Rhône River
The
River Rhône (
Latin Rhodanus, \n
French Rhône,
Occitan Rose) is one of the major
rivers (ca. 800km [500 miles] long) of
Europe, running through
Switzerland and
France.
Course
It rises near the Rhône glacier in Valais, Switzerland, in the Saint-Gotthard massif, at an altitude of 1753m.
Up to Martigny, the Rhône is a torrent, and then becomes a great mountain river running SW through a glacier valley. Then, it turns NW to exit the Alps and flows west through Lake Geneva (French Lac Leman) before entering France.
It is joined by the river Saône at Lyon, before going south.
At Arles, the Rhône divides itself in two arms, forming the Camargue delta, with all branches flowing into the Mediterranean Sea. One arm is called the "Grand Rhône", the other one is the "Petit Rhône".
Tributaries
- Arve River (L)\n* Ain River (R)\n* Saône (R)\n* Isère River (L)\n* Drôme River (L)\n* Ardèche River (R)\n* Gard River (R)\n* Durance River (L)
Power & speed
Though not the longest, the Rhône is the fastest and most powerful river in France.
An average of 1800m3/s of water pours into the Mediterranean at its delta. This puts it at number 48 in the world ranking. However, heavy rain can cause the river to swell to dangerous proportions. For example, the rate was 11,000m3/s at Beaucaire in January 1994.
Along the Rhône
Cities and towns along the river Rhône include:\n* Sion (Valais, Switzerland)\n* Geneva (Switzerland)\n* Lyon\n* Avignon\n* Beaucaire\n* Tarascon (opposite Beaucaire)\n* Arles
See also: Rhône (département)
External Links
\n* Waterways in France
Category:French rivers\n \n \n \n\n
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