New York is a state that is a leading center of banking, communication, and finance in the United States. It is also a leader in manufacturing and in trade, restaurants, and hotels. According to the 2020 census, New York ranked as the nation’s fourth largest state in population. Only California, Texas, and Florida had more people. The capital of New York is Albany.
Much of the state’s greatness lies in huge, exciting New York City. New York City is the largest city in the United States, and it ranks as one of the largest cities in the world. It is one of the world’s leading centers of business. Its large number of theaters, museums, and musical organizations make it a major cultural center. New York City is a busy seaport. In its harbor stands the Statue of Liberty, long a symbol of freedom to people in all parts of the world (see Statue of Liberty). As the headquarters of the United Nations, New York City can be called the “capital of the world.”
The state’s factories turn out an incredible variety of products, from industrial machinery to fine jewelry. New York state is a leading producer in the United States of canned fruits and vegetables, chemicals, clothing, computer and electronics products, dairy products, jewelry, printed materials, and turbines. New York City ranks as the nation’s largest center of printing and publishing.
In addition to New York City, several other cities in the state are important centers of industry and trade. These cities include Albany, Buffalo, and Rochester. However, New York is not just a state of business and industry. It is also a land of fertile river valleys, forested hills, tall mountains, and sparkling lakes. New York’s many scenic attractions draw tens of millions of tourists each year. Niagara Falls, the state’s most magnificent natural wonder, is a chief attraction. New York City is also a major tourist center.
New York was one of the original 13 states. Long before European explorers arrived, the region was home to Indigenous (native) peoples who spoke Iroquoian or Algonquian languages. Henry Hudson, an English explorer sailing under the Dutch flag, claimed the New York region for the Netherlands in 1609. The Dutch named the region New Netherland. On Manhattan Island, the Dutch established New Amsterdam, which later became New York City. The English took control of New Netherland in 1664. They renamed it New York in honor of the Duke of York, a brother of England’s king, Charles II.
About a third of all the battles of the American Revolution (1775-1783) were fought in New York. New York City served as the capital of the United States from 1785 to 1790. George Washington took the oath of office there as the first president of the United States. In the early 1800’s, New York began its great era of canal and railroad building. By 1850, New York ranked as the leading manufacturing state.
By 1810, New York had become the most populous state in the United States. New York held that position until the 1960’s, when California overtook it in population. During the 1990’s, Texas also passed New York in population.
New York’s nickname is the Empire State, which may have originated in a remark made by George Washington. Washington once called New York the “seat of the empire.” New York is also known as the Excelsior State. Excelsior, a Latin word meaning ever upward, is the state motto.
People
Population.
The 2020 United States census reported that New York had 20,201,249 people. The population of the state had increased about 4 percent over the 2010 figure of 19,378,102.
About 93 percent of New York’s people live within the state’s metropolitan areas (see Metropolitan area). Three of the state’s 13 metropolitan areas have populations of 1 million or more. These areas are Buffalo-Cheektowaga, New York-Newark (New Jersey)-Jersey City (New Jersey), and Rochester.
New York City is the largest United States city in population. Its metropolitan area is also the largest in the United States in terms of population. New York City and its metropolitan area are among the world’s largest cities in population. The 2020 United States Census reported that New York City had 8,804,190 people, and that its metropolitan area had 20,081,935 people. Four other cities in New York with more than 100,000 people are, in order of size, Buffalo, Yonkers, Rochester, and Syracuse.
New York, especially New York City, has long had a diverse population. Here, peoples of many countries and various ethnic groups have settled and adopted a common culture while retaining many of their own customs. New York’s largest population groups include people of Italian, Irish, German, English, and Polish descent. About 25 of every 100 people were born in another country. The largest groups born in other lands include people from China, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guyana, Haiti, India, Jamaica, and Mexico. Many Puerto Ricans have arrived since the end of World War II in 1945. About 10 percent of New York City’s population is Puerto Rican. About 3 million African Americans live in the state of New York—more than in any other state.
Schools.
In 1784, the New York Legislature established the University of the State of New York. This agency is not a university in the usual sense of the word. It oversees all of the state’s educational institutions—prekindergarten through graduate-level, both public and private—as well as a number of licensed professions. It also oversees many libraries and museums, the State Archives, public broadcasting facilities, and vocational rehabilitation services. A 17-member Board of Regents governs the agency. The State Legislature elects the regents to five-year terms. The regents serve without pay. The board’s powers include setting educational standards, distributing public funds, issuing licenses and certificates, and incorporating colleges and universities.
The State Education Department administers the powers and duties of the regents. The regents appoint a commissioner of education to head the department for an indefinite term. The commissioner also serves as president of the University of the State of New York. The State Education Department supervises New York’s local public school districts. Each district has its own school board. Children are required to attend school from the age of 6 to 16. For the number of students and teachers in New York, see Education (table: U.S. students, teachers, and school expenditures).
In 1948, the State Legislature established the State University of New York. This statewide university system has one of the largest enrollments of any university in the United States. Its headquarters are in Albany.
Libraries.
The first libraries in New York were privately owned. In 1698, 1713, and 1730, clergymen gave books to the city for a public library. However, no library was established, and the books were destroyed during the American Revolution (1775-1783). The first circulating library was the New York Society Library, which was founded in New York City in 1754 and is still in existence.
Today, the state has hundreds of public libraries, including central city libraries and their branches. The New York Public Library in New York City includes research libraries and a large number of branch libraries. This library system is one of the largest in the United States. See New York Public Library.
Columbia University in New York City has one of the largest collections among the state’s college and university libraries. Other large college and university libraries include those at Cornell University in Ithaca; the four centers of the State University of New York, in Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, and Stony Brook; and Syracuse University. The Sibley Music Library of the University of Rochester has one of the few library buildings in the United States devoted entirely to music.
New York’s numerous special libraries include the genealogy, local history, and music collections in the Grosvenor Room at the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library; the Morgan Library in New York City, which has an excellent collection of rare manuscripts and early books; and the Frick Art Reference Library in New York City.
The New York State Library was founded in Albany in 1818. The state library houses a comprehensive collection on New York history, including records of the early Dutch colonists.
In addition, the New York State Library holds a number of important national documents. These holdings include autographs of all the signers of the Declaration of Independence, the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, and George Washington’s farewell address.
The New York State Library sponsors a statewide virtual library called the New York Online Virtual Electronic Library (NOVELNY). NOVELNY provides New Yorkers access, through their local library, to thousands of national and international newspapers and magazines, health and medical resources, business collections, and age-appropriate materials for children.
Museums.
