Rhône

The Rhône (/roʊn/ ROHN, French: [ʁon] ; Occitan: Ròse; Arpitan: Rôno) is a big river in France and Switzerland. It starts in the Alps and flows west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before ending in the Mediterranean Sea at the Gulf of Lion. Near the city of Arles, the river splits into the Great Rhône and the Little Rhône, making the Camargue region, an important wetland area.

The river begins at the Rhône Glacier in the Swiss canton of Valais. This glacier is part of the Saint-Gotthard Massif, which is also where other big rivers start, like the Reuss, Rhine, and Ticino.

The Rhône is one of the three largest rivers that flow into the Mediterranean Sea, together with the Po and the Nile. It carries a lot of water, which is very important for the places it passes through.

Etymology

The name Rhône comes from the Latin word Rhodanus. Ancient people called the river Rodonos or Rotonos, which means "to run or roll." Many languages have different names for the river. In German, it is Rhone. In Italian, it is Rodano. In French, it is le Rhône. The French word for things related to the river is rhodanien. This describes the valley made by the Saône and Rhône rivers that runs to the Mediterranean.

Navigation

Before trains and cars, the Rhône River was an important path for trade and travel. It linked cities like Arles, Avignon, Valence, Vienne, and Lyon to sea ports such as Fos-sur-Mer, Marseille, and Sète. Today, traveling down the Rhône by motorboat takes only three days, much faster than the three weeks it took by older boats.

The Rhône is a busy river with locks to manage its strong currents. Big boats can travel along parts of the river day and night, guided from a central control point. Smaller ships can also use linked canals to reach other rivers and cities farther away.

Course

See also: Vallée du Rhône (France)

The Rhône River starts as meltwater from the Rhône Glacier in the Swiss Alps, in Valais, at about 2,208 meters above sea level. It flows southwest through several towns and valleys, including Gletsch, Brig, and Martigny. Along its path, it collects water from many smaller rivers and glaciers, such as the Massa and the Vispa.

After passing Martigny, the Rhône turns north toward Lake Geneva, where it forms part of the border between Valais and Vaud. It flows into the lake near Le Bouveret. After leaving the lake at Geneva, the river continues west into France. It passes through Lyon, where it meets its largest tributary, the Saône. Finally, the Rhône splits into two branches near Arles: the Grand Rhône and the Petit Rhône, forming the Camargue delta before flowing into the Mediterranean Sea.

Tributaries

The main tributaries of the Rhône are:

• Massa
• Vispa
• Navizence
• Sionne
• Drance
• Trient
• Venoge
• Dranse
• Aubonne
• Hermance
• Versoix
• Arve
• Allondon
• Valserine
• Fier
• Guiers
• Bourbre
• Ain
• Saône
• Gier
• Gère
• Galaure
• Doux
• Isère
• Eyrieux
• Drôme
• Ardèche
• Cèze
• Aigues
• Ouvèze
• Durance
• Gardon

History

The Rhône River has been an important trade route since ancient times. The Greeks and Romans used it to travel. It connected the Mediterranean Sea to east-central Gaul and helped spread Greek culture to places like Hallstatt and La Tène. Many Celtic tribes, such as the Seduni, Segobriges, Allobroges, and Helvetii, lived along its banks.

Traveling on the Rhône was difficult because of strong currents, shallow areas, and floods or dry periods. Before the 1800s, people used special boats called coches d'eau, pulled by men or horses. The first steam boat was built in 1783, and regular steam services started in 1829. Later, powerful motor barges with diesel engines were introduced. In 1933, the Compagnie Nationale du Rhône was created to improve the river for travel, make electricity, and protect towns from floods. After World War II, many dams and locks were built to help control the river and provide power.

Along the Rhône

The Rhône River flows through many cities and towns in Switzerland and France. In Switzerland, the river passes by Oberwald, Fiesch, Brig, Visp, Leuk, Sierre, Sion, St. Maurice, and Geneva. It also goes by Lake Geneva, which has towns around it in both countries.

In France, the Rhône flows through or near cities such as Lyon, Vienne, Tournon-sur-Rhône, Valence, Montélimar, Viviers, Bourg-Saint-Andéol, Pont-Saint-Esprit, Roquemaure, Avignon, Beaucaire, Vallabrègues, and Arles. These towns are in areas like Rhône (département), Isère, Ardèche, Drôme, Gard, Vaucluse, and Bouches-du-Rhône.