Niagara Falls, abbreviated as Niagara, is a multinational city-state made up of the twin cities of Niagara Falls on the former Ontario-New York border as well as surrounding regions from both states/provinces. Once a refugee slum, it is now the economic powerhouse of the Great Lakes Area. With a Greater Area population of about 657,990, it is one of the largest metropolitan areas in North America. It is also the capital of the United Communities, an international organization that originated in the Great Lakes.