New York is the 3rd most populated state in the country with around 20 million inhabitants.
The state was the eleventh to join the Union on July 26th, 1788, 31 days after Virginia,
the tenth state, ratified the Constitution and joined the Union on June 25th, 1788.
New York has an area of 54,556 square miles, making it larger than 23 states.
The state is directly ahead of Florida population wise with around 600,000 more inhabitants,
while it is directly behind Texas with around 6 million less inhabitants.
New York borders the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec in the North, Vermont in
the Northeast, Massachusetts and Connecticut in the Southeast, as well as New Jersey and
Pennsylvania in the South.
Along with it’s larger border to the North, New York also shares a border with Ontario
in the West on the Niagara peninsula.
It’s location places it in the Eastern time zone.
The highest point in New York is the peak of Mount Marcy at 5,343 feet above sea level.
This peak is part of the Adirondack Mountains and the larger Appalachian mountains.
The lowest point is where the state meets the Atlantic in the Southeast.
The largest city in New York population wise is New York City, which doubles as the largest
city in the U.S.. New York City has a population of 8.5 million in the city proper and 20.2
million in the metropolitan area.
This city is made of five boroughs, namely Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and
Staten Island.
The second largest city in the state, Buffalo, has a population of 250,000 in the city proper
and 1.1 million in the metropolitan area.
This city is in the Northwest, directly bordering both Lake Erie and Canada in the West.
Located just 17 miles from the U.S. side of Niagara falls, both cities share the same
metropolitan area.
Located 260 miles from Buffalo and Niagara Falls, the state capital, Albany, can be found.
This city has been the capital of New York since 1797.
With a population of around 100,000 in the city proper and 1.2 million in the metropolitan
area, Albany is the 6th largest city in the state.
Albany is located in the aptly named Albany county, one of the 62 counties that can be
found within New York.
Kings County, the location of New York City’s Brooklyn borough, is the largest of these
population wise, with an approximate 2.7 million inhabitants.
The least populated county in New York, Hamilton County, is located in the Northern Central
region of the state and has a mere 5,000 inhabitants.
New York’s state flag consists of the state’s coat of arms on a field of blue.
This coat of arms was formally adopted in 1778, however the modern flag itself was not
adopted until 1901.
The center shield two ships sailing in the Hudson River, bordered by a mountain range
and rising sun.
Above this shield, an eagle can be seen resting on a globe of the Western hemisphere.
The woman on the left represents liberty, as a liberty cap can be seen on the end of
her staff.
The woman on the right represents justice, as she can be seen holding the scales of justice
and is wearing a blindfold.
The state motto, “Excelsior”, is displayed on a white ribbon below the shield, literally
meaning higher in Latin, however in this case representing New York’s aspirations of reaching
upward to higher goals.
The first European to discover New York was Giovanni da Verrazzano, an Italian sailing
for the French.
Verrazzano first explored the coast in 1524, entering New York bay on April 17th.
Despite this, no claims were made to New York.
In 1609, Henry Hudson departed Amsterdam and sailed up the Hudson river.
Five years later, another Dutch explorer, Hendrick Christiaensen, built Fort Nassau
in modern Albany to act as a fur trading post.
Shortly following this, the Netherlands would claim New York, using both Fort Nassau and
Hudson’s expedition to provide legitimacy.
The Dutch called their new land “New Netherland”, with the largest settlement being New Amsterdam.
This city served as the seat of New Netherland’s colonial government and was located on the
Southern tip of Manhattan.
The British conquered New Netherland in 1664, renaming both the colony and city “New York”.
During the American Revolution, New York played a critical role in the formation of the U.S.
Many battles occured within the state’s borders including the Battle of Long Island,
the Battles of Saratoga, the Battle of Harlem Heights, the Siege of Fort Ticonderoga, and
the Battle of Fort Washington.
New York was granted statehood on July 26th, 1788.
During the Civil War, New York remained in the Union.
The state provided more men to the Union army than any other state, playing a key role in
the Union’s eventual victory.
Despite this, no battles occured within the state throughout the Civil War.
Following the war and into the modern day, New York remains a crucial member of the Union,
serving as both an economic and cultural hub.
This is Morrethy.
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