Lake Geneva, << juh NEE vuh, >> is one of the largest lakes in central Europe. It was formed by a natural damming of the Rhone River along the border between Switzerland and France. The crescent-shaped lake is 45 miles (70 kilometers) long, and its width ranges from 11/2 to 9 miles (2.4 to 15 kilometers). The lake has an area of 225 square miles (585 square kilometers). The French name for Lake Geneva is Lac Leman, and its German name is Genfer See.
Lake Geneva lies in an area of great beauty, with the Jura Mountains to the north and the French Alps to the south. The Swiss shore is heavily populated, and major rail lines and highways parallel the lake. Major cities on the lake include Geneva, Lausanne, Vevey, and Montreux, all in Switzerland. On an island near the eastern shore stands the historic castle of Chillon that was made famous by Lord Byron’s poem “The Prisoner of Chillon.”