The New York State Museum, founded in Albany in 1836, is one of the oldest state museums in the nation. The regents of the University of the State of New York supervise this museum. The museum’s collections deal with natural history, science, and the art and history of the state. 
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is one of the finest and largest art museums in the world. The state’s other outstanding museums include the Museum of Modern Art, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Guggenheim Museum, all in New York City; and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and the Farmers’ Museum, both in Cooperstown (see Baseball Hall of Fame). The George Eastman Museum in Rochester contains an outstanding collection of photographs.
Visitor’s guide
New York is one of the chief vacationlands in the United States. Its forested mountains, shimmering lakes, sandy beaches, and vast areas of unspoiled wilderness attract millions of summer vacationers yearly. Long Island’s beaches and the Thousand Islands area are especially popular for fishing and water sports. Winter sports fans enjoy New York’s excellent facilities for skiing, snowmobiling, tobogganing, iceboating, ice fishing, and ice-skating. Visitors also come to see New York’s many historic forts and houses, and such magnificent wonders of nature as Niagara Falls. Every major urban center has places of historical and cultural interest. New York City’s attractions draw millions of visitors a year. See New York City.
Many cultural festivals, historical celebrations, and sports competitions are held in New York every year. The New York State Fair is held annually in Syracuse in late August and early September. Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Ogdensburg hold international festivals with the Canadian towns they border.
Land and climate
Land regions.
In the Pleistocene Epoch, which ended about 11,500 years ago, a sheet of ice up to 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) thick in places spread across almost all of what is now New York. It formed many of the state’s most striking natural features by deepening valleys, rounding off mountains, and depositing sand, stones, and pebbles. Most of New York’s soils have been formed from materials deposited by the ice.
New York has eight land regions: (1) the Atlantic Coastal Plain, (2) the New England Upland, (3) the Hudson-Mohawk Lowland, (4) the Adirondack Upland, (5) the Tug Hill Plateau, (6) the St. Lawrence Lowland, (7) the Erie-Ontario Lowland, and (8) the Appalachian Plateau.
The Atlantic Coastal Plain
covers Long Island and Staten Island. It forms part of the almost level coastal plain stretching along the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to the southern tip of Florida. Staten Island and the western end of Long Island lie within New York City. Both islands are important residential districts.
Fishing is an important source of income on the Atlantic Coastal Plain. In addition, farmers raise vegetables, fruits, flowers, and poultry there. Long, offshore barrier islands and broad, sandy beaches contribute to Long Island’s popularity as a summer resort area.
The New England Upland,
a region of hills and low mountains, extends along the lower half of New York’s eastern border. It includes the Taconic Mountains and the southern part of the Hudson River Valley. Also in the region is Manhattan Island, the heart of New York City. In the Hudson Highlands near West Point, the Hudson River has cut a gorge 1,000-feet (300-meters) deep.
The Hudson-Mohawk Lowland
covers most of the Hudson River Valley and the Mohawk River Valley. The lowland is about 10 to 30 miles (16 to 48 kilometers) wide and provides the nation’s only natural navigable passage through the Appalachian Mountains. Since pioneer days, the Hudson and Mohawk river valleys have served as the most important transportation routes between the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes. The fertile plains support fruit and dairy farms.
The Adirondack Upland
is a roughly circular hill and mountain region about 100 miles (160 kilometers) in diameter in northeastern New York. The Adirondack Mountains are formed from hard, ancient rocks, perhaps the oldest in North America. More than 40 peaks rise over 4,000 feet (1,200 meters), with Mount Marcy, at 5,344 feet (1,629 meters), the highest point in the state. The region is a famous recreation area with hundreds of scenic lakes, streams, waterfalls, and peaks. Its thin soils are poor for farming, and the frost-free growing season is short. There is some lumbering and some lead, garnet, titanium, and zinc mining in the region. See Adirondack Mountains.
The Tug Hill Plateau,
an isolated part of the Appalachian Plateau, is a relatively flat, rocky area. It is separated from the Adirondack Upland by the Black River Valley. The plateau stands in the path of cold winter air masses that cross unfrozen Lake Ontario and pick up heat and moisture. As a result, the plateau receives more snow—over 225 inches (572 centimeters) a year—than any other area in the nation east of the Rocky Mountains. The harsh climate and thin soils restrict farming and settlement.
The St. Lawrence Lowland
lies along the south bank of the St. Lawrence River and north of the Adirondack Upland. The region averages 18 miles (29 kilometers) in width. The land is level to rolling, with soils of widely varying fertility. The region has many dairy farms. Fruit orchards are common near Lake Champlain. Summer homes line the banks of the St. Lawrence River, particularly near the river’s beautiful Thousand Islands. See Saint Lawrence River.
The Erie-Ontario Lowland
is a low plain south and east of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The plain is 5 miles (8 kilometers) wide along Lake Erie and broadens to 35 miles (56 kilometers) wide north of Syracuse. It has many swamps. Oval-shaped hills called drumlins rise from 50 to 200 feet (15 to 60 meters). They were formed from pebbles and other deposits of the ice sheet. A limestone and dolomite ridge stretching east-west between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario forms the ledge over which the Niagara River drops in its famous waterfall.
Fruit farming is a speciality in the lowland’s unusually fertile soils. The region also has prosperous vegetable farms, greenhouses, plant nurseries, and dairy farms. The ease of reaching the Mohawk-Hudson transportation route to the east and an abundant supply of water power from falls on the Niagara and Genesee rivers spurred development in the region. These factors led to the growth of industrial, shipping, and service centers such as Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse.
The Appalachian Plateau,
also known as the Allegheny Plateau, covers half of the state and is New York’s largest land region. In the western and central portions of the plateau, broad uplands 800 to 2,000 feet (240 to 610 meters) above sea level are separated by ice-deepened valleys. At the Finger Lakes, the deepest valleys are now occupied by long, deep lakes.
In the south and east, the plateau rises. The Catskill Mountains, at 2,000 to 4,000 feet (610 to 1,200 meters) high, are a year-round recreation area. Reservoirs in the Catskills help supply New York City with water. See Catskill Mountains.
The rugged Appalachian Plateau supports only smaller cities, villages, and population centers except for Binghamton. Most Appalachian Plateau farms specialize in dairying. The most fertile and level lands lie to the north between the Finger Lakes, and along river valleys emptying out of the Catskills. Vineyards, nurseries, and vegetable farms can be found there.
Coastline and shoreline.
