Haute-Savoie (;
Arpitan: ''Savouè d'Amont'' or ''Hiôta-Savouè''; en, Upper Savoy) or '; it, Alta Savoia. is a
department in the
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (ARA; ; frp, Ôvèrgne-Rôno-Ârpes; oc, Auvèrnhe Ròse Aups; it, Alvernia-Rodano-Alpi) is a region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Au ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
of Southeastern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, bordering both
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
and
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. Its
prefecture
A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...
is
Annecy. To the north is
Lake Geneva
, image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg
, caption = Satellite image
, image_bathymetry =
, caption_bathymetry =
, location = Switzerland, France
, coords =
, lake_type = Glacial lak ...
; to the south and southeast are
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc (french: Mont Blanc ; it, Monte Bianco , both meaning "white mountain") is the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe, rising above sea level. It is the second-most prominent mountain in Europe, after Mount Elbrus, and i ...
and the
Aravis mountain range.
It holds its name from the
Savoy
Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps.
Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south.
Savo ...
historical region, as does the department of
Savoie
Savoie (; Arpitan: ''Savouè'' or ''Savouè-d'Avâl''; English: ''Savoy'' ) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southeastern France. Located in the French Alps, its prefecture is Chambéry. In 2019, Savoie had a population of ...
, located south of Haute-Savoie. In 2019, it had a population of 826,094.
[Populations légales 2019: 74 Haute-Savoie]
INSEE Its
subprefectures are
Bonneville,
Saint-Julien-en-Genevois
Saint-Julien-en-Genevois (; frp, Sant-Jelien) is a subprefecture of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. In 2018, the commune had a population of 15,509.
Geography
Saint-Julien-en-Genevois is locat ...
and
Thonon-les-Bains
Thonon-les-Bains (; frp, Tonon), often simply referred to as Thonon, is a subprefecture of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. In 2018, the commune had a population of 35,241. Thonon-les-Bains is ...
. The French entrance to the
Mont Blanc Tunnel
The Mont Blanc Tunnel is a highway tunnel between France and Italy, under the Mont Blanc mountain in the Alps. It links Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France with Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy, via the French Route Nationale 205 and the Italian T ...
into Italy is in Haute-Savoie. It is noted for winter sports; the first
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were he ...
were held at
Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc ( frp, Chamôni), more commonly known as Chamonix, is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. It was the site of the first Winter Olympics in 1924. In 2019, it had ...
in
1924.
History
The historical region of
Savoy
Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps.
Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south.
Savo ...
was governed by the
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy ( it, Casa Savoia) was a royal dynasty that was established in 1003 in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, the family grew in power from ruling a small Alpine county north-west of Italy to absolute rule of ...
, the ruling dynasty of Savoy from 1032 to 1860. The
Duchy of Savoy
The Duchy of Savoy ( it, Ducato di Savoia; french: Duché de Savoie) was a country in Western Europe that existed from 1416.
It was created when Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, raised the County of Savoy into a duchy for Amadeus VIII. The duc ...
were rulers of the Savoy region from 1416 to 1720.
The territory occupied by modern Haute-Savoie and the adjoining department of
Savoie
Savoie (; Arpitan: ''Savouè'' or ''Savouè-d'Avâl''; English: ''Savoy'' ) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southeastern France. Located in the French Alps, its prefecture is Chambéry. In 2019, Savoie had a population of ...
became part of the
Kingdom of Sardinia
The Kingdom of Sardinia,The name of the state was originally Latin: , or when the kingdom was still considered to include Corsica. In Italian it is , in French , in Sardinian , and in Piedmontese . also referred to as the Kingdom of Savoy-S ...
after the
Treaty of Utrecht
The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaties signed by the belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht between April 1713 and February 1715. The war involved three contenders for the vacant throne o ...
in 1713. Annexation of the region by
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
was formalised in the
Treaty of Turin on March 24, 1860.
From November 1942 to September 1943, Haute-Savoie was subjected to military occupation by
Fascist Italy. The
Maquis des Glières
The Maquis des Glières was a Free French Resistance group, which fought against the 1940–1944 German occupation of France in World War II. The name is also given to the military conflict that opposed Resistance fighters to German, Vichy and ...
(a band of
Free French Resistance fighters who opposed the
Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
,
Vichy
Vichy (, ; ; oc, Vichèi, link=no, ) is a city in the Allier department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of central France, in the historic province of Bourbonnais.
