The English took over the colony in 1664 during the second Anglo-Dutch War. They changed the name to New York, to honor the Duke of York, who organized the mission and later became King James II of England.&nbsp;The Dutch surrendered New Amsterdam without fighting.

Where did New York get its name from?

history

History

New York City (NYC ) or simply New York (NY ) is the largest <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/City">city </a>by population in the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States">United States </a>, located in the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_(state)">state of New York </a>. New York’s population is similar to <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/London">London </a>in the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom">United Kingdom </a>with over 8 million people currently living in it, and over 22 million people live in the bigger <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_metropolitan_area">New York metropolitan area </a>. It is in the south end of the state of <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_(state)">New York </a>, which is in the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeastern_United_States">northeastern United States </a>. It is the financial capital of the US since it is home to the nation's <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stock_market">stock market </a>, <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street">Wall Street </a>, and the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_World_Trade_Center">One World Trade Center </a>. A leading global city; New York exerts culture, media and capital internationally, as well as attracting great numbers of international travelers. It is also the home of the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Headquarters">United Nations Headquarters </a>.

Being on <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Harbor">one of the world's largest natural harbors </a>, New York City is made up of five <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boroughs_of_New_York_City">boroughs </a>, each of which is a <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_counties_in_New_York">county of the State of New York </a>.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-12">[12] </a> The five boroughs—<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn">Brooklyn </a>, <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queens">Queens </a>, <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan">Manhattan </a>, <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bronx">the Bronx </a>, and <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staten_Island">Staten Island </a>—were combined into one city in 1898.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-13">[13] </a> The city and its metropolitan area are an important place for legal <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Immigration_to_the_United_States&action=edit&redlink=1">immigration to the United States </a>. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York,<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-QueensMostLinguisticallyDiverse-14">[14] </a> making it the most <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistics">linguistically </a>diverse city in the world. New York has more than 3.2 million people born outside the United States,<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-NYCForeignBorn-15">[15] </a> the biggest foreign-born population of any city in the world as of 2016.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-NYCHighestForeignBorn-16">[16] </a> <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-ons.gov.uk-17">[17] </a>

New York City started as a trading post created by colonists from the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Republic">Dutch Republic </a>in 1624 on <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_Manhattan">Lower Manhattan </a>; the post was named <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Amsterdam">New Amsterdam </a>in 1626.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-u-s-history.com-18">[18] </a> In 1664, the English controlled the city and the areas around it,<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-u-s-history.com-18">[18] </a> and were renamed New York after King <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_II_of_England">Charles II of England </a>gave the lands to his brother, the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_II_of_England">Duke of York </a>.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-19">[19] </a> New York was the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_capitals_in_the_United_States#Capitals_of_the_US">capital of the United States </a>from 1785 until 1790,<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-senate-20">[20] </a> and has been the biggest U.S. city since 1790.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-21">[21] </a> The <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty">Statue of Liberty </a>welcomed millions of <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigrant">immigrants </a>as they came to the U.S. by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries,<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-22">[22] </a> and it is a <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbol">symbol </a>of the U.S. and its ideals of <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty">liberty </a>and <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace">peace </a>.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-23">[23] </a> In the 21st century, New York has grew into a global hub of creativity and <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entrepreneur">entrepreneurship </a><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-VentureCapitalNY1-24">[24] </a> and <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environment">environmental </a>sustainability,<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-EnvironmentalSustainabilityNY1-25">[25] </a> <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-EnvironmentalSustainabilityNY2-26">[26] </a> and as a symbol of freedom and cultural diversity.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-27">[27] </a> In 2019, New York was voted the best city in the world in a survey of over 30,000 people from 48 cities worldwide, because of its cultural diversity.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-NYCWorld'sGreatestCity-28">[28] </a>

