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New York
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Capital:
Albany
State abbreviation/Postal code:
N.Y./NY
Governor:
Andrew Cuomo, D (to Jan. 2015)
Acting Lieut. Governor: Robert Duffy, D (to
Jan. 2015)
Senators:
Charles
E. Schumer, D (to Jan. 2017); Kirsten Gillibrand, D (to Jan. 2017)
U.S. Representatives:
29
Historical biographies of Congressional members
Secy. of State: Ruth Noemi Colón (apptd. by governor)
Comptroller: Thomas P. DiNapoli, D (to Jan. 2015)
Atty. General: Eric Schneiderman, D
(to Jan. 2015)
Entered Union (rank):
July 26, 1788 (11)
Present constitution adopted: 1777 (last
revised 1938)
Motto:
Excelsior (Ever upward)
State symbols:
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animal
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beaver (1975) |
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fish
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brook trout (1975) |
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gem
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garnet (1969) |
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flower
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rose (1955) |
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tree
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sugar maple (1956) |
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bird
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bluebird (1970) |
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insect
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ladybug (1989) |
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song
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“I Love New York” (1980) |
Nickname:
Empire State
Origin of name:
In honor of the Duke of York
10 largest cities (2005 est.):
New York, 8,143,197;
Buffalo, 279,745;
Rochester, 211,091;
Yonkers, 196,425;
Syracuse, 141,683;
Albany, 93,523;
New Rochelle, 72,967;
Mount Vernon, 67,924;
Schenectady, 61,280;
Utica, 59,336
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, 2,486,235 (2005); St. Lawrence, 2,686 sq mi.
State forest preserves: Adirondacks,
2,500,000 ac.; Catskills, 250,000 ac.
State parks: 176
Residents:
New Yorker
2005 resident population est.:
19,254,630
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%). 2000 percent population 18 and over: 75.3;
65 and over: 12.9; median age: 35.9.
See
additional census data
Area codes
Tourism office
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Giovanni da Verrazano, an
Italian-born navigator sailing for France, discovered New York Bay in
1524. Henry Hudson, an Englishman
employed by the Dutch, reached the bay and sailed up the river now bearing
his name in 1609, the same year that northern New York was explored and
claimed for France by Samuel de Champlain.
In 1624 the first permanent Dutch settlement was established at Fort
Orange (now Albany). One year later
Peter Minuit purchased
Manhattan Island from the
Indians for trinkets worth about 60 Dutch guilders and founded the Dutch
colony of New Amsterdam (now New York
City), which was surrendered to the English in 1664.
New York's extremely rapid commercial growth may be partly attributed
to Gov. De Witt Clinton, who
pushed through the construction of the Erie Canal (Buffalo to
Albany), which was opened in 1825. Today, the 641-mile Gov. Thomas E.
Dewey Thruway connects New York City with Buffalo and with Connecticut,
Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania express highways. Two toll-free
superhighways, the Adirondack Northway (linking Albany with the Canadian
border) and the North-South Expressway (crossing central New York from the
Pennsylvania border to the Thousand Islands), have
been opened.
The great metropolis of New York City is the nerve
center of the nation. It is a leader in manufacturing, foreign trade,
commerce and banking, book and magazine publishing, and theatrical
production. A leading seaport, its John F. Kennedy International Airport
is one of the busiest airports in the world. New York is also home to the
New York Stock Exchange, the largest
in the world. The printing and publishing industry is the city's largest
manufacturing employer, with the apparel industry second.
Nearly all the rest of the state's manufacturing is done on Long Island, along the
Hudson River north to
Albany, and through the Mohawk Valley, Central New York, and Southern Tier
regions to Buffalo. The St. Lawrence seaway and power projects have
opened the North Country to industrial expansion and have given the state
a second seacoast.
The state ranks seventh in the nation in manufacturing, with 586,400
employees in 2005. The principal industries are printing and publishing,
industrial machinery and equipment, electronic equipment, and instruments.
The convention and tourist business is also an important source of
income.
New York farms produce cattle and calves, corn and poultry, and
vegetables and fruits. The state is a leading wine producer.
Major points of interest are Castle Clinton, Fort
Stanwix, and Statue of Liberty National
Monuments; Niagara Falls; U.S. Military Academy at
West Point; National Historic Sites that include homes of Franklin D. Roosevelt at
Hyde Park and Theodore Roosevelt in
Oyster Bay and New York City; the Women's Rights National Historical Park
in Seneca Falls; National Memorials, including Grant's Tomb and Federal
Hall in New York City; Fort Ticonderoga; the
Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown; and the United Nations,
skyscrapers, museums, theaters, and parks in New York City.
See more on New York:
Encyclopedia: New York
Encyclopedia: Geography
Encyclopedia: Economy
Encyclopedia:
Government
Encyclopedia: History
Monthly Temperature Extremes
Accredited Colleges and Universities
All U.S. States: Geography & Climate
Printable Outline Maps
Record Highest Temperatures
Record Lowest Temperatures
Highest, Lowest, and Mean Elevations
Land and Water Area
All U.S. States: Population & Economy
Historical Population Statistics,
1790–Present
Per Capita Personal Income
Minimum Wage Rates
State Taxes
Federal Government Expenditure
Percent of People in Poverty
Births and Birth Rates
Homeownership
Percentage of Uninsured by State
All U.S. States: Society & Culture:
Most Livable States
Healthiest States
Most Dangerous States
Smartest States
Crime Index
Residency Requirements for Voting
Compulsory School Attendance Laws
Driving Laws
National Public Radio Stations
Selected famous natives and residents:
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Joe Torre
baseball player and manager;
Information Please® Database, © 2011 Pearson Education,
Inc. All rights reserved.
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