What are the Key Facts of New York?

State	New York
State Capital	Albany
Largest City	New York City
Coordinates	38.5°N 92.5°W
Nickname(s)	“The Empire State”
Postal Abbreviation	NY
Area	54,555 sq. mi (141,300 sq. km)
Highest Point	Mount Marcy, 5,344 ft (1,629 m)
Number of Counties	62
Neighboring States	Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
Population	19,453,561 (2019)
Date of Entering the Union	July 26, 1788
State Anthem	“I Love New York”
Governor	Andrew Cuomo (Democratic Party)
Lieutenant Governor	Kathy Hochul (Democratic Party)
U.S. Senators	Chuck Schumer (Democratic Party), Kirsten Gillibrand (Democratic Party)
U.S. House Delegation	21 Democrats, 5 Republicans, 1 Vacant
GDP (Millions of Dollars)	1,668,866
Demonym	New Yorker
Time Zones	UTC-05:00 (Eastern), Summer (DST) UTC-04:00 (EDT)

Where is New York?

New York (the 11^th state that was admitted to the union on July 26, 1788) is located in the northeastern region of the USA. It shares its border with Pennsylvania (to the south and west), New Jersey (to the south), Vermont, Massachusetts and Connecticut (to the east), Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and Canada (to the north and west), and the Atlantic Ocean (to the south).

What is the Geography of New York?

New York is spread across a total area of 54,555 sq. mi (141,300 sq. km), making it the 27^th largest state out of the total 50 states of the US. Out of the total area, the land area is spread across 47,126 sq. mi (122,057 sq. km) and the water area over 7,429 sq. mi (19,240 sq. km). This state is around 330 miles (531 km) long from north to south. From east to west, it is around 283 miles (455.4 km) wide.

Water bodies occupy 13.6% of the total area. Some of the longest rivers in the state are the Saint Lawrence River, Susquehanna River, Allegheny River, Hudson River, Delaware River, Genesee River, Mohawk River, Raquette River, Oswegatchie River and the Black River. The major lakes in New York are Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Oneida Lake, Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake.

The mean elevation of New York is 1,000 ft (304.8 m) above sea level. Mount Marcy is the highest elevation point at 5, 344 ft (1,628.9 m) above sea level, and the Atlantic Ocean is the lowest elevation point at sea level (0 ft or 0 m). The major mountains in this state are Mount Marcy, Algonquin Peak, Mount Haystack, Mount Skylight, Dix Mountain, Iroquois Peak, Boundary Peak, Basin Mountain, Whiteface Mountain, and Gray Peak.

This state has a diverse landscape. In the northern part of this state, especially between Lake Ontario (in the west) and Lake Champlain (in the east), the Adirondack Mountains are located. They are the highest and most rugged mountains in the state. On the shores of Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence-Champlain lowlands are located. They extend northeast along the St. Lawrence River as well as the Canadian border.

The Hudson-Mohawk lowland, having a width of 10-30 miles (16-48.3 km), is located to the south of the Adirondack Mountains. The Atlantic coastal plain is located in the southeast region of the state. The Appalachian Highlands is located to the west of the Hudson River. These highlands extend in the west towards Lake Erie. The Catskill Mountains and the Finger Lakes are found in this region. The Erie-Ontario lowlands are located further west and it slopes down towards the two Great Lakes of the state.

This area includes the Catskill Mountains and the Finger Lakes. Further west is the Erie-Ontario lowlands as New York slopes toward these two Great Lakes.

What is the Climate of New York?

In general, New York has a humid continental climate. However, the extreme southeastern region gets a warm humid subtropical climate. During the peak of the winter season (January-February), the average temperature dips below the freezing point in most of the state. However, along the Atlantic coastline (including the New York City), the temperature hovers several degrees above the freezing point.

Almost throughout the state, a summer-like season prevails during June-to-early-September. However, in the southern part of the state (including New York City), the summer season starts in late-May and continues till late-September.