Many <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lists_of_New_York_City_landmarks&action=edit&redlink=1">districts and landmarks </a>in New York City are well known, including three of the world's ten most visited tourist places in 2013.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-Ann_Shields-29">[29] </a> A record 62.8 million tourists came to New York City in 2017. <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_Square">Times Square </a>is the colorful area of the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Broadway_Theater_District&action=edit&redlink=1">Broadway Theater District </a>,<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-30">[30] </a> one of the world's busiest <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedestrian">pedestrian </a><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersection">intersections </a>,<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-31">[31] </a> <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-32">[32] </a> and a famous area for the world's <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entertainment_industry">entertainment industry </a>.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-33">[33] </a> Many of the city's landmarks, <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_buildings_in_New_York_City">skyscrapers </a>,<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-34">[34] </a> and <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_New_York_City_parks&action=edit&redlink=1">parks </a>are known around the world. Manhattan's <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_estate">real estate </a>market is one of the most expensive in the world.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-35">[35] </a> <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-36">[36] </a> New York has more <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/China">Chinese </a>people outside of <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/China">China </a>than anywhere in the world, with many <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinatown">Chinatowns </a>across the city. The <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Subway">New York City Subway </a>is the biggest single-operator <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_transit">rapid transit </a>system worldwide, with 472 rail stations. The city has <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_colleges_and_universities_in_New_York_City&action=edit&redlink=1">over 120 colleges and universities </a>, including <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_University">Columbia University </a>, <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_University">New York University </a>, <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockefeller_University">Rockefeller University </a>, and the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=City_University_of_New_York&action=edit&redlink=1">City University of New York </a>system, which is the biggest urban public university system in the United States.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-37">[37] </a> The world's two <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_stock_exchanges&action=edit&redlink=1">largest stock exchanges </a>, the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Stock_Exchange">New York Stock Exchange </a>, located on <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street">Wall Street </a>in the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Financial_District,_Manhattan&action=edit&redlink=1">Financial District </a>of Lower Manhattan, and <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASDAQ">NASDAQ </a>, headquartered in <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midtown_Manhattan">Midtown Manhattan </a>, are both in Manhattan.

In 1664, the city was named after the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_of_York">Duke of York </a>, who would become King <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_II_of_England">James II of England </a>. James's older brother, King <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_II_of_England">Charles II </a>, had chosen the Duke <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Proprietary_colony&action=edit&redlink=1">proprietor </a>of the former territory of <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Netherland">New Netherland </a>, including the city of <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Amsterdam">New Amsterdam </a>, which England had recently taken from the Dutch.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-Archdeacon2013a-38">[38] </a>

The oldest <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borough">part </a>of the city, the island of <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan">Manhattan </a>, still has its original <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenape">Lenape </a>name. Although Native people such as the Lenape and Canaries had lived there for many thousands of years, New York City was first explored by <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe">Europeans </a>in the 1500s. <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence">Florentine </a>explorer <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_da_Verrazzano">Giovanni da Verrazzano </a>found the entrance to New York Harbor in the year 1524 he gived to this site the name of New Angoulême in the honor of Francois 1st. In 1609, the English explorer <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Hudson">Henry Hudson </a>rediscovered New York Harbor while looking for the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Passage">Northwest Passage </a>to the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orient">Orient </a>for the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_East_India_Company">Dutch East India Company </a>.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-Lankevich2002-39">[39] </a> Hudson's first mate said it was "a very good Harbour for all windes" and the river was "a mile broad" and "full of fish".<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-hudsonnni-40">[40] </a>

<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Juan_(Jan)_Rodriguez&action=edit&redlink=1">Juan Rodriguez </a>(<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transliteration">transliterated </a>to Dutch as Jan Rodrigues ) was one of the first people associated with Europe to live there. He was a <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merchant">merchant </a>from <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Captaincy_General_of_Santo_Domingo&action=edit&redlink=1">Santo Domingo </a>. He was born in <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Domingo">Santo Domingo </a>of <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_people">Portuguese </a>and <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ethnic_groups_of_Africa&action=edit&redlink=1">African </a>descent, and he came to Manhattan during the winter of 1613–14. He trapped for pelts and traded with the local people as a representative of the Dutch. <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadway_(Manhattan)">Broadway </a>, from 159th Street to 218th Street in <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Upper_Manhattan&action=edit&redlink=1">Upper Manhattan </a>, is named Juan Rodriguez Way in his honor.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-41">[41] </a> <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-42">[42] </a>

New York City was settled by Europeans from <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Netherlands">The Netherlands </a>in 1624. The Dutch called the whole area of New York Netherland (<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Netherland">New Netherland </a>) and they named a <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort">fort </a>and town on the south end of Brooklyn.

