The Arve () is a river in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
(''
département'' of
Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie () is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of Southeastern France, bordering both Switzerland and Italy. Its Prefectures in France, prefecture is Annecy. To the north is Lake Gene ...
), and
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
(
canton of Geneva
The Canton of Geneva, officially the Republic and Canton of Geneva, is one of the Cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons of the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of forty-five Municipality, municipalities, and the seat of the governme ...
). A left tributary of the
Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...
, it is long,
of which 9 km in Switzerland.
Its catchment area is , of which 80 km
2 in Switzerland. Its average discharge in Geneva is .
Rising in the northern side of the
Mont Blanc massif in the
Alps
The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia.
...
, close to the Swiss border, it receives water from the many
glacier
A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...
s of the
Chamonix valley (mainly the
Mer de Glace) before flowing north-west into the Rhône on the west side of
Geneva
Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
, where its much higher level of
silt
Silt is granular material of a size between sand and clay and composed mostly of broken grains of quartz. Silt may occur as a soil (often mixed with sand or clay) or as sediment mixed in suspension (chemistry), suspension with water. Silt usually ...
brings forth a striking contrast between the two rivers.
The Arve flows through
Chamonix,
Sallanches,
Oëx,
Cluses,
Bonneville,
Annemasse and Geneva. Tributaries include, from source to mouth:
Arveyron,
Diosaz,
Bon-Nant,
Sallanche,
Giffre,
Borne,
Menoge,
Foron,
Seymaz and
Aire.
[
]
Gallery
Image:Arve en crue.jpg, the river Arve in a period of floodings as it joins the Rhone river in Jonction (Geneva)
Image:Confluence de l'Arve et du Rhône.jpg, The Arve (right) meets the Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...
in Geneva
Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
Image:Arve à Chamonix.jpg, The Arve in Chamonix
See also
* List of rivers in France
* List of rivers in Switzerland
References
Rivers of Switzerland
Rivers of France
Rivers of Haute-Savoie
International rivers of Europe
Rivers of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Rivers of the canton of Geneva
Rivers of the Alps
{{Switzerland-river-stub