Honda Civic

The Civic also won the North American Car of the Year and the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) Car of the Year awards for 2006. The Spanish Aerocar, built in 1916 from a design by Spanish engineer Leonardo Torres y Quevedo, is a cable car which takes passengers over the whirlpool on the Canadian side, below the Falls. The Civic Si was named "Best New Sport Car" and the sedan was named "Best New Economy Car" in the 2006 Canadian Car of the Year awards. The Maid of the Mist cruises, named for an ancient Ongiara Indian mythical character, have carried passengers into the whirlpools beneath the Falls since 1846. Honda claimed 5 of the top 10 Greenest car slots, 3 of which were models of the Civic. Along the Niagara River, the Niagara River Recreational Trail runs the 56 km (35 miles) from Fort Erie to Fort George, and includes many historical sites from the War of 1812. The Civic GX, a natural gas version of the vehicle was named Greenest Car of 2005 by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. The observation deck of the nearby Skylon Tower offers the highest overhead view of the Falls, and in the opposite direction gives views as far as distant Toronto.⁶ With the Konica Minolta Tower, it is one of two towers in Canada with a view of the Falls.

The Civic has been on Car and Driver magazine's annual Ten Best list six times, in 1985, 1988 through 1991, and 1996. On the Canadian side, Queen Victoria Park features manicured gardens, platforms offering spectacular views of both the American and Horseshoe Falls, and underground walkways leading into observation rooms which yield the illusion of being within the falling waters. The Civic was Motor Trend's Import Car of the Year for 1980, as well as its 2006 Car of the Year award. The Niagara Scenic Trolley offers guided trips along the American Falls. However, the use of this McPherson strut layout in the European model is inappropriate for a sporty use, while the 1.8 L engine, while more powerful than most 1.6 L version from previous generations, lacks the peaky behavior of the high-revving VTEC engines from the VTi/Type-R versions. Nearby, the Cave of the Winds trail leads hikers down some three hundred steps to a point beneath Bridal Veil Falls. Finally, a reengineered MacPherson strut front, and multi-link rear suspension allows the 2006 Civic Si to achieve 0.90 G avg of lateral acceleration on the skidpad. From the American side, the American Falls can be viewed from walkways along Prospect Park, which also features an observation tower.

Moreover, this new engine is matted to a 6-speed transmission with a helical-type limited slip differential. From the Canadian side, floodlights illuminate both sides of the Falls for several hours after dark (until midnight). This newest generation of the Civic Si offers a 197 hp (147 kW) K20Z3 powered engine, utilizing drive by wire throttle, electric power steering, and a balance shaft. Peak numbers of visitors occur in the summertime, when Niagara Falls are both a daytime and evening attraction. Paradoxically, the North American 2006 Civic Si concept strongly indicated that the Civic line would see a return to sportiness and performance, while the European Civic has become a more family oriented automobile. On August 4, 2005, professional golfer John Daly attempted to drive a golf ball over Niagara Falls, an approximate distance of 362 yards (331 m), falling just short in 20 attempts. These changes made the car safer on the whole though, and helped the Civic sell better to the average consumer. With the recent influx of more international tourists, annual visits exceeded 14 million in 2003.

The most recent models, while still competitive as tuner projects, have succumbed to added weight, reduced suspension technology and higher centres of gravity which has significantly reduced their appeal amongst passionate drivers. The Falls, or more particularly, the tourist-supported complex near the Falls, was the setting of the short-lived American television show Wonderfalls in early 2004. Also, many fourth, fifth, and sixth-generation Civics can be similarly upgraded by replacing their original economy-oriented engines with a DOHC VTEC engine — commonly one of the B-series engines such as a B16A, which was also original equipment in some performance models of the Civic. Much of the episode Return of the Technodrome in the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon series take place near the Niagara Falls and its hydroelectric plant. The City Turbo engine is a good fit to the Civic engine bay in many models, and provides a significant increase in the power-to-weight ratio compared to the non-performance engines, thus boosting performance. Later in the 20th century, the Falls was a featured location in 1980's movie Superman II, and was itself the subject of a popular IMAX movie. Also, because of parts interchangeability, many Civics which were originally equipped with lower-power engines can later be equipped with a newer Honda engine, or many other upgrades. Already a huge tourist attraction and favorite spot for honeymooners, Niagara Falls visits rose sharply in 1953 after the release of Niagara, a movie starring Marilyn Monroe.

