New York
From majestic mountains, cities and lakes to pastoral farmlands and vineyards, New York State has it all! New York State provides memories for a lifetime and opportunities for all walks of life.
Ranking in geographical size as the 27th largest state, New York covers 54,556 square miles (141,300 square km). The state boasts of being a place where “natural beauty reaches its perfection,” offering mountains, lakes, and rivers, and creating great opportunities for both summer and winter activity.
New York has always been a center of trade. In the early seventeenth century the Dutch settlers established trading posts as part of the fur trade. When the area was taken over by the English trade continued to flourish. After President George Washington was inaugurated, New York became the first capital of the new nation, and gained independence on July 9, 1776. Albany became the capital of the State in 1797. New York’s continued economic and industrial growth made appropriate the title "The Empire State."
With a population of 8.1 million, New York City is a central destination and has become a land of contrast from urban to suburban. The urban atmosphere of New York City (also referred to as Manhattan) consists of well-known branded real estate such as Trump, Park Avenue, Central Park, and Park Place.
New York with its tremendous strides in industry and commerce is home to The New York Stock Exchange, founded in 1792. It has become the center of world finance. Diversified and rich natural resources, together with unmatched facilities for transport, have produced phenomenal growth in manufacturing and industry. In addition, New York City is a leading national center for art, music and literature, as exemplified by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Opera Company, and large publishing houses.
The international reputation of New York is highly esteemed. On July 4, 1884, The Statue of Liberty was presented to the U.S. Minister of France, representing the Franco-American Union. In 1886 it was dedicated in the harbor with its famous inscription, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Today, New York City is home of the United Nations. New York City has demonstrated to be a hub of international activity and recognition.
In contrast to New York City, the vast majority of the state is dominated by farms, forests, rivers, mountains, and lakes. New York's Adirondack Park is the largest state park in the United States, larger than the Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier and Olympic National Parks combined. New York established the first state park in the United States at Niagara Falls in 1885. Niagara Falls, is located on the Niagara River as it flows from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, and is a popular attraction.
Eastern New York is dominated by the Great Appalachian Valley, with Lake Champlain in the North, and the Hudson River flowing southward into the Atlantic Ocean. The rugged Adirondack Mountains, lie west of the valley and hold Mount Marcy, the highest elevation in the state, offering a popular destination for hikers because of beautiful views. Much of the southern part of the state lies on the Allegheny Plateau, rising from the southeast to the Catskill Mountains. The Allegheny River and the rivers of the Susquehanna and Delaware systems, drain the western area of the state.
In addition, New York is connected to the Canadian provinces, Ontario and Quebec. Within the United States’ New York is connected to Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It is the only state to touch both the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. With everything it offers, New York is full of possibility!