Long Island (pop. 8,063,232) is an island that forms the southeastern part of New York. It consists of crowded urban areas, large suburban areas, and smaller residential towns. Farms, fishing villages, and resort centers lie toward the eastern part of the island. A section of western Long Island forms part of New York City. The early Indian residents called the island Paumanok, an Algonquian word that means fish-shaped.
Location and size.
Long Island extends eastward from the Narrows in New York Bay for about 120 miles (190 kilometers). Long Island covers 1,374 square miles (3,557 square kilometers) of land and is the largest island in area off the mainland United States. The island divides at its eastern end into two narrow peninsulas. One peninsula, the North Fork, is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) long. The other peninsula, the South Fork, is 40 miles (65 kilometers) long.
Along most of its southern shore, the island is protected from the ocean by many barrier beaches. These beaches include Fire Island National Seashore, Jones Beach, Long Beach, and Westhampton Beach.
The counties.
Long Island consists of Kings, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk counties. Kings County (Brooklyn) and Queens County form a major part of New York City.
Long Island has a varied economy. Economic activities include banking, biotechnology, and electronics. Deep-sea fishing and tourism are also important economic activities. Farming and winemaking generate income in the northeastern part of Suffolk County. The Brookhaven National Laboratory in Suffolk County is a center for scientific research. The county is also known for its beaches.
History.
The explorer Henry Hudson reached Long Island in 1609. Later during the 1600’s, the Dutch settled in the western end of the island, and New Englanders settled in the eastern part.
One of the most important battles of the Revolutionary War in America, the Battle of Long Island, took place in present-day Brooklyn on Aug. 27, 1776. There, the British forces defeated the Americans, but the colonial troops escaped. See American Revolution (The campaign in New York) .
The island became a residential area in the early 1840’s, after a railroad was built along its northern shore. By the early 1900’s, fabulous mansions had been constructed in Nassau. Long Island experienced rapid growth after highways were built in the mid-1900’s. Between 1940 and 1960, Nassau County’s population tripled, while that of Suffolk County quadrupled.
See also Long Island, Battle of ; Long Island Sound ; New York City .
