Niagara Falls is one of the most famous natural sights in North America. It breaks the course of the short Niagara River, which drains the excess water of Lake Eire into Lake Ontario. The Falls is not too high (about 52 m) but more than 1 km wide, carrying more than 5700 m³ of water per second at peak flow. It consists of two separate waterfalls, because the course of Niagara River is split by Goat Island. The border between the US and Canada follows the main course of the river, therefore Niagara Falls is actually cut into two parts by the border, separating it into the American Falls and the Canadian (or Horseshoe) Falls. In this picture, the American Falls can be seen from a boat.