Basic Information About New York

New York is the fourth most populous US state with about 19.6 million residents. It covers 54,555 square miles and is home to the most visited city in the Western Hemisphere. The state capital is Albany, not New York City — a distinction that surprises many people.

Nickname: The Empire State — a phrase that appears in a letter by George Washington, who referred to New York's potential as "the seat of the empire." The nickname was popularized through the 19th century as the state became the dominant economic and cultural force in the nation.

Statehood: July 26, 1788 — the 11th state to ratify the Constitution, after considerable debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists.

State Flower: Rose — the state adopted the rose as its official flower in 1955.

State Bird: Eastern Bluebird, adopted in 1970.

State Animal: Beaver — honoring the fur trade that drove Dutch and English settlement of the Hudson Valley in the 17th century.

Climate: Varied. New York City and Long Island have a humid subtropical-bordering-continental climate with hot summers and cold winters. Upstate New York has a continental climate with heavy snowfall — Buffalo averages over 90 inches of snow per year, much of it driven by Lake Erie and Lake Ontario lake-effect snow events.

Geography: The Hudson River Valley runs north-south through the state's eastern section. The Adirondack Mountains dominate the northeast; the Catskills sit in the southeast. The St. Lawrence River and Great Lakes form the northern and western borders.

Politics: New York City and its suburbs dominate state politics, making New York reliably Democratic in statewide and presidential elections. Upstate New York is more politically divided.

Economy: Finance, media, technology, healthcare, and tourism are the major sectors. Wall Street alone accounts for roughly $100 billion in annual tax revenue for state and city governments combined.