Editing Haute-Savoie (section)

== Geography ==
[[Image:Département de la Haute-Savoie.PNG|thumb|right|300px|Haute-Savoie highlighted in brown in the former Rhône-Alpes region, with arrondissements outlined|alt=Gray map of former [[Rhône-Alpes]] region, with Haute-Savoie in brown]]
Haute-Savoie comprises [[Arrondissements of the Haute-Savoie department|four arrondissements]], divided into [[Communes of the Haute-Savoie department|279 communes]] and [[Cantons of the Haute-Savoie department|17 cantons]].<ref>[https://www.insee.fr/fr/metadonnees/geographie/departement/74-haute-savoie Département de la Haute-Savoie (74)], INSEE, retrieved 18 November 2024.</ref> To the north, it borders the Swiss [[canton of Geneva]] and [[Lake Geneva]]; to the east the Swiss [[Valais|canton of Valais]] and Italy's [[Aosta Valley]]; to the west the French department of [[Ain]]; and to the south the department of [[Savoie]].

Haute-Savoie has the largest range of elevations of all the departments in France; the lowest point is {{convert|250|m|ft}} in the [[Rhône|Rhône Valley]], and the highest [[Mont Blanc]] at {{convert|4810.40|m|ft}}.<ref name="IFN">{{Cite web | title = Haute-Savoie: III<sup>e</sup> inventaire 1998 | work = Inventaire forestier départemental | publisher = Inventaire Forestier National | year = 2005 | url = http://www.ifn.fr/spip/IMG/pdf/IFN_74_3_HAUTE_SAVOIE.pdf | access-date = 2010-09-03 }}</ref>{{rp|9}} Some of the world's best-known ski resorts are in Haute-Savoie.

The terrain of the department includes the Alpine [[Mont Blanc massif|Mont Blanc range]]; the [[French Prealps]] of the [[Aravis Range]], the [[Chablais Alps|Chablais]], Bornes and Bauges Alps; and the [[peneplain]]s of Genevois haut-savoyard and [[Albanais]] (known collectively as ''L'Avant-pays savoyard'').<ref name="IFN"/>{{rp|9}} Its mountainous terrain makes [[mountain pass]]es important to trade and economic life. Some of the most important are the [[Col de la Forclaz]] (which connects Chamonix to the canton of Valais) and the [[Mont Blanc Tunnel]], linking Chamonix to [[Courmayeur]] in the [[Aosta Valley]].<ref name="IFN"/>{{rp|10}}

===Forests===
As of 1996, {{convert|178624|ha|acre}} of Haute-Savoie is [[forest]]ed (38.8 percent of the total land area), compared to 34.4 percent for the [[Rhone-Alpes]] region and 27.1 percent for France as a whole. Of the forested area {{convert|141063|ha|acre}} (79 percent) is [[forest management|managed]] for [[timber]] and other [[forest product]]s, with the remaining {{convert|37561|ha|acre}} having no commercial value or used for [[outdoor recreation]].<ref name="IFN"/>{{rp|12}}

[[File:Haute-Savoie-OSM.png|thumb|300px|Map of Haute-Savoie|alt=Map of Haute-Savoie, showing parks and roads]]
National nature reserves are designated by the [[Cabinet of France|French government]] as areas where an outstanding [[natural heritage]] is present in both rare and typical areas in terms of species and geology. Management is charged to local organizations, with direction and evaluation focusing on long-term protection for future generations and [[environmental education]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=What is a nature reserve? |publisher=Réserves naturelles de France |url=http://www.reserves-naturelles.org/english/ |access-date=2010-09-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030824115214/http://www.reserves-naturelles.org/english/ |archive-date=August 24, 2003 }}</ref> Of the {{convert|37561|ha|acre}} of land not managed for timber, Haute-Savoie has nine national nature reserves totaling {{convert|24542|ha|acre}}.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rhône-Alpes |work=Les réserves naturelles de France - les réserves - par region |publisher=Réserves naturelles de France |url=http://www.reserves-naturelles.org/reserves/region.asp?arbo=1.0&id=27 |access-date=2010-09-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090504051224/http://www.reserves-naturelles.org/reserves/region.asp?arbo=1.0&id=27 |archive-date=May 4, 2009 }}</ref>
* [[Aiguilles Rouges National Nature Reserve]] &ndash; {{convert|3276|ha|acre}}
* [[Bout du Lac d'Annecy National Nature Reserve]] &ndash; {{convert|84|ha|acre}}
* [[Carlaveyron National Nature Reserve]] &ndash; {{convert|599|ha|acre}}
* [[Contamines-Montjoie National Nature Reserve]] &ndash; {{convert|5500|ha|acre}}
* [[Delta de la Dranse National Nature Reserve]] &ndash; {{convert|539.7|ha|acre}}
* [[Passy National Nature Reserve]] &ndash; {{convert|2000|ha|acre}}
* [[Roc de Chère National Nature Reserve]] &ndash; {{convert|68.24|ha|acre}}
* [[Sixt-Passy National Nature Reserve]] &ndash; {{convert|9200|ha|acre}}
* [[Vallon de Bérard National Nature Reserve]] &ndash; {{convert|3276|ha|acre}}

===Lakes===
{{See also|List of lakes in France#Haute-Savoie|l1=Lakes in Haute-Savoie}}
[[File:LacAnnecy.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of Lake Annecy from the southeast|alt=Aerial view of narrow lake between mountains]]
Haute-Savoie has significant freshwater resources. [[Lake Annecy]] is a major attraction, along with the town of [[Évian-les-Bains]], perhaps the best-known town on the French shore of [[Lake Geneva]], and known worldwide for its [[Evian]] [[mineral water]]. Haute-Savoie is entirely within the [[drainage divide|watershed]] of the [[Rhone]].