New York’s coastline stretches 127 miles (204 kilometers) along the Atlantic Ocean. This figure does not include the coastline along Long Island Sound. Including the shoreline of every bay and inlet on Long Island, the state’s coastline is almost 1,850 miles (2,977 kilometers) long. New York City has one of the world’s great natural harbors. The harbor is deep and almost completely protected by land. Excluding bays and inlets, the state has 275 miles (443 kilometers) of shoreline along Lakes Erie and Ontario, 192 miles (309 kilometers) along the Niagara and St. Lawrence rivers, and 212 miles (341 kilometers) along islands and Long Island Sound. Buffalo is New York’s chief Great Lakes port. Oceangoing ships reach it through the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Mountains.
The Adirondacks in northern New York are the state’s highest range. Two peaks rise over 5,000 feet (1,500 meters). They are 5,344-foot (1,629-meter) Mount Marcy, and 5,112-foot (1,558-meter) Algonquin Peak (also known as Mount MacIntyre). At 4,204 feet (1,281 meters), Slide Mountain is the tallest peak in the Catskills. South of the Catskills, and extending into New Jersey, a 1,000- to 2,000-foot (300- to 600-meter) ridge known as the Shawangunk Mountains is famed among rock climbers. The Helderberg Escarpment presents a steep 1,000-foot (300-meter) cliff facing Albany to the northeast. The Taconic Mountains, which rise to 2,000 feet (610 meters) east of the Hudson, are a western extension of the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts.
Rivers.
New York’s most important rivers, the Hudson and the Mohawk, form one of the nation’s great trade routes. The Hudson originates from a lake called Tear-of-the-Clouds high on Mount Marcy. It tumbles south through narrow gorges with many rapids and waterfalls. Oceangoing ships can sail from New York City 150 miles (241 kilometers) up the Hudson as far north as Albany. At Cohoes, about midway on the Hudson’s 315-mile (507-kilometer) trip to the sea, the Mohawk enters. See Hudson River.
The Mohawk River, the chief branch of the Hudson River, connects the Hudson with the Erie-Ontario Lowland. The Mohawk rises in Oneida County and flows southeastward for about 145 miles (233 kilometers). It drains central New York. The Mohawk was important in the development of the interior because the river and its tributaries provided water for the eastern half of the Erie Canal. See Mohawk River.
The Genesee River starts in Pennsylvania, flows north through western New York, and empties into Lake Ontario north of Rochester. At Letchworth State Park, it passes through a spectacular gorge 600 feet (180 meters) deep nicknamed “The Grand Canyon of the East.” The Oswego River and its branch, the Seneca, also empty into Lake Ontario. The Delaware, an important sports fishing and canoeing river, tumbles out of the Catskills to form the eastern boundary between New York and Pennsylvania. The Susquehanna River originates from Otsego Lake and flows southwest past Binghamton before entering Pennsylvania.
Other rivers include the short but powerful Niagara, flowing 34 miles (55 kilometers) from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, and the St. Lawrence. Both carry huge quantities of water and form part of the international boundary with Canada. The East River is actually a strait that connects Long Island Sound with New York Bay and separates Manhattan Island from Long Island.
Waterfalls.
The state’s most famous waterfall, Niagara Falls, is also New York’s most important source of hydroelectric power (see Niagara Falls). The American Falls, at 176 feet (54 meters), lie in New York. The St. Lawrence rapids near Massena have also been developed as a major source of power. The thin, delicate Taughannock Falls is the highest waterfall in the northeastern part of the nation. It drops 215 feet (66 meters) into a spectacular glen before entering Lake Cayuga in the Finger Lakes region.
Lakes.
Most of New York’s several thousand lakes lie in the Adirondack region. About 2,000 lakes and ponds are nestled among the hills and mountains there. Many of the larger Adirondack lakes support year-round resorts. Lake George, on the eastern edge of the Adirondacks, is a popular vacation spot. It empties into Lake Champlain. Lake Champlain lies on the New York-Vermont border and extends into the Canadian province of Quebec.
New York’s largest lakes, by far, are Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. They form part of the boundary between the United States and Canada. See Lake Erie; Lake Ontario.
The long and narrow Finger Lakes lie parallel to one another in the Appalachian Plateau. Lakes Cayuga and Seneca are the largest and deepest of the 11 Finger Lakes. Lake Oneida, northeast of Syracuse, has the largest surface area lying entirely within the state. Covering 80 square miles (210 square kilometers), the lake is noted for its excellent boating and fishing. Chautauqua Lake in southwestern New York is a favorite summer resort. A famous arts and education center, the Chautauqua Institute, lies on its bank.
Plant and animal life.
New York has many kinds of trees and plants. Forests cover about half the state, with the greatest ones in the Adirondacks. Smaller forests thrive throughout the Appalachian regions, where large areas of abandoned farmland have once again become woodland. About 150 types of trees, of which about 135 are native, grow in New York. Trees of commercial importance include balsam fir, beech, black cherry, oak, pine, spruce, sugar maple, and yellow birch. Apple orchards are common in the Lake Ontario Lowland, along Lake Champlain, and in the Hudson River Valley.
Many wildflowers bloom along river valleys throughout New York. They include black-eyed Susans, devil’s paintbrush, and Queen Anne’s lace. Buttercups, goldenrod, violets, and wild roses grow along the borders of forests and in clearings. White and yellow water lilies thrive in many Adirondack lakes. Other wildflowers common in New York include bunchberry, enchanter’s nightshade, goldenthread, Indian pipe, starflower, and trillium.
Some animals that once were common in New York are now endangered or extinct. These include such fur-bearing animals as marten, mink, and otters, and such important predators as the mountain lion, timber wolf, and wolverine. However, other native animals have adapted to human settlement. Porcupines, rabbits, red fox, squirrels, and woodchucks abound in some areas. Many deer roam the forests. The state’s fur-bearing animals include beavers, muskrats, opossums, raccoons, and skunks. Eastern black bears and wild cats are found in remote mountain areas.
Game birds include Canada geese, grouse, partridges, pheasants, quail, wild ducks, and wild turkeys. Falcons, hawks, and owls can also be found. Bald and golden eagles are seen in New York occasionally.
Freshwater fish common in New York include bass, perch, pike, salmon, sunfish, and trout. Bluefish, clams, flounder, oysters, shad, swordfish, and many other fish and shellfish live in bays and ocean waters.
Climate.
New York’s climate varies greatly. The average January temperature ranges from 14 °F (–10 °C) in the central Adirondacks to 31 °F (–1 °C) on Long Island. The average July temperature is 65 °F (18 °C) in the central Adirondacks and 73 °F (23 °C) on Long Island. New York’s record high temperature, 108 °F (42 °C), was recorded at Troy in east-central New York on July 22, 1926. Old Forge, in the Fulton Chain Lakes area, recorded a record low of –52 °F (–47 °C) on Feb. 18, 1979. 
