One of the original 13 colonies,
New York is the third most populous state after
California and
Texas, which makes it the most populous state in the Northeast. New York City remains one of the world's largest cities and the nation's leading financial center. As one of the cultural hubs of the Western World, New York attracts more tourists than perhaps any other city in the country. It is also the largest printing and publishing center in the nation.
Origin of State's Name: New York was named after the English Duke of York and Albany (and the brother of England's King Charles II) in 1664 when the region called New Amsterdam was taken from the Dutch.
Capital City: Albany is the jewel in New York's crown. The city, first settled by the Dutch in 1624, was given its charter in 1686 by Governor Thomas Dongan and became Capital of the State of New York in 1797. If you are considering
moving to Albany, this area offers all of the benefits of living in New York's capital city, as well as providing its residents with a distinctive sense of community.
Population: New York has a population of approximately 19.2 million.
Driving: Driver's license information, applications, testing requirements, driver's manuals and testing locations can be found on the
New York Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) website.
Agriculture and Industry: Major agriculture includes dairy products, cattle and other livestock, vegetables, nursery stock and apples. Printing and publishing, scientific instruments, electric equipment, machinery, chemical products and tourism are the state's leading industries.
State Bird: The lovely red, white, and blue Eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) was designated the State bird of New York in 1970. The bluebird's song is a rich warbling whistle broken into short phrases.
State Tree: The sugar maple was designated the state tree of New York in 1956.
State Flower: The rose was designated official state flower of New York in 1955. The rose has been around for about 35 million years and grows naturally throughout North America.
State Song: Written by Steve Karmen, "I Love New York" is the official state song.