In
1609, Henry Hudson, who worked for the Dutch East India
Company, sailed up the river that now bears his name and went
as far as Albany. Five years later, a permanent settlement was
established at what is now New York, but it was originally
called New Amsterdam by the Dutch governors. One of them,
Peter Minuit, was said to have bought Manhattan Island from
the Indians for $24 worth of beads, buttons, and trinkets. In
1664, Great Britain's Duke of York sent a fleet that quietly
seized the settlement from the Dutch without bloodshed and
rechristened the colony in honor of the duke.
Control of
New York passed to the young U.S. at the end of the
Revolutionary War, and George Washington was inaugurated
president in New York's old City Hall. Congress met in New
York from 1785 to 1790.
In
1898, when Greater New York was chartered, the city expanded
to include the following five boroughs, which are also
counties in New York State: Manhattan (New York County);
Brooklyn (Kings County); Bronx (Bronx County); Queens (Queens
County); and Staten Island (Richmond County). There are
recurrent efforts among Staten Island residents to separate
from Greater New York and become the independent city of
Staten Island.
"The Big
Apple" is the most populous city in the United States, a major
world capital, and a world leader in finance, the arts, and
communications. The city is also the center of advertising,
fashion, publishing, and radio broadcasting in the United
States.
New York has many museums, art galleries, and
educational institutions. The port of New York is one of the
finest in the world. The city is the home of the United
Nations and is headquarters for some of the world's largest
corporations.
New York State:
Facts
Nickname:
Empire State
Origin of name:
In honor of the Duke of York
10 largest cities (2000):
New York, 8,008,278; Buffalo, 292,648; Rochester, 219,773;
Yonkers, 196,086; Syracuse, 147,306; Albany, 95,658; New
Rochelle, 72,182; Mount Vernon, 68,381; Schenectady,
61,821; Utica, 60,651
Land area:
47,214 sq mi. (122,284 sq km)
Geographic center:
In Madison Co., 12 mi. S of Oneida and 26 mi. SW of Utica
Number of counties:
62
Largest county by population
and area: Kings, 2,465,286 (2001); St.
Lawrence, 2,686 sq mi.
State forest preserves:
Adirondacks, 2,500,000 ac.; Catskills, 250,000 ac.
State parks:
152
Residents:
New Yorker
2002 resident population
est.: 19,157,532
2000 resident census
population (rank): 18,976,457 (3).
Male:
9,146,748 (48.2%);
Female:
9,829,709 (51.8%).
White:
12,893,689 (67.9%);
Black:
3,014,385 (15.9%);
American
Indian: 82,461 (0.4%);
Asian:
1,044,976 (5.5%); Other
race: 1,341,946 (7.1%);
Two or more races:
590,182 (3.1%);
Hispanic/Latino: 2,867,583 (15.1%).
Year
2000 percent population 18 and over: 75.3;
65 and over:
12.9;
median age:
35.9.
Governor:
Eliot Spitzer, R (to Jan.2010)
Lieut. Governor:
Paterson, R (to Jan. 2007)
Senators: Schumer, Charles E.- (D - NY) ; Hillary
Rodham Clinton, D (to Jan. 2007)
Secy. of State: Randy A. Daniels, R (apptd. by
governor)
In
1609, Henry Hudson, who worked for the Dutch East India
Company, sailed up the river that now bears his name and went
as far as Albany. Five years later, a permanent settlement was
established at what is now New York, but it was originally
called New Amsterdam by the Dutch governors. One of them,
Peter Minuit, was said to have bought Manhattan Island from
the Indians for $24 worth of beads, buttons, and trinkets. In
1664, Great Britain's Duke of York sent a fleet that quietly
seized the settlement from the Dutch without bloodshed and
rechristened the colony in honor of the duke. 
Control of
New York passed to the young U.S. at the end of the
Revolutionary War, and George Washington was inaugurated
president in New York's old City Hall. Congress met in New
York from 1785 to 1790.
In
1898, when Greater New York was chartered, the city expanded
to include the following five boroughs, which are also
counties in New York State: Manhattan (New York County);
Brooklyn (Kings County); Bronx (Bronx County); Queens (Queens
County); and Staten Island (Richmond County). There are
recurrent efforts among Staten Island residents to separate
from Greater New York and become the independent city of
Staten Island. 
"The Big
Apple" is the most populous city in the United States, a major
world capital, and a world leader in finance, the arts, and
communications. The city is also the center of advertising,
fashion, publishing, and radio broadcasting in the United
States. 
New York has many museums, art galleries, and
educational institutions. The port of New York is one of the
finest in the world. The city is the home of the United
Nations and is headquarters for some of the world's largest
corporations.