Lake Geneva

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For other uses, see Lake Geneva (disambiguation).

Lake Geneva

Coordinates	46°26′N 6°33′ECoordinates: 46°26′N 6°33′E
Primary sources	Rhône, Venoge, Dranse, Aubonne
Primary outflows	Rhône
Catchment area	7,975 km²
Basin countries	Switzerland France
Max-length	73 km
Max-width	14 km
Surface area	582 km²
Average depth	154.4 m
Max-depth	310 m
Water volume	89 km³
Residence time (of lake water)	11.4 years
Surface elevation	372 m
Islands	Ile de la Harpe, Ile de Peilz (islets)
Settlements	see list

Lake Geneva or Lake Léman (French Lac Léman, le Léman, or Lac de Genève) is the second largest freshwater lake in Central Europe (after Lake Balaton). 60% of it is under the jurisdiction of Switzerland (cantons of Vaud, Geneva, and Valais), and 40% under that of France (Haute-Savoie).

It is a glacial lake, formed by a withdrawing glacier. It is crescent-shaped, measuring 73 km (45 mi) in length. At its widest it is 14 km (8.7 mi), and its maximum depth is 310 m (170 fathoms). It lies approximately at 46°26′N 6°33′E. Its total surface area is approximately 582 km² (225 mi²). The volume of water is estimated at 89 km³ (72.1 million acre feet), with a catchment area of 7,975 km² (3,079 mi²). The crescent shape is narrowed around Yvoire on the southern shore, the lake can thus be divided into the "Grand Lac" to the east and the "Petit Lac" to the west.

View from Montreux

It lies on the course of the Rhône River. The river has its source at the Rhone Glacier near the Grimsel Pass to the east of the lake and flows down through the Canton of Valais, entering the lake between Villeneuve and St. Gingolph, before flowing slowly towards its egress at Geneva. Other tributaries are La Drance, L'Aubonne, La Morges, Venoge, and Veveyse.

By the 1960s, the lake had ceased being a transport artery for commercial and construction goods. In the late 1960s pollution made it dangerous to swim at some beaches of the lake, and by the 1980s intense environmental pollution (eutrophication) had almost wiped out all the fish. Today, pollution levels have been dramatically cut back, and it is perfectly safe to swim in the lake. The main leisure activities are sailing, boating (including water skiing and wakeboarding), rowing, scuba diving and bathing.

The shore between Nyon and Lausanne is called La Côte, and between Lausanne and Vevey it is called Lavaux.

1 Name
2 Miscellaneous
3 Cities and places
4 External links

[edit] Name

J.M.W. Turner: Lake Geneva from Montreux, 1810.

Look up Geneva in
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The first recorded name of the lake is Lacus Lemannus from Roman times; it became Lacus Lausonius, Lacus Losanetes and then the Lac de Lausanne in the Middle Ages. Following the rise of Geneva it became Lac de Genève (also translated into English as Lake Geneva). In the 18th century, Lac Léman was revived in French. It was formerly called Lac de Genève in Geneva and Lac Léman elsewhere but the customary name in French is now Lac Léman. Certain maps name the lake the Lac d'Ouchy (after the port located on the Lausanne lake shore).

In English, the name Lake Geneva is predominant.

A note on pronunciation (in IPA) —

English: Lake Geneva /leɪk dʒə'ni:və/

French: Lac Léman /lak le'mɑ̃/ or Lac de Genève /lak də ʒe'nɛv/

German: Genfersee or Genfer See /'gɛnfərˌze:/

Italian: Lago Lemano, Lago di Ginevra /'lago di dʒi'nevra/.

[edit] Miscellaneous

Empress Elisabeth of Austria was fatally stabbed in the heart while waiting for a ferry. Mary and Percy Shelley and Lord Byron holidayed by the lake and wrote ghost stories; one of which was the basis for the novel Frankenstein. Pop singer Phil Collins also lives overlooking the lake near his children. Ashes of the British rock star Freddie Mercury are believed by many to be dispersed into the lake.

[edit] Cities and places

List of cities and places on Lake Geneva
Starting from the entry of Rhône River on the east end, with the southern shore to the left.
	Southern shore	Northern shore
Grand Lac	Le Bouveret, Valais St-Gingolph in Valais and Haute-Savoie Bret, Haute-Savoie Locum Meillerie Lugrin Évian-les-Bains Amphion-les-Bains Thonon-les-Bains Anthy-sur-Léman Séchex Sciez Excenevex Yvoire	Villeneuve, Vaud Château Chillion Territet Montreux Clarens La Tour-de-Peilz Vevey Corseaux St-Saphorin Rivaz Cully Lutry Paudex Pully Lausanne with Ouchy and Vidy St-Sulpice Morges Tolochenaz St-Prex Buchillon Allaman Perroy Rolle Bursinel Dully Gland Promenthoux
Petit Lac	Nernier, Haute-Savoie Messery Chens-sur-Léman Tougues, Haute-Savoie Hermance, Geneva Chevrens Anières Corsier Collonge-Bellerive Vésenaz Cologny	Prangins Nyon, Vaud Crans-près-Céligny, Vaud Céligny, Geneva Coppet, Vaud Tannay, Vaud Mies, Vaud Versoix, Geneva Bellevue Genthod Chambésy
Petit Lac	Geneva