New York State

Information and Tourism

This famous state offers the best of both worlds. New York City, often known as Downstate New York, gives you all the urban life you could possibly hope for. On the other hand, Upstate New York is a far more sedate affair. It includes the sort of small towns that make up most of America, as well as some quite rugged scenery and, of course, the dramatic and world-renowned Niagara Falls.

New York City (NYC) is where most of the action takes place. Over eight million people live here, making this one of the most densely populated cities in the US today. This is where, in years gone by, new arrivals to America first caught a glimpse of the 'American dream'. Ellis Island was the home of the Immigration Depot through which immigrants and war refugees passed through until it was closed for good in 1954. The city's many iconic landmarks include Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and Manhattan's endless high-rises. Then, there's Fifth Avenue, Times Square and Wall Street.

Leave the city streets behind and you will find a much more rural landscape that is populated by farms and forests, as well as rivers and mountains. New York State is home to America's biggest state park, the Adirondacks, as well as the rather enchanting Catskills Mountains.

Reminders of New York State's heritage abound. Its capital, Albany, is the oldest continuous settlement out of all the original 13 English colonies. Today, of course, it is overshadowed by its Big Apple of a neighbor and so remains something of a backwater when it comes to tourism. Lake George, at the southern end of the Adirondacks, played a crucial role in the American Revolution. The lake, incidentally, made an appearance in James Fenimore Cooper's 'Last of the Mohicans', an acclaimed novel which narrated the French and Indian War when Britain and France fought tooth and nail over control of North America's colonies.

New York Information and Fast Facts

• Country: USA
• Population: approximately 19.5 million
• Capital city: Albany
• Biggest city: New York City
• Biggest urban area: New York City Metropolitan Area
• Language: American English
• Area: 54,550 square miles / 141,300 square kilometers
• Number of cities: 62

	WORLD GUIDES TO NEW YORK
	World Guide to Albany, NY, USA Capital of New York State, the city of Albany is at its most impressive when seen from across the Hudson River. Much of the interest for visitors to Albany is based around the Empire State Plaza and its New York State Capitol.
	World Guide to Buffalo, NY, USA Buffalo, home of the spicy chicken wing, is best known for being the gateway to the nearby Niagara Falls. Sited next to Lake Erie in upstate New York (NY), Buffalo is a wealthy city and is separated from Canada by the Niagara River.
	World Guide to New York, NY, USA New York, New York, so good they named it twice, is one of the major cities in the world and also one of the top tourist destinations in America. Also known affectionately as the Big Apple, New York is a lively and bustling metropolis.

Map of New York