n["niagarafalls"][0]="Niagara Falls|United States|us|North America";
n["niagarafalls"][1]="The Niagara Falls are in the Niagara River on the border between New York, United States and Ontario, Canada. The falls are one of the most famous spectacles in North America. They are on the international line between the cities of Niagara Falls, New York and Niagara Falls, Ontario. The falls are separated by Goat Island, which splits the cataract into the 51 m (167 feet) high and 323 m (1,060 feet) wide American Falls and the Horseshoe, or Canadian, Falls, which are 48 m (158 feet) high and 792 m (2,600 feet) wide. The governments of the United States and Canada control the appearance of the surrounding area, much of which has been included in parks since 1885. The first time the falls were described, was in Louis Hennepin's Nouvelle Découverte in 1697. Hennepin was with the expedition of the French explorer Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle, in 1678. In the 19th century, daredevils attempted to brave the falls in barrels, boats and rubber balls. The great Blondin performed on a tightrope over the falls in 1859. The falls have been a major center of international tourism ever since. Historical and natural history material relating to the region can be seen in the Niagara Falls Museum in the city of Niagara Falls, New York.|The Niagara Falls were formed around 8000 B.C., as the retreating glaciers exposed the Niagara escarpment, thus permitting the waters of Lake Erie to flow north, over the scarp, to Lake Ontario. The escarpment has been gradually eroded back toward Lake Erie, a process that has formed the 11 km (7 miles) long Niagara Gorge. The Whirlpool Rapids and the Whirlpool are in the gorge. Horseshoe Falls is eroding upstream at a faster rate than the American Falls because of the greater volume of water passing over it. A great rock slide occurred in 1954 at the American Falls and formed a huge talus slope at its base. The U.S. Army Corps of EngineersWater diverted water from the American Falls for several months in 1969 to study the bedrock and to remove some of the talus.|International agreements control the diversion of water for hydroelectric power. Weirs divert part of the flow above the deeper Canadian Falls to supplement the flow in the shallower American Falls. Hydroelectric-power developments were authorized under the Niagara Diversion Treaty of 1950, which stipulated a minimum flow to be reserved for the falls and the equal division of the remaining flow between the United States and Canada. In the United States the project was undertaken by the Power Authority of the State of New York. Water is diverted from the river above the upper rapids into underground conduits, which are 14 m (46 feet) wide and 20 m (66 feet). It is then conveyed overland, dropping 96 m (314 feet) to a point below the lower rapids where, as it returns to the river, the water passes through turbines that power the 13 generators of the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant. The plant was opened in 1961 and generates 1,950,000 kW of power. Associated with the New York hydroelectric-power project is the construction in the area of new roads, bridges and parks. In Canada the project was undertaken by the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario. Water is diverted from the river above the falls and is fed into the Sir Adam Beck Generating Stations by way of a series of tunnels and canals. The Canadian power plants were opened in 1954 and generate 1,775,000 kW of power.|The Niagara Falls are 440 km west from Albany and 480 km northwest from Washington D.C.";
n["niahcaves"][0]="Niah Caves|Malaysia|my|Asia";
n["niahcaves"][1]="The Niah Caves are not far from the town of Niah in the northwest of Sarawak. They are only accessible by longboat and a subsequent walk of about 3 km (1.86 miles). The caves boast interesting rock paintings and are surrounded by dense vegetation. Jungle trails run through the area and night walks to see luminous mushrooms are available in Niah. There is quite some wildlife in the jungle around the Niah Caves.|There are some hotels and restaurants in Niah. The town is about 1350 km east of Kuala Lumpur.";
n["niamey"][0]="Niamey|Niger|ng|Africa";
n["niamey"][1]="Niamey has been the capital of Niger since the French moved the administration there from Zinder in 1926. In 1940 Niamey was just a small town of some 2000 people, but nowadays it's a sprawling city with well over half a million inhabitants. The bulk of the city was built in recent times and there are many modern buildings in town. Money from the city's fast expanse came from uranium sales, mainly during the 1970's. But although Niamey is in the fast lane, live is actually quite relaxed in the capital. As with many Sahelian cities it is easy to get lost in Niamey. It is best to use the Grand Marché as a focus point, when wandering through the city. Otherwise you can always ask someone for directions. Niamey has a real desert town ambience and its friendly people will help you out.|Since Niamey is a fairly new city; there is not a whole lot to see for travelers. Some of the most interesting sites include the Grand Marché on Boulevard de la Liberté in the city center. It burnt totally in the mid 1980's, but has since been rebuilt and it is one of the best markets in Western Africa, although it is quite expensive. The beautiful couvertures Djerma are sold there as well. There is also a Petit Marché where more interesting items are sold.|The modern Grande Mosquée was paid for by Lybia. It is 1Å km north of the Grand Marché. The Musée National du Niger is 1Å km south of the Grand Marché, towards the Niger River. It has an exhibition on traditional lifestyles and local costumes and implements. Niamey's zoo is included in the museum's premises. There is also an artisans' area, where handicrafts are manufactured that are sold to the museum's visitors.|Horse and camel races are held in the hippodrome on many Sundays throughout the year. Accommodation is quite expensive in Niamey and most hotels are clustered around the southwestern side of the Grand Marché. Most restaurants are found in that area as well. You can also try local foods from one of the markets. Niamey has a great choice of nightlife. There is a campsite southwest of town on the road to the airport. The main bridge crossing the Niger River is called Pont Kennedy. Niamey straddles the Niger River and is located in the southwestern corner of Niger.";