The frost-free growing season in New York ranges from an average high of 200 days on Long Island to less than 100 days in the central Adirondacks. New York’s average annual precipitation (rain, melted snow, and other forms of moisture) ranges from 35 to 60 inches (89 to 152 centimeters). The most precipitation occurs on Tug Hill, the southwestern slopes of the Adirondacks, the central Catskills, and Long Island. In central, northern, and western New York, the Great Lakes, with their broad expanse of open water, supply moisture for many cloudy days and abundant winter snowfall. Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo routinely receive a greater annual snowfall than any other large city in the nation.
Economy
New York has a varied economy. Its excellent location, large population, and outstanding transportation facilities have helped make it a leader in business and industry. New York ranks near the top among all states in many important economic sectors, including accounting, banking, corporation management, insurance, manufacturing, publishing, and trade.
Service industries, taken together, account for the largest portion of New York’s gross domestic product—the total value of goods and services produced in the state annually. Finance, insurance, and real estate form the single most important economic activity in New York.
Much of the state’s economic production takes place in New York City. The city is one of the world’s leading economic centers. But other parts of the state also contribute to the economy. For example, northern New York is one of the nation’s leading dairy-farming regions. Buffalo and Rochester are important manufacturing areas.
Natural resources
in New York include fertile soils, a variety of minerals, and abundant supplies of water.
Soils.
The ice sheet that once covered what is now New York left behind a variety of soils. The Atlantic Coastal Plain has fertile sandy and alluvial (water-deposited) soils. The Erie-Ontario Lowland, the Hudson-Mohawk Lowland, the St. Lawrence Lowland, and river valleys throughout the Appalachian Plateau have fertile, well-drained soils. The soils of the rest of the Appalachian Plateau and the New England Upland tend to be poor, gray-brown, silty soils. These soils developed from glacial drift. Drift is material ranging in size from great boulders to fine rock dust laid down by the melting ice sheet. The Catskills, the Adirondack Upland, and Tug Hill Plateau have rough, stony soils.
Minerals.
The Adirondacks supply a major part of the country’s industrial garnets, used for watch jewels and in the manufacture of such abrasives as sandpaper. Petroleum and natural gas are found in western New York.
Clay, which is used in brick and cement manufacturing, is found in the Hudson Valley and in Erie County. Deposits of sand, gravel, and stone, all of which are used in construction, occur throughout the state. Major salt and gypsum deposits are found in central and western parts of New York.
Water.
New York has plentiful supplies of water for use by homes, factories, and farms. Falls and rapids on the Niagara and St. Lawrence rivers are among the largest sources of hydroelectric power in North America. In addition, New York’s rivers are used for recreation and transportation.
Service industries
account for about 90 percent of New York’s gross domestic product. Most of the service industries are concentrated in the state’s metropolitan areas, but especially in the New York City area.
New York City, the nation’s leading financial center, is the home of most of the largest U.S. financial companies. Large financial companies headquartered in the city include American Express, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Morgan Stanley. The New York Stock Exchange is the largest securities exchange in the nation. The real estate business is also a major economic activity in New York City. A high demand for prime office space in Manhattan has resulted in some of the world’s highest property values. Other important financial centers include Albany, Buffalo, and Rochester. 
Hotels, restaurants, and retail trade establishments operate primarily in the New York City area, and also in Albany, Buffalo, and Rochester. New York’s restaurants and hotels benefit from the tens of millions of tourists who visit each year. Many wholesale companies are based in New York City. The city’s port handles much foreign trade. A large number of wholesale companies are also based in Albany and Buffalo and on Long Island.
State government offices are based in Albany. New York City has many federal, state, and local government workers. Several of the world’s largest law firms and advertising agencies are based in Manhattan. Verizon Communications, one of the largest U.S. communication companies, is headquartered in New York City.
Manufacturing.
New York ranks among the leading manufacturing states. The state makes a wide variety of products—from huge machines to tiny computer chips.
Chemicals rank first among New York’s manufactured products, and the state ranks as a leading chemical manufacturer in the United States. Pharmaceuticals (medicinal drugs) are the state’s leading chemical products. Two major pharmaceutical producers, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer, are headquartered in New York City. Eastman Kodak, a leading maker of photographic chemicals and other products, is based in Rochester.
Computer and electronic products are also important. Leading products include computer components and microchips, and surveillance and navigation equipment. The chief centers of the electronic products industry are Binghamton, the Nassau-Suffolk area, New York City, and Rochester. International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), a major computer technology firm, has its headquarters just north of New York City.
New York’s important food products include baked goods, canned fruits and vegetables, and dairy products. The state’s major centers of food production include the Buffalo-Niagara Falls area, Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, New York City, and Rochester.
The leading types of machinery include engines and turbines and industrial equipment. The major centers of machinery production in the state include Buffalo, the Nassau-Suffolk area, New York City, and Rochester.
Other manufacturing industries produce clothing, fabricated metal products, and printed materials. New York ranks as a leading producer of clothing, especially women’s clothing. Important fabricated metal products include machine shop products and sheet metal. New York is a leading state in printing and publishing. New York City is the center of the publishing industry in the United States. Other important products manufactured in the state of New York include electrical equipment, jewelry, plastics and rubber products, and transportation equipment.
Agriculture.
Farmland covers about a fifth of New York’s land area. Livestock and livestock products provide over half of New York’s agricultural income. Milk is the state’s leading agricultural product. New York ranks among the leading states in milk production. Milk is produced in the northern and western portions of the state.
Beef cattle and poultry products are also important sources of livestock income in New York. Leading poultry products include broilers (young, tender chickens), ducks, eggs, and turkeys.
Crops also provide much of New York’s agricultural income. The state’s leading field crops include corn and hay, which are used primarily as feed for the state’s dairy cattle. Soybeans and wheat are also grown in New York.
Greenhouse and nursery products are another important source of agricultural income in New York. Suffolk County on Long Island is the leading county for greenhouse and nursery products.
New York is a leading center of fruit and vegetable production in the eastern United States. Orange and Suffolk counties, both near New York City, have many small vegetable farms, also called truck farms. Western New York also produces large amounts of vegetables. The most important vegetables grown in the state include cabbages, cucumbers, onions, potatoes, snap beans, squash, sweet corn, and tomatoes.
Apples are the leading fruit crop in New York, and grapes rank second. New York ranks among the leading states in the production of both apples and grapes. The state’s largest apple orchards lie near Lake Ontario and the Hudson River. Chautauqua County in far west New York leads in grape production.
