Alps rivers such as the Danube have major tributaries flowing into them that originate in the Alps. The Rhône is second to the Nile as a freshwater source to the Mediterranean Sea; the river begins as glacial meltwater, flows into Lake Geneva, and from there to France where one of its uses is to cool nuclear power plants. The Rhine originates in a 30 square kilometre area in Switzerland and represents almost 60 percent of water exported from the country. Tributary valleys, some of which are complicated, channel water to the main valleys which can experience flooding during the snow melt
Swiss Alps it one of the most "alpine" countries. Despite the fact that Switzerland covers only 14% of the Alps total area, 48 out of 82 alpine four-thousanders are located in the Swiss Alps and practically all of the remaining 34 are within of the country's border. The glaciers of the Swiss Alps cover an area of — 3% of the Swiss territory, representing 44% of the total glaciated area in the Alps i.e. . The Swiss Alps are situated south of the Swiss Plateau and north of the national border. The limit between the Alps and the plateau runs from Vevey