P280- Canada- Niagara Falls, Ontario

Niagara Falls, Canada

The Niagara Falls are voluminous waterfalls on the Niagara River, straddling the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York. The falls are 17 miles (27 km) north-northwest of Buffalo, New York and 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 composed of two major sections separated by Goat Island: Horseshoe Falls, the majority of which lies on the Canadian side of the border, and American Falls on the American side. The smaller Bridal Veil Falls are also 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 falls over the crest line every minute in high flow, and almost 4 million cubic feet (110,000 m³) on average. It is the most powerful waterfall in North America.

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.

尼亚加拉瀑布（英文：Niagara Falls，法语：les Chutes du Niagara，源自印第安语，意为“雷神之水”）是一座位于北美洲五大湖区尼亚加拉河上的瀑布，平均流量5,720立方米／秒，与伊瓜苏瀑布、维多利亚瀑布并称为世界三大跨国瀑布。尼亚加拉瀑布以美丽的景色，巨大的水利发电能力和极具挑战性的环境保护工程而闻名于世，是非常受游客欢迎的旅游景点。

尼亚加拉河连接伊利湖和安大略湖并分隔美国纽约州和加拿大安大略省，在流经宽约350米的美国戈特岛（Goat Island）时跌入断崖，并一分为二，形成两个瀑布。
* 美国瀑布（American Falls）为小瀑布，在东侧美国境内，占6%的水量，河水呈蓝色。瀑布宽323米，落差52米。
* 马蹄瀑布（Horseshoe Falls）为大瀑布，也称加拿大瀑布（Canadian Falls），横跨美加两国，占94%的水量，河水呈青色。瀑布呈半环型，宽792米，落差50米。

References sources : wikipedia