Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is the collective, name of three big waterfalls on the Niagara River in eastern North America, on the border between the United States and Canada. The three waterfalls are: the Horseshoe Falls, sometimes called the Canadian Falls, the American Falls, and the smaller Bridal Veil Falls. The American Falls and the Horseshoe Falls are separated with Goat Island, and the Bridal Veil Falls separated from the other waterfalls with Luna Island. Niagara falls is very well known for both its beauty and hydroelectric power. It has been a tourist attraction, commercial site and hydroelectricity source since the 19th century.

Niagara Falls

Location	Border of Ontario, Canada, and New York, United States
Type	Cataract
Total height	167 ft (51 m)
Number of drops	3
Average flow rate	85,000 cu ft/s (2,400 m3/s)
Watercourse	Niagara River

It is located near Niagara Falls, New York in the United States and Niagara Falls, Ontario in Canada.The volume of water approaching the falls during peak flow season may sometimes be as much as 225,000 cubic feet (6,400 m3) per second. The cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, and Niagara Falls, New York, United States, are connected by two international bridges.

Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last ice age). Water from the newly formed Great Lakes carved a path through the Niagara Escarpment en route from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario and the Atlantic Ocean. The Escarpment has hard limestone on top and soft shale below.

Although not very high, Niagara Falls is very wide, and is probably the most popular waterfall in the world. The Horseshoe Falls are the largest out of the three falls. It is named the Horseshoe Falls because it looks like a horse shoe.

Niagara Falls is a very popular tourist destination and many people visit it on holiday in Canada.

Gallery

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  Horseshoe Falls from 25th floor of Hilton at Niagara Falls

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  Horseshoe Falls

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  niagara falls

Niagara Falls Media

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  Canadian Horseshoe Falls at right

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  American Falls (large waterfall center-left) and Bridal Veil Falls (right)

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  Damage from wind and ice on Goat Island, 1903

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  American Falls diverted during erosion control efforts in 1969

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  Horseshoe Falls from above, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, 1869

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  American Falls frozen over with people on the ice, 1911

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  Aerial photograph of Niagara Falls, 1931

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  Hand-colored lithograph of the (double-decked) Niagara Suspension Bridge, c. 1856

Related pages

• Iguaçu Falls