Niagara Falls was formed. Niagara Falls is the most famous waterfall in the world

It is the most famous waterfall in the world and perhaps one of the most beautiful. It is located on the Niagara River, located on the border of the United States and Canada, and, translated from the Iroquois Indian language, means “thundering water.” The towns of Niagara Falls of the same name are located on both the American and Canadian sides.

In fact, Niagara is called a complex of three waterfalls located on the Niagara River - these are Horseshoe Falls (aka Canadian Falls), American Falls and Veil Falls. They are not particularly high, but quite wide, and in terms of the volume of water passing through them Niagara Falls is the most powerful in North America.

The largest among the three waterfalls is the Horseshoe, its width reaches 790 meters and height 51 meters. Next comes the American Falls, about 300 meters wide and 49 meters high (due to the pile of stones at the foot of the waterfall, the height of the water fall is only 20-30 meters). Veil Falls is the smallest in Niagara, its width is only 17 meters and its height is 24 meters.

In 1969, to strengthen the rapidly deteriorating falls, the American part of Niagara was drained. Within a few months, the river was returned to its previous course, and the most interesting thing was that the “dry” Niagara Falls attracted more tourists than usual.

Judging by the research of scientists, Niagara Falls is moving upstream by one meter per year, and in ten thousand years it has already moved 11 kilometers. At this rate, in 50 thousand years the waterfall will reach Lake Erie and cease to exist.

Energy of Niagara Falls

Since there is a huge amount of water passing through, it would make sense to use it for energy. It is for this purpose that a hydroelectric power station was built here, which provides electricity to a quarter of New York State.

The first power station was built here back in 1881. It was modernized many times and was used until 1951, when it was destroyed as a result of a landslide. In 1957, a decision was made to build a new hydroelectric power station, which was to be the largest at that time. Construction ended in 1961, and the new hydroelectric power station was named after the outstanding New York city planner Robert Moses.

Tourism in Niagara Falls

Millions of tourists come to see Niagara every year. They were built for them observation decks and towers, cable car, walking paths, and in the summer, after dark and until midnight, the waterfalls are illuminated by colored floodlights. Tourists also have excursions by helicopter and hot-air balloon.

The most popular entertainment is a trip on the Maid of the Mist excursion boats under the waterfalls. Excursions depart from both the American and Canadian sides of the falls, and it is on them, hiding from the spray under a cape, that you can fully enjoy the grandiose view of Niagara Falls.

Stunts at Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls has attracted many daredevils since ancient times. The first was Sam Patch, who jumped into Niagara from the edge of the falls in 1829. In 1859, the famous French tightrope walker Charles Blondin became the first person to cross from one bank of the Niagara to the other on a tightrope.

On October 24, 1901, ordinary schoolteacher Annie Taylor decided to celebrate her 63rd birthday in an original way. She became the first person to descend from Niagara Falls in a barrel and still remain alive.

Many people were haunted by Annie Taylor's trick, and the first who managed to repeat it was Bobby Leach in 1911. Unlike Annie, who used an oak barrel reinforced with steel and lined with soft material to jump from the waterfall, Leach used a steel one. As a result of the jump, he received serious injuries and spent six months in the hospital.

Currently, attempts to descend Niagara Falls are illegal in both the United States and Canada, but nevertheless, from time to time there are daredevils who want to become famous in this way.

Where is Niagara Falls located?

Located at Niagara Falls, NY 14303, USA.

You can get to Niagara from two sides - Canadian and American.

From the American side, you will need to get to Buffalo, from where bus No. 210 runs to the American Niagara Falls.

To get to Niagara from the Canadian side, you will first need to get to the city of Toronto, from the central bus station(Toronto Coach Terminal) which runs a bus to Niagara Falls. From Niagara Falls, directly to the falls, there is a small local bus.

Niagara Falls- one of the most famous and popular natural attractions North America.

