 New
York Information
Capital
City: Albany
Economy: Manufacturing,
finance, communications, tourism, transportation, agriculture, mining.
Population: 18,196,601
Time Zone: 5 hours
behind Greenwich Mean Time (-5 GMT). Daylight Saving Time is observed
from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October
New York's Flag:
Emblazoned on a dark blue field is the state coat of arms. The goddess
Liberty holds a pole with a Liberty Cap on top. Liberty stands for
freedom. At her feet is a discarded crown, representing freedom
from England at the end of the revolutionary war. On the right is
the goddess, Justice. She wears a blindfold and carries the scales
of justice. Meaning that everyone receives equal treatment under
the law. The state motto "Excelsior" on a white ribbon
expresses the idea of reaching upward to higher goals. On the shield
a sun rises over the Hudson highlands and ships sail the Hudson
river. Above the shield is an eagle resting on a globe representing
the Western Hemisphere.
History
of New York: Giovanni da Verrazano, an Italian-born
navigator sailing for France, discovered New York Bay in 1524. Henry
Hudson, an Englishman employed by the Dutch, reached the bay and
sailed up the river now bearing his name in 1609, the same year
that northern New York was explored and claimed for France by Samuel
de Champlain. In 1624 the first permanent Dutch settlement was established
at Fort Orange (now Albany); one year later Peter Minuit is said
to have purchased Manhattan Island from the Indians for trinkets
worth about $24 and founded the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam (now
New York City), which was surrendered to the English in 1664. For
a short time, New York City was the U.S. capital and George Washington
was inaugurated there as first president on April 30, 1789. New
York's extremely rapid commercial growth may be partly attributed
to Governor De Witt Clinton, who pushed through the construction
of the Erie Canal (Buffalo to Albany), which was opened in 1825.
Today, the 559-mile Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway connects New
York City with Buffalo and with Connecticut, Massachusetts, and
Pennsylvania express highways. Two toll-free superhighways, the
Adirondack Northway (linking Albany with the Canadian border) and
the North-South Expressway (crossing central New York from the Pennsylvania
border to the Thousand Islands) have been opened. New York, with
the great metropolis of New York City, is the spectacular nerve
center of the nation. It is a leader in manufacturing, foreign trade,
commercial and financial transactions, book and magazine publishing,
and theatrical production. New York City is not only a national
but an international leader. A leading seaport, its John F. Kennedy
International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world.
It is the largest manufacturing center in the country and its apparel
industry is the city's largest manufacturing employer, with printing
and publishing second. Nearly all the rest of the state's manufacturing
is done on Long Island, along the Hudson River north to Albany,
and through the Mohawk Valley, Central New York, and Southern Tier
regions to Buffalo. The St. Lawrence seaway and power projects have
opened the North Country to industrial expansion and have given
the state a second seacoast. The state ranks fourth in the nation
in manufacturing, with 982,000 employees in 1995. The principal
industries are apparel, printing and publishing, leather products,
instruments, and electronic equipment. The convention and tourist
business is one of the state's most important sources of income.
New York farms raise cattle and calves, produce corn and poultry,
and raise vegetables and fruits. The state is a leading wine producer.
Among the major points of interest are Castle Clinton, Fort Stanwix,
and Statue of Liberty National Monuments; Niagara Falls; U.S. Military
Academy at West Point; National Historic Sites that include homes
of Franklin D. Roosevelt at Hyde Park and Theodore Roosevelt in
Oyster Bay and New York City; National Memorials, including Grant's
Tomb and Federal Hall in New York City; Fort Ticonderoga; the Baseball
Hall of Fame in Cooperstown; and the United Nations, skyscrapers,
museums, theaters, and parks in New York City.
Other New York Links:
Business Council
of New York State, Inc.
I Love New York Tourism Promotion
Program
New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials
New York State Education Department
New York State Library
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