Wayne Wheelwright - 50 Quick Facts About New York

Title Page

50 Quick Facts About New York

By

Wayne Wheelwright

Publisher Information

50 Quick Facts about New York

Published in 2014 by Andrews UK Limited

www.andrewsuk.com

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publishers prior written consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published, and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Copyright 2014 Wayne Wheelwright

The right of Wayne Wheelwright to be identified as author of this book has been asserted in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyrights Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Facts

1. New York is situated in the Northeastern region of the United States. With an area of 54,556 miles it is the 27 th largest state in the country by area. New York is bordered on the south by New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The state is bordered on the east by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont. New York state also has a maritime border with Rhode Island and an international border with Ontario, Canada.
2. New York has a population of around 19.5 million people which makes it the 3 rd most populous state in the United States. New York City itself has a population of over 8 million people and makes up around 40% of the population of the state. New York state has a population density of 412/sq mile which places it as the state with the 7 th highest population density in the United States.
3. New Yorks history starts at around 10,000 BC which is when the first Native Americans arrived and by 10000 AD the two main tribes had developed, the Iroquoian and the Algonquian. Europeans didnt arrive in New York until 1524 led by the French and the first land claim which came from the Dutch didnt come until 1609.
4. The state was named New York after the Duke of York in 1664 by the English and New York City became one of the most important trading ports in the Thirteen Colonies (Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina and Rhode Island and Providence Plantations) in the 1700s.
5. During the Revolutionary War, New York was the venue of many pivotal battles. The Battle of Saratoga was the turning point of the war. The two battles fought eighteen days apart decided the fate of British General John Burgoynes army in the American War of Independence. Led by Benedict Arnold the American forces ended the engagements having captured a portion of the British defences and also convinced France to offer military and monetary aid to the American Revolution.
6. 1977 saw the adoption of New Yorks Constitution which would serve as a major influence on the United States Constitution. New York City has served as the nations capital at various times between the years 1785 and 1790. In 1787 New York became the eleventh state to be admitted to the Union.
7. During the 1800s New York City became the main port for Europeans moving to the United States. Before the opening of Ellis Island in in 1892, millions of immigrants would arrive through Castle Clinton in Battery Park. 1886 saw the opening of the Statue of Liberty which would go on to become a symbol of hope and one of the worlds most popular tourist attractions.
8. During the 1920s New York boomed with its ever growing population and the cities constant growth to accommodate them. New York became home to many financial institutions and all was going well until the Wall Street Crash of 1929 which was the most devastating stock market crash in the history of the nation and signalled the start of the Great Depression that would go on for a decade. The state would struggle until World War II which turned around the states economy.
9. Around the 1950s New York recovered its position as a financial and cultural center and became a media capital with it being home to many of the major news networks and broadcasts as well as being home to some of the worlds best known newspapers including the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.
10. New York has a climate that is generally humid continental which can vary greatly through the year. During January and February the winter temperatures average below freezing whilst June to August sees a statewide coverage of summer like weather and temperatures. New York Citys large population and urbanization has led to it becoming an urban heat island which means the temperature there is generally a little warmer than its surrounding area.
11. Long Island reaches northeast into the Atlantic Ocean. Long Island has a population of around 7.5 million people and is has the highest population of and island in any U.S. state or territory and is the 17 th most populous island in the world and is ahead of Ireland and Jamaica on that list. The island extends 118 miles and is 23 miles at its widest north to south point which makes it the 11 th largest island in the United States and the 148 th largest island in the world.
12. Manhattan is one New York Citys five boroughs and whilst geographically being the smallest it is also the most densely populated. The borough is made up of the island of Manhattan and the smaller nearby islands of Roosevelt Island, Randalls Island, Wards Island, Governors Island, Liberty Island, part of Ellis Island, Mill Rock and U Thant Island as well as Marble Hill. Manhattan is home to the United Nations Headquarters, the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ as well as Times Square.
13. The Bronx is most northern of the New York boroughs. The Bronx is the only one of the five of New York Citys boroughs to be mainly located on the mainland. The Bronx has a population of around 1.3 million people and covers an area of around 42 square miles. The Bronx is split by the Bronx River which was named for Jonas Bronk who was the creator of the first settlement in the area.
14. Brooklyn is the most densely populated of the boroughs of New York City with a population of around 2.5 million people and is the second largest of the boroughs by area. If Brooklyn were a city of its own it would be the fourth most populous city in the United States. Brooklyn is home to many tourist attractions including Coney Island and Prospect Park as well as being home to the Brooklyn Nets who moved into the borough in 2012 whilst the New York Islanders are moving into the borough in 2015.
15. Queens is the most eastern of the boroughs of New York City. With a population of around 2.2 million people it is the second largest of the boroughs by population and is home to the most ethnically diverse urban area in the whole world with almost half of its population being foreign born. Queens covers and area of just over 178 square miles and is home to JFK International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. Queens is home to Flushing Meadows Park and has been home to many of the worlds leading hip hop artists including Nas, Run DMC, LL Cool J and 50 Cent.
16. Staten Island is located in the southwest part of New York City and is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull whilst being separated from the rest of New York City by New York Bay. With a population of under half a million people it is the least populous of the borough of New York City but by area is the third largest covering 59 square miles. Staten Island used to be home to the worlds largest landfill but the area is undergoing work to become New York Citys second largest public park behind Central Park.
17. New York City is the most populous city in the United States with a population of just under 8.5 million people. New York or NYC is often referred to as being the cultural capital of the world. NYC is made up of the five boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island and covers an area of over 300 square miles. New York City is one of the worlds largest tourist destinations attracting around 50 million visitors annually. The city is home to Times Square which is described as The Crossroads of the World and Central Park which is world famous and was named a National Historic Landmark in 1962.