Saimaa
| Saimaa (Suur-Saimaa) | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Ship of the line on the Saimaa (1980) | ||
| Geographical location | Finland | |
| Tributaries | Pielisjoki , Höytiäisen Canal , Joutenvesi , Unnukka | |
| Drain | Vuoksi ( Imatrafall ) | |
| Data | ||
| Coordinates | 61 ° 20 ′ N , 28 ° 1 ′ E | |
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| surface | 4th 370 km² | |
| Maximum depth | 85 m | |
| Middle deep | 17 m | |
The Saimaa [ sɑi̯mɑː ] (also Suur-Saimaa , Finnish for "Great Saimaa", Swedish Saimen ) in the southeast of Finland is the largest lake in the country. With around 4,370 square kilometers, it is also the fourth largest natural lake in Europe . The Saimaa drains east over the river Vuoksi ( Swedish Vuoksen and Russian Vuoksa ) into Lake Ladoga in Russia.
geography
The Saimaa is a system of numerous interconnected lakes (or partial lakes) that cover an area of around 4,370 square kilometers. The largest of these partial lakes are: Saimaa 1377.03 km², Pihlajavesi 712.59 km², Puruvesi 416.35 km², Haukivesi 560.43 km², Orivesi 601.30 km², Pyhäselkä 361.10 km², Enonvesi 196.68 km², Pyyvesi 29 , 75 km² and Ukonvesi 24.23 km². Taken as a whole, the Saimaa lake system is the fourth largest lake in Europe. Its coastline measures 14,850 km. In Saimaa there are a total of 13,710 islands with a total area of 1850 km². At its deepest point, the Saimaa reaches a depth of 85 meters, but on average it is only seven meters deep and therefore holds less water overall than the smaller Päijänne .
Like the other lakes in the Finnish Lake District, Saimaa was created by the thawing of the glaciers during the Vistula Ice Age . In the south, which prevented Salpausselkä - moraine , north of the post-glacial land uplift a drain of melting and rain water so that it is up to about 5,000 years ago in Saimaabecken dammed and a more than 400 km long lake from today Iisalmi in the north to Salpausselkä educated. It was not until the breakthrough of the Vuoksi at the site of the Imatrafall around 5,000 years ago that it found a natural runoff, so that the water level lowered and today's topography began to emerge.
The Saimaa Canal , which was opened in 1850 and is 42.9 km long (19.6 km on the Russian side), connects Lake Saimaa with the Gulf of Finland . The difference in altitude is 76 m and is reached with eight locks. It has been open to boat tourists since 1991. Via other channels, e.g. As the Taipalekanal at Varkaus and Konnuskanal in Leppävirta , was connected to the Saimaa with the other great lakes of the Finnish Lake District, he that in the past mainly for rafting , today for industrial as for the tourist inland navigation a significant importance .
cartography
The opening of the Saimaa Canal resulted in a detailed survey of the lake's waterways. A first depth map, Karta öfver Saimens wattensystem , was made in 1859 and only recorded details of the main waterways from Lappeenranta to Mikkeli , Savonlinna , Iisalmi and Joensuu . From 1857, the former naval officer Johan Bartram created a detailed depth map of the entire lake system on behalf of the Finnish Senate. This work was continued in 1940 with Aaro Hellaakoski's work Zur Tiefenkarte des Saimaa Lake .
ecology
In Saimaa living Saimaa ringed seal ( Pusa hispida saimensis ), a subspecies of the ringed seal ( Phoca hispida ). It is one of two subspecies of the ringed seal that live in freshwater. There are said to be 260 of these animals. The Saimaa is also characterized by its abundance of fish. The salmon deserves a special mention here.
Web links
Visit Saimaa - Official travel portal for the Saimaa Lake District
Individual evidence
- ↑ JÄRVIWIKI - Suur-Saimaa
- ^ Esko Kuusisto: Lake District in Finland. In: Matti Seppälä (Ed.): The Physical Geography of Fennoscandia. Oxford University Press 2005. pp. 283-296.
- ^ Kuusisto, p. 295
- ↑ Helsinki Times: Saimaa's seals on the brink of extinction. Issue 13, 2009