Savonlinna is a town and a municipality of 33,580 inhabitants in the southeast of Finland, in the heart of the Saimaa lake region.
Lappeenranta is a city and municipality situated on the shore of the lake Saimaa in southeastern Finland, about 30 kilometres from the Russian border. It belongs to the region of South Karelia. With approximately 73,000 inhabitants Lappeenranta is the 13th largest city in Finland, after incorporating the previous municipalities of Lappee and Lauritsala in 1967, Nuijamaa in 1989, Joutseno in 2009, and Ylämaa in 2010.
Saimaa is a lake in southeastern Finland. At approximately 4,400 square kilometres (1,700 sq mi), it is the largest lake in Finland, and the fourth largest natural freshwater lake in Europe.
Kuopio is a Finnish city and municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia (Pohjois-Savo). It has a population of 118,667, which makes it the ninth-most populous city in Finland and the most populous city in Eastern Finland Province. Kuopio has a total area of 4,326.35 square kilometres (1,670.41 sq mi), of which 719.85 km2 (277.94 sq mi) is water and half is forest. Though the city's population is a spread-out 74/km2 (190/sq mi), the city's urban areas are populated comparably densely, making Kuopio Finland's second-most densely populated city.
South Karelia is a region of Finland. It borders the regions of Kymenlaakso, South Savo and North Karelia, as well as Russia.
Karelia, the land of the Karelian people, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, USSR and Sweden. It is currently divided among the northwestern Russian Federation and Finland.
Southern Savonia or, officially, South Savo is a region in the south-east of Finland. It borders the regions of Northern Savonia, North Karelia, South Karelia, Kymenlaakso, Päijät-Häme, and Central Finland. The total area of Southern Savonia is 18,768.33 km2, with a population of 153,738 (2011).
Paasselkä is an oval-shaped lake formed in an eroded impact crater in Southern Savonia, Finland. The lake, which is a part of Orivesi, which is in turn part of the Greater Saimaa, is devoid of islands which makes it different from other lakes in the region. Paasselkä is also unusually deep, 75 m at the deepest point.
Savonranta is a former municipality of Finland. It became part of Savonlinna in early 2009.
Varkaus is a Middle-Savonian industrial town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Northern Savonia region, between city of Kuopio and town of Savonlinna.
Sulkava is a municipality of Finland.
The Saimaa ringed seal is a subspecies of ringed seal. They are among the most endangered seals in the world, having a total population of only about 400 individuals. The only existing population of these seals is found in Lake Saimaa, Finland. They have lived in complete isolation from other ringed seal species for around 9,500 years and have diverged into a morphologically and ecologically different subspecies of ringed seal. The population is descended from ringed seals that were separated from the rest when the land rose after the last ice age. This seal, along with the Ladoga seal and the Baikal seal, is one of the few living freshwater seals.
Sääminginsalo has been said to be the largest true island of Finland. If it is considered as an island, it is the third largest island in a lake in the world. This inland island is located in Southern Savonia region, Eastern Finland and is surrounded by the lake Greater Saimaa, and an artificial canal, Raikuun kanava, that was built in 1750s. The most famous sight on Sääminginsalo is the Kerimäki Church, the largest wooden church in the world.
Zashchitnaya Bay is an end of Vyborg Bay in the Russian Federation in the City of Vyborg in the Leningrad Oblast. The Vyborg Bay is itself a bay of the Gulf of Finland in the Baltic Sea. The Castle of Vyborg and the Park Monrepos are located by Zashchitnaya Bay. The old 1856 opened Saimaa Canal, as well as the new one, both begin in Zashchitnaya Bay, too.
Haukivesi is a lake in southeastern Finland and a part of the Saimaa lake system. Haukivesi is the central basin of the system, collecting 80% of the water that eventually flows into Lake Ladoga through River Vuoksi. Its area is 562.31 square kilometres (217.11 sq mi) (8th). Like other lakes in the system, it has a convoluted shoreline with numerous islands and is divided into a number of smaller regions (selkä) such as Siitinselkä, Saviluoto, Tahkoselkä, Vuoriselkä, Kuokanselkä, Kuivaselkä, Heposelkä, Peonselkä, Tuunaanselkä, Hiekonselkä, Varparannanselkä, and Iso-Haukivesi. Haukivesi stretches from Varkaus to Savonlinna in a northeast–southwest direction. The northern part is shallow, at less than 20 metres (66 ft), but deepens toward the southeast, up to 60 metres (200 ft) at Kuivaselkä.
Enonvesi is a rather large lake in the Vuoksi main catchment area. It is located in the regions of Southern Savonia and Northern Savonia in Finland. It is a part of the Saimaa lake system.
Lake Haapajärvi is a middle size lake in the area of Iisalmi, Northern Savonia, Finland. There are 38 lakes with the name Haapajärvi in Finland, with this particular lake being the largest in size.
Kermajärvi is a medium-sized lake in the Vuoksi main catchment area. It is located in the region of Southern Savonia in Heinävesi. It is the country's 53rd largest lake with an area of 85.57 square kilometres (33.04 sq mi) and consists of a wide open lake with plenty of islands in both northwest and southeast parts of it and several long, narrow bays in both ends.
Yövesi is a sub-lake of the lake Saimaa in Eastern Finland. It is located in Mikkeli municipality in the Southern Savonia region. Part of the Saimaa lake system, it borders on the system of Pihlajavesi to the east. The deepest point of the whole Saimaa is in Yövesi, in Käenniemenselkä open area. The Astuvansalmi rock paintings are situated in the northern shore of Yövesi.
