rhone

Rhône is a major river in western Europe, rising from the Rhône Glacier in the Swiss Alps and coursing generally south and east across Switzerland and France to the Mediterranean. It flows through the canton of Valais, enters Lake Geneva, exits the lake near Geneva, and continues through the Rhône Valley, passing such cities as Lyon, Avignon, and Arles before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea in the Gulf of Lion. The river is about 813 kilometers long and drains a catchment of roughly 98,700 square kilometers. Its discharge is heavily influenced by Alpine snowmelt and glacial melt.

In Switzerland the upper Rhône is heavily dammed to generate hydroelectric power; downstream in France it supports irrigation, navigation, and industry. The Saône joins the Rhône at Lyon, making that city a key confluence. Other important tributaries include the Isère and the Durance. In its lower courses the Rhône forms the Rhône delta and the Camargue, a wetland area noted for birds and biodiversity, and for intensive rice cultivation and salt flats.

Wine regions and culture: The Rhône valley is a major wine region, with Northern Rhône sites such as Côte-Rôtie and Hermitage and Southern Rhône areas including Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côtes du Rhône. The river has played a historical role in transport and settlement since antiquity, contributing to the development of cities like Lyon and Avignon.