In 1626, the Dutch colonial Director-General <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peter_Minuit&action=edit&redlink=1">Peter Minuit </a>, acting for the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dutch_West_India_Company&action=edit&redlink=1">Dutch West India Company </a>, bought the island of Manhattan from the Canarsie , a small Lenape band.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-43">[43] </a> He paid "the value of 60 <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dutch_guilder&action=edit&redlink=1">guilders </a>"<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-44">[44] </a> (about $900 in 2018).<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-45">[45] </a> A false story says that Manhattan was bought for $24 worth of glass beads.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-46">[46] </a> <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-47">[47] </a> 1626 was also the year the Dutch began to bring <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_people">black </a><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery">slaves </a>there.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-:0-48">[48] </a>

After the purchase, New Amsterdam grew slowly.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-npsnetherland-49">[49] </a> In 1647, <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Stuyvesant">Peter Stuyvesant </a>started his job as the last <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Director-General_of_New_Amsterdam&action=edit&redlink=1">Director-General </a>of New Netherland. During this time, the number of people of New Netherland grew from 2,000 to 8,000.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-50">[50] </a> <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-51">[51] </a>

Island New Amsterdam (<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Amsterdam">New Amsterdam </a>),<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-nieuw-52">[52] </a> after the capital city of the Netherlands, which was to become present-day New York. The English took over the colony in 1664 during the second <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Dutch_War">Anglo-Dutch War </a>. They changed the name to New York , to honor the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_of_York">Duke of York </a>, who later became King <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_II_of_England">James II of England </a>and James VII of Scotland. The Dutch surrendered Nieuw Amsterdam without fighting.

By the time the English took New York, there were many other Dutch towns in what would become New York City, including Breukelen (<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn">Brooklyn </a>), Vlissingen (<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flushing">Flushing </a>), and Nieuw Haarlem (<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harlem">Harlem </a>). There were already some English towns in the area also, such as Gravesend in Brooklyn and Newtown in Queens. <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_people">Dutch </a>, English and other people had been living together in New York for a long time.

New York became more important as a trading port while under <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Empire">British rule </a>in the early 1700s.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-Foote2004-53">[53] </a> It also became a center of slavery as the British increased the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slave_trade">slave trade </a>and built a slave market in the city.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-:0-48">[48] </a> 42% of households owned slaves by 1730, the highest percentage outside <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charleston,_South_Carolina">Charleston, South Carolina </a>.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-54">[54] </a>

The 1735 trial and <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquittal">acquittal </a>in Manhattan of <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Peter_Zenger&action=edit&redlink=1">John Peter Zenger </a>, who had been accused of <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Seditious_libel&action=edit&redlink=1">seditious libel </a>after criticizing colonial governor <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Cosby&action=edit&redlink=1">William Cosby </a>, helped to create the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_the_press">freedom of the press </a>in North America.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-zenger-55">[55] </a> In 1754, <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_University">Columbia University </a>was created under charter by <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_II_of_Great_Britain">King George II </a>; it was called King's College, and it was in Lower Manhattan.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-56">[56] </a>

New York quickly grew to become a large and important port city. The <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stamp_Act_Congress&action=edit&redlink=1">Stamp Act Congress </a>met in New York in October 1765, as the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sons_of_Liberty">Sons of Liberty </a>. It organized in the city, and they <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skirmisher">skirmished </a>over the next ten years with British troops stationed there.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-BoyerClark2009-57">[57] </a> The important <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Long_Island">Battle of Long Island </a>of the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolution">American Revolution </a>was fought in Brooklyn in 1776; it was the biggest battle of the war.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-Reno2008-58">[58] </a> The Americans lost the battle. The British used the area as its <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headquarters">headquarters </a>for the war in North America.

