# New York (state)

| New York |
| --- |
| State |
| State of New York |
| FlagSeal |
| Nickname: The Empire State |
| Motto(s): *Excelsior* (in Latin) *Ever upward* |
| Anthem: "I Love New York" |
| Map of the United States with New York highlighted |
| Country | United States |
| Before statehood | Province of New York |
| Admitted to the Union | July 26, 1788 (11th) |
| Capital | Albany |
| Largest city | New York |
| Largest metro and urban areas | Greater New York |
| Government |
|  • Governor | Kathy Hochul (D) |
|  • Lieutenant Governor | Antonio Delgado (D) |
| Legislature | State Legislature |
|  • Upper house | State Senate |
|  • Lower house | State Assembly |
| Judiciary | New York Court of Appeals |
| U.S. senators | * Chuck Schumer (D)
* Kirsten Gillibrand (D)
 |
| U.S. House delegation | * 19 Democrats
* 8 Republicans

 (list) |
| Area |
|  • Total | 54,556 sq mi (141,300 km2) |
|  • Rank | 27th |
| Dimensions |
|  • Length | 330 mi (530 km) |
|  • Width | 285 mi (455 km) |
| Elevation | 1,000 ft (300 m) |
| Highest elevation (Mount Marcy) | 5,344 ft (1,629 m) |
| Lowest elevation (Atlantic Ocean) | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Population (2020) |
|  • Total | 20,215,751 |
|  • Rank | 4th |
|  • Density | 416.42/sq mi (159/km2) |
|   • Rank | 7th |
|  • Median household income | $64,894 |
|  • Income rank | 15th |
| Demonym | New Yorker |
| Language |
|  • Official language | None |
|  • Spoken language | * English 69.6%
* Spanish 15.2%
* Chinese 3.1%
* French 1.6%
* Russian 1.2%
* Italian 0.9%
* Yiddish 0.7%
* Hindi/Urdu 0.6%
* Arabic 0.5%
* Korean 0.5%
 |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern) |
|  • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
| USPS abbreviation | NY |
| ISO 3166 code | US-NY |
| Traditional abbreviation | N.Y. |
| Latitude | 40° 30′ N to 45° 1′ N |
| Longitude | 71° 51′ W to 79° 46′ W |
| Website | www.ny.gov |

| New York state symbols |
| --- |
| Flag of New York |
|  |
| Living insignia |
| Bird | Eastern bluebird |
| Fish | Brook trout (fresh water), Striped bass (salt water) |
| Flower | Rose |
| Insect | Nine-spotted ladybug |
| Mammal | North American beaver |
| Reptile | Common snapping turtle |
| Tree | Sugar maple |
| Inanimate insignia |
| Beverage | Milk |
| Food | * **Fruit:** Apple
 |
| Fossil | *Eurypterus remipes* |
| Gemstone | Garnet |
| Shell | Bay scallop |
| Slogan | *I Love New York* |
| Other | **Bush:** Lilac bush |
| State route marker |
|  |
| State quarter |
| Released in 2001 |
| Lists of United States state symbols |

The **State of New York**, often called just **New York**, or **New York State** (**NYS**) to distinguish it from the city of New York, is a state of the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies, which were the first thirteen states to make up the US. New York is in the northeastern United States, bordered by Lake Ontario and Canada on the north, Lake Erie and Canada on the west, Pennsylvania on the west and south, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut on the east, and New Jersey on the south.

The state has over 70,000 miles of rivers and streams.

## History

New York was originally New Netherland, started by the Dutch Empire in the early 17th century. Late in the century, it surrendered to an English fleet during the Anglo-Dutch Wars and became part of the British Empire. About half the Dutch colony was given to neighboring English colonies. The Battle of Long Island, Battle of Saratoga, and other important battles of the American Revolution were fought in New York and it joined the new United States. The slave trade brought many black people into the state, where they were forced to work for white colonists. Slavery was gradually abolished in the early 19th century.

The Erie Canal, connecting the Hudson River to Lake Erie, strengthened the economy of New York.

## Demographics

The United States Census Bureau says that, as of 2020, New York had the 4th largest state population in the United States, after California,Texas, and Florida. New York's estimated population is 20,000,000.

Midtown Manhattan skyline at twilight hour
## Cities

The largest city in New York is also called New York, located in the southeastern part of the state and built on the Hudson River; it is by far the most populous city in the United States. Part of New York City is on Long Island, a large island in the Atlantic Ocean, and another part of it is on Staten Island, which is to the southwest of Manhattan, the central business district. Most people living in New York state live in the New York metropolitan area, one of the world's largest metropolitan areas, which also includes part of northern New Jersey.

The larger part of New York, north and northwest of the metropolitan area, is called Upstate New York. Cities in this part of New York include Buffalo, the state's second largest city, Rochester, Syracuse, and the state capital of Albany. These places became cities because of the Erie Canal. Between 1788 and 1797, the Legislature moved the state capital around between Albany, Kingston, Poughkeepsie, and New York City. Albany became the permanent capital in 1797.

## Related pages

* List of counties in New York
* List of places in New York