SAIMAA, LAKE

lake in southeastern Finland. It lies just northwest of the Russian border and is northeast of Helsinki. Covering parts of the lnit (provinces) of Mikkeli and Kymi, it has an area of 443 square miles (1,147 square km) and is the primary lake in the Great Saimaa lake system, which, at 1,690 square miles (4,377 square km), is the largest system in Finland. The lake's two branches extend northward about 220 miles (350 km) from Lappeenranta on Lake Saimaa proper to Iisalmi on its western branch and Nurmes on its eastern branch. About 120 lakes and numerous rivers and streams in the system drain most of southeastern Finland through Lake Saimaa, the Vuoksi River, and the Saimaa Canal (built in 1856) to the Gulf of Finland. Lumbering and pulp and paper manufacturing are the basis of the regional economy. The lake system provides essential transportation links among the major towns of the region. Large hydroelectric-power stations are located in the southern part of the lake system, especially at Imatra in Kymi province on the border with Russia. The region's scenic forests attract many tourists.