Mining.
New York’s leading mined products include crushed stone, natural gas, salt, and sand and gravel. Limestone is the most important type of crushed stone quarried in the state. Natural gas is mined in western New York. Most salt-mining operations are in the Appalachian Plateau region of western New York. Sand and gravel are mined throughout the state. New York is the only state that produces wollastonite, used in ceramics. New York also ranks among the leading states in the production of garnet.
Fishing industry.
Commercial fishing takes place in Long Island waters and in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Clams, flounder, lobsters, scallops, and squid are taken from Long Island Sound. Bullheads, walleye, and yellow perch are caught in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
Electric power and utilities.
Plants that burn natural gas and nuclear power plants provide over half of New York’s electric power. Hydroelectric plants supply most of the rest. New York’s two largest hydroelectric power projects are the St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt Power Project and the Niagara Power Project. They were developed jointly with Canada. New York also gets some of its power from wind power.
Transportation.
New York lies in the heart of the most thickly populated part of the United States. It is the chief gateway to the United States from other countries. It has one of the finest natural harbors in the world and an excellent system of inland waterways. All these factors have helped New York become one of the nation’s leaders in transportation.
Railroads.
Rail lines provide freight service on thousands of miles of track in New York. The state’s first railroad, the Mohawk and Hudson, began running between Albany and Schenectady in 1831. New York City’s subway, the busiest in the nation, covers approximately 660 miles (1,060 kilometers). About 51/2 million riders jam these trains every working day.
Aviation.
John F. Kennedy International Airport and La Guardia Airport are both in the Queens borough of New York City. Kennedy Airport ranks as one of the world’s busiest airports. La Guardia Airport handles mostly domestic flights. People traveling to and from New York City also use the airport in nearby Newark, New Jersey. Albany, Buffalo, Islip, Rochester, and Syracuse also have busy airports.
Roads and highways.
New York has an extensive system of roads and highways. The Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway is the nation’s longest toll superhighway. This 496-mile (798-kilometer) expressway runs across the state between New York City and the border with Pennsylvania at the western end of the state. It links Albany, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo. Interstate 88 links Binghamton and Albany. Interstate 81 runs between the New York-Pennsylvania border south of Binghamton and the Canadian border, and Interstate 87 links Albany with the Canadian border.
New York has many great bridges. The Bear Mountain, George Washington, Mid-Hudson, Newburgh-Beacon, Rip Van Winkle, and the Governor Mario M. Cuomo (formerly the Tappan Zee) bridges span the Hudson River. The Brooklyn and Robert F. Kennedy bridges cross the East River. The Peace Bridge links Buffalo with Fort Erie in Canada. The 4,260-foot (1,298-meter) Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge across the Narrows Channel connects Brooklyn and Staten Island. The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is the nation’s longest suspension bridge. The Thousand Islands International Bridge connects the state with Canada. 
Waterways.
New York has one of the nation’s largest internal waterway systems—the New York State Canal System. The system was completed in 1918 and includes parts of the old Erie Canal and several other waterways. The Erie Canal, which was opened in 1825, connected the Hudson River with Lake Erie. It played an important part in the economic growth of New York and the entire United States. The New York State Canal System and its connecting waterways cover hundreds of miles. They extend from Lake Champlain and the Hudson River to Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The St. Lawrence Seaway, which was opened in 1959, turned New York’s Great Lakes ports into seaports. See New York State Canal System.
Shipping.
New York City’s port, officially called the Port of New York and New Jersey, is one of the world’s busiest seaports. Huge ocean liners and freighters from all parts of the world dock at this great port. Other major New York ports include Albany, Buffalo, Hempstead Harbor, and Port Jefferson. There is more limited shipping from Chester and Tarrytown. Albany is a major shipping center, though it lies about 150 miles (240 kilometers) from the Atlantic Ocean. The Hudson River has been deepened so that ocean ships can reach Albany.
Communication.
New York leads the nation in producing books, magazines, and newspapers. William Bradford established New York’s first newspaper, the New-York Gazette, in New York City in 1725. Today, one of the world’s most influential newspapers, The New York Times, is published in New York City. Other well-known New York City newspapers are the New York Post, which is one of the nation’s oldest papers, and the Daily News. The Wall Street Journal, a leading business newspaper, is published in New York City. Good Housekeeping, Newsweek, Reader’s Digest, and many other magazines all have headquarters in or near New York City.
New York City is the headquarters of the major media companies Fox Corporation; NBCUniversal Media, LLC; News Corporation; ViacomCBS Inc.; and Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. The Associated Press also has its headquarters there.
WNBT, the nation’s first commercial television station, began operating in New York City in 1941. New York City is the corporate headquarters of three of the nation’s four major broadcasting networks. The three networks are ABC, Inc.; CBS Broadcasting Inc.; and the NBC Television Network. The fourth major network, Fox Broadcasting Company, originates many of its programs from New York City.
Government
Constitution.
New York adopted its first constitution in 1777. The present Constitution was adopted in 1894 and has been amended (changed) many times. An amendment may be proposed in the State Legislature. In order to pass, the proposal must be approved by a majority in both legislative houses of two successive, separately elected legislatures. It must then be approved by a majority of the persons who vote on the proposal.
The Constitution may also be amended by a constitutional convention. A proposal to call a convention must be approved by a majority of the Legislature and by a majority of the voters. Constitutional amendments that are suggested by the convention become law after they have been approved by a majority of the citizens voting on them.
Executive.
The governor of New York is elected to a four-year term and may serve an unlimited number of terms. The lieutenant governor, attorney general, and comptroller are also elected to four-year terms. The secretary of state is appointed by the governor with the approval of the state Senate. The governor heads the executive department. The governor, with the approval of the Senate, appoints most other department heads.
Legislature
of New York consists of a Senate of 63 members and an Assembly of 150 members. Voters in senatorial and Assembly districts elect the members of both houses of the Legislature to two-year terms. The Legislature meets every year on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January. Special sessions can be called by the governor or by petition of two-thirds of the Legislature. Regular and special sessions have no time limit. 
Courts.
New York is divided into 13 judicial districts. The voters in each district elect a varying number of Supreme Court judges to 14-year terms. Supreme Court justices have a mandatory retirement age of 70. However, they may be certified to serve for two-year periods up to the age of 76.
New York is also divided into four judicial departments. Each department has an appellate division of the Supreme Court. The appellate divisions hear appeals from the Supreme Court and from other trial courts within their jurisdictions. The governor selects the appellate division justices from among the Supreme Court justices.
