Few places in the United States rival New York in terms of population, culture, and economic importance. Only two states, California and Texas, have more residents. New York City—with more than 8 million people—is the nation's largest city. The value of the goods and services produced in the state is higher than that of all but a few nations throughout the world.
New York was one of the original 13 colonies. Its nickname of the Empire State is thought to have come from George Washington, who said in 1784 that he envisioned New York as the “seat of empire.” Washington was sworn in as the nation's first president five years later in New York City, which served as the nation's first capital. The capital of New York is Albany.
New York is part of the Middle Atlantic region of the United States. It covers an area of 49,108 square miles (127,190 square kilometers). From southwest to northeast New York is bordered by Lake Erie, the Canadian province of Ontario, Lake Ontario, and the Canadian province of Quebec. To the east are the New England states of Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. The Atlantic Ocean and New Jersey are to the southeast, and Pennsylvania is to the south.
The landscape of New York is varied. The largest natural region is the Appalachian Mountains, which cover about half of the state. The Appalachian region extends westward from the Hudson River valley to the state's southern and western boundaries. Within this area are the Catskill Mountains and the long, narrow bodies of water known as the Finger Lakes.
A lowland region runs northward along the Hudson River to Albany and then westward along the Mohawk River. A plateaulike region lies to the north of the Appalachian Mountains and west of the Mohawk River valley. It extends along the southern shores of the Great Lakes. East of this region lie the Adirondack Mountains. The Adirondacks contain the state's highest point—Mount Marcy at 5,344 feet (1,629 meters).
New York generally has warm summers and cold winters. All parts of the state receive plenty of rain and snow. The area around Buffalo receives an unusually heavy amount of snowfall.
More than half of New York is forested. Some 150 kinds of trees grow in the state. Hardwoods such as beech and sugar maple are plentiful. The Adirondacks contain spruce and fir trees in addition to hardwoods.
Small mammals such as the deer mouse, eastern cottontail, snowshoe hare, woodchuck, gray squirrel, muskrat, and raccoon are common. Larger mammals include the white-tailed deer, beaver, and black bear. New York is home to many types of birds. The common house sparrow was introduced to North America from Europe in 1850 in Brooklyn.
The population of New York is as varied as that of the United States itself. Members of every ethnic group entering the country passed through immigration stations at Castle Garden and Ellis Island, and many chose to stay in the state.
The earliest European settlers in the region came from The Netherlands, England, Scotland, and Germany. They were followed in the first half of the 19th century by people from New England. Immigrants later arrived from Ireland, Italy, Greece, Russia, and many other nations. The state still has millions of residents who were born in foreign countries.
New York's largest minority groups are African Americans and Hispanics. At the start of the 21st century both groups made up more than 15 percent of the population. The state also has more than 80,000 Native Americans. Many of them are descendants of the powerful Iroquois tribes that lived on the land when European settlers arrived. The Iroquois drove the Algonquian tribes of the region into Canada.
Most of the people of New York live in cities and towns. More than 40 percent of the state's residents live in New York City. The city is divided into five districts known as boroughs: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens, and Manhattan. The magnificent skyline that many people associate with New York City is located in Manhattan.
Buffalo, New York's second largest city, is located near Lake Erie. Albany, the state capital, is on the Hudson River. Other large cities include Rochester, Yonkers, and Syracuse.
New York bustles with things to do. New York City has long been known for its theater, music, dance, restaurants, and architecture. Especially popular is Broadway, a group of theaters that feature some of the world's best performances. Museums suit many different tastes, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
Popular resort areas include the Catskills and the Finger Lakes. Just north of Buffalo is Niagara Falls, one of the best-known tourist attractions in the United States.
Many sporting events take place in New York. In the Adirondack Mountains is Lake Placid, the site of the Winter Olympic Games in 1932 and 1980. New York City's two professional baseball teams, the Yankees and the Mets, played each other in the World Series in 2000. The state's professional football teams are the New York Giants, the New York Jets, and the Buffalo Bills. The New York Knicks (men's basketball), the New York Liberty (women's basketball), and the New York Rangers (hockey) play in New York City at Madison Square Garden. The state also has two other professional hockey teams—the Buffalo Sabres and the New York Islanders.
