Léman (department)
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Léman (French: [lemɑ̃]) was a department of the French First Republic and French First Empire. Its name came from the French name of Lake Geneva, Lac Léman. It was formed in 1798, when the Republic of Geneva was annexed by the French Republic. Léman also included districts that were previously part of the departments of Mont-Blanc (northern Savoy) and Ain (around Gex). Its territory corresponded with the present Swiss canton of Geneva and parts of the present French departments of Ain and Haute-Savoie.
Department of Léman | |||||||||
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1798–1813 | |||||||||
Status | Department of the French First Republic and the French First Empire | ||||||||
Chef-lieu | Geneva 46.2°N 6.15°E / 46.2; 6.15 | ||||||||
Official languages | French | ||||||||
Historical era | French Revolutionary Wars | ||||||||
• Annexation of the Republic of Geneva | 13 December 1798 | ||||||||
• Genevian restoration | 31 December 1813 | ||||||||
Area | |||||||||
1804[1] | 2,800 km2 (1,100 sq mi) | ||||||||
Population | |||||||||
• 1804[2] | 215,884 | ||||||||
• 1812[1] | 210,478 | ||||||||
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Today part of |
The Chef-lieu of the department was Genève. The department was subdivided into the following three arrondissements and cantons:[1]
- Genève: Carouge, Chêne-Thônex, Collonge, Frangy, Genève (3 cantons), Gex, Reignier and Saint-Julien.
- Bonneville: Bonneville, Chamonix, Cluses, Megève, La Roche, Sallanches, Samoëns, Taninges and Viuz-en-Sallaz.
- Thonon: Douvaine, Évian, Saint-Jean-d'Aulps and Thonon.
After the final defeat of Napoleon in 1815, the former Republic of Geneva became a Swiss canton, and Savoy was returned to the Kingdom of Sardinia. The area around Gex returned to the department of Ain.