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Niagara Falls is the collective name for three waterfalls
that straddle the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario
and the U.S. state of New York. They form the southern end of the Niagara
Gorge.
From largest to smallest, the three waterfalls are the
Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls. The Horseshoe
Falls lie on the Canadian side and the American Falls on the American side,
separated by Goat Island. The smaller Bridal Veil Falls are also located on the
American side, separated from the other waterfalls by Luna Island. The
international boundary line was originally drawn through Horseshoe Falls in
1819, but the boundary has long been in dispute due to natural erosion and
construction.
Located on the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into
Lake Ontario, the combined falls form the highest flow rate of any waterfall in
the world, with a vertical drop of more than 165 feet (50 m). Horseshoe Falls
is the most powerful waterfall in North America, as measured by vertical height
and also by flow rate. The falls are located 17 miles (27 km) north-northwest
of Buffalo, New York and 75 miles (121 km) south-southeast of Toronto, between
the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.
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 falls over the crest
line every minute in high flow,[4] and almost four million cubic feet (110,000
m3) on average.
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 19th century.
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