New York: The Empire State

New York: The Empire State — page 1 — INTRODUCTION Few places in the United States rival New York in terms of population culture and economic importance Only two states California and Texas have more residents New York City with about 8 million people is the nation’s largest city The value of the goods and services produced in the state is higher than that of most countries throughout the world From its sandy beaches and rugged mountains to the hustle and bustle of New York City the state of New York is a place of sharp contrasts New York was one of the original 13 colonies Its nickname the Empire State is thought to have come from George Washington who said in 1784 that he envisioned New York as the seat of empire Since then the people of New York have worked hard to live up to their state’s nickname Today New York is a national leader in manufacturing finance education and the arts There are nearly 600 miles of waterfront in New York City 4 NEW YORK Lake Ontario borders both New York and the Canadian province of Ontario The state of New York covers a total area of 53,013 square miles making it the 28th largest state in the country In terms of area New York City is the largest city in the state of New York It covers some 300 square miles and its metropolitan area covers more than 1,100 square miles New York’s state motto is Excelsior which means ever upward

New York: The Empire State — page 2 — INTRODUCTION 5 New York is part of the Middle Atlantic region of the United States From southwest to northeast New York is bordered by Lake Erie the Canadian province of Ontario Lake Ontario and the Canadian province of Quebec To the east are the New England states of Vermont Massachusetts and Connecticut The Atlantic Ocean and New Jersey are to the southeast and Pennsylvania is to the south There are many ways to get to the Empire State Air travelers have a number of options especially in the area of New York City The three largest airports that serve the state are John F Kennedy International Airport LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport which is actually in neighboring New Jersey Each year these three airports combine to serve about 90 million passengers and handle nearly 3 million tons of cargo The state is also reachable by car via several major interstate and other highways New York has more than 110,000 miles of roads and highways Trains also serve many parts of the state and play an important role in transporting commuters from New York City to surrounding areas New York Location Map Capital Albany Interstate highways 0 35 70 Mi Scale Since much of New York City is on Manhattan Island bridges such as the Brooklyn and Williamsburg bridges provide important links for commuters New York City’s Triborough Bridge which opened in 1936 is actually three bridges that connect the boroughs of Manhattan Queens and the Bronx The Verrazano Narrows Bridge connects Staten Island and Brooklyn New York City’s other two boroughs When it opened in 1964 it was the world’s longest suspension bridge 56 113 0 Population 18,976,457 Km Size 53,013 square miles Highest peak Mount Marcy 5,344 feet

New York: The Empire State — page 3 — 6 NEW YORK New York has a rich and exciting history It was first occupied by Native Americans more than 10,000 years ago In the 1500s and early 1600s the New York region was explored by the Italians and French and in 1624 it was established as a Dutch colony Immigrants from many different European countries settled in the colony which was then known as New Netherland The English took control of New Netherland in 1664 The colony was renamed New York in honor of the duke of York New York remained an English colony for more than 100 years Then in 1775 New York joined the other American colonies in the fight for independence New York was a major battleground during the American Revolution A notable battle fought in Saratoga in 1777 was considered the turning point of the war New York approved the federal Constitution on July 26 1788 to become the Union’s 11th state As part of the United States New York continued to grow and prosper By 1810 New York had become the most populous state in the country Immigrants from Europe continued to settle in New York and developments in transportation and industry soon made the state one of the most powerful in the country After World War II New York City was selected as the headquarters of the United Nations a decision that recognized the city as not only a financial political and cultural center of the United States but also of the world New York City has hosted two World’s Fairs one in 1939 40 and one in 1964 65 The Unisphere was the symbol for the 1964 65 World’s Fair Dedicated in 1886 New York’s Statue of Liberty is a World Heritage Site Albany situated on the west bank of the Hudson River is the capital of New York From 1785 to 1790 New York City served as the capital of the United States In 1789 the city’s Federal Hall was the site of George Washington’s inauguration as the country’s first president One of the first railroads in the United States connected Albany and Schenectady Chartered in 1826 it began service in 1832 and ran 11 miles New York’s Statue of Liberty a gift from France was packed in 214 wooden crates and shipped to the United States The Statue of Liberty’s index finger measures 8 feet long

New York: The Empire State — page 4 — SPECIAL FEATURE 7 Remembering Sept 11 2001 On Sept 11 2001 the world watched in horror as terrorists attacked the United States At 8 46 AM terrorists flew a hijacked American Airlines flight into the north tower of New York City’s World Trade Center Located at the southern end of Manhattan Island the World Trade Center’s twin 110-story towers were major facilities for businesses and government agencies involved in international trade Seventeen minutes after the first crash a second hijacked airplane a United Airlines flight hit the south tower of the World Trade Center and exploded Both towers were badly damaged by the impact and erupted into flames At 9 59 AM the south tower collapsed and the north tower fell about a half hour later A number of other nearby buildings also fell Fires at the World Trade Center site smoldered for more than three months In total some 2,800 people were killed in New York City making it the deadliest terrorist attack in history On the same day related tragedies occurred elsewhere in the country A third hijacked airplane crashed into the Pentagon building near Washington D C and a fourth hijacked airplane crashed in a field outside Pittsburgh Pennsylvania The events of Sept 11 2001 had profound effects on New York the rest of the country and the entire world U S President George W Bush soon announced a global war on terrorism and the following month the United States and its allies began air strikes against terrorist camps in Afghanistan Heroism The events of Sept 11 2001 sparked many acts of heroism While the twin towers of the World Trade Center burned and twisted under the effects of the plane crashes people carried wounded strangers down many flights of stairs putting their own lives at risk People in the streets also tried to help tearing off pieces of their clothing to use as bandages for the injured Many firefighters and rescue workers rushed into the burning towers to save the thousands of people still trapped inside More than 350 firefighters and police officers lost their lives Everyday activities in New York came to a halt in an effort to help those in need and ensure that others were kept safe Buildings were evacuated tunnels and bridges were closed and airplanes were grounded all over the world Despite the devastation the people of New York City under the leadership of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani showed the world their tremendous courage and strength In New York City a fireman raises the American flag

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