During October-to-April, protracted periods of cloud cover and precipitation prevails in the east of the Appalachian Range. In northern parts of this state, winter-like climatic conditions prevail from November to April. However, in southern parts of New York, winter-like condition prevails from December to March. The western part of the state remains cloudier than the southern and eastern parts. The annual precipitation rate remains fairly even round the year. On an average, around ten tornadoes touchdown in the state yearly.

The average annual temperature over the Adirondack Mountains revolves around 39 °F (4 °C) but remains about 53 °F (12 °C) across Long Island. The best time to visit New York is summer (June-August). The weather remains pleasant throughout this time and mostly sunny. The temperature remains below 85 °F (29 °C). Another peak season to visit this state is in the Fall (or Autumn) season, which starts in September and continues till November. If you want to watch the brilliant colors of red and gold, visit the state during fall foliage, especially in mid-October.

What is the Economy of New York?

New York is the third-largest economy in the United States (only after Texas and California) whose total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was US$1,668,866.2 million in 2018 (a significant increase from US$1,099,234.4 million in 2008). The New York City (the single largest regional urban economy in the US and also the world) is situated in this state.

The major industries on which this state is dependent upon are financial services, “Health Care and Social Assistance” industry, professional and technical services (including lawyers, marketers, mechanics, accountants, etc.), retail trade, manufacturing, educational services, and many more. The major manufacturing units are pharmaceuticals, computer chips, machinery, photographic chemicals, film and paper, agricultural pesticides & fertilizers, industrial chemicals, plastics, paint, and soaps.

The major agricultural products of New York are dairy products, apples, greenhouse/nursery products, cattle & calves, hay, etc. Around 2/3^rd of the agricultural income of the state comes from livestock and livestock products. In the eastern part of the US, New York is the leading fruit and vegetable producer. Some of the major vegetables grown here are green peas, cucumbers, cabbages, squash, snap beans, onions, tomatoes, and sweet corn.

The Per Capita Personal Income in New York increased significantly from US$48,328 in 2008 to US$68,668 in 2018. However, the Real Median Household Income in the state tumbled down from US$58,996 in 2008 to US$52,243 in 2012, a fall of over US$6,000 in just 4-years. It improved sharply since then and it reached US$67,274 in 2018.

The value of exports and imports of this state in 2018 was US$84,683,200,233 and US$137,066,298,469 respectively, resulting in a negative trade balance of -US$52,383,098,236. In terms of values of export, import, and trade balance, New York’s rank was 3, 5, and 44 respectively.

The major export items of New York are Precious Stones & Metals, Collectibles, Industrial Machinery, Electrical Machinery, Precision Instruments, Motor Vehicles & Parts, Aircraft, Plastics, Oil & Mineral Fuels, etc. The major import items of the state are Precious Stones & Metals, Industrial Machinery, Electrical Machinery, Collectibles, Non-Knit/Knit Apparel, Precision Instruments, Beverages and Furniture.

The rate of unemployment increased sharply from 4.8% in January 2008 to 8.9% in November 2009, which almost doubled in less than 2-years. However, it has come down to 4% in November 2019. 14.1% of the total population lived below the poverty line in 2018. 2,722,257 people out of a total population of 19,337,685 lived below the poverty line in New York in 2018.

What is the Transportation System of New York?

This state has one of the most extensive transport infrastructures in the US and the world. The highways, mass transit systems, waterways, railroads, ports, and aviation facilities are developed and maintained by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT).

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) is the most important port in the state. This port district is spread across a total area of 1,500 sq. mi (3,900 sq. km), generally encompassing within a 25 mi (40 km) radius of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. The main railroads in this state are New York City Subway system, the Long Island Rail Road, Port Authority Trans-Hudson, Metro-North Railroad, New Jersey Transit’s five rail lines.

The mainline US Routes that pass through this state are US 20, US 9, US 11, US 9W, US 62, US 4, US 6, US 219, etc. There are 31 interstate highways (9 main routes and 22 auxiliary routes) present in the state and their combined length is 1,673 miles (2,692 km). Some of the major ones are I-90, I-87, I-86, I-81, I-88, I-84, and many more.