Niagara Falls is located on the Niagara River, which connects Lakes Ontario and Erie, and separates Canada from New York State. From the town of Buffalo it is about 30 km to the waterfall.

On both banks of the Niagara River there are cities with the same names: Niagara Falls - American and Canadian towns. The very name of the waterfall is pronounced in the language of the Indians who once lived on these lands as “Ongniaahra”. Different translations of this word - "Thundering Water" or "Halving".

According to scientists, Niagara Falls was formed several thousand years ago during the melting of the glacier. Then the streams of water washed the channel in the soft sandstone and the Niagara River with its flow made a hole in the sandstones. deep gorge, until the moment when harder rocks appeared outside. A cliff formed, from which thousands of tons of water fell down. Due to the high content of rock particles in the river water, the water has a characteristic greenish tint.

Presumably, over the past ten thousand years, Niagara Falls has risen 11 km upstream of the Niagara, and this movement continues today at a rate of approximately 30 cm per year. Scientists believe that this process will stop in 50 thousand years, when the waterfall reaches Lake Erie and simply disappears.

Indian legends tell of a beauty named Lelavalae. Her father betrothed his daughter to an Indian warrior, whom the girl did not love at all and even despised. Instead of getting married, she chose to sacrifice herself to her true beloved - the thunder god He-No, who lived under a waterfall in a cave. Lelavalae got into a canoe and floated down the fast flow of Niagara, and then threw herself down a huge waterfall. But He-No caught her on the fly. Since then, their souls have lived together under a waterfall in the sanctuary of the Thunder God.

Every year millions of tourists from different parts of the world come to Niagara Falls. Especially for them, there is a cable car, many paths and galleries for walking, as well as observation decks, towers, helicopter tours and even the opportunity to fly over the waterfall in a hot air balloon. IN summer time after dark and until midnight, colored spotlights are turned on to illuminate the cascading streams of water.

But the most popular tourist attraction is a ride under the waterfalls on pleasure boats called "Maiden of the Mist". These excursions have remained Niagara's most famous attraction for nearly one hundred and fifty years. They are held on both the American and Canadian sides. It is by swimming under the waterfall that every tourist is able to appreciate the true power of the “Thundering Water”.

By the way, the Niagara Falls area is the oldest nature reserve in New York State, opened back in 1885. Today it is a state-protected area.

• More than 20% of America's drinking water flows through Niagara Falls;
• Two bridges (Rainbow Bridge and Whirlpool Rapids Bridge) cross Niagara Falls. Passenger transport moves safely along them;
• Brown foam forms downstream from the waterfall. It owes its characteristic color to the clay bottom at the very foot of Niagara Falls;
• When falling from a waterfall, a fish does not break at the bottom, which is explained by the presence large quantity foam acting as a softening cushion. More than 90 percent of the fish survive;
• A huge number of people do not give up trying to conquer Niagara Falls. Back in 1829, Sam Patch made a jump into the gorge. Surprisingly, after this the daredevil remained alive. A little later - in October 1901, a teacher named Annie Edson Taylor also survived after she was put in a barrel and thrown into a gorge. The archive, which records all attempts to conquer Niagara Falls, deserves special attention. Until today it is regularly updated;
• Niagara Falls is an excellent setting for filming, which is actively used by filmmakers. Many films were also shot directly about this miracle of nature. The most famous people who were filmed against the backdrop of the waterfall are Joseph Cotten, Marilyn Monroe and many others. Most popular films: "Pirates" Caribbean Sea: At the End of the World", "Superman II" (1980), "Niagara". Niagara: Miracles, Myths and Magic was filmed in IMAX.
• There are a number of versions regarding the origin of the name of the waterfall. According to one version, voiced by Bruce Trigger, the waterfall owes its name to one of the tribe living in close proximity to it. Another scientist (George R. Stewart) suggests that “Niagara” is a derivative of “Ongniaahra” - that was the name of one of the provinces where the Iroquois tribes lived;

Daria Nessel| Oct 12, 2017

Niagara Falls- one of the wonders of the world, located on the border of Canada and the USA. Every second, huge masses of water rush down with noise, a truly breathtaking and amazing sight. Let's take a closer look at one of the most beautiful places on our planet.

