ABSTRACT

The Canton of Geneva is located in a basin formed by the mountains of neigh­ bouring France (Figure 7.1). The area of the Canton is 246 km2. Geneva first became established as a specific entity during the period of Roman domina­ tion. Its location as a junction for lake, road and river traffic, meant that it rapidly developed into a city. From the late sixteenth century onwards, Geneva became the starting point of many coaching routes for mail and passengers. However, it was not until the early nineteenth century that these activities began to extend beyond the neighbouring regions.