New York was the capital of the United States under the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articles_of_Confederation">Articles of Confederation </a>from 1785 to 1788. When the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Constitution">US Constitution </a>was made, it stayed as the capital from 1789 until 1790.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-59">[59] </a> In 1789, the first President of the United States, <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Washington">George Washington </a>, was inaugurated; the first <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress">United States Congress </a>and the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States">Supreme Court of the United States </a>each met for the first time, and the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bill_of_Rights">United States Bill of Rights </a>was written, all at <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Hall">Federal Hall </a>on Wall Street.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-60">[60] </a> By 1790, New York grew bigger than <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia">Philadelphia </a>, so it become the biggest city in the United States. By the end of 1790, because of the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Residence_Act&action=edit&redlink=1">Residence Act </a>, Philadelphia became the new capital.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-residence_act-61">[61] </a> <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-62">[62] </a>

During the nineteenth century, New York City's population grew from ~60,000 to ~3.43 million.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-63">[63] </a> The number of black people in New York City reached more than 16,000 in 1840.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-64">[64] </a> Even though slavery and the slave trade were <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abolitionism">abolished </a>in New York, the slave trade continued illegally for many years.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-65">[65] </a>

The <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Famine_(Ireland)">Great Irish Famine </a>brought a many Irish immigrants; more than 200,000 were living in New York by 1860, more than a quarter of the city's population.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-66">[66] </a> There was also many people from German provinces, and Germans made up another 25% of New York's population by 1860.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-Harris-67">[67] </a>

During the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War">American Civil War </a>, many <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_people">white people </a>in the city supported the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confederate_States_of_America">Confederate States of America </a>, and July 1863 they killed many black New Yorkers in a riot.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-:0-48">[48] </a>

In 1898, the cities of New York and Brooklyn came together with the Bronx, Staten Island, and the western towns in Queens County to make Greater New York. This is the total area of the City of New York today. Around this time, many new <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigrant">immigrants </a>came into New York City. They came in at <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellis_Island">Ellis Island </a>, an island in New York's harbor near the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty">Statue of Liberty </a>. Many of them then moved to the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_East_Side">Lower East Side </a>neighborhood in Manhattan, which had over a million people living in just a few square miles.

Early in the twentieth century, with better transportation, more people moved to outer parts of the greater city, and many <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commuting">commuted </a>to Manhattan. Many <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyscraper">skyscrapers </a>and other big buildings were put up to provide places to work.

In the 1970s, many jobs were lost due to <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deindustrialization">industrial restructuring </a>. This caused New York City to have economic problems and high crime rates.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-68">[68] </a> Though the financial industry grew, which greatly helped the city's economy in the 1980s, New York's crime rate continued to increase through that decade and into the beginning of the 1990s.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-69">[69] </a> By the mid 1990s, crime rates started to drop a lot due to different police strategies, better economic opportunities, <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gentrification&action=edit&redlink=1">gentrification </a>, and new residents, both Americans and new immigrants from <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia">Asia </a>and <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_America">Latin America </a>. Important new sectors, such as <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Silicon_Alley&action=edit&redlink=1">Silicon Alley </a>, started in the city's economy.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-Waller2013-70">[70] </a> New York's population reached all-time highs in the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_United_States_Census">2000 census </a>and then again in the 2010 census.

New York had most of the economic damage and biggest loss of human life from the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks">September 11, 2001 attacks </a>.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-Dieterle2017-71">[71] </a> Two of the four planes taken over that day were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, destroying them and killing 2,192 civilians, 343 firefighters, and 71 police officers. The North Tower became the tallest building ever to be destroyed anywhere.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-72">[72] </a>

<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Sandy">Hurricane Sandy </a>brought a destructive <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_surge">storm surge </a>to New York City on the evening of October 29, 2012, flooding numerous streets, tunnels and subway lines in Lower Manhattan and other areas of the city and cutting off electricity in many parts of the city and its suburbs.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-73">[73] </a>

