Niagara Falls lies on the international border between the United States and Canada. Both Niagara Falls, New York and Niagara Falls, Ontario are said to be home to one of the most famous tourist attractions in North America.
The falls were created more than 10,000 years ago when a retreating glacier exposed the Niagara escarpment, a long steep-sided ridge, and allowed water from Lake Erie to flow into Lake Ontario. The escarpment has slowly eroded, forming the seven-mile-long Niagara Gorge with the Whirlpool Rapids.
The American falls are more than 167 feet high and 1050 feet wide. The Canadian falls, or the Horseshoe falls, are almost as high and more than twice as wide.
The earliest recorded description of the falls appeared in 1697, written by a man by the name of Louis Hennepin. Hennepin had seen the falls when he traveled on an expedition in 1678 with French explorer, Robert Cavelier. During the 19th Century, daredevils tried to travel over the falls in barrels, boats and with rubber balls. In 1859, the great Blondin performed on a tightrope above the falls. Visitors can learn more about the history of the falls by visiting the Niagara Falls Museum in Niagara Falls, New York.
The governments of the United States and Canada control the use of the land in the surrounding area, and much of it has been turned into parks. They also control the use of the water for important hydroelectric power. In 1950, the Niagara Diversion Treaty outlined that a minimum flow would be kept for the falls, and that the remaining flow would be divided equally between the United States and Canada.
The power and beauty of the American and the Canadian falls continue to amaze visitors, and make Niagara Falls a popular destination for tourists from around the world.
