The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, which crosses from Staten Island into Brooklyn, is the longest single suspension bridge in North America at 4,260 feet between the span, and 13,700 feet overall. Because it is so long, planners had to allow for the curvature of the earth. The Borough of Brooklyn, which is home to a population of 2,300,000 people, is the most populous of the five boroughs. Brooklyn was founded by the Dutch, who originally named the borough Breukelen, or broken land, in 1636. Some of the neighborhoods and historic landmarks in Brooklyn include Bay Ridge, which is populated largely by Italians and Irish.
Sunset Park is largely Latin American and Chinese.
The Greenpoint neighborhood, the furthest north, is home to large Polish, German, Ukranian, and Russian populations. While Brooklyn is home to some of the most diverse neighborhoods in New York City, it also contains some of the most treasured historic sites. Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn, is still an active Army base. It was here that Confederate Generals Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee served as young officers in the 1830's. The Lief Erikson Parkway, near 67 Street, is named for the Viking navigator who is believed to have reached North America 500 years before Columbus.