As well, advanced four-wheel independent suspension inspired by Honda's racing research allowed class-leading handling in the 1988-1991 series which continued on until the 2000 model update. All survivors and stunters have passed over the Horseshoe Falls, where there are fewer boulders and the current can "throw" a person farther away from the brink and (hopefully) avoid the boulders. Civics prior to the fifth and sixth generation had a high power-to-weight ratio and a higher hp-to-liter output compared to many of their direct competitors which allowed for naturally better acceleration, braking and handling given similar parts. No human has ever survived a plunge over the American Falls, due to the many boulders and the relatively weak current. In many areas, the Civic is popular as a platform for modification and customization by an enthusiast community. While it is still not known whether Jones was determined to commit suicide, he survived the 16-story fall with only battered ribs, scrapes, and bruises. Some current generation Civics use VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control), and are approaching the size and weight of the early Honda Accord models, which were initially introduced as a larger, upmarket alternative to the Civic in the mid 1970s. Kirk Jones became the first person to plunge over the Horseshoe Falls without a flotation device on October 20, 2003.

This engine was a rare example of commercial development of a stratified charge engine. His survival, which no one thought possible, made news throughout the world. This design could meet clean air emission standards without the power robbing emission control devices fitted to many cars of that time. Roger was plucked from the roiling plunge pool beneath the Horseshoe Falls after grabbing a life ring thrown to him by the crew of the Maid of the Mist boat. An interesting engine development used in some 1975 to 1983 models as well as all carbureted models through 1987 was the CVCC system, where a small auxilary inlet valve allowed a rich fuel/air mixture into the cylinder near the spark plug, while the main charge was lean. In what some called the "Miracle at Niagara", Roger Woodward, a seven-year-old American boy, was swept over the Horseshoe Falls protected only by a life vest in July, 1960, as two tourists pulled his 17-year-old sister Deanne from the river at the lip of the American Falls. The 2006 model year standard Civics for North America are manufactured in Alliston, Ontario, Canada and East Liberty, Ohio, while the Hybrid version is manufactured in Japan. Englishman Captain Matthew Webb, the first man to swim the English Channel, drowned in 1883 after unsuccessfully trying to swim across the whirlpools and rapids downriver from the Falls.

In North America, the Civic hatchback was dropped for 2006, mainly due to the upcoming arrival of the Honda Fit. Their wires ran across the gorge, near the current Rainbow Bridge, not over the waterfall itself. Accordingly, all instances of the current model (left or right hand drive, anywhere in the world) are British-made cars designed with Japanese engineering, except for the US-built two-door coupe. Starting with the successful passage by Jean François "Blondin" Gravelet in 1859, tightrope walkers have drawn large crowds to their exploits. Starting in 2002, the Civic three-door hatchback has been built exclusively at Honda's manufacturing plant in Swindon, England - previously the five-door "Civic"/Domani and the Civic Aerodeck (based on the Japanese Orthia) were built in this plant for sale in Europe along with the Japanese EK series Civics. Other daredevils have made crossing the Falls their goal. The three-door hatchback body style has been somewhat unpopular in the United States, but has achieved wide acceptance in Canada, as well as popularity in Japan and European markets, helping cement Honda's reputation as a maker of sporty compact models. Magician David Copperfield more recently added his name to the list of these daredevils, successfully travelling (or perhaps, appearing to travel) over the Falls in 1990.

In Canada, the sixth and seventh generation Civics where mildly redesigned to create the Acura EL until the advent of the eight generation Civic, which was used to create the Acura CSX. Survivors of such stunts face charges and stiff fines, as it is illegal, on both sides of the border, to attempt to go over the Falls. The seventh-generation minivan model is called the Honda Stream or the Honda Civic Stream. Some have survived unharmed, but others have drowned or been severely injured. The sixth-generation station wagon was sold as the Honda Orthia (Honda Partner) as the downmarket commercial variant. Since Taylor's historic ride, 14 other people have intentionally gone over the Falls in or on a device. In Thailand, the Civic was available as the four-door Isuzu Vertex (1995-2000). In 1901, 63-year-old Annie Edson Taylor was the first person to go over the Falls in a barrel; she survived virtually unharmed.