During the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wisconsin_glaciation&action=edit&redlink=1">Wisconsin glaciation </a>, 75,000 to 11,000 years ago, the New York City area was at the edge of a big <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_sheet">ice sheet </a>over 2,000 feet (610 m) deep.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-JacksonKeller2010a-74">[74] </a> Erosion and the ice moving lead to the creation of what is now <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Island">Long Island </a>and <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staten_Island">Staten Island </a>. It also left <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedrock">bedrock </a>at a shallow depth, providing a solid <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_(engineering)">foundation </a>for most of Manhattan's skyscrapers.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-75">[75] </a>

New York City is located in the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeastern_United_States">Northeastern United States </a>, in southeastern New York State, approximately halfway between <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C.">Washington, D.C. </a>and <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston">Boston </a>.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-76">[76] </a> The city includes all of <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan">Manhattan Island </a>and <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staten_Island">Staten Island </a>, and the western end of <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Island">Long Island </a>. There are also many smaller islands.

Water divides several parts of the city. The <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_River">Hudson River </a>flows through the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Valley">Hudson Valley </a>into <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_York_Bay&action=edit&redlink=1">New York Bay </a>. Between New York City and <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy,_New_York">Troy, New York </a>, the river is an <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estuary">estuary </a>.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-77">[77] </a> The Hudson River separates the city from the U.S. state of <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey">New Jersey </a>. Part of the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_River">Hudson River </a>forms the border between Manhattan and the Bronx on one side, and the State of <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey">New Jersey </a>on the other side. The <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_River">East River </a>forms the border between Manhattan on one side, and Brooklyn and Queens on the other side. The Harlem River forms the border between Manhattan and the Bronx (except for a small part of Manhattan that is on the mainland). Part of <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Island_Sound">Long Island Sound </a>separates the Bronx and Queens. Newtown Creek is part of the border between Brooklyn and Queens. Some parts of the city are very separate from the others because of water, such as <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rockaway&action=edit&redlink=1">Rockaway </a>in Queens and <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Island">City Island </a>in the Bronx. A small piece of land in Manhattan is international territory and belongs to the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Headquarters">United Nations Headquarters </a>. The country of Somalia is the only country whose national flag copied the colors of the UN.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-78">[78] </a> The <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bronx_River&action=edit&redlink=1">Bronx River </a>, which flows through the Bronx and <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Westchester_County&action=edit&redlink=1">Westchester County </a>, is the only entirely <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fresh_water">fresh water </a>river in the city.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-nytimes-79">[79] </a>

The city's total area is 468.484 square miles (1,213.37 km2 ), including 302.643 sq mi (783.84 km2 ) of land and 165.841 sq mi (429.53 km2 ) of this is water.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-CensusGazetteer-80">[80] </a> <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-NYT_Land_Estimate-81">[81] </a> The tallest place in the city is <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Todt_Hill&action=edit&redlink=1">Todt Hill </a>on Staten Island. It is at 409.8 feet (124.9 m) <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Above_mean_sea_level">above sea level </a>, and it is the tallest place on the Eastern Seaboard that is south of <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine">Maine </a>.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-82">[82] </a> The summit of the ridge is mostly <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodland">woodland </a>as part of the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Staten_Island_Greenbelt&action=edit&redlink=1">Staten Island Greenbelt </a>.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-83">[83] </a>

The hallmark of New York city is its many <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyscraper">skyscrapers </a>, especially in Manhattan. In New York City there are about 5600 skyscrapers. 48 of them are over 200 metres tall, which is the highest number of skyscrapers in one area in the world.

<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bronx">The Bronx </a>

<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn">Brooklyn </a>

<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan">Manhattan </a>

<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queens">Queens </a>

<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staten_Island">Staten Island </a>

New York City has five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island.

<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan">Manhattan </a>(New York County) is the geographically smallest and most densely populated borough. It has <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Park">Central Park </a>and most of the city's skyscrapers. It is sometimes locally known as The City .<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-ManhattanTheCity-87">[87] </a>

<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brooklyn">Brooklyn </a>(Kings County), on the western end of <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Island">Long Island </a>, has the most people living in it than any other borough. Brooklyn is known for its cultural, social, and ethnic diversity, an independent art scene, <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Brooklyn_neighborhoods&action=edit&redlink=1">unique neighborhoods </a>, and unique <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architecture">architecture </a>.

