Lake of Lucerne, << loo SURN, >> lies in central Switzerland. The lake covers 44 square miles (114 square kilometers). It has the form of a rough cross, 24 miles (39 kilometers) long and 2 miles (3 kilometers) wide. The lake is surrounded by four of Switzerland’s oldest cantons (states)–Luzern, Schwyz, Unterwalden, and Uri. German-speaking Swiss call the lake Vierwaldstatter See, which means Lake of Four Forest Cantons. Tourism dominates the area’s economy. The region near the eastern end of the lake is the scene of some of the adventures of the legendary Swiss patriot William Tell (see Tell, William ).
