New York
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Flag Seal
Nickname(s): The Empire State
Motto(s): Excelsior (Latin)
Ever upward
Official language(s) None
Demonym New Yorker
Capital Albany
Largest city New York City
Largest metro area New York metropolitan area
Area Ranked 27th in the US
- Total 54,555 sq mi
(141,299 km2)
- Width 285 miles (455 km)
- Length 330 miles (530 km)
- % water 13.3
- Latitude 40° 30′ N to 45° 1′ N
- Longitude 71° 51′ W to 79° 46′ W
Population Ranked 3rd in the US
- Total 19,541,453 (2009 est.)
18,976,457 (2000)
- Density 408.7/sq mi (157.81/km2)
Ranked 7th in the US
Elevation
- Highest point Mount Marcy
5,344 ft (1,629 m)
- Mean 1,000 ft (305 m)
- Lowest point 0 ft (0 m)
Admission to Union July 26, 1788 (11th)
Governor David Paterson (D)
Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch (D)
Legislature New York Legislature
- Upper house State Senate
- Lower house State Assembly
U.S. Senators Charles Schumer (D)
Kirsten Gillibrand (D)
U.S. House delegation 27 Democrats,
2 Republicans (list)
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Abbreviations NY US-NY
Website http://www.ny.gov
New York ( /njuː ˈjɔrk/; locally [nɪu ˈjoək] or [nuː ˈjɔrk](
listen)) is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east. The state has a maritime border with Rhode Island east of Long Island, as well as an international border with the Canadian provinces of Ontario to the north and west, and Quebec to the north. New York is often referred to as New York State to distinguish it from New York City.
New York City, the most populous city in the United States, is known for its status as a financial, cultural, transportation, and manufacturing center, and for its history as a gateway for immigration to the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, it is also a destination of choice for many foreign visitors. Both state and city were named for the 17th century Duke of York, James Stuart, future James II and VII of England and Scotland.
New York was inhabited by the Algonquin, Iroquois, and Lenape Native American groups at the time Dutch settlers moved into the region in the early 17th century. In 1609, the region was first claimed by Henry Hudson for the Dutch. Fort Nassau was built near the site of the present-day capital of Albany in 1614. The Dutch soon also settled New Amsterdam and parts of the Hudson River Valley, establishing the colony of New Netherland. The British took over the colony by annexation in 1664.
The borders of the British colony, the Province of New York, were roughly similar to those of the present-day state. About one third of all the battles of the Revolutionary War took place in New York. New York became an independent state on July 9, 1776, and enacted its constitution in 1777. The state ratified the United States Constitution on July 26, 1788 to become the eleventh state of the union.
Geography
New York covers 54,556 square miles (141,300 km2) and ranks as the 27th largest state by size. The Great Appalachian Valley dominates eastern New York, while Lake Champlain is the chief northern feature of the valley, which also includes the Hudson River flowing southward to the Atlantic Ocean. The rugged Adirondack Mountains, with vast tracts of wilderness, lie west of the valley.
Most of the southern part of the state is on the Allegheny Plateau, which rises from the southeast to the Catskill Mountains. The western section of the state is drained by the Allegheny River and rivers of the Susquehanna and Delaware systems. The Delaware River Basin Compact, signed in 1961 by New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the federal government, regulates the utilization of water of the Delaware system. The highest elevation in New York is Mount Marcy in the Adirondacks.
New York's borders touch (clockwise from the west) two Great Lakes (Erie and Ontario, which are connected by the Niagara River); the provinces of Ontario and Quebec in Canada; Lake Champlain; three New England states (Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut); the Atlantic Ocean, and two Mid-Atlantic States, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In addition, Rhode Island shares a water border with New York. New York is the only state that touches both the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean.
In contrast with New York City's urban atmosphere, 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. It is 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, on the Niagara River as it flows from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, is a popular attraction.
