Niagara Falls Canada

Niagara Falls is one of the most popular vacation destinations in Ontario and New York. Thousands of people visit the area each year to see one of nature’s most amazing wonders. Peoples from different corner of the world come to see the water Falls. It is the collective name for three waterfalls.

The word "Niagara" is derived from the Iroquois Indian word "Onguiaahra" meaning "a thundering noise". The Falls is located on the Niagara River which connects two of the five Great Lakes. Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Collectively the waterfalls are named Niagara Falls. They consist of three different waterfalls. The American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls in the USA and the Canadian "Horseshoe" Falls in Canada. The Niagara River serves as an international border between the USA & Canada. There are two distinctive cities. Niagara Falls Ontario, Canada and Niagara Falls New York, United States of America.

Niagara Falls are about 12,000 years old. Niagara Falls is the second largest falls on the globe. The Horseshoe Falls are 180 feet (57 meters) high and allow 6 million cubic feet (168,000 cubic meters) of water over the falls every minute during peak daytime tourist hours. Falls were formed when melting glaciers formed massive fresh-water lakes (the Great Lakes) one of which (Lake Erie) ran downhill toward another (Lake Ontario). The rushing waters carved out a river in their descent and at one point passed over a steep cliff like formation (the Niagara escarpment). From the original falls going over the Niagara Escarpment, the water began to wear its way back up the river. The path that it left is known today as the Niagara Gorge. Currently, Niagara Falls erodes approximately 1 foot/year. The Niagara River flows at approximately 35 miles/hour (56.3 kilometers/hour).

Located in a strait between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, and shared by the United States and Canada, the Falls have become a popular vacation spot for families and honeymooners alike. You can view the Falls year round from observation points on both the American and Canadian sides of the Niagara River. But a visit to the Falls on a summer night will reveal a dazzling display of lights and fireworks. Between the American and Canadian Falls you find the small uninhabited Goat Island, which is accessible from the American side and offers beautiful views of both falls. In addition, during the spring, summer and early autumn months, the iconic Maid of the Mist boat tours take visitors right to the base of the Niagara Falls for an up close look at their beauty and power.