It is a spa and resort town and in World War II was the capital of ...
and
Milice
The ''Milice française'' (French Militia), generally called ''la Milice'' (literally ''the militia'') (), was a political paramilitary organization created on 30 January 1943 by the Vichy regime (with German aid) to help fight against the Fre ...
regimes during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
) operated from Haute-Savoie. In the winter of 1943–1944, German troops burned down around 500 farms in response to French Resistance activities.
Politics
Departmental Council of Haute-Savoie
The
Departmental Council of Haute-Savoie has 34 seats. As of 2020, fifteen councillors are part of the Haute-Savoie Union group (
miscellaneous right
Miscellaneous right (', ''DVD'') in France refers to right-wing candidates who are not members of any large party. This can include members of small right-wing parties, dissidents expelled from their party for running against their party's candi ...
), fourteen are part of the Avenir Haute-Savoie group (
The Republicans) and five are part of the Union du Centre group (
The Centrists
The Centrists (french: Les Centristes, LC), formerly known as New Centre (''Nouveau Centre'', NC) and European Social Liberal Party (''Parti Social Libéral Européen'', PSLE), is a centre-right political party in France formed by the members of ...
).
Martial Saddier
Martial Saddier (born 15 October 1969 in Bonneville, Haute-Savoie) was member of the National Assembly of France
The National Assembly (french: link=no, italics=set, Assemblée nationale; ) is the lower house of the bicameral French Par ...
had been
President of the Departmental Council
In France, the President of the Departmental Council ( French: ''Président du Conseil départemental'') is the locally elected head of the departmental council, the assembly governing a department in France. The position is elected by the depa ...
since 2021.
Representation in Paris
National Assembly
Haute-Savoie elected the following members of the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...
in the
2017 legislative election:
Senate
Haute-Savoie sends three
Senators to
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
.
Loïc Hervé and
Cyril Pellevat were both elected in 2014;
Sylviane Noël took office in 2018.
Geography
Haute-Savoie comprises
four arrondissements, divided into
279 communes and
17 cantons. To the north, it borders the Swiss
canton of Geneva
The Canton of Geneva, officially the Republic and Canton of Geneva (french: link=no, République et canton de Genève; frp, Rèpublica et canton de Geneva; german: Republik und Kanton Genf; it, Repubblica e Cantone di Ginevra; rm, Republica e ...
and
Lake Geneva
, image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg
, caption = Satellite image
, image_bathymetry =
, caption_bathymetry =
, location = Switzerland, France
, coords =
, lake_type = Glacial lak ...
; to the east the Swiss
canton of Valais
Valais ( , , ; frp, Valês; german: Wallis ), more formally the Canton of Valais,; german: Kanton Wallis; in other official Swiss languages outside Valais: it, (Canton) Vallese ; rm, (Chantun) Vallais. is one of the 26 cantons forming the Sw ...
and Italy's
Aosta Valley
, Valdostan or Valdotainian it, Valdostano (man) it, Valdostana (woman)french: Valdôtain (man)french: Valdôtaine (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title = Official languages
, population_blank1 = Italian French
...
; to the west the French department of
Ain
Ain (, ; frp, En) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. Named after the Ain river, it is bordered by the Saône and Rhône rivers. Ain is located on the country's eastern edge, on the Swiss border, where ...
; and to the south the department of
Savoie
Savoie (; Arpitan: ''Savouè'' or ''Savouè-d'Avâl''; English: ''Savoy'' ) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southeastern France. Located in the French Alps, its prefecture is Chambéry. In 2019, Savoie had a population of ...
.
Haute-Savoie has the largest range of elevations of all the departments in France; the lowest point is in the
Rhône Valley
The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At ...
, and the highest
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc (french: Mont Blanc ; it, Monte Bianco , both meaning "white mountain") is the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe, rising above sea level. It is the second-most prominent mountain in Europe, after Mount Elbrus, and i ...
at .
Some of the world's best-known ski resorts are in Haute-Savoie.
The terrain of the department includes the Alpine
Mont Blanc range; the
French Prealps
The French Prealps (french: Préalpes) are a group of subalpine mountain ranges of medium elevation located immediately west of the French Alps. They roughly stretch from Lake Geneva southwest to the rivers Isère and Drôme; east to a line runn ...
of the
Aravis Range
The Aravis (french: Chaîne des Aravis) is a mountain range in Savoie and Haute-Savoie, eastern France. It is part of the French Prealps, a lower chain of mountain ranges west of the main chain of the Alps. Its highest summit is the Pointe Percé ...
