New York: The Empire State

New York is located in northeast United States, stretching from New England to the east to Lakes Ontario and Erie and Canada to the northwest and bordering Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the southwest. It is the third most populous state in the United States. The first European explorer of record New York’s vicinity was Giovanni da Verrazano, of Italy, in 1524. In the 1600’s, New York was inhabited by various native American tribes when the Dutch explored it. They established various outposts and ultimately the colony of New Netherland, annexed by Britain in 1664. New York saw significant action in the American Revolutionary War, and became the eleventh state in the Union on July 26, 1788. In the early 1800’s New York became the commercial center of the United States due to booms in textile, dairy, and trade. The Civil War proved to be an economic boon to New York, as no battles were fought there, yet New York provided substantial resources to the Union war effort. After the Civil War, New York entered the “Gilded Age,” an era of industrial, population, and cultural expansion. New York suffered with the rest of the U.S. in the Great Depression of the late 1920’s and 1930’s. After World War II, the state saw suburban growth, adding to New York City’s urban sprawl. The movement of manufacturing companies out of upstate New York in the late 1900’s created major challenges for much of the state that remain today. New York City, the most populous in the United States, has been and remains a major center of business, finance, trade, culture, and education. As a historic point of entry by immigrants into the United States, New York’s population has long been highly diverse.

New York’s Economy: Runs from Main Street to Wall Street

New York is the second largest economic power in the United States after California. From its heritage as an agricultural state, the New York’s economy has diversified over time. Today financial services, general services, trade, government, manufacturing, transportation, public utilities and construction are the economic drivers of the Empire State.

Education: An Empire of Learning in New York

Educational attainment among the New York populace roughly mirrors that of the U.S. as a whole. As of 2000, roughly 79% of its residents aged 25 and older had completed high school and roughly 27% had completed college. There are 4,531 institutions of higher learning in New York State. The State University of New York (SUNY) system is a renowned state public university system with over 465,000 students at 64 campuses. Among New York’s elite private institutions of higher learning are: Barnard College, Columbia University, Colgate University, Cornell University, Hamilton College, Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute, Syracuse University, and Union College, Vassar College.

The Crime Scene in New York: Smackdown

New York has seen a substantial decreasing trend in crime from its all-time high rate of the early 1980’s. Virtually all major forms of crime in New York, including violent crime, forcible rape, aggravated assault, and robbery have seen prolonged steady declines over the past several decades. In 2006, New York ranked 22nd among U.S. states for violent crimes with 435 per 100,000 population.

The New York Population and Politics – Tilts Democratic, But The Person Matters

New York has a population of over 19.5 million people. Its population has been growing very slowly, at a rate of just 0.3% per year in the past decade. New York has been historically mixed in its political preferences. New York’s state legislature consists of both Democrats and Republicans with a roughly 4 to 3 Democratic advantage. Among more than 7.6 million votes cast in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, New York voters chose Democratic candidate Barack Obama over Republican candidate John McCain by a ratio of over three to two.