Where is Niagara Falls located?

Niagara Falls is located on the Niagara River of the same name, between two states. It is not the largest in the world, its height is only fifty-three meters, but colossal volumes of water pass through it, incomparable to any other. Many people think that Niagara is one waterfall, but in fact there are three of them: American, Canadian and Veil. There are two cities near it: the American Buffalo and the Canadian Niagara Falls.

View of the Horseshoe Falls from above.

The history of Niagara Falls

The history of Niagara Falls goes back twelve thousand years. The reason for its formation, like the river, was the appearance of the Wisconsin Glacier; it moved across Canadian territory. Glacial masses compacted rocks and soil layers, creating a unique landscape, river beds, lakes and rapids. After the glacier began to melt, huge volumes of water created soil erosion, as if pushing apart the bowels of the earth, thereby creating entire gorges and cliffs filled with water.

The destruction of the soil continues now, Niagara Falls is gradually moving up to the source of the flow. We won’t see this happen, but according to professors’ estimates, in twenty thousand years it will reach Lake Erie, becoming one huge body of water.

Discovery of Niagara Falls

The discovery of Niagara Falls belongs to Samuel de Champlain in 1604, by pure chance. While studying and mapping the beds of the St. Lawrence River, the scientist learned from local residents about the existence of a small ledge of water between Lakes Erie and Ontario. He put it on the map, and there the Europeans learned in absentia about the new wonder of the world.

The next eyewitnesses of the unprecedented miracle were missionaries in 1640 and 1647, then they called it “a waterfall of terrible height.”

Niagara Falls - a beautiful legend of love

A touching and romantic legend of the local Indian flame is associated with Niagara Falls. It tells about the beautiful Lelavalaya, the daughter of the leader of one of the tribes. Her father, against her will, betrothed her to an honorable warrior; the girl sincerely hated him. Not resigning herself to her fate, she sacrificed herself, throwing herself into the watery abyss, in the name of the bright love of God He-No, the lord of thunder, who lived in a cave. He-No was fascinated by the girl and did not let her die, he picked her up on the fly. Since then, their souls have lived in peace and love, guarding Niagara Falls. This is where its name came from; it literally means “rattling water” in Indian.

Niagara Falls, observation decks.

Extreme fun in Niagara

In the 19th century, an unusual, risky fun appeared - descent in wooden barrels. The first person to descend from Niagara was, oddly enough, an ordinary teacher Annie Taylor; she not only overcame it in a wooden barrel, but most importantly, she survived, receiving only a small wound on her head.

After this strange act, hundreds of extreme sports enthusiasts in wooden barrels rafted through the waters of Niagara, many received serious injuries, often this adventure ended tragically, but there were those who made this extreme jump several times. Every year the sad list of unsuccessful descent attempts grows and it has become a popular place for suicides, a beautiful death in front of a huge public.

Now descending it is prohibited, it is punishable by a large fine and even imprisonment, but despite all the prohibitions there are daredevils or madmen who want to conquer the raging elements.

VIDEO: Niagara Falls

Watch the video “Journey to Niagara Falls”

Excursions at Niagara Falls

The best place to see the natural splendor is at Table Rock Lookout.

Many tourists choose the deck of the Maid of Mist ships. They depart from both sides every thirty minutes, the capacity of one such boat is about six hundred passengers. The price from the Canadian side is 15C$, from the American side 9$. The tour lasts about twenty minutes.

The most interesting part begins when approaching the center of the Horseshoe, the ship goes around it in a circle. At this time, people on the deck are being doused with a mass of water, enthusiastic exclamations and screams can be heard everywhere, many are trying to wrap themselves in raincoats, but this will not help much, water will be everywhere.

