New York (city)

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The most populous city in the USA, located on an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean in the far southeastern corner of New York State; population (2000 est, excluding suburban metropolitan areas under separate administration) 8,008,300. New York is composed of five city boroughs that are also counties of New York State: Manhattan (New York County); the Bronx (Bronx County); Queens (Queens County); Brooklyn (Kings County); and Staten Island (Richmond County). As well as being the main port in North America, New York is one of the world's principal commercial and cultural centres. The many industries and services operating here include banking and other financial activities, publishing and printing, the electronic media, advertising, clothing manufacture and the fashion industry, and the production of food, chemicals, machinery, and textiles. With its great diversity of cultural institutions, places of entertainment, and sightseeing opportunities, the city also attracts a large number of tourists each year. New York is also known as the ‘Big Apple’.

Features
The Statue of Liberty stands on Liberty Island in the inner harbour of New York Bay. Manhattan skyscrapers include the Empire State Building (built 1931; height 381 m/1,250 ft) and the Chrysler Building (built 1930; height 225 m/837 ft); the headquarters of the United Nations is also here. The twin towers of the World Trade Center (built 1973; height 412 m/1,350 ft) were the city's highest buildings until they were destroyed by a terrorist attack in September 2001. Central Park is New York's largest park. Wall Street in Lower Manhattan is the home of the New York stock exchange. There are a number of art galleries, including the Frick Collection, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Guggenheim. Columbia University is one of a number of institutions of higher education.

History
For many centuries before Europeans arrived, the New York Bay area had been inhabited by American Indian peoples, such as the Iroquois. The first European to explore the region was the Italian navigator Giovanni da Verrazano (c. 1485–c. 1528), in 1524. Henry Hudson, reconnoitring on behalf of the Dutch, explored it in 1609, and the Dutch established a settlement on Manhattan in 1624, named New Amsterdam from 1626; this was captured by the English in 1664 and renamed New York. British troops occupied New York 1776–84; it was the capital of the USA 1785–90. The five boroughs were linked in 1898 to give the city its present extent.

The flag is modelled on the Stars and Stripes of the United States' flag. The stripes represent the nine provinces at the time of liberation. Blue and white are the colours of Argentina and also of national hero, José Gervasio Artigas. Effective date: 12 July 1830. >>