The Honda Domani, an upscale model based on the Civic, was sold as the Isuzu Gemini in Japan (1992-2000), and confusingly the 5-door Domani was sold as the Honda Civic (along with the "real" EK Civics) in Europe from 1995 to 2000. This began a long tradition of daredevils trying to go over the Falls and survive. Also, at various times, the Civic or Civic-derived models have been sold by marques other than Honda — for example, Rover sold the 200, 400 and 45, each of which were Civic-based at some point (first 200s were the second generation Ballade; from 1990 the 200 and 400 were based on the Concerto; the 400 was the 1995 Domani), as was their predecessor, the Triumph Acclaim, based on the first Honda Ballade. In October 1829, Sam Patch, who called himself The Yankee Leaper, jumped over the Horseshoe Falls and became the first known person to survive the plunge. Other models have been built off the Civic platform, including the Ballade, the CR-X, Quint, Concerto, Domani, CR-X Del Sol, and the Integra. It will be very difficult to solve the problem. A five-door station wagon model called the Civic Shuttle (also Civic Pro in Japan) was available from the early to late 1980s until the early 1990s (this brand name would later be revived for the mid-1990s Honda Shuttle people carrier, known in some markets as the Honda Odyssey). The result is that the viewing areas on the Canadian side are now often obscured by a layer of mist from the falls.

In Europe and the United States, "Civic" generically refers to any of the coupe, sedan or hatchback models, though in Europe the coupe is branded the "Civic Coupe". Students at the University of Guelph demonstrated, using scale models, that the air passes overtop of the new hotels, which causes a breeze to roll forward down the south sides of the buildings and spill down into the gorge under the falls, where it feeds into a whirlpool of moisture and air. In Japan, the hatchback Civic is just called "Civic" while the sedan model is called "Civic Ferio" - however with the current release of the new Civic in Japan only in sedan form, this naming convention has stopped. Recent construction of several tall buildings (most of them hotels) on the Canadian side of the falls has caused the airflow over the falls to change direction. While the Civic is sold in largely the same form worldwide, differences in the name of the models exist between markets. Even after this undertaking, Luna Island, the small piece of land between the main waterfall and the Bridal Veil, remained off limits to the public for years owing to fears that it was unstable and could collapse into the gorge at any time. A 350 Watt, seven speaker sound system is also included. A plan to remove the huge mound of talus deposited in 1954 was abandoned owing to cost, and in November 1969, the temporary dam was dynamited, restoring flow to the American Falls.

It produces 197 hp (200 PS/147 kW), 57 more than the Civic sedan. In June of that year, the Niagara River was completely diverted away from the American Falls for several months through the building of a temporary rock and earth dam (clearly visible in the photo at right), effectively shutting off the American Falls.⁵ While the Horseshoe Falls absorbed the extra flow, the US Army Corps of Engineers studied the riverbed and mechanically bolted faults which would otherwise have hastened the retreat of the American Falls. The engine is a 2.0-liter, DOHC four-cylinder design with Honda's i-VTEC variable valve timing system. The most dramatic such work was performed in 1969. It offers a more powerful engine, 6-speed manual transmission, sport seats, and different styling. In addition to the effects of diversion of water to the power stations, erosion control efforts have included underwater weirs to redirect the most damaging currents, and actual mechanical strengthening of the top of the Falls. The American market Civic Si is a special trim level designed to offer a sportier experience than the standard Civic. In 1950, the two countries signed the Niagara River Water Diversion Treaty, which more specifically addressed the issue of water diversion.

The Sport Hatchback is also available with a 2.2 L I-CTDI Diesel engine from the Accord, F-RV and CRV, rated at 140 PS (138 hp/103 kW) and is capable of 205 km/h (127 mph) and accelerating from 0-60 mph in 8.4 seconds. On January 2, 1929 Canada and the United States reached an agreement on an action plan to preserve the Falls. This model featured from launch a 1.3 L I-DSI and a 1.8 L i-VTEC rated at 83 PS (81 hp/61 kW) and 140 PS (138 hp/103 kW) respectively, with 177 and 207 km/h (110 and 129 mph) top speeds and 14.2 and 8.6 sec 0-100 km/h sprint. This process was slowed initially by diversion of increasing amounts of flow from the Niagara River into hydroelectric plants in both the United States and Canada. The new Sport Hatchback model with futuristic styling was unveiled in August 2005 for the European market only. Until the modern era, the Falls were receding southward owing to erosion from two to ten feet (0.6 to 3.0 m) per year. The electric motors are powered by a battery array which is charged by regenerative braking during deceleration, which reduces exhaust emissions and extends fuel mileage. On the Canadian side, the Niagara Parks Commission governs land usage along the entire course of the Niagara River, from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.

