Lake of Geneva
| Lake Léman | |
|---|---|
Satellite image
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| 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 |
| Lake type | Glacial lake |
| Primary inflows | Rhône, Dranse |
| Primary outflows | Rhône |
| Catchment area | 7,975 square kilometres (3,079 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Switzerland, France |
| Max. length | 73 km (45 mi) |
| Max. width | 14 km (8.7 mi) |
| Surface area | 580.03 km2 (224 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 154.4 metres (507 feet) |
| Max. depth | 310 metres (1,020 feet) |
| Water volume | 89 km3 (72,000,000 acre·ft) |
| Residence time | 11.4 years |
| Surface elevation | 372 m (1,220 ft) |
| 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) (see list) |
Lake Geneva (French: le lac Léman or le Léman[lə (lak) lemɑ̃], sometimes le lac de Genève [lə lak də ʒ(ə)nɛːv], German: Genfersee [ˈɡɛnfərˌzeː]) is a lake on the north side of the Alps, shared between Switzerland and France. It is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe and the largest on the course of the Rhône. 59.53% (345.31 km2 [133.32 sq mi]) of it comes under the jurisdiction of Switzerland (cantons of Vaud, Geneva, and Valais), and 40.47% (234.71 km2 [90.62 sq mi]) under France (department of Haute-Savoie).
Lake Geneva has been explored by four submarines: the Auguste Piccard and the F.-A. Forel, both built by Jacques Piccard, and the two Mir submersibles.
The first recorded name of the lake is Lacus Lemannus, dated from Roman times; Lemannus comes from Ancient greek Limanos, Liménos Limne Λιμένος Λίμνη meaning port's lake; it became Lacus Lausonius, although this name was also used for a town or district on the lake, Lacus Losanetes and then the Lac de Lausanne in the Middle Ages. Following the rise of Geneva it became Lac de Genève (translated into English as Lake Geneva). In the 18th century, Lac Léman was revived in French and is the customary name in that language. In contemporary English, the name Lake Geneva is predominant. A note on pronunciation:
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