Niagara+Falls


 * Niagara Falls** ([|French]: //les Chutes du Niagara//) is a set of massive [|waterfalls] located on the [|Niagara River], straddling the [|international border] separating the [|Canadian province] of [|Ontario] and the [|U.S. state] of [|New York]. The falls are located 17 miles (27 km) [|north-northwest] of [|Buffalo, New York], 75 miles (120 km) [|south-southeast] of [|Toronto, Ontario], between the [|twin cities] of [|Niagara Falls, Ontario], and [|Niagara Falls, New York].



Niagara Falls is comprised of two major sections separated by [|Goat Island]: [|Horseshoe Falls], on the Canadian side of the border and [|American Falls] on the United States side. The smaller [|Bridal Veil Falls] also is located on the American side, separated from the main falls by [|Luna Island]. Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the [|Wisconsin glaciation] (the last [|ice age]), and water from the newly-formed [|Great Lakes] carved a path through the [|Niagara Escarpment] en route to the [|Atlantic Ocean]. While not exceptionally high, the Niagara Falls are very wide. More than six million cubic feet (168,000 [|m³]) of water fall over the crest line every minute in high flow,[|[1]] and almost 4 million cubic feet (110,000 m³) on average. It is the most powerful waterfall in North America.[|[2]] The Niagara Falls are renowned both for their beauty and as a valuable source of [|hydroelectric power]. Managing the balance between recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 1800s.