Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls are a set of massive waterfalls located on the Niagara River in eastern North America, on the border between Ontario, Canada and New York state (United States). Niagara Falls (French: les Chutes du Niagara) comprises three separate waterfalls (one in Canada, the other two in the U.S.): the Canadian Horseshoe Falls (Canada), the American Falls, and the smaller, adjacent Bridal Veil Falls. The Falls are located 17 miles (27 km) from the American city of Buffalo, New York, and 75 miles (120 km) from the Canadian city of Toronto, Ontario.

The Falls formed after glaciers receded at the end of the most recent Ice Age, as water from the newly formed Great Lakes carved a path through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean. While not exceptionally high, Niagara Falls is very wide. With more than 6 million cubic feet (168,000 m³) of water falling over the crestline every minute[1] in high flow, and almost 4 million cubic feet (110,000 m³) on average, it is the most powerful waterfall in North America.[2]

Niagara Falls is renowned both for its beauty and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power for Ontario and New York. Preserving this natural wonder from commercial over-development, while allowing for the needs of the area's people, has been a challenging project for environmental preservationists since the 1800s. A popular tourist site for over a century, the Falls are shared between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario and Niagara Falls, New York.

Peak numbers of visitors occur in the summertime, when Niagara Falls are both a daytime and evening attraction. From the Canadian side, floodlights illuminate both sides of the Falls for several hours after dark (until midnight). The number of visitors in 2007 is expected to total 20 million and by 2009, the annual rate is expected to top 28 million tourists a year.

The oldest and best known tourist attraction at Niagara Falls is the Maid of the Mist boat cruise, named for an ancient Ongiara Indian mythical character, who have carried passengers into the whirlpools beneath the Falls since 1846. Cruise boats operate from boat docks on both the United States and Canadian sides of the falls.