Niagara Falls consists of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge on the Ontario–New York border: Horseshoe Falls on the international line, and American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls on the U.S. side. Formed after the last ice age, the Niagara River has spent about 10,000 years carving the gorge and driving the falls southward through layers of rock, though modern engineering has slowed that erosion. Renowned for both size and power, the falls carry North America’s highest waterfall flow rate. Indigenous peoples occupied the area before European arrival, and 19th-century preservation efforts secured public protection, making Niagara Falls an enduring natural landmark shaped by tourism, conservation, and hydroelectric use.