New York

New York was the 11^th state in the USA; it became a state on July 26, 1788.

State Abbreviation - NY
State Capital - Albany
Biggest City - New York City
Area - 54,475 square miles [New York is the 27th largest state in the USA]
Population - 18,976,457 (as of 2000) [New York is the third most populous state in the USA, after California and Texas]
Name for Residents - New Yorkers
Major Industries - finance, communications, international trade, publishing, fashion, communications, farming (fruit and dairy), tourism

Presidential Birthplaces
Martin Van Buren was born in Kinderhook on December 5, 1782 (he was the 8th US President, serving from 1837 to 1841).

Millard Fillmore was born in Locke Township (now Summerhill) on January 7, 1800 (he was the 13th US President, serving from 1850 to 1853).

Theodore Roosevelt was born in New York City on October 27, 1858 (he was the 26th US President, serving from 1901 to 1909).

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born in Hyde Park on January 30, 1882 (he was the 32th US President, serving from 1933 to 1945).

Main Rivers - Hudson River, Mohawk River, Genesee River
Highest Point - Mt. Marcy, 5,344 feet (1,629 m) above sea level
Number of Counties - 62
Bordering States - Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island (water border)
Bordering Country - Canada
Bordering Bodies of Water - Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, Lake Champlain, Atlantic Ocean

Origin of the Name New York - The English took over of the area that had been called "New Netherland" in 1664, and renamed it New York to honor the Duke of York (York is a city in England).
State Nickname - The Empire State
State Motto - Excelsior (Ever Upwards)
State Song - "I Love New York"

Dinosaur Fossils Found in New York - Coelophysis trackways (found in the Newark Basin)

New York State Symbols and Emblems:

State Flag New York's official flag was adopted in 1901. The flag has a deep blue background. It pictures Liberty (she symbolizes freedom) and Justice (she symbolizes justice before the law). Liberty is holding a pole with a liberty cap, and has a discarded crown at her feet (which represents freedom from Britain after the Revolutionary War). Justice is blindfolded and is holding the scales of justice. A shield between them pictures the sun, hills, and 2 boats sailing on the Hudson River. Over the shield there is a globe and a bald eagle. Under them all is a white, flowing ribbon that reads "EXCELSIOR."