The highest court in New York is the Court of Appeals. It has a chief judge and six associate judges. Each of these judges is appointed to a 14-year term. This court hears cases only from the appellate divisions of the Supreme Court.
Each New York county, except those that make up New York City, has a county court. County courts hear civil and criminal cases. A surrogate court in each county deals with wills and estates. All counties have family courts that handle domestic matters. New York City has a civil court and a criminal court. In addition, there are many town justices, city court judges, and village courts in the state.
Local government.
New York has 62 counties, including the 5 that make up the boroughs of New York City. A board of supervisors or a county legislature governs each county except the New York City boroughs. The officials of these boards and legislatures are elected either from the towns and cities of the county, or from county legislative districts. The major responsibilities of most counties include the administration of courts, highways, and welfare. In addition to these responsibilities, counties deal with the administration of community colleges, libraries, garbage disposal, and parks and recreation.
Within New York’s counties are villages, towns, and cities. An elected mayor and board of trustees governs each village. Each town is governed by an elected supervisor and town board. Ten Native American nations have reservations in New York. The largest is the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation in Franklin County, with a population of about 3,200 people.
Most New York cities have the mayor-council form of government. Some cities have the city manager form of government. The state Legislature has the authority to draw up city charters. Cities, in turn, may adopt and amend local laws and revise their charters, thus determining their own form of government. But New York City, because of its large population and area, has a different government from that of the other cities (see New York City (Government)).
Revenue.
Taxes account for about half of the state government’s general revenue (income). Federal grants and other U.S. government programs make up most of the rest. A personal income tax provides the greatest portion of the tax revenue. Other tax revenue sources include a general sales tax and taxes on alcoholic beverages, corporate income, motor fuels, motor vehicle licenses, public utilities, and tobacco products. A state lottery and charges for government services, such as toll-road collections, also contribute to the state’s general revenue.
Politics.
Enrolled Democratic voters in New York City significantly outnumber Republicans. For many years, New York’s upstate counties were solidly Republican. Today, the two parties are more evenly matched in the region. Democrats are strongest in the state’s larger cities and university towns. Republicans dominate the less populated rural areas. For many decades, Republicans controlled the state Senate, while Democrats controlled the Assembly. Democrats won control of both houses in the late 2010’s.
For most of the 1800’s and 1900’s, New York had more electoral votes than any other state. For this reason, New York played a key role in United States presidential elections. Its governors were often considered possible presidential candidates. New York governors frequently introduced national issues into state politics. Four men served as governor of New York before becoming president—Martin Van Buren, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Five other governors—Horatio Seymour, Samuel J. Tilden, Charles Evans Hughes, Alfred E. Smith, and Thomas E. Dewey—were unsuccessful candidates for the presidency of the United States. Since 1988, New Yorkers have reliably supported Democratic candidates for president.
History
Early days.
Two of the largest and most powerful Native American groups in North America lived in the New York region before European settlers came. One group consisted of the Mahican, Montauk, Munsee, Wappinger, and Delaware, or Lenape, tribes. These tribes belonged to the Algonquian language family. The other group was the Iroquois, who were also known as the Five Nations or Haudenosaunee. The Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, and Seneca tribes made up the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy (see Iroquois). Both groups farmed, hunted, and fished. The Iroquois were especially sophisticated in their political and social organization.
Exploration and settlement.
Giovanni da Verrazzano, an Italian navigator and explorer, was probably the first European to visit the New York region. Verrazzano supposedly was hired by King Francis I of France to explore the northern part of America. Historians believe Verrazzano may have sailed into New York Bay and reached the Hudson River about 1524. See Verrazzano, Giovanni da.
In 1609, Henry Hudson, an Englishman employed by the Dutch, sailed up the river that now bears his name. He was looking for a Northwest Passage to the Orient. Hudson’s voyage gave the Netherlands a claim to the territory covering much of present-day New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and part of Connecticut. The territory was later named New Netherland. See Hudson, Henry.
Also in 1609, the French explorer Samuel de Champlain entered the northern part of New York from Quebec. His visit gave France a claim to the land.
The Dutch established several trading posts and prosperous settlements in the Hudson River Valley soon after Hudson’s visit. There, they built up a profitable fur trade with local tribes. In 1621, a group of Dutch merchants formed the Dutch West India Company. The government of the Netherlands gave the company all rights to trade in New Netherland for the next 24 years. In 1624, the company sent about 30 families to settle in the region. Some of these families founded Fort Orange (now Albany), the first permanent white settlement in the colony. The rest of them established settlements in other parts of New Netherland. See Dutch West India Company.
In 1625, a group of Dutch colonists began building a fort and laying out a town on Manhattan Island. They named their settlement New Amsterdam. In 1626, Peter Minuit, the Dutch governor (or director-general), bought Manhattan from a Native American group for goods worth 60 Dutch guilders, or about $24 (see Minuit, Peter). Some historians think it was the Delaware who sold Manhattan to Minuit. During the next few years, Wiltwyck (now Kingston), Rensselaerswyck (now Rensselaer), Breuckelen (now Brooklyn), Schenectady, and other settlements were established in New Netherland by Dutch colonists. 
In 1629, the Dutch West India Company set up the patroon (landowner) system to speed the settlement of New Netherland. Members of the company were given huge tracts of land, which they could keep if they colonized the land with settlers. Only one patroonship lasted into the 1700’s, that of Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, an Amsterdam diamond merchant. His land covered much of present-day Albany, Columbia, and Rensselaer counties. Van Rensselaer began the practice of leasing his land to tenant farmers. The tenant system in New York lasted until the 1840’s. A series of tenant revolts forced it to end. See Patroon system.
Under English rule.
Many English colonists from Connecticut and Massachusetts settled on Long Island. For a long time, they cooperated with the Dutch. But gradually the English began to oppose the Dutch. In addition, King Charles II of England decided to take over New Netherland. He gave his brother James, the Duke of York, a charter for the territory. In 1664, the English sent a fleet to seize New Netherland. The warships dropped anchor in the harbor of New Amsterdam. Peter Stuyvesant, the Dutch governor, surrendered the settlement without a fight.
The English renamed the territory New York, after the Duke of York, who later became King James II of England. Under the Treaty of Breda, signed in 1667, the Dutch formally gave up all New Netherland to England.
Soon after the English won control of southern New York, the French began to take great interest in the northern part. In 1669, the French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, entered the Niagara region. In 1731, the French built a fortress at Crown Point on Lake Champlain. They prepared to take permanent possession of northern New York. Meanwhile, in 1689, war had broken out in Europe between England and France. New York soon became a battleground in the struggle between the two countries.
