A major French river; flows into the Mediterranean near Marseilles; Also called: Rhone River.
River of S Europe; length 810 km/500 mi. It rises in Switzerland and flows through Lake Geneva to Lyon in France, where at its confluence with the Saône the upper limit of navigation is reached. The river turns due south, passes Vienne and Avignon, and takes in the Isčre and other tributaries. Near Arles it divides into the Grand and Petit Rhône, flowing respectively SE and SW into the Mediterranean W of Marseille. Here it forms a two-armed delta; the area between the tributaries is the marshy region known as the Camargue.
The Rhône is harnessed for hydroelectric power, the chief dam being at Genissiat in Ain département, constructed 1938–48. Between Vienne and Avignon the Rhône flows through a major wine-producing area. The river gives its name to a département.