finland. At approximately 4,400 km² square km, it is the largest lake in Finland, and the fourth largest in Europe. It was formed by glacial melting at the end of the Ice Age. Major towns on the lakeshore include Lappeenranta, Imatra, Savonlinna, Mikkeli, Varkaus, and Joensuu. The Vuoksi River flows from Saimaa to Lake Ladoga. Most of the lake is spotted with islands, and narrow canals divide the lake in many parts, each having their own names (major basins include Suur-Saimaa, Orivesi, Puruvesi, Haukivesi, Yövesi, Pihlajavesi, and Pyhäselkä).

In places in the Saimaa basin (an area larger than the lake), "there is more shoreline here per unit of area than anywhere else in the world, the total length being nearly 15,000 km. The number of islands in the region, 14,000, also shows what a maze of detail the system is."^[1]

The Saimaa Canal from Lappeenranta to Vyborg binds Saimaa to the Gulf of Finland. Other canals bind Saimaa to smaller lakes in Eastern Finland and form a network of waterways. These waterways are mainly used to transport wood, minerals, metals, pulp and other cargo, but also tourists use the waterways.