The first schools in what is now New York were established by Dutch settlers in the 17th century. A permanent system of public schools was created in 1812. By 1867 all elementary schools had become free.
The State University of New York, created in 1948, is one of the world's largest educational organizations. It operates state-supported institutions of higher learning throughout the state. Among them are major university centers at Stony Brook, Albany, Binghamton, and Buffalo. Many colleges that receive both state and local funds belong to a system known as the City University of New York.
New York's best-known private schools include Columbia University and the Juilliard School of Music, both in New York City, and Cornell University, in Ithaca. The federal government operates the United States Military Academy at West Point and the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point on Long Island.
New York companies are involved in every type of economic activity. The state's economy is now dominated by services, however. The service industries are concentrated in New York City, which is the chief financial center of the United States. New York City is home to the major American stock exchanges and the headquarters of many major businesses. Its economy also relies on wholesale and retail trade, advertising, government, education, insurance, television production, and tourism.
The number of people working in manufacturing dropped in New York in the late 20th century. Nevertheless, manufacturing remains an important part of the state's economy. The largest manufacturing industry in New York is printing and publishing.
Dairy farms account for more than half of New York's farm income. Orchards and vineyards flourish along the southern shores of the Great Lakes, in the Finger Lakes region, and in the Hudson and Champlain river valleys. They produce grapes, apples, peaches, and pears. Cattle, chickens, eggs, corn, and potatoes are other leading farm products. Mineral products produced in the state include stone, sand and gravel, salt, and zinc.
Algonquian and Iroquois Indian peoples lived in the New York region when Europeans arrived. The Algonquian tribes included the Mahican (or Mohican) and the Munsee. The five Iroquois tribes were the Mohawk, the Oneida, the Onondaga, the Cayuga, and the Seneca.
The first European to visit the area was probably an Italian navigator, Giovanni da Verrazano, in 1524. In 1609 the Frenchman Samuel de Champlain discovered the lake that was later named after him. Later that year Henry Hudson, an English explorer sailing for the Dutch, sailed up what was later named the Hudson River and claimed the land for The Netherlands.
The Dutch established the colony of New Netherland in 1624. The next year they founded the city of New Amsterdam. Peter Minuit became governor of the colony in 1626. He is known for purchasing the island of Manhattan from the Indians for goods worth about 24 dollars.
The British took control of New Netherland in 1664. The colony was renamed New York in honor of the duke of York. In 1683 representatives of the colony drew up the Charter of Liberties and Privileges, the first bill of rights in America. The colony grew rapidly between 1700 and the beginning of the American Revolution in 1775, reaching a population of more than 160,000.
In 1754 representatives from seven colonies met at Albany to plan for defense against the Indians. They adopted the Albany Plan of Union, drawn up by Benjamin Franklin. Although rejected by both the king and the colonies, the plan was a forerunner of the Declaration of Independence.
New York was a major battleground during the American Revolution (1775–81). Almost one third of the war's battles were fought on New York soil. One of the most notable was the battle of Saratoga (1777), which was considered the turning point of the war. New York approved the federal Constitution on July 26, 1788, to become the Union's 11th state.
New York was again the scene of many battles during the War of 1812. During the early 19th century the state's population and economy grew quickly. By 1810 New York had become the most populous state in the country. The famed Erie Canal, opened in 1825, gave New York a link to the growing Western states.
About half a million soldiers from New York fought for the North during the American Civil War. After the war new machinery and mass-production methods made the state a great manufacturing and trade center.
After World War II (1939–45) transportation improvements helped New York to develop. Highways, airports, and bridges were opened. Several of the state's northern and western lake cities became inland seaports with the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959.
New York became even more known throughout the world when New York City became the permanent headquarters of the United Nations in 1952. New York City's size and importance in the world economy, however, made it a target of international terrorism. The most serious attack came on September 11, 2001, when terrorists flew two hijacked planes into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. The skyscrapers, which had been a well-known part of the New York skyline for almost 30 years, were destroyed and thousands of people were killed. The city and state worked hard to recover from the tragedy. Population (2000 census), 18,976,457.