The hybrid version became available in 2003, which uses both a small (1.3 L) main gasoline engine and auxiliary electric motors. Both organizations have proved remarkably successful operations that have restricted development on both sides of the Falls and the Niagara River. The interior of the Type-R includes Recaro seats and a Momo steering wheel, and the model also includes Type-R-specific badging, a helical limited-slip differential, and has been reported to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in about 6.8 seconds (6.6 in facelifted model). In the same year, Ontario established the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park for the same purpose. The EP Civic Type-R has a specific output of 200 PS (197 hp/147 kW) at 8000 rpm, a six-speed manual transmission, a reworked exterior with a bullet-like hatchback design, aeroform bumpers, spoiler, and 17 in wheels. In 1885, New York state to begin to purchase land from developers, under the charter of the Niagara Reservation State Park. Unlike the EK9 version, which was produced solely in Japan, the EP Civic Type-R is produced in the United Kingdom and exported to Japan. A series of Harrison's letters to newspapers in Boston and New York (collected in the 1882 pamphlet The Condition of Niagara Falls, and the Measures Needed to Preserve Them) were particularly influential in turning public opinion in favor of preservation [3].

In 2001, Honda announced the release of the Civic Type-R for the EP chassis, a more sporty variant of the most recent model of Civic and successor to the EK9 Civic Type-R. Public dissatisfaction led to the Free Niagara movement, which included the artist Frederick Church, the landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, and the journalist Jonathan Baxter Harrison. The EK9-generation Civic Type-R had a maximum output in the range of 180 PS JIS (177 hp/132 kW), increased over the more common 160 PS (158 hp/118 kW) B16A engine in the SiR/VTi models, and included various alterations to the chassis to improve handling and reduce weight (such as better welding of the frame, and removal of the radio and noise-suppressing materials). Development and commercial ventures threatened the natural beauty of the area, and visitors sometimes had to pay entrepreneurs a fee to view the Falls through holes in a fence. Beginning in 1997 [1], Honda produced the first iteration of Civic to receive the "Type-R" appellation (applied first to the Integra Type-R), with the EK9 chassis Civic Type-R. For the first two centuries after European settlement of the area, land on both sides of Niagara Falls was privately owned. The Civic evolved from having a 1335 cc engine (1980) to having engines with larger capacities and more creature comforts (air conditioning, power windows, etc.) through the 1990s and into the 2000s. Nearby Niagara Falls International Airport and Buffalo Niagara International Airport were named after the waterfall, as were Niagara University, countless local businesses, and even one celestial body.⁴.

Like the Mini, the transaxle was integrated with the engine unit, but driveshaft technology in the Civic was well ahead of the universal joints of the Mini. The twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario and Niagara Falls, New York are connected by three bridges, including the Rainbow Bridge, just downriver from the Falls, which affords the closest view of the Falls, the Whirpool Bridge, and the newest bridge, the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, located near the escarpment. Later models went to a five-speed manual and a full four-speed automatic transmission. Since then the region has declined economically. Initially the Civic was sold with either a four-speed manual or a two speed "HondaMatic" model. While the seaway diverted water traffic from nearby Buffalo and led to the demise of its steel and grain mills, other industries in the Niagara River valley flourished until the 1970s with the help of the electric power produced by the river. . Ships can bypass Niagara Falls by means of the Welland Canal, which in the 1960s was improved and incorporated into the Saint Lawrence Seaway.

Still, many regard the Civic as representing a good value for the money, combining good performance, reliability and economy, as well as a very low rate of depreciation, resulting in a low total cost per mile or per year. The project is expected to be completed in 2009, and will increase Sir Adam Beck's yearly output by about 1.6 TW·h. The current Civic has become somewhat more luxurious. In August 2005, Ontario Power Generation, which is now responsible for the Sir Adam Beck stations, announced plans to build a new 10.4 km tunnel to tap water from farther up the Niagara river than is possible with the existing arrangement. Early models of the Civic were typically outfitted with a basic AM radio, rudimentary heater, foam cushioned plastic trim, two-speed wipers, and painted steel rims with a chromed wheel nut cap. All together, Niagara's generating stations can produce about 4.4 GW of power. With the transverse engine placement of its 1169 cc engine and front wheel drive, like the British Mini, the car provided good interior space despite overall small dimensions. The most powerful hydroelectric stations on the Niagara River are Sir Adam Beck 1 and 2 on the Canadian side, and the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant and the Lewiston Pump Generating Plant on the American side.

