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Niles is a city in Berrien and Cass counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, near South Bend, Indiana. In 2010, the population was 11,600 according to the 2010 census. It is the larger, by population, of the two principal cities in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area, an area with 156,813 people.〔Population of Michigan Regions and Statistical Areas, 2000 and 2010, at www.michigan.gov〕 Niles lies on the banks of the St. Joseph River, at the site of the French Fort St. Joseph, first built in 1697 to protect the Jesuit Mission established in 1691. After 1761, it was held by the British and was captured on May 25, 1763, by Native Americans during Pontiac's Rebellion. The British retook the fort but it was not re-garrisoned and served as a trading post. During the American Revolutionary War, the fort was held for a short time by a Spanish force. The occupation of the fort by the four nations of France, Britain, Spain, and the United States has earned Niles the nickname City of Four Flags.〔"(Getting to Know the Four Flags Area: The Story of Fort St. Joseph )". ''Four Flags Area Council on Tourism website''.〕 The town was named after Hezekiah Niles, editor of the ''Niles Register'', a Baltimore newspaper. The town of Niles as it exists today was settled in 1827. Between 1820 and 1865, Niles was an integral part of the Underground Railroad, helping slaves escape from as far south as New Orleans through the Heartland, and eventually into Canada.〔(Fort St. Joseph Museum Overview, City of Niles, Michigan (MI) )〕〔http://www.motopera.org/mg_ed/educational/UndergroundRR.html〕〔http://driscoll-class.wikispaces.com/file/view/underground_railroad.jpg/86344275/underground_railroad.jpg〕 ==Geography== The city is situated on the St. Joseph River and is mostly surrounded by Niles Township. Glacial deposits of large boulders and smooth stones mingle with heavy sedimentary deposits, producing rolling hills and steep river banks. The soil is rich and fertile. Crinoida and related fossils are easily found south of the city. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Niles, Michigan」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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