| Niagara Falls is one of the world’s leading tourist attractions. |
| Millions of people around the world visit here each year. |
| Summers at the Falls are especially busy, with traffic jams and parking problems. |
| However, the Falls are beautiful in winter too. |
| Many have asked why people travel so far to see water falling over a cliff. |
| The size and beauty of Niagara Falls help to make it special. |
| While many falls are higher than Niagara, very few are as wide or have such a volume of water. |
| It also helps that Niagara is relatively easy to travel to. |
| When the first Europeans came to Niagara, the Falls were surrounded by forest. |
| The noise of the Falls could be heard miles away, before they were actually seen. |
| The first visitors were filled with horror at the sight. |
| Later, fear ceased to be the main emotion inspired by the Falls. |
| Later, visitors were impressed by the beauty and grandeur of the Falls, which overwhelmed them with wonder. |
| By the 1830s, people were able to come to the Falls by railway. |
| As more and more people came, the tourist industry developed. |
| Early tourism was not well regulated, and there were many complaints about cheats and swindles. |
| Today, there are similar complaints about tourist junk and high prices. |
| The majority of tourists stay on the Canadian side. |
| There are two falls, separated by an island. |
| Since the Niagara River forms the boundary here between Canada and the United States, |
| each country has one of the falls. |
| The Canadian Horseshoe Falls is wider and more impressive than the American Rainbow Falls. |
| About nine times more water goes over the Canadian Falls. |
| Nonetheless, there is much to be seen on the American side. |
| The island in the middle, Goat Island, is one of the best places to view the falls and rapids. |
| It is on the American side. |
| Newly married couples began coming to Niagara Falls when it was still a secluded, peaceful and romantic spot. |
| It is still popular with newly-weds as a relatively inexpensive and convenient place to spend their honeymoon. |
| Besides being beautiful, Niagara Falls is also very useful. |
| Their falling water is the power behind several of the largest hydroelectric stations in the world. |
| Much of the electric power used in this part of North America comes from Niagara Falls. |
| In order to harness this power, |
| half of the flow of water is channeled away from the falls during the night, |
| and during the non-tourist season. |
| Probably most visitors don’t notice the difference. |
| Niagara has attracted many kinds of people over the years. |
| Businessmen have come to profit from the tourists. |
| Daredevils have come to make a name for themselves. |
| Some have gone over the falls in a barrel, |
| while others have walked above the falls on a tightrope. |
| Poets and artists have visited here to capture its beauty. |
| Lovers have come to gaze on its romantic scenery. |
| All of these, and many others, have helped to make Niagara Falls world famous. |