, the
Chablais
Chablais () was a province of the Duchy of Savoy. Its capital was Thonon-les-Bains.
Chablais was elevated to a duchy in 1311 by Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor.
This region is currently divided into three territories, the ''Chablais savoyard'', the ...
, Bornes and Bauges Alps; and the
peneplain
390px, Sketch of a hypothetical peneplain formation after an orogeny.
In geomorphology and geology, a peneplain is a low-relief plain formed by protracted erosion. This is the definition in the broadest of terms, albeit with frequency the usage ...
s of Genevois haut-savoyard and
Albanais The Albanais is a small Savoyard region situated between Lake Annecy and Lac du Bourget, at the entrance to the Parc naturel régional du Massif des Bauges. Located in the French departments of Savoie and Haute-Savoie, its principal city is Rum ...
(known collectively as ''L'Avant-pays savoyard'').
Its mountainous terrain makes
mountain pass
A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human a ...
es important to trade and economic life. Some of the most important are the
Col de la Forclaz
Col de la Forclaz (el. ) is a mountain pass in the Alps in the Canton of Valais in Switzerland. It connects Martigny at and Le Châtelard (Finhaut). The road from Martigny to the Col has an average gradient of 6% but in parts is closer to 8%. ...
(which connects Chamonix to the canton of Valais) and the
Mont Blanc Tunnel
The Mont Blanc Tunnel is a highway tunnel between France and Italy, under the Mont Blanc mountain in the Alps. It links Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France with Courmayeur, Aosta Valley, Italy, via the French Route Nationale 205 and the Italian T ...
, linking Chamonix to
Courmayeur
Courmayeur (; Valdôtain: ) is a town and ''comune'' in northern Italy, in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley.
History
The toponym ''Courmayeur'' has been mentioned as ''Curia majori'' (1233–1381), ''Corte Maggiore'' (1620), ''Cormoyeu'' (16 ...
in the
Aosta Valley
, Valdostan or Valdotainian it, Valdostano (man) it, Valdostana (woman)french: Valdôtain (man)french: Valdôtaine (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title = Official languages
, population_blank1 = Italian French
...
.
Forests
As of 1996, of Haute-Savoie is
forest
A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...
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 (79 percent) is
managed for
timber
Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...
and other
forest product
A forest product is any material derived from forestry for direct consumption or commercial use, such as lumber, paper, or fodder for livestock. Wood, by far the dominant product of forests, is used for many purposes, such as wood fuel (e.g. in fo ...
s, with the remaining having no commercial value or used for
outdoor recreation
Outdoor recreation or outdoor activity refers to recreation done outside, most commonly in natural settings. The activities that encompass outdoor recreation vary depending on the physical environment they are being carried out in. These activitie ...
.
![Haute-Savoie-OSM](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Haute-Savoie-OSM.png)
National nature reserves are designated by the
French government
The Government of France (French: ''Gouvernement français''), officially the Government of the French Republic (''Gouvernement de la République française'' ), exercises executive power in France. It is composed of the Prime Minister, who i ...
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
Environmental education (EE) refers to organized efforts to teach how natural environments function, and particularly, how human beings can manage behavior and ecosystems to live sustainably. It is a multi-disciplinary field integrating discip ...
. Of the of land not managed for timber, Haute-Savoie has nine national nature reserves totaling .
*
Aiguilles Rouges National Nature Reserve
The Aiguilles Rouges National Nature Reserve is a nature reserve located in the Aiguilles Rouges mountain range in the Haute-Savoie department in southeastern France.
Localisation
In the Haute-Savoie department, on the northern side of the ...
–
*
Bout du Lac d'Annecy National Nature Reserve –
*
Carlaveyron National Nature Reserve –
*
Contamines-Montjoie National Nature Reserve –
*
Delta de la Dranse National Nature Reserve
The Delta de la Dranse National Nature Reserve is a nature reserve located in the delta of the Dranse river. The reserve is located to the east of the commune of Thonon-les-Bains in southeastern France. At long by wide, it covers a small area ...
–
*
Passy National Nature Reserve
The Passy National Nature Reserve is a nature reserve located on the face of the Aiguilles Rouges and Mont Blanc massif, Mont Blanc mountain ranges, in the middle of the Arve valley, in the Haute-Savoie Departments of France, metropolitan departmen ...