<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queens">Queens </a>(Queens County), on Long Island north and east of Brooklyn, is geographically the biggest borough and the most <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ethnic_diversity&action=edit&redlink=1">ethnically diverse </a>county in the United States.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-queensdiverse-88">[88] </a> It is also the most ethnically diverse urban area in the world.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-QueensMostDiverseWorld1-89">[89] </a> <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-QueensMostDiverseWorld2-90">[90] </a>

<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bronx">The Bronx </a>(Bronx County) is New York City's northernmost borough. It is the only New York City borough with most of the land being on the mainland United States. The <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee_Stadium">Yankee Stadium </a>, the baseball park of the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Yankees">New York Yankees </a>, and the biggest <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Housing_cooperative&action=edit&redlink=1">cooperatively owned housing </a>complex in the United States, <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Co-op_City,_Bronx&action=edit&redlink=1">Co-op City </a>, are in the Bronx.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-91">[91] </a> The <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronx_Zoo">Bronx Zoo </a>, the world's largest metropolitan zoo,<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-BronxZoo-92">[92] </a> is also in the Bronx. It is 265 acres (1.07 km2 ) big and has more than 6,000 animals.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-93">[93] </a> <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapping">Rap </a>and <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hip_hop_culture&action=edit&redlink=1">hip hop culture </a>were created in the Bronx.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-auto-94">[94] </a> <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pelham_Bay_Park&action=edit&redlink=1">Pelham Bay Park </a>is the biggest park in New York City, at 2,772 acres (1,122 ha).<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-nyt20130601-95">[95] </a>

<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staten_Island">Staten Island </a>(Richmond County) is the most suburban of the five boroughs. Staten Island is connected to Brooklyn by the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verrazano-Narrows_Bridge">Verrazano-Narrows Bridge </a>. It is connected to Manhattan by way of the free <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staten_Island_Ferry">Staten Island Ferry </a>, a daily <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commuter">commuter </a>ferry which has clear views of the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty">Statue of Liberty </a>, <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellis_Island">Ellis Island </a>, and Lower Manhattan. In central Staten Island, the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Staten_Island_Greenbelt&action=edit&redlink=1">Staten Island Greenbelt </a>is about 2,500 acres (10 km2 ) big, including 28 miles (45 km) of walking trails and one of the last untouched forests in the city.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-96">[96] </a>

Under the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6ppen_climate_classification">Köppen climate classification </a>, New York City experiences a <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humid_subtropical_climate">humid subtropical climate </a>(Cfa ) that borders a <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humid_continental_climate">humid continental climate </a>(Dfa ).<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-97">[97] </a> <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-98">[98] </a> The average temperature in January, the area's coldest month, is 32.1 °F (0.1 °C). However, temperatures in winter could for a few days be as low as 10 °F (−12 °C) and as high as 60 °F (16 °C).<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-99">[99] </a> Summers are typically hot and humid with a July average of 76.5 °F (24.7 °C). New York City gets some <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow">snow </a>in winter.

New York City currently has over 9 million people. Over 20 million people live in the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_metropolitan_area">New York metropolitan area </a>including the city. The majority of the people in New York City belong to <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_group">ethnic groups </a>that are minorities in the US. New York City has had large numbers of immigrants for centuries. In the early 19th Century, they came from <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland">Ireland </a>and <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany">Germany </a>. Later in the 19th century, they came from <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy">Italy </a>, <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia">Russia </a>and <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Europe">Eastern Europe </a>. Today, many are from <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico">Puerto Rico </a>, <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiti">Haiti </a>, the <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominican_Republic">Dominican Republic </a>and <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombia">Colombia </a>. Other ethnic groups living in New York City are Turks, Indians, Mexicans, Filipinos, Eastern Europeans, Jamaicans, Trinidadians, Caribbeans and Chinese. New York City has one of the largest <a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanic_and_Latino_Americans">Hispanic and Latino </a>population in the United States.<a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City#cite_note-106">[104] </a>

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