You can admire the amazing beauty of Niagara Falls from a bird's eye view by booking a helicopter ride, it will cost $140.

The infrastructure in this area is very developed; you can visit a 3D cinema, where anyone can watch videos related to a local landmark. In the nearest cities, there is a Ferris wheel, various lifts, platforms and terraces, a wax museum, and many attractions.

Note to tourists!

• If you are going to sail on a boat near Niagara Falls, if you have the opportunity, then buy not an ordinary raincoat, but a cellophane overall and swimming goggles.
• The equipment should also be better packed, and in no case should it be missing, otherwise the minimum: it will simply flood, the maximum - you will simply lose it due to a strong flow. It’s better to take beautiful shots from observation platforms.
• Additionally, take a second pair of shoes with you to continue the tour in comfort.

Niagara National Park

Not far from Niagara Falls there is the same name national park- a small and cozy place where you can relax a little after a busy excursion. The ticket costs only ten dollars, and parking costs the same. There are several cafes and restaurants in the park where you can eat delicious food, not just fast food, but quite healthy and satisfying dishes. On its territory there is an aquarium, where interesting shows with fur seals are organized for children, as well as a museum dedicated to the discovery, study and interesting facts associated with the main attraction. Near the museum there are shops and stalls with souvenirs that will remind you of your unusual journey.

Niagara Falls - winter light show

Traditionally, during the winter festival, which lasts from November to January, Niagara Falls is painted with millions of colors, a spectacle of incredible beauty. Although the waters are illuminated throughout the year, it is during the festival that the colored spotlights are turned on not for just three hours, but for seven or more.

To better enjoy the show, there is a special route along which a small tram runs.

They decided to organize a light show in 1860. In honor of the arrival of the royal person, the Prince of Wales, a grandiose show was staged with colored spotlights and fireworks. The tourists liked the magical spectacle so much and local resident, that color backlighting has since been used constantly.

Inhaling the moist, fresh air emanating from Niagara Falls, you understand what a small and insignificant link man is against the power of nature.

Niagara Falls is the second largest waterfall in the world after Victoria Falls in South Africa. The Niagara Falls complex is located in the state of New York and the province of Ontario. Despite the fact that many are accustomed to colloquially using Niagara Falls in the singular, in fact, Niagara Falls refers to several waterfalls:

• Canadian Falls or Horseshoe Falls
• American Falls
• Waterfall "Fata"

The foot of the American Falls is cluttered with stones, which is why the apparent height of the falling water is just over 21 meters, the width of the American Falls is 323 meters, and the volume of falling water is 567,811 liters per second.

The Canadian waterfall is significantly superior to its American relative in all respects; the width of the waterfall is 792 meters, the height is 53.6 meters, the volume of falling water is 2,271,247 liters per second.

Veil Falls is the smallest of the Niagara Falls group. Fatu is separated from the American Falls by a small island called Luna Island. The width of the waterfall is 17 meters, height is 24 meters.

Most of the Niagara River does not fall into the falls area, this is due to the fact that 50-75% of the water passes through 4 special tunnels built for several hydroelectric power plants. After passing through hydroelectric power stations, the water returns to the river, only below the waterfalls. Thus, the use of water by hydroelectric dams significantly influences the volume of water flowing before falling from the Niagara Escarpment. If hydroelectric power plants did not take water from the river, the sound of falling water would be much louder. The volume of falling water is also affected by the time of year. The largest flow occurs in the daytime, during peak tourist season(June, July and August). It is noteworthy that in the case emergency situation, the flow of water can be reduced by increasing its consumption by hydroelectric power plants.

History of Niagara Falls

18 thousand years ago, the province of Ontario was covered with ice 2-3 kilometers thick. When glaciers moved south, the Great Lakes and the Niagara River were formed in this place.