–
*
Roc de Chère National Nature Reserve
The Roc de Chère National Nature Reserve is a major ecology, ecologic site in southeastern France. A protected nature reserve since 1977, it covers a small area of . It is located near the commune of Talloires, on the eastern bank of Lake Annecy ...
–
*
Sixt-Passy National Nature Reserve –
*
Vallon de Bérard National Nature Reserve –
Lakes
![LacAnnecy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/LacAnnecy.jpg)
Haute-Savoie has significant freshwater resources.
Lake Annecy
Lake Annecy (french: Lac d'Annecy, ) is a perialpine lake in Haute-Savoie in France. It is named after the city of Annecy, which marks the start of the Thiou, Lake Annecy's outflow river.Jean-Daniel Stanley and Thomas F. Jorstad, ''Direct Sedimen ...
is a major attraction, along with the town of
Évian-les-Bains
Évian-les-Bains (), or simply Évian ( frp, Èvian, , or ), is a commune in the northern part of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southeastern France. In 2018, it had a population of 9,100.
A high-market holid ...
, perhaps the best-known town on the French shore of
Lake Geneva
, image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg
, caption = Satellite image
, image_bathymetry =
, caption_bathymetry =
, location = Switzerland, France
, coords =
, lake_type = Glacial lak ...
, and known worldwide for its
Evian
Evian ( , ; , stylized as evian) is a French company that bottles and commercialises mineral water from several sources near Évian-les-Bains, on the south shore of Lake Geneva. It produces over 2 billion plastic bottles per year.
Today, Evia ...
mineral water
Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. Mineral water may usually be still or sparkling (carbonated/effervescent) according to the presence or absence of added gases.
T ...
. Haute-Savoie is entirely within the
watershed of the
Rhone.
Demographics
Population development since 1861:
Principal towns
The most populous commune is
Annecy, the prefecture. As of 2019, there are 7 communes with more than 15,000 inhabitants:
[
]
Education and research
The research sector in Haute-Savoie filed 201 patents in 2000. It is represented by:
* Laboratory for Particle Physics in Annecy-le-Vieux
* Technology Center Engineering Industries (CETIM)
* Research laboratories related to Polytech Savoie, ESIA and Savoy University
* Technical center for screw-machining industry (CTDEC) in Cluses
* The Thésame - mechatronics and management
Economy
Agriculture
In 2006 approximately of land was suitable for agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
, of which (24 percent) was arable land
Arable land (from the la, arabilis, "able to be ploughed") is any land capable of being ploughed and used to grow crops.''Oxford English Dictionary'', "arable, ''adj''. and ''n.''" Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013. Alternatively, for the ...
suitable for market gardening
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. The diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically from under to ...
, cultivation or pasture
Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep, or swine ...
; was orchards
An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of lar ...
; was vineyards
A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyards ...
, and was alpine tundra
Alpine tundra is a type of natural region or biome that does not contain trees because it is at high elevation, with an associated alpine climate, harsh climate. As the latitude of a location approaches the poles, the threshold elevation for alp ...
or grass
Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...
es.
There were 4,450 farmers in 1999, 4,800 farmers and over 1,700 full-time farm employees at the end of 2006. In 1999, crop production was valued at €71.5 million and animal production at €165.4 million.
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...
production is a large part of the Haute-Savoie economy, earning €117.2 million in 2006 and representing 74 percent of the net animal-product worth. Cattle
Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...
earned €29.7 million. Cheese
Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...
production (by variety) in 1999 (except as noted) was:
* Reblochon
Reblochon () is a soft washed-rind and smear-ripened French cheese made in the Alpine region of Haute-Savoie from raw cow's milk. It has its own AOC designation.
Reblochon was first produced in the Thônes and Arly valleys, in the Aravis massi ...
– 16,950 tons
* Tomme de Savoie – 5,500 tons
* Emmental
The Emmental ( en, Emme Valley) is a valley in west-central Switzerland, forming part of the canton of Bern. It is a hilly landscape comprising the basins of the rivers Emme (river), Emme and Ilfis (river), Ilfis. The region is mostly devoted to ...
