Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva (French: Lac Léman, German: Genfersee, or Genfer See) is the second largest lake in Central Europe. The lake forms the border between France and Switzerland. About three fifths are in Switzerland. In total, it is about 580 km3 in size. At its deepest point it is 310 m deep, which makes it France's deepest lake. The biggest contributing river is the Rhone, other important tributaries are the Dranse, the Venoge and the Aubonne. The Rhone traverses the lake, and exits at Geneva. On average, its waters take 11.4 years to traverse the lake. Other than Geneva, important Swiss cities at the lakeshore are Lausanne, Montreux and Vevey. The biggest French city at the lakeshore is Thonon-les-Bains, the best known is Évian-les-Bains.
| Lake Geneva | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Switzerland, France |
| Coordinates | 46°26′N 6°33′E / 46.433°N 6.550°ECoordinates: 46°26′N 6°33′E / 46.433°N 6.550°E |
| Primary inflows | Rhone, La Venoge, Dranse, Aubonne |
| Primary outflows | Rhone |
| Catchment area | 7,975 km² (3,079 mi²) |
| Basin countries | Switzerland, France |
| Max. length | 73 km (45 mi) |
| Max. width | 14 km (8.7 mi) |
| Surface area | 580.03 km² (223.95 mi²) |
| Average depth | 154.4 m |
| Max. depth | 310 m |
| Water volume | 89 km³ |
| Residence time | 11.4 years |
| Surface elevation | 372 m |
| Islands | Île de Peilz, Château de Chillon, Île de Salagnon, Île de la Harpe, Île Rousseau, Île de Choisi |
| Settlements | Geneva (CH), Lausanne (CH), Evian (F), Montreux (CH), Thonon (F), Vevey (CH) |
There are six small islands in the lake:
- Île de la Harpe (near Rolle) (2368 m²)
- Île de Salagnon (Île aux Mouettes, near Clarens) (1450 m²)
- Île de Peilz (near Villeneuve VD) (40 m²)
- Île de Choisi (near Bursinel) (120 m², at 46.4387608 N 6.3180184 E)
- Île Rousseau (in Geneva, Exit point of the river Rhone, 3390 m²)
- The island with Chillon castle (5070 m²)
The Pierres du Niton are two erratic stones in the lake in Geneva. They were deposited there during the last ice age.
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Lake Geneva Media
View of Lake Geneva about between Vevey in front, Lausanne in the back behind Mont Pèlerin (CH) on the right and Évian-les-Bains (F) on the left, shot from a place between Caux and Glion above Montreux
View of the lake and the Chablais Alps from Caux
CGN paddle steamer in 1926 near Vevey with the Dents du Midi in background
