Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls (Canada/USA) - Rank 19 as of June 13, 2008
A natural phenomenon, Niagar Falls sees between four and six millions cubic feet of water go over its crest every minute, which is second in size to Victoria Falls in Africa. Niagara Falls are 188 feet high, with the deepest section of the Niagara River just at their base-going down 170 feet. The rim of Horseshoe Falls measures 2200 feet across-the same height of Yosemite's famous Cathedral Spires. It is the most powerful waterfall in North America.

The falls are located in the international border separating the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York. Niagara Falls is composed of two major sections separated by Goat Island: Horseshoe Falls, on the Canadian side of the border and American Falls on the United States side. The smaller Bridal Veil Falls also is 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. The Niagara Falls are very wide.

Just 15 minutes north of the Falls rests an impressive array of Niagara vineyards. Niagara-on-the-Lake wineries currently number 17, many of which produce award-winning vino, including the region's famous ice wines. At a similar latitude to the Bordeaux region of France and Napa Valley, the Niagara climate is ideal.


Niagara Falls has received its reputation as the "Honeymoon Capital of the World" when Aaron Burr's daughter-Theodosia-chose a Niagara Falls honeymoon in 1801. She was followed up by Jerome Bonaparte-Napoleon's brother-in 1804 and, thus, a tradition was born.

General Information
- Located 17 miles (27 km) north-northwest of Buffalo, New York, 75 miles (120 km) south-southeast of Toronto, Ontario, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York. - Reputed as the Honeymoon Capital of the World


- Four to six million cubic feet of water fall over the crest line every minute
- Over 50,000 Niagara honeymoons are arranged each year
- The falls stopped flowing for 30 hours when ice fields from Lake Erie jammed at the source of the river.

- Marilyn Monroe visited the falls to film portions of the thriller Niagara Falls, released in 1953. Other notable visitors have included King George the V in 1939 and Princess Diana with her sons in 1991.

The information featured here are from the following web references. You may check the links for additional information, including travel details and photo galleries.

http://www.niagarafallstourism.com/niagara_falls_tourism.html (Niagara Falls Tourism Official Web Site)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Falls
http://www.niagarafallslive.com
http://www.infoniagara.com/

To vote for Niagara Falls for the New 7 Wonders, visit:
http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/nominees/northamerica/c/NiagaraFallsWaterfall/

To vote for other nominees, and for current live ranking information, visit:
http://www.new7wonders.com/


The following images are from the web site http://www.niagarafallslive.com




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