– 3,000 tons (2006); 4,050 tons in 1999
* Raclette
Raclette (, ) is a Swiss dish, also popular in the other Alpine countries, based on heating cheese and scraping off the melted part, then typically served with boiled potatoes. Raclette cheese is historically a dish originating from the canton o ...
raw milk – 2,000 tons
* Abondance – 700 tons
* Tome des Bauges – 650 tons
Crafts
In late 2000 crafts occupied 15 percent of the workforce, or 28,443 employees and 1,922 apprentices. The 11,951 companies represented on the ''Répertoire des Métiers'' (Trade Index) were divided into:
* Food: 955 companies
* Construction: 4,924
* Production: 2,834
* Services: 3,238
Construction and public works
In late December 2000, building construction and public works included 13,867 employees in 4,838 companies as follows:
* Construction: 20 percent
* Decoration, electricity, plastering, painting: 70 percent
* Public works: 10 percent
Trade
In late December 2000, the trade sector accounted for 33,994 employees in 9,351 companies as follows:
* Tourism, culture and recreation: 23.7 percent
* Food and restaurants: 22.5 percent
* Hygiene and health: 15.2 percent
* Service: 14.3 percent
* Cars, motorcycles, bicycles: 13.1 percent
* Household equipment, home appliances: 11.2 percent
Retail
In late 2006, the département had 600 commercial establishments in over (for a total area of ), including:
* 13 hypermarket
A hypermarket (sometimes called a hyperstore, supercentre or superstore) is a big-box store combining a supermarket and a department store. The result is an expansive retail facility carrying a wide range of products under one roof, including ...
s ()
* 92 supermarkets ()
* 24 maxidiscounts ()
* 6 department and variety stores ()
* 465 other stores ()
From 1998 to 2005, 65 new supermarkets were built for an area totaling .
The average expenditure per capita in 2006 was €21,706. With the 2004–2007 rise of the euro, Swiss customer traffic decreased five or six percent (Swiss shoppers make up half the shoppers in the Genève–Savoyard district).
At the end of 2006, traditional small businesses (less than ) represented 84 percent of businesses and 40 percent of retail space.
Companies
4,301 companies were established in 2004 in Haute-Savoie: nearly 80 percent in the service sector, with a high percentage offering service to individuals (hotels, restaurants, recreational, cultural, sports, personal and household services). This accounted for 21.6 percent of new businesses.
The most active sectors were real estate (up 24 percent), construction (up 15.4 percent), business services (up 12.4 percent) and the food industry (up 10 percent).
In 1999, Haute-Savoie had 2,779 industrial companies producing 13.60 percent of all business income.
Companies in Haute-Savoie
* '' Food'': Entremont, Evian
Evian ( , ; , stylized as evian) is a French company that bottles and commercialises mineral water from several sources near Évian-les-Bains, on the south shore of Lake Geneva. It produces over 2 billion plastic bottles per year.
Today, Evia ...
(mineral water), Cereal Partners France, La Gerbe Savoyarde, France, Decoration, Besnier, Fruity
* '' Chemistry-Pharmacy-Medical'': Labcatal, Nicholas Roche, Pierre Fabre Galderma, Ivoclar-Vivadent, Corneal, SNCI, Anthogyr
* '' Commerce'': Provencia, Botanic
* '' Electrical and electronic'': Chauvin-Arnoux, DAV, Label, Amphenol Socapex, Cartier, Varilac CEB
* '' Mechanical equipment'': Dassault
Dassault Group (; also GIM Dassault or Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault SAS) is a French group of companies established in 1929 with the creation of Société des Avions Marcel Bloch (now Dassault Aviation) by Marcel Dassault, and led by son Ser ...
, adixen Vacuum Products
Pfeiffer Vacuum Technology AG is a German manufacturer of vacuum pumps. It is headquartered in Aßlar in Germany with 70% of the total production catering to the export market.
In July 1996 the company was listed on the NYSE and in April 1998 on ...
, Bosch Rexroth
Bosch Rexroth AG is an engineering firm based in Lohr am Main in Germany. It is the result of a merger on 1 May 2001 between Mannesmann Rexroth AG and the Automation Technology Business Unit of Robert Bosch GmbH, and is a wholly owned subsidiar ...
, Union Pump-Guinard Pumps (Group Textron)
* '' Home, household equipment'': Tefal
Tefal S.A.S. (a portmanteau of TEFlon and ALuminium.) is a French cookware and small appliance manufacturer, owned by Groupe SEB (a global manufacturer of cookware) since 1968
The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests t ...
