Niagara Falls is situated on the Niagara river in the eastern North America

Niagara Falls is situated on the Niagara river in the eastern North America, between the United State and Canada. N.F. consists of 3 separate waterfalls: the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls and the smaller, Bridal Veil Falls. The name «Niagara» originates from an Iroquois word «onquiaahra» meaning «the strait». The land of water falls was inhabited by the Onqiara, an Iroquois tribe. They were named «The Neutrals» by French settlers because they helped to solve conflicts between other tribes.

N.F. were created by the Wisconsin glaciation about 10000 years ago. The same forces also created the North American Great Lakes and the N.River. All were dug by a continental ice sheet that drove through the area like a giant bulldozer, deepening some river channels to make lakes and damming others with debris.

American Indian legend tells of Lelawala, a beautiful maid. He father wanted her to marry the man she hated. Lelawala chose to sacrifice herself to her true love He-No, the Thunder God. She went in her canoe into the current of the N. River. He-No caught her as she went down, and their spirits are said to live together forever in the Thunder God’s house behind the Falls.