Friday, July 3, 2009

The Niagara Falls

Straddling the border between the USA and Canada the Niagara Falls is one of the world’s natural wonders and one of the most visited tourist destinations in both Canada and the United States, attracting around 20 million visitors per year. Formed as ice receded at the end of the last ice-age, the falls has two main waterfalls, the Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls, and one lesser fall called the Bridal Veil Falls. The Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls are separated by Goat Island and in total some 4 million cubic feet of water per minute flows over the falls, making it the second largest waterfall in the world after the Victoria Falls. Sitting between the twin towns of Niagara Falls, Ontario and Niagara Falls, New York, the Niagara Falls are also important for the production of hydroelectric power. The word Niagara is derived from an Iroquois Indian word meaning “the strait”. Niagara Falls Map.