, Scaime Bourgeois, Mobalpa, Somfy
Somfy is a French group of companies that were founded in 1969. First established in Cluses in Haute-Savoie, it is today one of the largest manufacturers and supplier of controllers and drives for entrance gates, garage doors, blinds and awning ...
* '' Personal items'': S.T. Dupont, Rexam Reboul, Gay, Maped, Pilot
* '' Data'': Sopra, Cross Systems
* '' Machine tools and special machines'': Stäubli
Stäubli (in English usually written as Staubli) is a Swiss mechatronics company, primarily known for its textile machinery, connectors and robotics products.
History
Stäubli was founded in Horgen, Switzerland in 1892 as "Schelling & Stäubli" ...
, Prosys, Mach 1, Techmeta (Bodycote), Wirth and Gruffat, Mecasonic, Almo
* '' Mechanics'': SNR Bearings, Parker Hannifin, Glacier Vandervell, Invensys, Eurodec, Frank and Pignard, Bouverat, Nicomatic, ZF, Sandvik, Rossignol Technology
* '' Metals and materials'': PSB Industries, Pechiney Rhenalu, Fonlem Lachenal
* '' Plastics'': Veka, SMPI, Decoplast
* '' Sport and leisure goods'': Salomon (skiing), Mavic, Dynastar, Millet, Fusalp, Eider
* '' Other'': Velsol France, Mecalac, ABMT (Bodycote)
Screw-cutting is a precision parts-machining industry, and Haute-Savoie generates the bulk of French screws. Firms engaged in screw-cutting are major employers in the department. While the automotive industry is the principal client, firms also service the electronics, household-appliance and medical sectors.
Arve Industries is part of 67 "competitiveness clusters" created in 2005.
The cluster is dedicated to mechatronics
Mechatronics engineering also called mechatronics, is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering that focuses on the integration of mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering systems, and also includes a combination of robotics, electronics, ...
and includes 60,000 industrial jobs in over 280 companies (primarily small), 1,200 researchers and 250 patents in 2002.
Among the projects supported by the cluster is inertial tolerancing, a new approach in evaluating the quality of machined parts. Based on the Taguchi loss function The Taguchi loss function is graphical depiction of loss developed by the Japanese business statistician Genichi Taguchi to describe a phenomenon affecting the value of products produced by a company. Praised by Dr. W. Edwards Deming (the business ...
, inertia is defined by its deviation from its target. Inertial tolerancing is a research-and-development program supported by the cluster for its member companies. It is led by a research team from the Symme Laboratory of the University of Savoie and the CTDEC (''Centre Technique du Decolletage''). The publication of the French standard NFX 04-008 demonstrates the relevance of topics covered by the cluster.
Other programs involve the production of clean parts (4P project), developing new models of customer-supplier relationships to improve the effectiveness of simultaneous engineering tasks, and development of the international visibility of the cluster and its members.
The companies concerned are involved with industrial mechanics, precision engineering, precision turning and sub-assemblies and mechanical assemblies, often associated with integrating technologies such as plastics, electronics and hydraulics.
Markets served by member companies of the cluster include transport (cars, trucks, rail and air), production and distribution of electricity, hydraulics (gas or liquid, high-pressure vacuum), medical and health-related.
Services
In late December 2000, the service sector employed 75,768 people in 11,129 companies in:
* Hotels and restaurants – 26.5 percent
* Real estate activities – 24.6 percent
* Consulting and assistance – 14.0 percent
* Transportation – 6.1 percent
* Financial activities – 6.2 percent
Tourism
As of late December 2000, the tourism sector had a total of 635,000 beds divided as follows:
* 1,250 – Rural lodgings
* 803 – Hotels
* 453 – Guest rooms
* 191 – Campsites
* 70 – Bed-and-breakfasts
* 40 – Mountain hut
A mountain hut is a building located high in the mountains, generally accessible only by foot, intended to provide food and shelter to mountaineers, climbers and hikers. Mountain huts are usually operated by an Alpine Club or some organization ...
s
In 1999 there were 37.9 million overnight stays: 56 percent in winter and 44 percent during the rest of the year.
File:YvoireWiki 09.jpg, Yvoire and the Lake Léman
, image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg
, caption = Satellite image
, image_bathymetry =
, caption_bathymetry =
, location = Switzerland, France
, coords =
, lake_type = Glacial la ...