It was introduced in July 1972 as a two-door sedan, followed by a 3-door hatchback version that September. The water then passes through hydroelectric turbines that supply power to nearby areas of the United States and Canada before returning to the river well past the Falls. The Honda Civic is an automobile manufactured by Honda. Currently between 50% and 75% of the Niagara River's flow is diverted via four huge tunnels that arise far upstream from the waterfalls. The 1995 Civic was the most stolen car in the US for 2004[2]. The Government of Ontario eventually brought power transmission operations under public control in 1906, distributing Niagara's energy to various parts of that province. Private companies on the Canadian side also began to harness the energy of the Falls, employing both domestic and American firms in their efforts.

Morgan, John Jacob Astor IV, and the Vanderbilts, they had constructed giant underground conduits leading to turbines generating upwards of 100,000 horsepower (75 MW), and were sending power as far as Buffalo, twenty miles (32 km) away. By 1896, with financing from moguls like J.P. In 1883, the Niagara Falls Power Company, a descendant of Schoellkopf's firm, hired George Westinghouse to design a system to generate alternating current. When Nikola Tesla, for whom a memorial was later built at Niagara Falls, invented the three-phase system of alternating current power transmission, distant transfer of electricity became possible.

In 1881, under the leadership of Jacob Schoellkopf, enough power was produced to send direct current to illuminate both the Falls themselves and nearby Niagara Falls village. In 1853, the Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power and Mining Company was chartered, which eventually constructed the canals which would be used to generate electricity. Augustus and Peter Porter purchased this area and all of American Falls in 1805 from the New York state government, and enlarged the original canal to provide hydraulic power for their gristmill and tannery. The first known effort to harness the waters was in 1759, when Daniel Joncairs built a small canal above the Falls to power his sawmill.

The enormous energy of the Falls was long recognized as a potential source of power. The story of Niagara Falls in the 20th century is largely that of efforts to harness the energy of the Falls for hydroelectric power and to control the rampant development on both the American and Canadian sides which threatened the area's natural beauty. Especially after World War One, tourism boomed again as automobiles made getting to the Falls much easier. In 1941 the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission completed the third current crossing in the immediate area of Niagara Falls with the Rainbow Bridge, carrying both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.

just below the Falls. Known today as the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, it carries vehicles, trains, and pedestrians between Canada and the U.S. The first steel archway bridge near the Falls was completed in 1897. In 1886 Leffert Buck replaced Roebling's wood and stone bridge with the predominantly steel bridge that still carries trains over the Niagara River today.

This was supplanted by German-American John Augustus Roebling's Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge in 1855. Demand for passage over the Niagara River led in 1848 to the building of a footbridge and then Charles Ellet's Niagara Suspension Bridge. Napoleon's brother visited with his bride in the early 19th century. During the 19th century tourism became popular, and it was the area's main industry by mid-century.

Hennepin County in Minnesota was named after Father Louis Hennepin. His subsequently discredited claim that he also traveled the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico cast some doubt on the validity of his writings and sketches of Niagara Falls. Hennepin also first described the Saint Anthony Falls in Minnesota. Some credit Finnish-Swedish naturalist Pehr Kalm with the original first-hand description, penned during an expedition to the area early in the 18th century.³ Most historians however agree that Father Louis Hennepin observed and described the Falls much earlier, in 1677, after traveling in the region with explorer René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle, thus bringing them to the world's attention.

Members of his party reported to him on the spectacular waterfalls, which he wrote of in his journals but may never have actually visited. The area was visited by Samuel de Champlain as early as 1604. Some controversy exists over which European first gave a written, eyewitness description of the Falls. He-No caught her as she plummeted, and together their spirits are said to live forever in the Thunder God's sanctuary behind the Falls.

