Lake Geneva Lake Geneva Lake Geneva ( or ' /, rarely ' ; ) is a lake on the north side of the Alps, shared between Switzerland and France. It is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe and the largest on the course of the Rhône. 59.53% () of it comes under the jurisdiction of Switzerland (cantons of Vaud, Geneva, and Valais), and 40.47% () under France (department of Haute-Savoie). Lake Geneva has been explored by four submarines: the "Auguste Piccard" and the "F.-A. Forel", both built by Jacques Piccard, and the two "Mir" submersibles. The first recorded name of
Swiss Alps on the shores of Lake Geneva to Rorschach on the shores of Lake Constance, passing close to the cities of Thun and Lucerne. The not well defined regions in Switzerland that lie on the margin of the Alps, especially those on the north side, are called the "Swiss Prealps" ("Préalpes" in French, "Voralpen" in German, "Prealpi" in Italian). The Swiss Prealps are mainly made of limestone and they generally do not exceed . The Alpine cantons (from highest to lowest) are Valais, Bern, Graubünden, Uri, Glarus, Ticino, St. Gallen, Vaud, Obwalden, Nidwalden, Schwyz, Appenzell Innerrhoden, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Fribourg, Lucerne and