History of New York

Duke of New York

New York harbor was visited by Verrazano in 1524, and the Hudson River was first explored by Henry Hudson in 1609. Although the Dutch West India Co. explored and began to settle the New York area as early as 1614, the principal occupation of the area did not occur until 1624 when Dutch settlers arrived at Governors Island and then spread to other areas in the region. In 1626, Peter Minuit arrived on Manhattan Island and, with other Dutch settlers, bought the island from the local Indians for 60 gilders ($24.) worth of goods. The settlement and fort on the island became known as New Amsterdam which eventually became the City of New York. The Dutch holdings in the area were collectively called New Netherlands and included areas of what is now New Jersey. New Amsterdam was granted self government and incorporated by the Dutch in 1653. The Dutch settled here permanently in 1624 and for 40 years they ruled over the colony of New Netherland. It was conquered by the English in 1664 and was then named New York in honor of the Duke of York.

In 1664, after King Charles II decided to reclaim the territory between Virginia and New England, Peter Stuyvesant surrendered to English forces and New Amsterdam was given to the King's brother, the Duke of York, and renamed New York. The Dutch continued to struggle with the British for control of New Netherlands off and on until 1674 when the British finally obtained full control.


Independence

One of the Middle Colonies, New York originally started out as a Proprietary colony but in 1685 became a Royal colony. Existing as a colony of Great Britain for over a century, New York declared its independence on July 9, 1776, becoming one of the original 13 states of the Federal Union. The next year, on April 20, 1777, New York's first constitution was adopted and it was the eleventh state to ratify the Constitution.

The important city in New York State

New York is the most popular city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over global commerce, finance, media, culture, art, fashion, research, education, and entertainment. As the host of the United Nations Headquarters it is also an important center for international affairs. The city is often referred to as New York City or the City of New York to distinguish it from the state of New York, of which it is a part.

Located on a large natural harbor on the Atlantic coast of the Northeastern United States, the city consists of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. The city's 2009 estimated population approached 8.4 million, and with a land area of 305 square miles (790 km²), New York City is the most densely populated major city in the United States. The New York metropolitan area's population is also the nation's largest, estimated at 19.1 million people over 6,720 square miles. Furthermore, the Combined Statistical Area including the greater New York metropolitan area contained 22.2 million people as of 2009 Census estimates, also the largest in the United States.

New York was founded as a commercial trading post by the Dutch in 1624. The settlement was called New Amsterdam until 1664 when the colony came under English control. New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790. It has been the country's largest city since 1790.

Many districts and landmarks in the city have become well known to outsiders. The Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Times Square is the brightly illuminated hub of the Broadway theater district, one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections, and a major center of the world's entertainment industry. Anchored by Wall Street, in Lower Manhattan, New York City competes with London as the financial capital of the world and is home to the New York Stock Exchange, the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies. The original Manhattan Chinatown attracts lots of tourists to its sidewalks and retail establishments. World-class schools and universities such as Columbia University and New York University also reside in New York City.

Nature wonders of New York State

The Niagara Falls



The Niagara River isn't really a "river". It is actually a strait - a relatively narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies (Lake Erie and Lake Ontario). The two lakes are part of an even larger mass of water - The Great Lakes System.

The Niagara Falls is voluminous waterfalls on the Niagara River, straddling the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S State of New York. The falls are 17 miles north-northwest of Buffalo, New York and 75 miles south-southeast of Toronto, Ontario, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.

The Niagara Falls is renowned both for beauty and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Managing the balance between recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 1800s.

Peak numbers of visitors occur in the summer time. From the Canadian side, floodlights illuminate both sides of the Falls for several hours after dark (until midnight). The number of visitors is expected to increase, the annual rate is expected to top 28 million tourists a year. The oldest and best known tourist attraction at Niagara Falls is the Maid of the Mist boat cruise, named for an ancient Ongiara Indian mythical character, which has carried passengers into the rapids immediately below the Falls since 1845. Cruise boats operate from boat docks on both sides of the falls.



The Adirondack Park



The Adirondacks in New York State, represent the largest natural wilderness region in the eastern United States. It is the largest park and the largest state-level protected area in the contiguous United States, and the largest National Historic Landmark.

The six-million-acre Adirondack Park was established by the New York State Legislature in 1892, and has evolved to a patchwork of public and private lands, where thousands of people live, work and play in a protected environment of mountains, forest and streams. Nearly half of the Park is forest preserve, meaning that the land was set aside to remain in its natural state. Spanning most of the park's lands are vast forests of pine, maple, and birch. The park supports 500,000 acres of true old growth forest, 200,000 acres of which have never been logged. Adirondack attractions offer fun-filled days at theme parks, indoor and outdoor museums, art galleries, nature walks, antiquing, and of course, shopping.

Geography

New York is located in the northeastern United States. New York covers an area of 54,556 square miles and ranks as the 27th largest state by size.

The New York state borders six U.S. states: Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, Connecticut, Rhode Island (by water/Long Island Sound), Massachusetts, and Vermont to the east. New York also borders the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec to the north. Additionally, New York touches the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and two of the Great Lakes: Lake Erie to the west and Lake Ontario to the northwest.