Lake Geneva forms part of the border between Switzerland and France and is also called Lac Léman. It is a crescent-shaped glacial lake in the northern Alps.
About 60 percent of the lake lies in Switzerland, including shores in the cantons of Vaud, Geneva, and Valais. The remaining 40 percent lies in France’s Haute-Savoie department. Major lakeside cities include Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux, Évian, and Thonon-les-Bains.
The lake is part of the Rhône River system. The Rhône enters at the eastern end near Villeneuve and flows out at Geneva, continuing westward toward France and the Mediterranean. With a maximum depth of about 310 meters, it is also one of Western Europe’s deepest major lakes.
“Lac Léman” is the customary French name, while “Lake Geneva” is standard in contemporary English. That naming difference often causes confusion, especially because the city of Geneva occupies the lake’s southwestern outlet. Lake Annecy, Lake Lucerne, and Lake Constance are separate lakes elsewhere in the Alpine region.