From 1689 until 1763, the region suffered severely through four wars, known in America as the French and Indian wars. Battles were fought at Crown Point, Fort Niagara, Fort Ticonderoga, and many other places. The French received aid from the Algonquian tribes in the wars, but the Iroquois Confederacy provided assistance to the British. 
The French and Indian wars delayed settlement of the frontier regions and slowed the growth of sections that had already been settled. Britain and France signed a peace treaty—the Treaty of Paris—in 1763. However, the wars cost France almost all its possessions in North America. See French and Indian wars.
In 1735, John Peter Zenger, publisher of the New-York Weekly Journal, won a great victory for freedom of the press. Zenger had criticized the British governor, and was charged with seditious libel—that is, with making statements aimed at stirring up discontent or rebellion against the government. In a historic trial, the jury found Zenger innocent. See Zenger, John Peter.
The American Revolution.
British policies angered many of the people of New York. They did not like the presence of British troops, the authority of royal judges, or the taxes passed by the British Parliament. Other New Yorkers, called Loyalists or Tories, did not oppose the British. Nobody knows how many New Yorkers were Loyalists. But during and after the American Revolution (1775-1783), perhaps as many as 30,000 people left the state. 
During the American Revolution, New York was the scene of many battles. The British occupied New York City during the entire war. The Loyalists helped the British and persuaded many Iroquois to fight the patriots. American patriots won the First and Second Battles of Freeman’s Farm in New York in 1777. These victories led to a British surrender at Saratoga and marked a turning point in the war. See American Revolution.
Statehood.
On July 9, 1776, the provincial congress of New York met in White Plains. It approved the Declaration of Independence, which the Continental Congress had adopted on July 4. The congress also organized an independent government. The next year, New York adopted its first constitution. George Clinton was elected governor. Clinton later served as vice president under two U.S. presidents, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. 
On Feb. 6, 1778, New York approved the Articles of Confederation. It did not want a strong federal government. But it finally ratified the United States Constitution on July 26, 1788. New York was the 11th state to enter the Union. New York City served as the U.S. capital from 1785 to 1790. In 1789, George Washington was inaugurated as the nation’s first president. The inauguration took place in Federal Hall in New York City.
Settlement of the interior progressed rapidly. In 1779, during the American Revolution, General Washington sent an expedition to crush the mighty Iroquois. Troops commanded by General James Clinton raided Iroquois villages up through the Mohawk Valley. The soldiers then moved down the Susquehanna River to Tioga, Pennsylvania. There, they joined troops commanded by General John Sullivan. The combined force of about 3,500 men marched through the Finger Lakes region to the Genesee Valley. The soldiers destroyed Iroquois villages, killed their livestock, and burned their fields. The heart of the Iroquois territory was left in ruin. The military power of the Iroquois lay broken, leaving the area open to white settlement. After the American Revolution, soldiers who had fought in the area told of its level, fertile land. Many veterans settled on grants of land they received there. By 1810, New York had a population of 959,049, more people than any other state.
War broke out between the United States and the United Kingdom in 1812 (see War of 1812). Much of the fighting took place in frontier regions near the New York-Canada border. After the war, pioneers began to settle in the northern and western sections of the state. Many of these settlers came from other parts of New York, but many also came from Canada, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and especially New England. By 1820, about 500,000 people lived in frontier settlements, and the state had a population of over 1,370,000.
Growing prosperity.
As the frontier was opened, the people of New York realized that better transportation would be needed between the coast and the interior. Governor De Witt Clinton had long urged the construction of a canal to link the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes. In 1825, the famous Erie Canal was completed. It crossed New York from Buffalo on Lake Erie to Troy and Albany on the Hudson River. The canal provided an important link in an all-water route between New York City and Buffalo. It greatly lowered the cost of transporting goods. Farmers in the West shipped their produce to the East by way of the Great Lakes and the Erie Canal. Products from New York’s growing factories were, in turn, shipped on the canal to western markets. See Erie Canal.
The development of railroads across the state soon followed the opening of the Erie Canal. The canal and railroads greatly encouraged the state’s growing prosperity. They also provided jobs for many of the thousands of European immigrants who were pouring into the state. By 1850, New York was firmly established as the Empire State. It led the nation in population, in manufacturing, and in commerce.
Wealthy merchants and great landowners had controlled New York since colonial days. During the early 1800’s, the state adopted more and more democratic practices. In the 1820’s, white men no longer had to own property to be able to vote. A new constitution adopted in 1846 required that all major state officials be elected by the voters.
In 1839, the antirent movement began when tenant farmers refused to pay rent to wealthy landowners. The antirenters, disguised as Native Americans, ranged the Hudson and Mohawk river valleys and fought attempts by the landlords to evict them from their farms. The antirent movement grew rapidly and became a powerful political force in New York. During the 1840’s, the great landlords began the process of breaking up their estates into small independent farms. See Antirenters.
Long before the Civil War began in 1861, many of New York’s people strongly opposed slavery. But some did not. In July 1863, mobs rioted for four days in New York City. They objected to drafting men into the Union Army. The mobs burned, robbed, and murdered recklessly. They killed more than 100 people and wounded several hundred more. The rioters destroyed more than $11/2 million worth of property. Troops called from the battlefield finally ended the riots. Despite the draft riots, New York provided more soldiers, supplies, and money to the Union war effort than any other state.
After the Civil War ended in 1865, new manufacturing centers grew up in various parts of New York. More and more products of the Middle West flowed through Buffalo, the state’s western gateway. Increased commerce between the United States and other countries passed through New York City, the state’s eastern gateway. New York City, already the nation’s industrial and financial capital, also became a leading cultural center. As manufacturing continued to increase, new waves of immigrants poured in, drawn by employment opportunities. They came from Italy, Poland, Russia, and other southern and eastern European countries. By 1900, the state had more than 7 million people. 
The early 1900’s.
In 1901, a Pan American Exposition was held in Buffalo. The exhibition sought to promote unity and understanding between North and South America.
Theodore Roosevelt, a Republican, served as governor of New York in 1899 and 1900. He supported a number of reform bills, especially in the field of labor. In 1901, Roosevelt became vice president of the United States under President William McKinley. On Sept. 6, 1901, six months after the inauguration, an assassin shot McKinley while the president was attending the Pan American Exposition. McKinley died eight days later, and Roosevelt became president.
The United States entered World War I in 1917. New York City served as the great port from which thousands of American soldiers sailed for and returned from the battlefields of Europe.
The Great Depression
of the late 1920’s and the 1930’s hit New York hard. Unemployment was severe. Men and women sold apples on street corners. Hungry people lined up at soup kitchens, or stood in bread lines that stretched for blocks.
