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New York City
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
— City —
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Nickname(s): The Big Apple, The Concrete Jungle, The City That Never Sleeps, The Capital of The World (Caput Mundi), Gotham, The Greatest City in The World, The Empire City, The City So Nice They Named It Twice, The City.
Coordinates: 74°0′W / 40.717°N 74°W / 40.717; -74
Country United States
State New York
Boroughs The Bronx
Brooklyn
Manhattan
Queens
Staten Island
Settled 1624
Government
- Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) [1]
Area
- City 468.9 sq mi (1,214.4 km2)
- Land 304.8 sq mi (789.4 km2)
- Water 165.6 sq mi (428.8 km2)
- Urban 3,352.6 sq mi (8,683.2 km2)
- Metro 6,720 sq mi (17,405 km2)
Elevation 33 ft (10 m)
Population (July 1, 2008)[2]
- City 8,363,710
- Density 27,440/sq mi (10,606/km2)
- Urban 18,223,567
- Urban Density 5,435.7/sq mi (2,098.7/km2)
- Metro 19,006,798
- Metro Density 2,828.4/sq mi (1,092/km2)
- Demonym New Yorker
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes 100xx-104xx, 11004-05, 111xx-114xx, 116xx
Area code(s) 212, 718, 917, 347, 646
Website www.nyc.gov
New York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is one of the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over global commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment. As host of the United Nations headquarters, it is also an important center for international affairs. The city is often referred to as New York City or The City of New York to distinguish it from the state of New York, of which it is a part.
Located on a large natural harbor on the Atlantic coast of the Northeastern United States, the city consists of five boroughs: The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. The city's 2008 estimated population exceeds 8.3 million people,[2] and with a land area of 305 square miles (790 km2),[3][4] New York City is the most densely populated major city in the United States.[5] The New York metropolitan area's population is also the nation's largest, estimated at 18.8 million people over 6,720 square miles (17,400 km2).[6] Furthermore, the Combined Statistical Area containing the Greater New York metropolitan area contained 22.155 million people as of 2008 Census estimates, also the largest in the United States.
New York was founded as a commercial trading post by the Dutch in 1624. The settlement was called New Amsterdam until 1664 when the colony came under English control.[7] New York served as the capital of the United States from 1785 until 1790.[8] It has been the country's largest city since 1790.[9]
Many districts and landmarks in the city have become well known to outsiders. The Statue of Liberty greeted millions of immigrants as they came to America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Wall Street, in Lower Manhattan, has been a dominant global financial center since World War II and is home to the New York Stock Exchange. The city has been home to several of the tallest buildings in the world, including the Empire State Building and the twin towers of the former World Trade Center.
The city is the birthplace of many cultural movements, including the Harlem Renaissance in literature and visual art; abstract expressionism (also known as the New York School) in painting; hip hop,[10] punk,[11] salsa, disco, freestyle, and Tin Pan Alley in music; and is the home of Broadway theater.
New York is notable among American cities for its high use of mass transit, most of which runs 24 hours a day, and for the density and diversity of its population. In 2005, nearly 170 languages were spoken in the city and 36% of its population was born outside the United States.[12][13] Sometimes referred to as "The City That Never Sleeps," the city has also been nicknamed, "The Capital of the World," "The City," "Gotham,"[14] and the "Big Apple."[15]
History
The region was inhabited by about 5,000 Lenape Native Americans at the time of its European discovery in 1524[16] by Giovanni da Verrazzano, an Italian explorer in the service of the French crown, who called it "Nouvelle Angoulême" (New Angoulême).[17] European settlement began with the founding of a Dutch fur trading settlement, later called "Nieuw Amsterdam" (New Amsterdam), on the southern tip of Manhattan in 1614. Dutch colonial Director-General Peter Minuit purchased the island of Manhattan from the Lenape in 1626 for a value of 60 guilders (about $1000 in 2006);[18] a disproved legend, says that Manhattan was purchased for $24 worth of glass beads.[19][20]
In 1664, the English conquered the city and renamed it "New York" after the English Duke of York and Albany.[21] At the end of the Second Anglo-Dutch War the Dutch gained control of Run (then a much more valuable asset) in exchange for the English controlling New Amsterdam (New York) in North America. Several intertribal wars among the Native Americans and some epidemics brought on by the arrival of the Europeans caused sizable population losses for the Lenape between the years 1660 and 1670.[22] By 1700, the Lenape population had diminished to 200.[23] In 1702, city lost 10% of its population to yellow fever.[24] New York underwent no less than seven important yellow fever epidemics from 1702 to 1800.[25]
New York City grew in importance as a trading port while under British rule. The city hosted the influential John Peter Zenger trial in 1735, helping to establish the freedom of the press in North America. In 1754, Columbia University was founded under charter by George II of Great Britain as King's College in Lower Manhattan.[26] The Stamp Act Congress met in New York in October of 1765 as the Sons of Liberty organized in the city, skirmishing over the next ten years with British troops stationed there.