Which Finnish lake is the country’s largest by area?

Lake Saimaa is Finland’s largest lake by area.

Located in southeastern Finland, Saimaa is a highly fragmented lake system made up of open water, bays, islands, and interconnected channels. Its total area is about 4,400 square kilometres, making it the fourth-largest lake in Europe by area when the lakes of Russia are included in the comparison.

The lake drains through the Vuoksi River into Lake Ladoga in Russia. The Saimaa Canal connects the lake with the Gulf of Finland and has supported trade and transport for centuries. The region is also associated with the endangered Saimaa ringed seal, which lives only in the lake system.

Lake Saimaa is sometimes compared with Päijänne, Finland’s second-largest lake, or Lake Inari in Lapland. Those are important Finnish lakes, but neither matches Saimaa’s total area.