There is an extensive network of signed and unsigned state highways (also called reference routes) in this state and the longest ones are New York State Route 17, New York State Route 5, New York State Route 22, New York State Route 30, New York State Route 28, New York State Route 3, New York State Route 12, New York State Route 31, New York State Route 8, New York State Route 26, etc.

The major airports in this state are John F. Kennedy International Airport (in New York City), LaGuardia Airport (in New York City), Buffalo Niagara International Airport (in Buffalo), Albany International Airport (in Albany), Greater Rochester International Airport (in Rochester), Syracuse Hancock International Airport (in Syracuse), Long Island MacArthur Airport (in Islip), Stewart International Airport (in Newburgh), Niagara Falls International Airport (in Niagara Falls), Plattsburgh International Airport (in Plattsburgh), and Westchester County Airport (in White Plains).

Why is New York called the “The Empire State”?

This state is called “The Empire State” because of its wealth, variety of resources, and its significance locally and globally. Nowadays, many people believe that this state got its nickname from the Empire State Building. However, the nickname came first. Though the origin of the nickname is still unknown, some believe that it was the founding father of the country George Washington who in December 1784 called this state as “at present the seat of the Empire”. The Empire State nickname first appeared on New York license plates in 1951 and continued till the mid-1960s. It again appeared on New York license plates in 2001.

Other nicknames of the state are “The Excelsior State”, and “The Knickerbocker State”.

What are the Popular Tourist Attractions in New York?

Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Rockefeller Center & Top of the Rock Observation Deck, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Broadway and the Theater District, Empire State Building, 9/11 Memorial and Museum, High Line, Times Square, Brooklyn Bridge, Fifth Avenue, Grand Central Terminal, One World Observatory, The Frick Collection, New York Public Library, Wall Street, Radio City Music Hall, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Carnegie Hall, Bryant Park

Facts About New York

1. The official motto of the state is “Ever upward.”
2. New York is bordered by Lake Champlain, Canada, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware River, Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and St. Lawrence River.
3. The territory of NY achieved the status of a state on July 26, 1788, and became the 11th state of the U.S.
4. The official bird is the Eastern Bluebird.
5. Famous personalities from the of New York State include Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Tom Cruise, Lucille Ball, Washington Irving, Michael Jordan, Herman Melville, Rosie O’Donnell, John D. Rockefeller, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, Martin Van Buren, Mae West, and Walt Whitman.
6. New York City, Buffalo, and Rochester are the three biggest cities in the state of NY
7. The official fish of the state is the Brook Trout.
8. Chinatown in NYC is the biggest Chinese society in the Western Hemisphere.
9. The oldest museum in the world built particularly for children is the Brooklyn Children’s Museum.
10. Previously, the New York City was known as New Amsterdam.
11. In 1931, the Empire State Building became the highest skyscraper in the world. It is a 102-storied structure. The height of the whole building is 1,250 feet.
12. Broadway is one of the longest thoroughfares in the world.
13. Macy’s in NY is the largest department store in the world.
14. With over 8.2 million inhabitants, the city of NY is the most densely populated city in the country.
15. The official tree is the Sugar Maple.
16. The official reptile of the state is the Common Snapping Turtle.
17. With an altitude of 5,344 feet, Mount Marcy is the tallest point in the state of NY.
18. The official slogan is “I Love New York.” It is also the state song and the composer/lyricist of the song is Steve Karmen.
19. Albany is a city of many names. The Mahicans called it Pempotowwuthut-Muhhcanneuw, or “the fireplace of the Mohican Nation.” The Dutch called it Beverwijck, or “beaver district.” The English named it after the Duke of Albany in 1664.
20. New York City was the first capital of the United States

Related Links:

• How New York Got its Name?
• Crazy Facts About Empire State Building

• How Old is New York City?
• What City Speaks the Most Languages?