n["niamey"][2]="-13.31|2.06|216|500000|140|1|n/a|Not required|227";
n["niamey"][3]="24.2|n/a|33.6|0.8|28.9|13.2|30.8|1.3";
n["niania"][0]="Nia Nia|Democratic Republic of the Congo|cg|Africa";
n["niania"][1]="There is nothing of interest in Nia Nia. Accommodation is hard to find. Nia Nia is on the Aruwimi River, 1525 km northeast of Kinshasa.";
n["nicosia"][0]="d.write('";
n["nigerriver"][0]="Niger River|Mali|ml|Africa";
n["nigerriver"][1]="Without the Niger River, Mali would be even poorer than it actually is. The river is the country's main archery. It enters in the southwest from Guinea, flows all the way up to Bourem and Gao and then turns south to flow through Niger and Nigeria towards the ocean. Between August and November the water level in the river is high enough to make it navigable. One of the best ways to travel around Mali (and to see a lot of the country) is by boat. You will experience everything from the hassle of getting stuck on a sand bank to the busy life of the ports along the river. Be careful when picking a vessel, as conditions vary enormous. Some boats are quite nice, while on others you are just part of the cargo (and you will have to sleep on crates and sacks).|During the navigable period, boats run on the river all the way from Koulikoro, 50 km east of Bamako, to Gao, 900 km to the northeast. Usually, the journey between the two cities takes about a week downstream and a few days longer upstream. Stops are made to load and unload cargo at many towns along the route, providing good possibilities to explore them. Make sure you know when your boat is departing, as the next one might not pass through for a week.|Major stopping points along the route include (downstream, from west to east): Koulikoro, Ségou, Mopti, Kona, Niafounké, Diré, Kabara (near Timbuktu), Bourem and Gao.";
n["niihauisland"][0]="Niihau Island|Hawaii|us|North America";
n["niihauisland"][1]="The 181 km² (70 square miles) large Niihau Island is locally known as 'The Forbidden Island', as it has been closed to outsiders for a very long time. Even nowadays it can only be visited on pricey helicopter tours. Niihau's isolation has resulted in a lack of development. There are no paved roads on Niihau and the island has no telephones and no electricity network. There are only several places where generators produce electricity locally.|The entire island is a native Hawaiian reserve and it is the only place in the archipelago, where Hawaiian is the primary language. Niihau has about 230 residents. It is owned by the Robinson family, who are non-Hawaiian and run a huge ranch there.|Niihau is 250 km northwest of Honolulu.";
n["niledelta"][0]="Nile Delta|Egypt|eg|Africa";
n["niledelta"][1]="The Nile Delta is the triangle shaped area between Cairo, Alexandria and Port Said in the north of Egypt. Buses and taxis run all over the area, but the best way to explore it is to rent a car. There are several interesting towns in the area.|The Nile divides in half just north of Cairo, the western branch flows into the Mediterranean at the port town of Rashid (Rosetta) and the other branch does the same at Dumyat (Damietta) 140 km to the east. Az Zaqaziq (Zagazig) lies in the Nile Delta, 65 km northeast of Cairo. The nearby ruins of Bubastis are the city's main attraction. 60 km north of Az Zaqaziq is the village of San el Hagar where the ruins of Tanis can be seen. It is believed that Tanis was the Biblical city where the Egyptians persecuted the Jews, causing them to flee through the Red Sea. In the north of the delta lies the beach town of Ras el Bar, which is the best place to stay in the area. There are several hotels and restaurants. Other good beaches can be found west of Ras el Bar at Baltim, El Burg and Gamassa. Buses run from Cairo's Ulali station to Ras el Bar.";
n["nineveh"][0]="Nineveh|Iraq|iz|Asia";
n["nineveh"][1]="The ruins of Nineveh are 15 km northeast of Mosul, east of the Tigris River. Nineveh was the third capital of Assyria dating from the reign of Sennacherib (704-681 BC). It was one of the most powerful cities of the Middle East, the hub of the civilized ancient world. When it was sacked by the Medes of Northern Persia in 612 BC the city started declining and nowadays there is nothing left but ruins.|Originally the walls of Nineveh were 12 km in circumference and included fifteen gates, each of which was named after an Assyrian god. Some of these gates have been reconstructed, notably the Shamash and Nergal gates and give a good idea of what the city must have looked like in its heyday.|The French started excavations in the area and the work was later continued by the British. Interesting ruins are the colossal palace, the library, statuary and a prehistoric pottery. The small museum at the Nergal gate displays some Assyrian relief carvings.|The best way to visit Nineveh is on a day trip from Mosul. The ruins are 365 km north of Baghdad.";
n["ningxiahuiautonomousregion"][0]="Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region|China|ch|Asia";
n["ningxiahuiautonomousregion"][1]="The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region is a small area in the arid northwest of China. Its population consists mainly of nomadic people tending sheep and goats. During the winter temperatures usually drop to far below freezing, while the summers are very hot and dry.|The region's capital is Yinchuan, which is not far from the Yellow River and a good place to stay if you want to visit the mountainous region of Helan Shan.|Ningxia Hui is one of the last regions in China where you can see leather rafts being used to cross rivers and streams. Several sheep or cow skins are tied together and inflated. A wooden framework keeps them in place and provides suspension for people and bikes and so on. The skins hold the air long enough to reach the other shore.";
n["nizwa"][0]="Nizwa|Oman|mu|Asia";
n["nizwa"][1]="Nizwa is one of Oman's major tourist destinations. The city's fort dates from the mid-17th century and was built by Sultan bin Saif, the first imam of the Al-Ya'ribi dynasty. Up until the 20th century, it served as the primary seat of the imamate and included a palace and a prison. Nizwa's souk is very interesting and well worth a visit.|There are numerous hotels and restaurants in Nizwa. The city is 125 km southwest of Masqat.";