Geography
The lake is 48.7 km2 in size, 63% of which is in Switzerland and 37% in Italy, has an average width of roughly a kilometre, a maximum depth of 288m (944.88 ft) found in the northern basin and bathing in the lake is allowed at any of the 50 or so bathing establishments located along the Swiss shores.
The Italian waters of the lake and the exclave of Campione d'Italia are considered by Italian law as non-territorial for fiscal purposes and as such enjoy a special tax status as a duty free area, exemption from EU VAT and offer residents other advantageous tax privileges.
The Melide causeway separates the northern (27.5 km²) and southern (21.4 km²) basins, although a bridge in the causeway permits water flow and navigation. The lake retention time of the northern basin (11.9 years) is considerably higher than the southern one (2.3 years) (8.2 years on average).
Places at the lake in Switzerland (CH) and in Italy (I) include (from Lugano, clockwise):
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Read more about this topic: Lake Lugano
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
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