File:Cluses.JPG, Arve Valley and the town of Cluses
Cluses (; frp, Clluses) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France.
Citizens are known as ''Clusiens''. The commune is situated in the Arve Valley, on the river which bears the same ...
File:Fr-duingt-chateau-Ruphy-2-ulrichprinz.jpg, Chateau de Ruphy in Duingt
Duingt (; frp, Douin) is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.
The history of the place starts in the Bronze Age (from 1400 to 700 BC) where the first habitats for human settleme ...
File:Seyssel rive Haute-Savoie.JPG, Seyssel
File:200505-Lac de Montriond 03.JPG, Montriond Lake
File:Aiguille-du-Midi-summer.jpg, Aiguille du Midi
The Aiguille du Midi () is a mountain in the Mont Blanc massif within the French Alps. It is a popular tourist destination and can be directly accessed by cable car from Chamonix that takes visitors close to Mont Blanc.
Cable car
The idea fo ...
Cross-border workers
Many people who live in Haute-Savoie (more than 52,200 in November 2006) work in Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
(in the cantons of Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
, Vaud
Vaud ( ; french: (Canton de) Vaud, ; german: (Kanton) Waadt, or ), more formally the canton of Vaud, is one of the 26 cantons forming the Swiss Confederation. It is composed of ten districts and its capital city is Lausanne. Its coat of arms b ...
and Valais
Valais ( , , ; frp, Valês; german: Wallis ), more formally the Canton of Valais,; german: Kanton Wallis; in other official Swiss languages outside Valais: it, (Canton) Vallese ; rm, (Chantun) Vallais. is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 ...
). The phenomenon has accelerated since bilateral agreements concluded between Switzerland and the European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
, of which a significant part concerned free movement of people. In 2007, commuting increased over 12%.
Effective June 1, 2007, residents of Haute-Savoie may freely work in Switzerland. The department and municipalities receive compensation ("frontier funds") allocated to municipalities in proportion to the number of border residents there. Following an agreement signed in Geneva in 1973, the Canton of Geneva transferred to Haute-Savoie 3.5 percent of total worker compensation, equivalent in December 2006 to €77.687 million.
Export
Exports are an important part of the economy; forty percent of Haute-Savoie employees work for exporting firms. Exports are primarily to Germany, the United States, Switzerland, Italy and the United Kingdom. Imports come mainly from Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the United States.
Taxation
Haute-Savoie has property and income taxes. In 2006, 312,823 households were subject to property taxes and 27,747 were exempt.
The average income tax per household was €25,621 in 2007 (compared with the national average of €21,930).
Transport
Haute Savoie is served by the A41 and A43 highways. Annecy is accessible from Lyon, with an estimated travel time between two and three hours in normal traffic. Since it is closer to Geneva, the new highway connects the two cities in about an hour.
Meythet Airport in Annecy has Air France Regional round-trip service to Paris Orly.
Saint-Gervais is the only railroad station directly serving a ski resort. The main rail line serves Annecy-Annemasse-Geneva. The Annecy railway station has TGV (high speed trains) departures and arrivals to and from Paris via the high-speed line from Lyon Part-Dieu.
Sources
* Assedic (January 2000)
* Construction 74 (January 2000)
* ERC / DDAF 1999
* Chamber of Agriculture
* Chamber of Trade (December 2000)
* Customs
* SIRENE of INSEE (July 2003)
* CTDEC
* Chamber of Commerce
* Thésame
See also
Language
* Arpitan language
Places
* Lake Annecy
Lake Annecy (french: Lac d'Annecy, ) is a perialpine lake in Haute-Savoie in France. It is named after the city of Annecy, which marks the start of the Thiou, Lake Annecy's outflow river.Jean-Daniel Stanley and Thomas F. Jorstad, ''Direct Sedimen ...
- The third largest lake in France.
* Lake Geneva
, image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg
, caption = Satellite image
, image_bathymetry =
, caption_bathymetry =
, location = Switzerland, France
, coords =
, lake_type = Glacial lak ...
- Lake which joins Upper Savoy and Switzerland.
Notes
References
External links
*
*
Departmental Council website
*
Prefecture website
*
Haute-Savoie Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Employment statistics
access to regional statistics (Department of Labor Region Rhone-Alpes)
*
{{Authority control
1860 establishments in France
Departments of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
States and territories established in 1860