The Hudson River begins at Lake Tear of the Clouds and flows south through the eastern part of the state without draining Lakes George or Champlain. Lake George empties at its north end into Lake Champlain, whose northern end extends into Canada, where it drains into the Richelieu and then the St. Lawrence Rivers. Four of New York City's five boroughs are on three islands at the mouth of the Hudson River: Manhattan Island; Staten Island; and Long Island, which contains Brooklyn and Queens on its western end.
Upstate and downstate are often used informally to distinguish New York City or its greater metropolitan area from the rest of New York state. The placement of a boundary between the two is a matter of great contention. Unofficial and loosely defined regions of Upstate New York include the Southern Tier, which often includes the counties along the border with Pennsylvania, and the North Country, which can mean anything from the strip along the Canadian border to everything north of the Mohawk River.
Climate
In general, New York has a humid continental climate, though under the Köppen climate classification, New York City has a humid subtropical climate. Weather in New York is heavily influenced by two continental air masses: a warm, humid one from the southwest and a cold, dry one from the northwest.
The winters are long and cold in the Plateau Divisions of the state. In the majority of winter seasons, a temperature of −13 °F (−25 °C) or lower can be expected in the northern highlands (Northern Plateau) and 5 °F (−15 °C) or colder in the southwestern and east-central highlands (Southern Plateau). The summer climate is cool in the Adirondacks, Catskills and higher elevations of the Southern Plateau.
The New York City/Long Island area and lower portions of the Hudson Valley have rather warm summers by comparison, with some periods of high, uncomfortable humidity. The remainder of New York State enjoys pleasantly warm summers, marred by only occasional, brief intervals of sultry conditions. Summer daytime temperatures usually range from the upper 70s to mid 80s °F (25 to 30 °C), over much of the state.
New York ranks 46th among the 50 states in the amount of greenhouse gases generated per person. This efficiency is primarily due to the state's higher rate of mass transit use.
Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various New York Cities (Fahrenheit) City Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Albany max
min 31
13 34
16 44
25 57
36 70
46 78
55 82
60 80
58 71
50 60
39 48
31 36
20
Binghamton max
min 28
15 31
17 41
25 53
35 66
46 73
54 78
59 76
57 68
50 57
40 44
31 33
21
Buffalo max
min 31
18 33
19 42
26 54
36 66
48 75
57 80
62 78
60 70
53 59
43 47
34 36
24
Long Island max
min 39
23 40
24 48
31 58
40 69
49 77
60 83
66 82
64 75
57 64
45 54
36 44
28
New York City max
min 38
26 41
28 50
35 61
44 71
54 79
63 84
69 82
68 75
60 64
50 53
41 43
32
Rochester max
min 31
17 33
17 43
25 55
35 68
46 77
55 81
60 79
59 71
51 60
41 47
33 36
23
Syracuse max
min 31
14 34
16 43
24 56
35 68
46 77
55 82
60 80
59 71
51 60
40 47
32 36
21
Monthly Normal High and Low Temperatures For Various New York Cities (Celsius) City Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Albany max
min −1
−11 1
−9 7
−4 14
2 21
8 26
13 28
16 27
14 22
10 16
4 9
−1 2
−7
Binghamton max
min −2
−9 −1
−8 5
−4 12
2 19
8 23
12 26
15 24
14 20
10 14
4 7
−1 1
−6
Buffalo max
min −1
−8 1
−7 6
−3 12
2 19
9 24
14 27
17 26
16 21
12 15
6 8
1 2
−4
Long Island max
min 4
−5 4
−4 9
−1 14
4 21
9 25
16 28
19 28
18 24
14 18
7 12
2 7
−2
New York City max
min 3
−3 5
−2 10
2 16
7 22
12 26
17 29
21 28
20 24
16 18
10 12
5 6
0
Rochester max
min −1
−8 1
−8 6
−4 13
2 20
8 25
13 27
16 26
15 22
11 16
5 8
1 2
−5
Syracuse max
min −1
−10 1
−9 6
−4 13
2 20
8 25
13 28
16 27
15 22
11 16
4 8
0 2
−6
Converted from Fahrenheit data (above)