She paddled her canoe into the swift current of the Niagara River and was swept over the brink. Rather than marry, Lelawala chose to sacrifice herself to her true love He-No, the Thunder God, who dwelled in a cave behind the Horseshoe Falls. Native American legend tells of Lelawala, a beautiful maid betrothed by her father to a brave she despised. The name "Niagara" is said to originate from an Iroquois word "Onguiaahra" meaning "The Strait." The region's original inhabitants were the Ongiara, an Iroquois tribe named the Neutrals by French settlers, who found them helpful in mediating disputes with other tribes.

This volume is further halved at night, when most of the diversion to hydroelectric facilities occur. The volume of water approaching the Falls during peak flow season is 202,000 ft³/s (5,720 m³/s).¹,² During the summer months, when maximum diversion of water for hydroelectric power occurs, 100,000 ft³/s (2,832 m³/s) of water actually traverses the Falls, some 90% of which goes over the Horseshoe Falls. The larger Canadian Falls are about 2,600 feet (792 m) wide, while the American Falls are 1,060 feet (323 m) wide. The Falls drop about 170 feet (52 m), although the American Falls have a clear drop of only 70 feet (21 m) before reaching a jumble of fallen rocks which were deposited by a massive rock slide in 1954.

Engineers are working to reduce the rate of erosion to retard this event as long as possible. Although erosion and recession have been slowed in this century by engineering, the falls will eventually recede far enough to drain most of Lake Erie, the bottom of which is higher than the bottom of the falls. Just upstream from the Falls' current location, Goat Island splits the course of the Niagara River, resulting in the separation of the Horseshoe Falls to the west from the American and Bridal Veil Falls to the east. The original Niagara Falls were near the sites of present-day Lewiston, New York, and Queenston, Ontario, but erosion of their crest has caused the waterfalls to retreat several miles southward.

All three formations were laid down in an ancient sea, and their differences of character derive from changing conditions within that sea. Submerged in the river in the lower valley, hidden from view, is the Queenston Formation (Upper Ordovician), which is composed of shales and fine sandstones. Because it erodes more easily, the river has undercut the hard cap rock and created the falls. It is mainly shale, though it has some thin limestone layers, and contains large quantities of fossils.

Immediately below, comprising about two thirds of the cliff is the weaker, softer and more crumbly and sloping Rochester Formation (Lower Silurian). It is composed of very dense, hard and very strong limestone and dolostone. The aerial photo clearly shows the hard caprock, the Lockport Formation (Middle Silurian), which underlies the rapids above the falls and approximately the upper third of the gorge wall. When the newly established river encountered the erosion-resistant Lockport dolostone, the hard layer eroded much more slowly than the underlying softer rocks.

Three major formations are exposed in the gorge that was cut by the Niagara River. In doing so it exposed old marine rocks that are much older than the geologically recent glaciation. In time the river cut a gorge across the Niagara Escarpment, the north facing cliff or cuesta formed by erosion of the southwardly dipping (tilted) and resistant Lockport formation between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. After the ice melted back, drainage from the upper Great Lakes became the present-day Niagara River, which could not follow the old filled valley, so it found the lowest outlet on the rearranged topography.

It is thought that there is an old valley, buried by glacial drift, at the approximate location of the present Welland Canal. It dammed others with debris, forcing these rivers to make new channels. The glacier drove through the area like a giant bulldozer, grinding up rocks and soil, moving them around, and deepening some river channels to make lakes. Both the North American Great Lakes and the Niagara River are effects of this last continental ice sheet, an enormous glacier that crept across the area from eastern Canada.

The historical roots of Niagara Falls lie in the Wisconsin glaciation, which ended some 10,000 years ago. . A popular tourist site for over a century, the natural wonder is shared between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, New York and Niagara Falls, Ontario. Niagara Falls is renowned for its beauty, and is both a valuable source of hydroelectric power and a challenging project for environmental preservation.

With more than 168,000 cubic metres (6 million cubic feet) of water falling over the crestline every minute [1] it is the most powerful waterfall in North America [2] and possibly the best-known in the world. While not exceptionally high, Niagara Falls is very wide. Niagara Falls (French: chutes Niagara) comprises three separate waterfalls: the Horseshoe Falls (sometimes called the Canadian Falls), the American Falls, and the smaller, adjacent Bridal Veil Falls. Niagara Falls (43°4′54.68″N, 79°4′19.5″W) is a set of massive waterfalls located on the Niagara River in eastern North America, on the border between the United States and Canada.