Alfred E. Smith, a Democrat, served as governor of New York from 1919 to 1920 and from 1923 to 1928. He lost to Republican Herbert Hoover in the 1928 presidential election. Franklin D. Roosevelt was governor from 1929 to 1932. He served as president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. Herbert H. Lehman succeeded Roosevelt as governor and served until 1942. Much of the social legislation supported by Governors Roosevelt and Lehman attacked the depression. This legislation later served as a model for federal laws urged by Roosevelt when he was president.
The mid-1900’s.
New York became a center of the country’s defense industry in the mid-1900’s. Factories produced large amounts of war materials during World War II (1939-1945), the Korean War (1950-1953), and the Vietnam War (1957-1975). These materials came from the state’s industrial centers—Buffalo, New York City, Rochester, Schenectady, and Syracuse—and hundreds of smaller communities. Growth occurred in several fields, including agriculture, banking, insurance, and manufacturing.
In 1946, the United Nations selected New York City as the site of its permanent home. Construction of UN Headquarters was completed in 1952. Two world’s fairs were held in New York City during the mid-1900’s—in 1939 and 1940 and in 1964 and 1965. 
In 1948, New York established the State University of New York (SUNY), its first state university. SUNY has grown into a system of more than 60 campuses. See New York, State University of.
During the late 1950’s, New York and the Canadian province of Ontario developed large hydroelectric projects on the St. Lawrence and Niagara rivers. In 1961, the Niagara Power Plant opened. It is one of the largest hydroelectric facilities in the world.
New York also greatly improved its transportation system. The St. Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959, allowing oceangoing ships to sail to ports on the Great Lakes. In 1960, New York completed the nation’s longest toll superhighway, the New York State Thruway. This 496-mile (798-kilometer) expressway was renamed the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway in 1964. Also in the 1960’s, the federal government completed the New York portion of Interstate 81, stretching 180 miles (290 kilometers) from Pennsylvania to Canada. The 176-mile (283-kilometer) Adirondack Northway was also completed during this time. The scenic northway extends from Albany to Quebec. In 1964, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge opened in New York City. It has one of the world’s longest center spans.
During the 1960’s, the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts was built in New York City. The center serves as a home for some of the outstanding cultural institutions in the United States. These world-famous institutions include the Metropolitan Opera, the New York Philharmonic, the Juilliard School, the New York City Ballet, the New York City Opera, the Film Society of Lincoln Center, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Lincoln Center Theater, and the School of American Ballet. In addition, two branches of the New York Public Library are located in the center. See Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.
The late 1900’s.
During the early 1970’s, many manufacturing plants in New York closed, resulting in the loss of about 600,000 jobs. Many people moved away from the state as a result. However, this outflow of people leveled off during the 1980’s, and the population showed an increase during the 1990’s. The state’s economy experienced a healthy recovery, due mainly to the tremendous growth in service industries and electronics manufacturing.
During the late 1900’s, the state continued to maintain its great attractiveness for immigrants, especially Asian and Hispanic people. New York has been one of the highest ranking states in the number of new immigrants it receives every year.
Like other states, New York began to deal with the long-neglected problem of toxic industrial wastes. The state had hundreds of hazardous waste sites. One of the most critical sites was the Love Canal neighborhood of Niagara Falls. In the 1970’s and early 1980’s, chemical wastes that had leaked from a former disposal site threatened the health of the residents in that area. Both the New York state government and the federal government provided financial aid to help move the families from Love Canal to other areas.
In addition to dealing with hazardous wastes, New York faced many other challenges in the late 1900’s. These challenges, which continued into the 2000’s, included improving social services and housing for the poor and people with intellectual disabilities, and maintaining the state’s extensive highway network. New York leaders also faced the need to provide better education for minority students, to curb drug abuse, and to improve methods of handling the state’s growing prison population.
The early 2000’s.
On Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists in hijacked commercial airplanes crashed the planes into the twin 110-story towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Another hijacked plane crashed into the Pentagon Building, just outside Washington, D.C., and a fourth hijacked plane crashed in a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The two Trade Center towers collapsed to the ground, and part of the Pentagon was destroyed. About 3,000 people were killed. The incidents were the worst terrorist attack in United States history. See September 11 terrorist attacks. 
In March 2008, Governor Eliot Spitzer resigned after it was revealed he had used a high-priced prostitution ring under investigation by the federal government. Lieutenant Governor David A. Paterson replaced Spitzer, becoming the state’s first African American governor. Spitzer, who had taken office in 2007, was a former attorney general who gained fame for prosecuting such crimes as investment and insurance fraud, prostitution, and police corruption. In 2011, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in New York.
In October 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck the Atlantic Coast. The storm killed dozens of New Yorkers. High winds and flooding caused great damage, especially in New York City. The borough of Staten Island was particularly hard-hit.
Public health crisis.
In early 2020, New York became the focus of the nation’s efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19. This sometimes-fatal respiratory disease, caused by a type of coronavirus, infected communities worldwide after cases first appeared in China in late 2019. In early March 2020, more than 100 COVID-19 cases were detected in New Rochelle, in Westchester County, north of New York City. Governor Cuomo directed state officials to enact a quarantine around the center of the outbreak.
The New York City metropolitan area, with its dense population and status as a world transportation hub, proved vulnerable to a larger outbreak. Authorities first urged residents to practice social distancing. They later issued strict lockdown measures. Nonessential businesses were ordered to close. As infection rates rose in the area, authorities set up emergency hospital facilities. By late March, New York state had more confirmed cases than the rest of the country combined. A month later, more cases had been confirmed in New York than in any country outside the United States. Many hospitals were overwhelmed with patients, and thousands of New Yorkers died.
In May 2020, as infection rates declined, authorities relaxed restrictions on business and social activity in many New York counties. In the following months, authorities tightened or eased such restrictions based on the severity of local infection rates. In December, the state began distributing the first COVID-19 vaccines to health care workers and to residents and staffs of nursing homes. Vaccines became available to most New Yorkers during the first several months of 2021. Infection and death rates declined by mid-2021 as vaccination rates increased. In late 2021 and early 2022, however, the spread of new, more contagious variants of the virus caused infection rates to rise. By early 2023, about 7 million COVID-19 infections had been recorded in the state, and about 80,000 New Yorkers had died of the disease.
Other recent developments.
In 2021, a number of women, many of them fellow government workers, accused Cuomo of sexual harassment during his time as governor. Cuomo, facing the prospect of being removed from office, resigned in August. Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul replaced him, becoming the first female governor of the state.
