Information about New York
"The Empire State"
Since I have lived in New York State most of my life, I thought that I would share some of the known (and not so known) facts about my home state!
State Motto: Excelsior (Ever Upward)
In 1784, during a tour of the State's harbors, waterways and fertile interior, George Washington referred to New York as the "Seat of Empire." Since then, New Yorkers have worked ambitiously to live up to the State's motto and to make
"The Empire State" the national leader it is today.
State Bird: Bluebird
The once-prolific, red-breasted bluebird has been making a comeback from low numbers in the 1950's. Many people provide special nesting boxes along fence rows for bluebirds. They winter throughout the State.
State Flower: Rose
Wild or cultivated, in all its variety and color, was made the State flower in 1955. Ever popular, it was at the top of a school children's poll of favorite flowers in 1891.
State Tree: Sugar Maple Tree (Acer Saccharum)
The sugar maple yields a sweet sap for syrup and sugar in the spring; its heavy crown of leaves turns to brilliant colors in autumn. The wood makes fine furniture and burns well in woodstoves and fireplaces.
State Capital: Albany
Location: 42.66575 N, 073.79901 W
Area: 54475 sq. mi., 27th (out of 50 states)
Land: 47224 sq. mi., 30th (out of 50 states)
Water: 7251 sq. mi., 8th (out of 50 states)
Coastline: 127 mi., 14th (out of 50 states)
Shoreline: 1,850 mi., 13th (out of 50 states)
Great Lakes: 3,901 sq. mi., 3rd (out of 50 states)
State Muffin: Apple Muffin (1987)
State Fish: Trout (1975)
State Animal: Beaver (1975)
Statehood: July 26, 1788
Constitution: 11th State
State Flag info:
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. The original is at The Albany Institute of History and Art. Picture here.
Border States: Connecticut - Massachusetts - New Jersey - Pennsylvania
Rhode Island (water border) - Vermont
Agriculture:
Dairy products, cattle and other livestock, vegetables, nursery stock, apples.
Industry:
Printing and publishing, scientific instruments, electric equipment, machinery, chemical products, tourism.
Geographic Center: Madison, 26 miles southwest of Utica
Governor: George E. Pataki (R)
Highest Point: Mt. Marcy; 5,344 feet, 21st
Largest Cities: New York, Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, Syracuse, Albany,
New Rochelle, Mount Vernon, Schenectady, Utica
History:
Five days after the Declaration of Independence, the people of New York met in convention in Kingston to vote their support and form their own state government. Although their state was the scene of nearly a third of the battles fought in the American
Revolution, and their major port and city was occupied, New Yorkers still managed to supply large quantities of food, clothing, lead and iron to General Washington, as well as to serve valiantly in the Continental Army. New Yorkers saw the christening of
the American flag when the Stars and Stripes was first flown in battle at the defense of Ft. Stanwix in Rome.
The Colony of New York became a state on April 20, 1777 with the adoption of its first constitution - 12 years before the Federal Constitution. After the adoption of the Federal Constitution, New York City was chosen to be the nation's first capital
and was the site of the inauguration of George Washington as President on April 30, 1789.
Government:
A number of presidents have been closely associated with the history of New York State, including Martin Van Buren, Millard Fillmore, Chester Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Elected officers of the state government, chosen for four-year terms, are the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General and Comptroller. Legislative power of the state is vested in two houses: the Senate, consisting of 61 members, and the Assembly,
consisting of 149 members.
Geography:
There are four mountain ranges in New York State:
Adirondack, Catskill, Shawangunk and Taconic.
The Hudson river is 306 miles long, and drains an area of 13,370 square miles. Its average discharge is 21,500 cubic feet per second. The Hudson's most distant source is in Essex County. Lake Tear of the Clouds in Essex County is the highest lake in
the State - 4,320 feet above sea level - and is considered the source of the Hudson River.
There are 6,713 natural ponds, lakes and reservoirs of one acre or more, 76 with an area of one square mile or more. There are 1,745 square miles of inland water, including some 4,000 lakes, ponds and reservoirs. Oneida Lake is the largest lake completely
within the State. Other prominent lakes are the Finger Lakes, Otsego Lake, Lake George, Lake Placid and Lake Champlain, which is 107 miles long. The State has 70,000 miles of rivers and streams, 127 miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline, 9,767 miles of
shoreline which includes 8,778 miles of lake shoreline, 231 miles of shorefront on Long Island Sound, 548 miles of bay front in Long Island area and 83 miles of shorefront of islands near Long Island.
There are 10 natural fresh-water lakes of 10 square miles or more; the largest, Lake Champlain in Clinton (Essex County), covers a 490-square-mile area and includes islands that total about 55 square miles.
Lake Erie borders on New York State for an airline distance of 64 miles. Its surface area in the U.S. totals 5,002 square miles.
Lake Ontario forms the northern boundary of New York State for an airline distance of 146 miles, and the area in the U.S. is 3,033 square miles.
At the site of the Falls, the Niagara River spills 40 million gallons of water 180 feet downward each minute across a ragged ledge nearly 2/3 of a mile wide.
The New York State Barge Canal System is the longest internal waterway system in any state (800 miles or 1,280 kilometers) carrying over 2 million tons per year.
New York State has 62 counties, 62 cities, 557 villages and 931 towns.
Taughannock Falls in the Finger Lake region is the highest falls at 215 feet.
New York is a world capital with headquarters of the United Nations in New York City.
Other Brief Facts
The total length of the New York State boundary is 1,430 miles:
Canadian line /445miles; Vermont line/171; Massachusetts line/50; Connecticut line to Long Island Sound/81; along the ocean around Long Island to the New Jersey shore/246; New Jersey line/93; Pennsylvania line/344 miles to the beginning of the Canadian
line in the middle of Lake Erie. The boundaries are fixed by accepted agreements and are marked by natural watercourses or monuments.
The first railroad in America ran between Albany and Schenectady, a distance of 11 miles.
The Catskills are the home of the legend of Rip Van Winkle, brown trout and fly casting.
"Uncle Sam" was a meatpacker from Troy, New York. During the War of 1812, Sam Wilson stamped "U.S. Beef" on his products and soldiers interpreted that as Uncle Sam. His caricature later came to personify the United States. His
gravesite is located in Oakwood Cemetery in Troy.
New York was the first state to:
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Preserve an historic site (Washington's Headquarters at Newburgh)
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Establish a state park (Niagara Reservation)
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Declare land "forever wild" (the Adirondack and Catskill forest preserves) in the State Constitution.
The term "The Big Apple" was coined by touring jazz musicians of the 1930s who used the slang expression "apple" for any town or city. Therefore, to play New York City is to play the big time!
THE BIG APPLE!
This web page WAS accurate at the time I created it. So if it is inaccurate now please take into consideration the passage of time and drop me an email with the correct info :-) Thanks |