12.5 thousand years ago the glaciers moved north. The meltwater formed Lakes Erie and Ontario, as well as the St. Lawrence and Niagara rivers. At the same time, 5 waterfalls flowing into Lake Ontario from Lake Erie appeared, later there were 3 waterfalls. It is noteworthy that the Niagara River is more than 12 thousand years old, however, the Niagara Escarpment, which was created as a result of erosion, is much older than the river.

One fifth of the total fresh water The planet is located in the five Great Lakes located in the United States and Canada. Four upper lakes: Michigan, Huron, Superior and Erie flow into Niagara. After 24 kilometers, the water reaches the fifth Great Lake - Ontario, forming a spectacular drop from about the height of a 20-story building. This place is known as the "Niagara Escarpment".

About 500 years ago, Niagara encountered a piece of land that split it into two channels. After a herd of goats froze on this land in the winter of 1780, this place began to be called “Goat Island.”

The water flow on the American side of the falls is much weaker because... it is stopped by Goat Island, while Canada's Horseshoe Falls is unobstructed.

Does Niagara Falls freeze in winter?

Niagara Falls never freezes completely, but falling water and fog create ice formations along the banks of the falls and river. This leads to a mound of ice 15-17 meters thick. If the winter is cold and the frost persists for a long time, then the ice can move across the entire river, forming an “ice bridge” that extends for several miles down the river.

On March 29, 1848, the flow of water at Niagara Falls was completely stopped due to an ice jam in the upper part of the river. The waterfall remained in this unusual state for several hours. This is the only known case when water stopped flowing from the Niagara Escarpment.

On February 24, 1888, about 20 thousand people descended onto the “ice bridge” to look down at the waterfall. On February 4, 1912, the ice bridge cracked, killing three people.

Interesting facts about Niagara Falls

In 1969, American Falls was completely shut down for several months. The Niagara was allowed to flow along a different channel, having built a temporary dam for this purpose. Such complex work was done in order to remove loose rock at the base of the waterfall, as well as to remove fallen stones from the bottom of Niagara, thus making appearance the waterfall is even more spectacular. In November 1969, the dam was destroyed and the water flow returned to its previous course.

The word "Niagara" comes from the Iroquois Indian word "Onguiaahra" meaning "strait".

At night, the waterfall is illuminated by powerful multi-colored spotlights, giving it a unique look.

The first person to survive the descent from Niagara Falls was 63-year-old Annie Taylor. In 1901, she threw herself from a waterfall in a closed barrel.

Twenty percent of the world's fresh water is found in the Great Lakes, most of which pass through Niagara Falls.

Niagara Falls has been a popular destination since the early 19th century. Tourists came not only from North America, but also from Asia and Europe to see this miracle of nature. Today, Niagara Falls attracts more than 12 million tourists annually.

Due to soil erosion, the slopes of the waterfalls slowly move upstream. Now the rate of such movement is 30 cm per year. Scientists and engineers are actively working on this problem, because... If the waterfall retreats to the high rapids of Niagara, its height will increase by 15 meters, which in turn will increase pressure on the bottom and accelerate erosion.

Let's hope that scientists will cope with this problem, because... I would like to preserve this beauty for future generations.

(or Niagara listen)) is the most famous waterfall in the United States and one of America's most popular tourist attractions.

It is located on the Niagara River, connecting Lakes Erie and Ontario (and separating the American state of New York from Canada), about thirty kilometers from the city of Buffalo. On both banks of the river, Canadian and American, small cities with the same names grew up - Niagara Falls ("Niagara Falls").

The name of the famous waterfall comes from the language of the Iroquois Indians who lived here and, according to different versions, means either “dividing in half” or, more poetically, “thundering water.”

Niagara Falls appeared several thousand years ago, when streams of water formed as a result of the melting of a retreating glacier washed their channel in soft sandstones. The Niagara River cut a deep gorge through them until harder rock was exposed. This is how it turned out to be a cliff from which thousands of tons of water fall down. The characteristic greenish color of Niagara is due precisely to the high content of rock particles dissolved in the waters of the river.

It is believed that over ten thousand years the waterfall rose approximately eleven kilometers upstream, a movement that continues today at a rate of about thirty centimeters per year. Scientists estimate that in about fifty thousand years the cliff will reach Lake Erie and Niagara Falls will cease to exist.

Bird's eye view of Niagara Falls

As can be clearly seen from the aerial photograph, Niagara is a complex of waterfalls, the total width of which is more than a kilometer. Goat (Goat) Island divides the river into two branches, forming the “Canadian” and “American” parts of the waterfall. The Canadian part of the waterfall is called because of the characteristic shape of the “Horseshoe”; on the US side, the small island of Luna separates a narrow strip of the Veil Falls from the “American Falls”.

The majority of Niagara's water (up to 90%) flows through Horseshoe Falls. The width of the waterfall is about 670 meters, the depth in the central part is about 3 meters. Streams of water cross the crest of the waterfall at a speed of about 32 kilometers per hour and fall 53 meters down.

The width of the American Falls is about 250 meters, the depth of the river at the crest is about 60 centimeters. Numerous rockfalls have formed a huge rock embankment at the foot of the waterfall, so the height of the water fall here is much lower than at the Horseshoe - from 21 to 34 meters.

Next to the American Falls is the smallest of the Niagara Falls - Veil. Its width is only 17 meters and its height is 24 meters.

Canadian Horseshoe of Niagara Falls

American part of Niagara Falls and "Veil"

In June 1969, the US Army Corps of Engineers built a temporary dam and drained the US side of Niagara. This was done to survey and strengthen the rapidly collapsing waterfall. Already in November of the same year, the dam was blown up and the river returned to its channel. Interestingly, the “dry” Niagara Falls attracted even more tourists than usual.

"Dry" Niagara Falls

Sometimes, during particularly harsh winters, Niagara Falls partially or completely freezes over. "Ice Falls" is also a very unusual sight.

Frozen Niagara Falls, 1913

Excursion boat "Maiden of the Mist" at Niagara Falls

Millions of tourists visit Niagara Falls every year. They offer a cable car, observation platforms and towers, paths and galleries for pedestrians, excursions by helicopter and even a hot air balloon. In summer, after dark and until midnight, the waterfalls are illuminated by colored spotlights.

But the most popular tourist attraction For more than one hundred and fifty years, a trip under the waterfalls on pleasure boats, which traditionally bear the name "Maiden of the Mist", has remained. Tours depart from both the Canadian and American sides of the falls, and it is on them that tourists, hiding from the spray and fog under capes, can fully appreciate the power and beauty of Niagara.

The Niagara Falls area has the status of a state protected area - it is the oldest nature reserve in New York State, created back in 1885.

More water flows through Niagara Falls than any other waterfall in North America (up to 5,700,000 liters per second). The energy of this stream is successfully used to produce electricity, so that Niagara is not only the object of attention of many tourists, but also a very important factor for the economy of New York State.

The first power plant in Niagara was built back in 1881. It was modernized several times and was successfully used until 1951, when it was destroyed by a landslide. Already in 1957, the US Congress decided to build a new hydroelectric power station on the Niagara River, one of the largest in the world at that time. In 1961, construction was completed, and the new hydroelectric power station was named after the famous New York city planner Robert Moses. Water for the operation of the power plant is taken upstream from the waterfall and discharged downstream.

Niagara Falls attracts many daredevils - “extreme enthusiasts”. Back in 1829, Rhode Island native Sam Patch became famous after jumping into Niagara Falls. In 1859, the Frenchman Charles Blondin became the first person to cross from shore to shore on a rope stretched at a height of about fifty meters above the Niagara Gorge.